Anna Armstrong's Top Ten Books

As I review my list it is apparent that historical fiction is the big winner. Who knew? I guess I’m enthralled with learning a little history while being entertained. It could also be that this seems to be the genre I’ve fallen into recently and so they are most fresh in my mind. I do love science fiction and fantasy too so I’m sure this list would be different on any given day.

Champion Dog Prince Tom by Jean Fritz and Tom Clute

This is a true story of a small cocker spaniel that set record after record, including the honor of being the first American cocker to win the national field trials and the only one to do so while holding obedience titles. I read this when I was about 9 or 10 and loved the book. I remember starting it while waiting for my mom at the St. Mary’s library. I was sitting by the large windows facing the canal and reading as the bright sunshine poured in through the windows and I didn’t want to go home.

Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott

This book was a gift from an aunt. I read it when I was 10 or 11 and never wanted to the story to end.

The Eight by Katherine Neville

The Eight features two intertwined storylines set centuries apart. The first takes place in 1972 and follows American computer expert Catherine “Cat” Velis as she is sent to Algeria for a special assignment. The second is set in 1790 and revolves around Mireille, a novice nun at Montglane Abbey. The fates of both characters are intertwined as they try to unravel the mystery behind the Montglane Service; a chess set that holds the key to a game of unlimited power. I really loved the complexity of the plot line and the references to history and music.  Not a realistic story line but so much fun to read.

The Lord of the Rings  is an epic high fantasy novel written by J. R. R. Tolkien.  I was enthralled by this epic story and its vivid descriptions of characters and places. The reread is every bit as good as the first time through.

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln is a book by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin published in 2005. The book is a biographical portrait of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and some of the men who served with him in his Cabinet from 1861 to 1865.  

I was fascinated by Lincoln’s ability to understand the motives and feelings of others and use that to create a respected and brilliant cabinet comprised of some of his staunchest opponents and critics.

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank

This was one of the first apocalyptic novels of the nuclear age. The novel deals with the effects of a nuclear war on the small town of Fort Repose, Florida. This was my first read regarding nuclear war and was frightening.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaeffer and Annie Barrows

Through a series of letters, readers come to know and love Juliet and a variety of friends and foes on Guernsey. The characters are lovable, quirky and believable. Through the letters the story unfolds of the island’s Nazi occupation and the islander’s resistance. Who wouldn’t love pig farmer spies???

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King

This story is the beginning to a series of books about the growing relationship between Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes as they solve mysteries in great Holmes fashion. Great entertainment.

Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling

These are just some of the most imaginative books I’ve ever read. I just couldn’t wait to get my hands on the next one in the series.

Moloka’i by Alan Bennert

Rachel Kalama, a spirited seven-year-old Hawaiian girl, dreams of visiting far-off lands like her father, a merchant seaman. Then one day a rose-colored mark appears on her skin, and those dreams are stolen from her. Taken from her home and family, Rachel is sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka'i. Why do we never learn about these things in history class? It was such a fascinating story.

Some that didn’t make the cut but are fantastic too.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman

The Thomas Covenant Chronicles by Stephen R. Donaldson

Michael Armstrong's Top Ten Books

Some notes before we begin. I’d like to reemphasize that this is the list of today. Probably would be different depending on the day. Most of these would stick around, but there are a couple borderline books that would rotate in and out depending on mood and what I’ve read recently. I also decided that no matter what, there would only be one book by each author allowed. Another note. I read books like a weirdo. I read way too fast when I’m reading for pleasure. This leads to a sieve-like memory in this case. I reread books all the time, going back through favorites to refind pieces of each book. So with that in mind, I’ve mostly chosen the books that made such an impression that they hang around in my head.

Here we go!

Last Continent - Terry Pratchett (1998)

Preaching to the choir here, but Pratchett is amazing. Ridiculously consistent, one of the funniest writers out there, and flat out brilliant. A complete toss up in terms of favorite book of his. I’m a big fan of Sam Vimes, Lu-Tze, Death, Granny Weatherwax, and Moist von Lipwig, but the book that won out today is about Rincewind and the wizards’ destruction of Australia. Anyway, he’s the kind of author that I could pick up any of his books at any time and start reading. I am constantly going back through these books.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami (1995)

Murakami has been a more recent obsession of mine, but I’ve been working my way through his books and have yet to be disappointed. This could easily be Kafka on the Shore or Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World, but Wind-Up Bird was the first one I ever read. A sprawling book with some dry parts amidst a great deal of good, the strangeness and almost tangible atmosphere makes it one of my favorites.


