This is my end of the year wrap up. A few lists of 11 things that stood out to me. There were songs, movies, tv shows, CDs, and sports moments that made my year. 2011 was full of some pretty great moments. What were some of yours? Leave them in the comment section below. Here we go!
°Songs°
11) Rihanna "Birthday Cake"
10) Jill Scott "Hear My Call"
09) Frank Ocean "Novacane"
08) Bridget Kelly "Thinking Bout Forever"
07) JCole/Missy "Nobody's Perfect"
06) Drake "Look What You've Done"
05) Beyonce "I Miss You"
04) Jeezy/Jay-Z/Andre 3000 "I Do"
03) Adele "Set Fire To The Rain"
02) Wale "Illest B***h Alive"
01) Jay-Z & Kanye West "N***as In Paris" & "Gotta Have It"
°Cds°
11) Jessie J "Who You Are"
10) Marsha Ambroius "Late Nights, Early Mornings"
09) Leidisi "Pieces Of Me"
08) J. Cole "Cole World: Sideline Story"
07) Amy Winehouse "Lioness:Hidden Treasures"
06) Jeezy "TM103"
05) Drake "Take Care"
04) Wale "Ambition"
03) Beyonce "4"
02) Adele "21"
01) Jay-Z & Kanye West "Watch The Throne"
°Movies/TV shows°
11) "The Lincoln Lawyer"
10) The Good Wife
09) "Breaking Dawn Part I"
08) Switched At Birth
07) "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
06) Reed Between The Lines
05) "Fast Five"
04) Happy Endings
03) Revenge
02) "Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part II"
01) "Columbiana"
°Sports Moment°
11) Mavs Championship Win
10) Celtics Bad Start
09) Shortened NBA season
08) Odom trade/crying interview/ejection from 1st game
07) Suh fine/suspension
06) Packers ridiculous season
05) Colts disappointing season
04) ULL N.O. Bowl win
03) Chris Paul league denied trade/eventual trade
02) Drew Brees Record breaking
01) NBA Lockout
"If you could invite any person, living or dead, who would you invite and why?" This dinner party question has always intrigued me. I've put a lot of thought into who my guests would be. Over the years, some of my guests have changed. There are 3 that haven't at all. I would want a dinner party where there was deep conversation as well as easy laughter. I would want everyone to enjoy every minute of it.
Shawn Corey Carter. This man's mind intrigues me. He is more than a talented rapper. He's intelligent. He has a great business mind. I would love to dig into it for a while. I have been a fan since "Reasonable Doubt." The older he gets, the more I am drawn to know more about who he really is. The man has released 11 #1 solo cds. His raps are still relevant. He has cultivated his brand into a virtual cash cow. This does not happen by chance nor does it happen to everyone. He seems charismatic, charming, and funny. I think all of that would make him an interesting dinner guest.
Next I would def invite President Barack Obama. I became aware of him years before he ran for President. I was amazed by his words, the way he spoke with such conviction and his seemingly undeniable ease with people. I voted for him in 2008 because I believed he had my best interests at heart. I will be voting for him in 2012 for the same exact reason. I think conversations with him on any topic would be thought provoking and deep. His personality is warm and welcoming. I think everyone would love him as well.
Frida Kahlo would have the most interesting stories to tell. Her art pieces alone would provide hours of dissecting conversations. She is one of my favorite artists. She laid her pain bare for the world to see with no remorse. Oh and she could bring her husband as well.
Dr. Steve Perry is a educator who is changing the face of education. He is also a new author. I would love to discuss how his program is graduating 100% of his students and also sending them to college. That number is astounding and quite unbelievable. I would love to hear him tell how he became so focused on education and what it all means to him.
Morris Block was my Speech and Debate Sponsor in middle and high school. I loved everything about him. He knew a little bit about everything. I think his love of literature, poetry, and the theater was infectious. I've never seen the man meet a stranger. He could engage with any and everyone. He passed when I was in college. He was also one of my favorite teachers as well as people. He would make a wonderful dinner guest.
My final guest would be my Dad. He was a very personable man. A true comedian to his heart. He was always the life of the party. Everyone knew his name and were happy to see him arrive. He would not be intimidated by any celebrity there. He would just be comfortable and himself. I would be proud. This would be the dinner party of my life. I would be the perfect hostess and chef. My dinner party would be an absolute success.
There is just something about books that makes me happy. It could be the fact that I love words. Or that a great journey in a book can take me far. Or it could just be my love for libraries as well. A good day will always involve a great book for me. It's my happy place. I read really fast. As if I'm in a rush to live through it. I get a rush from reading, same feeling I get when I write. There is nothing that comes close to that feeling. I just love books. They are just about my favorite thing since I am big on words. I've read some really great books this year. thought I would share them with you. Enjoy!
* "Decoded" - Jay-Z & dream hampton
An amazingly in depth look at Jay-Z's lyrics and aspects of his life. I love the way dream was able to pull such intimate stories from Jay. The book is a great read. It made me a bigger fan of Jay as an artist and as a man. dream worded the book wonderfully. This is a must read for any true Hip-Hop fan such as myself.
* "Chasing Harry Winston" - Lauren Weisberger
This was a whimsical tale of a group of women trying to get to their happily ever afters. It is witty and comical and honest. I love the author's point of view of the characters and their individual stories. I am a fan of Lauren's work. Her books always make me happy though from beginning to end.
* "Platinum" - Aliya S. King
Probably the best peek behind the Hip-Hop elite's curtains. Aliya spins a great tale of these great Hip-Hop artists and the women who love and put up with them. The author has a way of writing that makes you root for even the most awful of characters. I saw a lot of characteristics of real life big time artists within the pages of this novel. The viewpoint of this novel is that of the wives, girlfriends, fiancees, and side chicks. She is currently working on the follow up to this novel. It is entitled "Diamond Life" and its written from the viewpoint of the men in the first book. I cannot wait to catch up with these characters that I love.
* "Getting to Happy" - Terry McMillan
This is the follow up to "Waiting to Exhale." We get to see what has become of our favorite women. There is a lot of bitterness and sadness in this book. It was a great read but I felt conflicted. In a book entitled "Getting to Happy," one would think that there would be a whole lot of happiness in it. That is not the race for the most part. It was nice to find out what happen after WTE and there is supposedly a movie in the works. I will go see it.
This is just a short review of the things that I have read recently. Peep them out. Let me know what you think as well.
