Best Album I Listened to in 2011: Father Son Holy Ghost by Girls Who knew that surfer pop could be so melancholy? The second album from the California one-man band is a downbeat affair. It’s something that you might listen to while sitting on the beach just after breaking up with someone. But for all its mopey tendencies, Girls still has a sense of humor. The track “Vomit” may not have the most appealing title, but it’s one of the most gorgeous ballads of the year.
Best Book I Read in 2011: Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart Several of my friends from book club didn’t care for this novel about an ill-fated relationship set in a near-future dystopia where the American economy is teetering on the brink of collapse. I can certainly understand their reasons for disliking the book. The two main characters are shallow narcissists who are stuck in late-stage adolescence and they live in a world where consumerism is the only driving passion. But I still found the characters fascinating and their voices compelling. Shteyngart has accomplished a rare feat: writing a book with no likeable protagonists that still keeps the reader turning the page.