American Gods - Neil Gaiman (2001)

For me, this one was actually a pretty easy choice. American Gods is definitely my favorite out of his works, though the rest are great. Shadow’s journey is incredibly fascinating to me and the depth of mythology and the skill in using it to create a cohesive story are unmatched.

Mossflower - Brian Jacques (1988)

The first author I felt ownership of, the first that I was constantly waiting for his next book to come out. Also the first time I felt like I was really reading a novel. The first non-kids book if you will. Incredibly challenging when I started reading it with its various British dialects and expansive vocabulary. Right up at the top of my list of books that I would recommend to a kid.

Summerland - Michael Chabon (2002)

“The fundamental truth: a baseball game is nothing but a great slow contraption for getting you to pay attention to the cadence of a summer day.”

Absolutely captures the feel of summer and baseball, the cultural and almost mythological aspects of the game, and the whimsy of young adventures. I also reread this every couple of years during Spring Training.


Cat’s Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (1963)

I think I may actually like Sirens of Titan better, but my inclination is to go with the first book of Vonnegut’s that I read, the one that got me hooked on his uniquely black, but optimistic sense of humor and deliberate writing style. I completely understand anyone who can’t get into these books or finds them too depressing, as maybe this quote will show, but I can’t help but find them both funny and absolutely human.

“Well finish your story anyway."

“Where was I?"

“The bubonic plague. The bulldozer was stalled by corpses."

“Oh, yes. Anyway, one sleepless night I stayed up with Father while he worked. It was all we could do to find a live patient to treat. In bed after bed after bed we found dead people.

And Father started giggling," Castle continued.

“He couldn't stop. He walked out into the night with his flashlight. He was still giggling. He was making the flashlight beam dance over all the dead people stacked outside. He put his hand on my head and do you know what that marvelous man said to me?" asked Castle.

Nope."

'Son,' my father said to me, 'someday this will all be yours.”


End Zone - Don DeLillo (1972)

DeLillo has been one of my favorites from college on with his shared interest in cultural geography and deconstruction. In End Zone the theme is small town college football and one part of it has always stayed with me. The kids on the team play a game on campus that is essentially mock assassination. Hands as a gun if you see them shoot you, then you have to pretend to die in the most elaborate and dramatic fashion possible. Some part of this silent game on a small campus in the harsh Texan heat really stood out to me. Like many of the other books on this list it’s about creating an atmosphere and inner monologue that really grabs you.


Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor - John Barth (1992)

Maybe the best book I’ve read in terms of craft, just incredible writing. The book overall is pretty good, and the created feel stays with me, but it is a long, rambling book with parts that work and parts that don’t. Even with that, this is one of my favorites to read based on his ability to turn a phrase and write with intelligence and humor.

Phantom Tollbooth - Norton Juster (1961)

Maybe this is where my love of puns and wordplay comes from. If you revel in words and language you should read this book. It might be intended as a book for grade school kids, but it is intelligent, entertaining, and whimsical.

“Have you ever heard the wonderful silence just before the dawn? Or the quiet and calm just as a storm ends? Or perhaps you know the silence when you haven't the answer to a question you've been asked, or the hush of a country road at night, or the expectant pause of a room full of people when someone is just about to speak, or, most beautiful of all, the moment after the door closes and you're alone in the whole house? Each one is different, you know, and all very beautiful if you listen carefully.”

Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life - Bryan Lee O’Malley (2004)

Rounding out this list is the first book in the Scott Pilgrim series for its wonderful combination of video game, music and comic book touch stones along with endlessly entertaining characters. While the movie may not have shown this, Wallace Wells is awesome. The series starts out much stronger than it finishes, but it is one that I would probably be rereading all the time if I owned them.


