Favorite Things of 2009 - Part I

I'm calling this Part I because I'm sure I'll think of some other things, but two of my favorite things (pop culture wise) of 2009 are:

1. Forest Born by Shannon Hale
This might be my favorite Shannon Hale book, and that is saying something. This book was on my brain for about a week. The thoughts it created weren't always comfortable, for example the main character is a teenager who manages to find absolute balance between, in fantasy terms anyway, public and family life. Something I haven't even come close to figuring out. This book was absolute page-turning entertainment but it stuck with me, a major achievement.

2. "Welcome to the Future" by Brad Paisley
This isn't the first Brad Paisley song that unexpectedly moved me to tears, and it probably won't be the last. In terms of both my own life, and the world in general, this song makes me very grateful to be where I am today. Surprisingly deep for a song that starts out talking about a Pac-Man game. His story about singing this song at the White House was one of the few "celebrity" news stories that actually made me happy. www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/23/brad.paisley.white.house/index.html