It was a very good year...

December 31. An excellent day to look back on the year that has almost come to an end. And to speak with Frank Sinatra: it was a very good year.

I had a great job, moved to the city to live on my own, made new friends, discoveried loads of beautiful music, got to know and like myself much better, started this funny weblog, watched wonderful movies and read some amazing novels, won a prize and a nomination with my thesis, started to write again, and so much more.

I hope 2006 will be as happy as this year, though I have some important New Year's resolutions, which are find the love of my life, find a new job and find a new room... Well, that gives me something nice to do, doesn't it?

My favorite records of this year:

Jason Mraz - Mr. A-Z
Josh Kelley - Almost honest
Over The Rhine - Drunkard's prayer
The Juliana Theory - Deadbeat sweetheartbeat
Josh Rouse - Nashville
Kathleen Edwards - Back to me
Rob Thomas - ...something to be
Switchfoot - Nothing is sound
Tristan Prettyman - Twentythree
Martha Wainwright - Martha Wainwright
Emiliana Torrini - Fisherman's woman
Kate Bush - Aerial


My greatest musical discovery: Joe Firstman! It remains a mystery to me why this brilliant young artist is not much more known than he is right now... The War of Women is probably the best record I bought this year. Anyone who likes the Counting Crows, Josh Kelley, John Mayer and other artists like that will most likely love this record!

The best concert I saw was that of Gavin DeGraw in Amsterdam. Elvis Costello was great as well.

The most beautiful movie I saw for the first time this year was Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, followed closely by Lost in Translation.

The book that made the biggest impression on me this year is To kill a mocking bird by Harper Lee, followed very close by Henry James' Daisy Miller and The Bostonians, Michael Chabon's Wonder boys, and Willa Cather's One of ours.

Everyone a happy new year and see you again in 2006!