Honorable Mention
Goosebumps - RL Stine
Cursor Series - Jim Butcher
Sayonara Gangsters - Genichiro Takahashi
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

Tammy Armstrong's Top Ten Books

These books are sort of more in the order I thought of them rather than in a "top 10" order. 

1. A Separate Peace by John Knowles

I grew up just 3 miles away from the private boarding school I ended up attending for 11th and 12th grades. For most of my childhood it seemed like this distant, unknowable entity - from the main road the only part of it that's visible is the tallest spire of the Gothic-style chapel peeking through the tops of the trees (yep, the very chapel where Mike and I were married). I've read this before, during and after attending Mercersburg and it's one of those books that grows with you. There's a lot more to it than that but I think it sticks with me because of my own school experience.

2. Dragonriders of Pern Series by Anne McCaffrey

I would say that Anne McCaffrey is my favorite science fiction writer, but that implies that I've read any other author in the genre and I can't think of any right now. I tried one book from the series - Moreta - at random at about age 12. It was the first and only book that has ever made me cry. I loved everything about the complex world created in the series and read every one I could get my hands on.

3. Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

What's not to love about Gatsby? This is perhaps one of the only books I've ever appreciated more for the writing style than the plot itself.

4. Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science by Charles Wheelan

This book represents a lot of what I love about economics - it presents the discipline as a lens through which to view the world, and an enjoyable/intuitive one at that.

5. Borgel by Daniel Pinkwater

A little kid gets to go on a space adventure with a long-lost relative and things go crazy about every other minute. I remember something about a massive double-stick popsicle at the end of the universe, and I believe space is described as "an elliptical bagel with poppy seeds on top". Daniel Pinkwater's style is something like Douglas Adams' but directed towards 5th graders. This was one of the only books my brother and I agreed on as children.

6. Matilda by Roald Dahl

Every little girl should read this book and try to move chalk with her mind.

7. Acorna series - by Anne McCaffrey

Yep, let's go ahead and have another Anne McCaffrey series in here. This one is about a "unicorn girl" (horn and possibly hooves for feet but otherwise human-ish) who is separated from her home planet as a baby and is then found and raised by some space miners. 

8. La Monja Alferez (or: "The Lieutenant Nun") by Catalina de Erauso

This is one of the most entertaining books I've ever read. I took an oddly specific Spanish class in college to satisfy my minor requirements, and this was on the reading list. Basically, this 17th-century Spanish woman escapes her convent at age 16 by cross-dressing and hopping a boat to the New World. She generally ends up being the coolest lieutenant ever, outliving everyone around her in the most unbelievable of situations - and this is allegedly a true autobiography. I'm pretty sure she wrote her biography as a way of convincing King Phillip III to give her some money for being so awesome. She also got permission from the Pope to dress as a man. 

9. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

I resisted reading these books at first because of the fanaticism that surrounded them, and though I'm still a little embarrassed to like them (but not as embarrassed as I am  by the fact that, occasionally, I feel like re-reading the Twilight books), they are definitely some of the most entertaining books I've ever read. I'm happy to have started reading them while they were still coming out one-by-one, to feel that sense of anticipation as you waited for the next one to come out, then stayed up all night reading it trying to savor every page. I wonder what my generation's children and grandchildren will think of these books, movies, etc.

10. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

These books were really fun and, after an initial slow start, sucked me in pretty deeply. I was very impressed with them as young adult literature - they have a sneaky way of teaching vocabulary to tweens - and also a little horrified at times. I'm curious to see what they do with the movies.

Honorable Mentions: Golden Compass, Scott Pilgrim, Muppet Babies, Pride and Prejudice, Hitchhiker's Guide

John Armstrong's Top Ten Books

OK, you cowards. I'll go first. First I would like to say that if you wait until your list is perfect, you will never contribute to Marshmallow Fight. This is not my Top Ten List of favorite books. It is my top ten list of favorite books today. As my list explains at the end, tomorrow's list would probably be different. I also didn't go downstairs and go through the bookcases. That seemed like cheating. So this is my list off the top of my head. Luckily, I am an editor for this series, so if I need to, I can go in next week and change this post. Here we go. I'm charging up the Taser, so you'd better get your list in soon. I'm just saying. 

