Stephanie’s Best of 2017 List

For 2017’s best of list, I have a mix of video games, books, and movies.

For video games, I didn’t have as much time to play, sadly. One game I did get to play was Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series. It’s the classic Telltale formula, a five-episode game. My only familiarity with the Guardians comes from the MCU. The game has the humor from the movies and, as with all Telltale games, there are tough decisions to make. Guardians highlights each of the characters’ backstories. This was another hit for Telltale.

Last year was the best reading year I’ve ever had. There were so many great books I read. This list could be a long one, but I decided to limit it to three. These books were not necessarily released in 2017, but I read them in 2017.

1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

This book’s inspiration comes from the Black Lives Matter movement. The story follows 16-year old Starr Carter who witnesses a white police officer shoot her unarmed friend, Khalil. It deals with themes of racism and police brutality. All the hype surrounding it is well-deserved; it is a very topical, needed book. Even though the topics covered are heavy, there is hope in the book. A movie based on the book is in production, with Amandla Stenberg (Hunger Games and Everything, Everything) as Starr.

2. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Aristotle and Dante is a YA book released in 2012. It follows two Mexican-American boys, Aristotle and Dante, growing up in El Paso, Texas in 1987. Aristotle and Dante covers their friendship along with how their relationship develops and changes. The book covers several themes, including masculine gender roles, homosexuality, the importance of family relationships, and racial and ethnic identities. If that’s not enticing enough for you, Lin Manuel-Miranda narrates the audiobook.

3. Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Signal to Noise was released in 2015. The book takes place in Mexico City in 1988 and in 2009 with Mercedes “Meche” Vega as the main character, along with her two friends, Sebastian and Daniela. Meche and her friends discover, with the help of her father’s vinyl collection, they can cast magic. This leads to betrayal, heartbreak, resentment, and forgiveness. The book has an excellent mix of magic and coming-of-age themes. This would make an awesome Netflix series.

I found making a top five movie list quite a difficult task as I went through the list in my head of the movies I’d watched in 2017. There were a lot of great movies!

1. Hidden Figures

It was a fantastic biopic on Katherine Johnson, a mathematician at NASA; Dorothy Vaughan, the first black NASA supervisor; and Mary Jackson, NASA’s first black engineer, who had not been highlighted for their accomplishments in the space program until now. The book is also excellent; quite different from the movie, but I would also highly recommend.

2. Get Out

I watched this movie almost a year ago, and still remember it as if I watched it yesterday. Can’t wait to see Jordan Peele’s next project. Beware the Sunken Place!

3. The Shape of Water

A visually beautiful love story. There’s one scene in particular that’s a great love letter to classic Hollywood movies. All the actors were phenomenal. A question I have is, when will Octavia Spencer star in a leading role?

4. Coco

Another visually beautiful movie that covers the Día de Muertos celebration in Mexico. The music was exceptional; get ready for that best song Oscar, “Remember Me.” All the easter eggs added were awesome to see in a mainstream movie (Cantinflas, anyone?).