Looking through my 2017 diary record of books, films and theatre, some things stand out as being my favourites of the year. I have reduced each list to five items, listed alphabetically by author or title.
FAVOURITE PICTURE BOOKS
Once in a Blue Moon Danielle Daniel
Her Right Foot Dave Eggers; illus. Shawn Harris
The Gold Leaf Kirsten Hall; illus. Matthew Forsythe
Out Angela May George; illus. Owen Swan
Teacup Rebecca Young
FAVOURITE NOVELS (Middle Years)
Wishtree Katherine Applegate
The Stars Beneath My Feet David Barclay Moore
Patina Jason Reynolds
Orphan Island Laurel Snyder
The Warden’s Daughter Jerry Spinelli
FAVOURITE YA NOVELS
The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian Sherman Alexie (re-read)
The Marrow Thieves Cherie Dimaline
Turtles All the Way Down John Green
Shooter Caroline Pignat
The Hate U Give Angie Thomas
FAVOURITE ADULT BOOKS
You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me Sherman Alexie
A Man Called Ove Frederick Backman
The Heart’s Invisible Furies John Boyne
Insomniac City Bill Hayes
Theft By Finding: Diaries: 1977-2002 David Sedaris
FAVOURITE MOVIES
BPM
The Florida Project
I, Daniel Blake
Maudie
Three Billboards Over Ebbing Missouri
DOCUMENTARY FILMS / ANIMATION
Faces / Places
Human Flow
Loving Vincent
Manifesto
The Red Turtle
FAVOURITE PLAYS (Local)
John (Berkeley Street)
Middletown (Shaw)
Mr. Shi and His Lover (Tarragon)
Our Town (Theatre Rusticle)
Tartuffe (Stratford)
FAVOURITE PLAYS (New York)
The Band’s Visit
A Doll’s House: Part 2
Sweeney Todd (revival)
The Wolves
Sunday in The Park with George (revival)
FAVOURITE PLAYS (London)
The Ferryman
Follies
Lady Day
Romantics Anonymous
Twelfth Night (The Globe)
ETC.
What is a ‘Good’ Teacher? David Booth & Richard Coles (professional read)
Sit Deborah Ellis (short stories)
I’m Just No Good at Rhyming and Other Nonsense For Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-ups Chris Harris; illus Lane Smith (poetry)
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (NT Live)
Batsheva Dance Company (dance)