Not in any particular order:

Godel, Escher, and Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid (1979)

Douglas Hofstadter

The most amazing book about how mathematics, logic, music, and art go together. I read this when I was still a beginning teacher (8th year of teaching, which is still a beginning teacher), and it affected my outlook on mathematics and teaching in many ways. Every year I pick it up and read some of it again and am still surprised about how it makes me look at things in a different way.

David and the Phoenix (1957)

Edward Ormondroyd

I read this when I was fairly young and it has stuck with me all these years. I found a copy on e-bay when the boys were younger and bought it so that they could read it also. For me it was all about having a sense of wonder in the world and being awake to new possibilities. Unfortunately, that theme has been appropriated lately by really stupid books about vampires and werewolves.  This book is in its own class.

Lord of the Rings (1954)

J. R. R. Tolkien

I have read this series four or five times since high school. Wikipedia lists it as the third best selling novel of all time.  It is always a fun read and each time I realize I had forgotten something that happened in the books. I reread the whole series again after watching all three movies back to back one weekend this winter.

a.  Summerland (2002)                          b.  Shoeless Joe (1982)

Michael Chabon                                    W. P. Kinsella 

I re-read these every other year at the start of the baseball season, along with watching Field of Dreams and Major League, when we hear those four magical  words: “Pitchers and catchers report.” Summerland is an all ages fantasy that takes a young boy on a journey to save magical worlds through baseball.  Shoeless Joe is the book that Field of Dreams was based on and a book that just seems to have everything come together as perfectly as it can. I know that the tremendous amount of time involved was frustrating at the time, but looking back twenty years later, I can safely say that coaching my sons in Little League baseball was one of the best times of my life. I hope they get the chance to do the same as they get older. As Terence Mann says, "The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball."

A Canticle for Leibowitz (1959)

Walter Miller, Jr.  

Probably 60% of what I read is science fiction and/or fantasy. I enjoy the fantastic worlds and ideas that good writers develop. A Canticle for Leibowitz was the first science fiction book I ever read. The story covers six hundred years of toil by the Monks of the Order of St. Leibowitz in Utah who are trying to restore science and knowledge to a world annihilated by nuclear war. It opens with the accidental excavation of a holy artifact: a creased, brittle memo scrawled by the hand of the blessed Saint Leibowitz himself, that reads: "Pound pastrami, can kraut, six bagels--bring home for Emma."

American Gods (2001) / Stardust (1998)

Neil Gaimin

I couldn’t decide which Neil Gaimin book to include, so I am essentially including all of them. I have a deep and abiding love for mythology and fairy tales. These books speak to the need to understand how we came to be who we are. 

Small Gods (1992) / Going Postal (2004) / the Tiffany Aching series

Terry Pratchett

Definitely my favorite author of all time. The Discworld series of novels numbers about 50, including related books like Where’s My Cow, which is the bedtime book Sam Vimes reads to his son (I have a copy downstairs). They all are comic gems and cultural masterpieces. I laugh and see the world a little differently each time I read a new one. It makes it even sadder to know that Pratchett has been hit by early stage Alzheimer's in the last few years. 

The Master and Margarita (1940?)

Mikhail Bulgakov

Except when I first read it in college, it was titled Ма́стер и Маргари́та and was extremely slow reading. The first novel I read in Russian (well, some of it anyway). At the end of those two years of college Russian classes, I bought the book to read the whole thing in English. Made much more sense this time around and I have read it twice since, though not for several years now. It is a darkly comic novel about the pain and anguish of being a writer in Russia.

A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003)

Bill Bryson 

If you have wondered how we know the things we know about science, this is the book for you. Bryson starts with the primordial soup and works his way through every discipline of science, telling the stories of how our knowledge came to be. He gives the official story, but also tells about the less well-known people who discovered it earlier and were ignored until someone later came along and took the credit. A large book, but a quick read.

The Dresden Files (2000 – present)

Jim Butcher

A series of books about Chicago’s first and only wizard private investigator, Harry Dresden. When the Chicago police department has a case that looks a little on the weird side, they hire Harry as a consultant to unravel the mystery. It even became a TV mini-series on SciFi channel for a short while in 2007. Both the books and the TV show are a lot of fun. Especially fun to see my adopted hometown of Chicago featured in a novel. 

