The Best Things We Read In 2016

This year has had its ups and downs, the downs being more recent in our memories, but there were also a multitude of excellent stories told this year. We've read a number of articles, books, magazines, etc. this year and have compiled a list of some of the best this year had to offer. There were stories that took us to a galaxy far, far away and stories that hit close to home and helped us connect with ourselves and the ever-changing world around us. 

What I Know

ROSANNA TASKER - Lenny Letter

In March, New York Times best-selling author Jessica Knoll shared the story of the real rape informing her debut novel Luckiest Girl Alive (which is also one of the best thing's I've read this year).  Her essay is real, powerful, and necessary. I don't think a line of text has ever resonated with me more than the final line of her piece: "I'm not fine. It's not fine. But it's finally the truth, it's what I know, and that's a start." 

Star Wars: Ahsoka

Star Wars: Ahsoka is one of the newest  Star Wars texts this year and is the first book in the canon to feature the former Jedi apprentice to Anakin Skywalker. The story, written by E.K. Johnston, focuses on Ahsoka's time after the fall of the Republic.  For any fan of Star Wars Rebels or Star Wars: The Clone Wars, this book shares the story of how our favorite padawan became Fulcrum, the informant for the Resistance. 

Scrappy Little Nobody  

Anna Kendrick's collection of essays, Scrappy Little Nobody, was released in November of this year. It is a hilarious and charming account of her time in the business so far. She has written this book in the same authentic and candid voice that can be found on her Twitter. It was a joy to read! 

The Princess Diarist 

The final memoir written by the late Carrie Fisher is by far one of my favorites from 2016.  The entire text focuses on Carrie's reflections on and personal diaries surrounding her time filming the original Star Wars film, now known as A New Hope. She also speaks about bringing her iconic role back to the big screen in The Force Awakens.  Ms. Fisher, in her outstanding way, maintains her usual frank, witty humor throughout the text.  Many times, I found myself hearing her voice in my mind telling the story (Of course, you can actually hear her tell the story through the audiobook). - Sarah

Marcia Clark is Redeemed

via: NY Mag

The People v. O.J. Simpson was one of the biggest television events of the season and has garnered high critical praise and industry awards for best television mini-series and its leading actors.  The major appeal of the show was the sensational nature of O.J. Simpson's trial and one of the best performances of the television season was Sarah Paulson's portrayal of Marcia Clark.  I loved reading Rebecca Traister's piece detailing how the show has helped the "90's bogeywoman... become a feminist icon."

2017 Golden Globe Nominations

The 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association will be held and simulcast live on NBC on Sunday, January 8, 2017 at 8 p.m. EST produced by Dick Clark Productions. Nominations were announced by Don Cheadle, Laura Dern and Anna Kendrick this morning live from The Beverly Hilton hotel.   

La La Land leads film nominees with seven nominations, followed by Moonlight which received six. The People v. O.J. Simpson tops TV nominations with five. Meryl Streep will be honored this year with the Cecil B, DeMille Award. 

And the nominees are:

Best Motion Picture, Drama
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or Highwater
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight

Best Motion Picture, Comedy 
20th Century Women
Deadpool
Florence Foster Jenkins
La La Land
Sing Street

Best Director – Motion Picture
Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Tom Ford, Nocturnal Animals
Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Amy Adams, Arrival
Jessica Chastain, Miss Sloane
Ruth Negga, Loving
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Isabelle Huppert, Elle

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy 
Annette Bening, 20th Century Women
Lily Collins, Rules Don't Apply
Hailee Steinfeld, The Edge of Seventeen
Emma Stone, La La Land

Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Viola Davis, Fences
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Joel Edgerton, Loving
Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington, Fences

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Colin Farrell, The Lobster
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins
Jonah Hill, War Dogs
Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Simon Helberg, Florence Foster Jenkins
Dev Patel, Lion
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nocturnal Animals

Best Animated Feature Film
Kubo and the Two Strings
Moana
My Life as a Zucchini
Sing
Zootopia

Best TV Series, Drama

The Crown
Game of Thrones
Stranger Things
This is Us
Westworld

Best TV Series, Comedy
Atlanta
Black-ish
Mozart in the Jungle
Transparent
Veep

Best TV Movie or Limited-Series
American Crime
The Dresser
Night Manager
The Night of
The People v. O.J. Simpson

Best Actor in a TV Series, Drama
Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Matthew Rhys, The Americans
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
Billy Bob Thorton, Goliath

Best Actor in a TV Series, Comedy
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Gael Garcia Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle
Donald Glover, Atlanta
Nick Nolte, Graves
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

Best Actress in a TV Series, Drama
Caitriona Balfe, Outlander
Claire Foy, The Crown
Keri Russell, The Americans
Winona Ryder, Stranger Things
Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld

Best Actress in a TV Series, Drama
Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Sarah Jessica Parker, Divorce
Issa Rae, Insecure
Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Limited-Series, or TV Movie
Uzo Aduba, Orange is the New Black
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
Regina King, American Crime
Judith Light, Transparent
Maura Tierney, The Affair

Best Actress in a TV Series, Comedy
Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex Girlfriend
Jamie Lee Curtis, Scream Queens
Julia Louis Dreyfus, Veep
Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin
Lilly Tomlin, Grace & Frankie

Best Actor in a Series, Limited-Series or TV Movie
Riz Ahmed, The Night of
Bryan Cranston, All the Way
Tom Hiddelston, The Night Manager
John Turturro, The Night of
Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson

Best Actress in a Series, Limited-Series or TV Movie
Felicity Huffman, American Crime
Riley Keough, The Girlfriend Experience
Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson
Charlotte Rampling, London Spy
Kerry Washington, Confirmation

See a full list of nominees here. 

Tune in to the ceremony, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, Sunday, January 8, 2017 at 8 p.m. EST on NBC.