Best Picture Oscar Winners TBW Project

 OF ALL THE FILMS THAT HAVE WON BEST PICTURES OSCARS, THERE ARE 28 I HAVEN'T SEEN.  However, I own 22 of 'em already.  So this year, my first 'movie-watching' challenge is to watch all these Oscar-winning Best Pictures that I own and have been slacking on.  Of course, that only leave 6 films I haven't seen but don't own so why don't I just buy those 6 and get it over with.  Well, we'll see.  So far, these are the films I already own that I hope to get watched this year:

For the record, the Best Picture winners I haven't seen but DON'T own are:

KRAMER VS. KRAMER

ORDINARY PEOPLE

OUT OF AFRICA

THE HURT LOCKER

MOONLIGHT

CODA

The 500 Book Challenge Announced

 IT'S WITH A CATCH IN MY VOICE AND A SHIVER IN MY HEART THAT I FINALLY UNDERTAKE THE 500 BOOK CHALLENGE!!! 

I've held off this long but I'm finally gonna dive into the deep end.  For those who don't know, Criminolly came up with this challenge (and Michael K. Vaughan has been running with it) which is to read 500 books you already own before buying any new books.   Actually, Olly is only doing 100 while Michael (& Roger, of course) are doing 500!  That number is ridiculous.  I guess that's why I'M doing 500 too.  

I started in November sometime (I think it was about halfway thru the month, I can't remember) and have gotten along fairly well so far.  A month later, I have 19 books read already listed on my yellow legal pad (just like Mr. Vaughan above) and I'm about 20 pages from finishing my 20th book.

Perhaps I'll post at the beginning of each month with my progress.  And here is the month of December for you:

1. AN ABSOLUTE CASSEROLE: THE TASKMASTER COMPENDIUM - Alex Horne
2. HOW TO BE A HERMIT OR A BATCHELOR KEEPS HOUSE - Will Cuppy
3. HOUSE OF THE UNHOLY - Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips
4. MAIGRET AND THE GHOST - Georges Simenon
5. THE TALL DOLORES - Michael Avallone
6. MEN'S ADVENTURE QUARTERLY #12:  THE PRIVATE EYES ISSUE - Bob Deis et. al.
7. INSTANT LIVES AND MORE - Howard Moss & Edward Gorey
8. UNIVERSAL MONSTERS:  THE MUMMY - Faith Erin Hicks
9. THE SHADOW - H. Bedford-Jones
10. SOLOMON KANE:  THE SERPENT RING - Patrick Zircher
11. VARIETIES OF THE WEIRD TALE - S.T. Joshi
12. YOURS CRUELLY, ELVIRA - Cassandra Peterson
13. CHRISTMAS CURIOSITIES - John Grossman
14. COP HATER - Ed McBain
15. THE CROWN DERBY PLATE - Marjorie Bowen & Seth
16. ONE WHO SAW - A.M. Burrage & Seth
17. FIRESIDE GHOST STORIES FOR CHRISTMAS EVE - M. Grant Kellermeyer, ed.
18. AND ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE - Ed McBain
19. CHRISTMAS EVVE ON A HAUNTED HULK - Frank Cowper & Seth

December 2025 Top Ten List

 HERE ARE MY TOP TEN FAVOURITE FILMS I WATCHED FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME IN DECEMBER:

1. ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER  (2025)
2. BLACK BAG  (2025)
3. FATMAN  (2020)
4. GOOD BOY  (2025)
5. BLACK PHONE 2  (2025)
6. THE GRAY MAN  (2022)
7. NIGHTFALL  (1956)
8. BABES IN TOYLAND  (1934)
9. KLAUS  (2019)
10. ADULT SWIM YULE LOG  (2022)

And here is everything else I watched this month:

For the yearly wrap-up, here are my most watched stars and most watched directors this year:

MOST WATCHED STAR OF 2025:  LEE MARVIN

MOST WATCHED STARS OF 2025

MOST WATCHED DIRECTORS OF 2025

And what I read:

As it is now year-end, I am posting my favourite book I read for each month of the year:

• JANUARY - EDGE #13:  A TOWN CALLED HATE by George G. Gilman (aka Terry Harknett)
• FEBRUARY - THE SHADOWED CIRCLE COMPENDIUM by Steve Donoso, ed.
• MARCH - PARDON MY GHOULISH LAUGHTER by Fredric Brown
• APRIL - MOTHER DEAR by Ivy Tholen
• MAY - HYPERION by Dan Simmons
• JUNE - STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER by Fern Brady
• JULY - DAUGHTERS OF CRUELTY by L.J. Daugherty
• AUGUST - TICK TOWN by Christopher A. Micklos
• SEPTEMBER - THE MAN FROM AVON by Michael Avallone
• OCTOBER - YOURS CRUELLY, ELVIRA by Cassandra Peterson
• NOVEMBER - MAIGRET AND THE GHOST by Georges Simenon
• DECEMBER - COP HATER by Ed McBain

And some reading stats:

December Earworms

•  December 1st - CHRISTMAS IN HOLLIS by RUN-DMC 

• December 2nd - SHE'S A LADY by Tom Jones

• December 4th - TAKE ME HOME by Phil Collins

• December 5th - THINK by Aretha Franklin

• December 7th - FREE AS A BIRD by The Beatles

• December 8th - LITTLE APRIL SHOWER from the BAMBI soundtrack

• December 12th - STARGAZER by Rainbow

• December 13th - BLOWING KISSES IN THE WIND by Paula Abdul

• December 14th - SUMMER FLY by Cheryl Wheeler

• December 15th - WHEN I'M SIXTY-FOUR by The Beatles

• December 18th - ABA DABA HONEYMOON by Debbie Reynolds

• December 19th - RING MY BELL by Anita Ward

• December 21st - BAT OUT OF HELL by Meat Loaf 

• December 22nd - HAPPY TOGETHER by The Turtles

• December 24th - IF IT'S MAGIC by Stevie Wonder

• December 25th - ODE TO JOY by Ludwig van Beethoven 

• December 26th - I'LL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN by Tom Jones

• December 27th - SELF CONTROL by Laura Branigan 

• December 28th - GIVE A LITTLE WHISTLE by Cliff Edwards & Dickie Jones 

• December 29th - DREADLOCK HOLIDAY by 10cc 

• December 31st - THE LAST MONTH OF THE YEAR by The Kingston Trio