 

On a different day, these might have made the top ten:

The Redwall series by Brian Jacques (maybe they make Mike's list)

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams (hope it makes Nate's list)

Watership Down Richard Adams (everybody loves bunnies)

Ender’s Game Scott Card (the start of the whole Ender series)

Chaos James Gleick (a book about a new mathematical field)

The Belgariad David Eddings (reread this series this winter)

Mistborn Trilogy Brandon Sanderson (excellent fantasy series)

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Marshmallow

The Marshmallows of Wrath
Zen and the Art of Marshmallow Maintenance

Some of the great literature of the twentieth Century. And now its your turn to focus your thoughts on your list of great literature. What ten books have made an impact in your life? Are there books you re-read because they make you feel good (or bad, I guess)? Are there books that gave you words to live by?

Not all who wander are lost. - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move. - Douglas Adams

All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. - Animal Farm, George Orwell

Dad, how do soldiers killing each other solve the world's problems? - Calvin and Hobbes

God does not play dice with the universe: He plays an ineffable game of His own devising which might be compared to being involved in an obscure and complex version of poker in a pitch-dark room, with blank cards, for infinite stakes, with a Dealer who won't tell you the rules and who smiles all the time. --Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchet

and Shakespeare's classic: Hamlet (holding a skull): "This is Yorick, I can tell." Horatio: "Boy, you must have known him well." - Green Eggs and Hamlet

So start your list. Then start to narrow it down from the 35 you thought of to 10. Tell us what you liked about the book, what impact it had on your life, maybe a quote you lived and loved. how much you paid for it. Anything that lets us understand you better, cause we don't get you at all, and frankly, you scare some of us. When you have it narrowed down to the best 10, send it to me   here  and I will post your list for all the right-thinking people around the world to see.  Please remember to not forget to remember to send this to me. Your lists are what helps me through the dark times (when Castle is not on). And I actually get exercise doing the pointing and laughing thing so its healthy for me. Add any predictions you wish to make for most cited book: will it be A Hitchhikers Guide, or How to Solve Sudoku.  Maybe Naked Lunch by Burroughs, or Ball Four by Jim Bouton. I'm sure there will be some matches between people's lists. One hint from my list: David and the Phoenix by Edward Ormondroyd. Simply the most important book ever written. Ever. Written. I'm just saying. 

The clock is running - You may now begin - Time's a wasting - Have you even started yet?

As they say at the Bulls games, "Come On!!!!!!".    Or as Venkman says, "See you on the other side, Ray".


Mary - no excuses this time. Publish or die (of a thousand snaky Whimzy licks). No wallflowering this time.

David Lighthall's Top Ten Movies

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Goldeneye (1995)

Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
   with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo

Caddyshack (1980)
   probably on everyone's list

Back to the Future - Part I (1985)

Ghostbusters (1984)
   "I like this plan."

Dave (1993)
   "Everybody works."

Get Shorty (1995)
   John Travolta/Rene Russo/Danny DeVito/Dennis Farina

Blazing Saddles (1974)
   "a laurel and hearty welcome..."

Honorable Mention: Hunt For Red October, Analyze This, Pirates of the Carribean I, The King's Speech, American President, The Whole Nine Yards, Monsters, Inc.

Patrick Lighthall's Top Ten Movie List

Caddyshack (1980)

I’ve quoted this movie more than any other, and it lasts to this day on the course.

Boondock Saints  (1999)

I loved this movie in high school, it’s a guilty pleasure; Willem DaFoe is great in this.

Toy Story (1995)

I loved this movie as a kid, and it only makes it better that it’s from the superior brains that launched Pixar (saved Disney), and influenced all of computer graphic media today.

The Pacific/Band of Brothers (2010/2001)

I LOVE the storyline of Leckey in The Pacific and the locations, but I preferred the events of the European theatre in B.O.B.

King of Kong (2007)

Probably not the greatest documentary, but I love the retro video game theme and how all the people in it make me feel better about the amount of gaming I do.

PCU (1994)

Jeremy Piven at his finest.

A Mighty Wind (2003)

Christopher Guest performs incredibly during the singing parts.  Every time he does the folksy warble I laugh.

Goldeneye (1995)

Two Words: Xenia Onatopp.

Bourne Identity (2002)

I loved the action sequences in these movies, they stepped up the expectations for other action movies, including the popular newest Bond movies.

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)

“Do the interns get glocks?

Ann Armstrong's Top Ten Movies

These aren’t in any particular order. Viewing preference depends on my mood at the time. I could watch any of these over and over and in my book that’s the mark of good entertainment.

• Harry Potter (2001 - 2011) Daniel Radcliffe  

             Loved the books and the movies did a pretty good job following the written story. 

• Rear Window (1954) Jimmy Stewart

              Chilling every time I see it. 

• Harvey (1950) Jimmy Stewart  

             Gentle, whimsical and a little sad

 • The Sixth Sense   (1999)   Bruce Willis            

            Best twist ever

• Heart and Soul (1993)  Robert Downey, Jr.

            Robert Downey, Jr., for all his problems, can do just about anything.

• Star Dust (2007)  Charlie Cox

          I’m a sucker for fantasy, magic and a little romance.

• Remember the Titans (2000)  Denzel Washington

          Love rooting for the underdogs.

• Cool Runnings (1993)  John Candy

           How can you not love these guys?

• Star Trek   (2009)  Chris Pine

          Great casting.

• The Princess Bride  (1987)  Cary Elwes 

          Best quotes ever.

These are keepers too….

Star Wars - (the original) At the time the special effects were simply amazing. 

Just about any Disney and Pixar movie – How can you choose just one

It’s a Wonderful Life – Sappy but I love it.

Frequency

American President

Care Bear Adventures in Wonderland – The boys used to watch this over and over and the “Hats” song is just great fun. Watch it below.

I'm Mad About Hats (from The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland)

Richard Armstrong's Top Ten Movies

10. You've Got Mail - Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan

9. Dances With Wolves - Kevin Costner

8. Top Gun  - Tom Cruise

7. Notting Hill - Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant

6. Bodyguard - Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston

5. The American President - Michael Douglas and Annette Bening

4. Speed - Keanu Reeves

3. Message in a Bottle - Kevin Costner and Paul Newman

2. The Bourne series - Matt Damon

1. Green Berets - John Wayne

Lori McCarthy's Top Ten Movies

I have put some thought into this, but I'm sure I'm missing 

some good ones - although I've never been a big movie buff!

Here they are (not in any particular order):

1. Ferris Bueller's Day Off

 
2. Star Wars

Probably Return of the Jedi (I loved the originals (4, 5, 6) but haven't 

seen the new ones) 

 
3. Big Daddy

 
4. Tommy Boy

 
5. Shrek

 
6. The Sandlot

 
7. The Blind Side 

 
8. Top Gun 

 
9. Happy Gilmore

 
10. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

 

Runners-up:   Hoosier's, A League of Their Own, Varsity Blues, 

Toy Story, Slapshot, Major League, The Natural, Rudy

Scott Blecha's Top Ten Movies

#10 - Super Troopers (2001)

First watched this movie in college (might be the reason I found it so funny)

Mac: All right, how about "Cat Game?"
Foster: All right meow. (1) Hand over your license and registration.
[the man hands him his license]
Foster: Your registration? Hurry up meow. (2) 

Maybe not the funniest movie of all time, but one of the first ones to pop into my mind right meow.

# 9 - Cool Runnings (1993)

Sanka Coffie: Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhyme! Get on up, its bobsled time! COOL RUNNINGS!

What a great rally cry!

# 8 - Happy Gilmore (1996)

How can you not like a movie with Bob Barker fighting?

Happy Gilmore: [to Bob Barker] The price is wrong, bi***.

# 7 - Training Day (2001)

Just something fun about watching a corrupt cop getting what’s been coming to him

# 6 - Rounders (1998)

Another movie from college that really got me interested in poker

Teddy KGB: He beat me... Straight up... Pay him... Pay that man his money.

# 5 - Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995)

All the action of a Die Hard movie with some nice logic puzzles to make you think.  One of those late-night cable movies that I have to watch whenever it’s on…just try to use a 3 gallon and a 5 gallon jug to get exactly 4 gallons in the 5 gallon jug.

# 4 - The Patriot (2000)

Just a good movie to make you love America; with some blood and gore, of course.

# 3 - Tommy Boy (1995)

Too many good quotes to list…but one of my favorites:

Tommy: Fat guy in a little coat. Fat guy in a little coat.

# 2 - Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)

A 5.7/10 on IMDB….is it wrong that it is so high on my list?  A good part that leads into my #1…

Fulton Greenwall: Yes, but to the natives... Shikaka.
[the Wachati chief and his son bow upon hearing the name]
Ace: Shikaka...
[they bow again]
Ace: Shikaka!
[they bow again]
Ace: Shawshank Redemption.
[they almost bow]

# 1 - The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 

No matter what time of day or what part of the movie, if it is on, I will watch it.

Andy Dufresne: Get busy living, or get busy dying.

Tammy Armstrong's Top Ten Movies

This list is a mix of feel-good movies that I could watch over and over, and movies that I really like but that I don't own or watch frequently. I apologize to all the movies to which I'm about to do a great injustice by omission; my recall of movies is apparently terrible. So in some ways, this is the top 10 of the moment - the bottom 3 get a bit iffy, in particular. I think it has some staying power, though.

1. Love Actually (2003)

The ultimate chick flick of all time. Star-studded cast, well-timed and well-balanced between the various storylines, AND you get to watch it as a Christmas movie or year-round.

2. The Dark Knight (2008)

This represents my love for comic book movies. I could have listed Spider-Man or Iron Man as they are also favorites, but Dark Knight is gloriously done. Seeing it for the first time while spending the summer in Chicago--after I had been there long enough to recognize things/places like Wacker Drive and CTA buses--made it that much sweeter.

3. Harry Potter (2001-2011)

Can we all agree that the series counts as one movie? Mom and I used to spend quiet weekend evenings watching one or the other of these movies - not intently watching, but chatting and catching up with the movies as background. They're kind of companion movies: comfort when you feel homesick or lonely. We could also place the Twilight movies in this category, terrible as they are.

4. Chasing Liberty (2004)This is probably a terrible movie. But it was my favorite chick flick as a teenager and has stuck with me. It also has a surprisingly excellent soundtrack. Also, Mark Harmon should probably play every teenage-daughter's father until he's 90.

5. The Incredibles (2004)

There's a wonderful warm feeling that immediately accompanies watching a Pixar movie. It was a tough call between this and Up! or the Toy Story movies, but The Incredibles won. A little romance, a little crime-fighting action, and a sweet theme of the importance of family.

6. Star Trek (2009)

I'm a bit of a Trekkie. This movie made it okay to admit that publicly for the first time. I could probably watch this once a month and still feel excited about it.  

7. Best In Show (2000)

When I was pretty young, my mom showed our Keeshond, Bandit. I remember traveling to shows, getting some ribbons/cups, and Bandit getting a reputation for drinking judges' coffee if they set their mugs on the floor next to their chairs. My parents, who were much more aware of the culture at the time, say this movie pretty accurately represents the dog show culture... and I imagine it translates for any type of competition/subculture like this. I love it for its ridiculous characters and for introducing me to the mockumentary.

8. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

It's been a long time since I've watched this one, but I can't imagine a more quotable movie--or one that has been quoted so widely for so long. Everyone has a favorite scene: I'm quite partial to the Knights Who Say "Ni!" (or later, "Iki-iki-iki-pa-TANG zoop! boing! wasaaaaa...").

9. Everything is Illuminated (2005)

This is one that almost didn't make it into the list because it doesn't lend itself to a lot of re-watching. It's not the most uplifting movie overall, and is one of the more serious movies on this list. I love that they give the perspective/narration to Alex, and the cinematography is wonderful. 

10. Mr. Nice Guy (1997)

Jackie Chan had to be on here somewhere. This one has him starring as a TV chef in Australia who gets mixed up in a spot of trouble and has to be awesome. As always, totally improbable but totally lovable.

Mike Armstrong's Top Ten Movies

I am following my Dad's format for choosing movies. He did post first so I think he deserves to set some kind of precedent. So, this list is weighted strongly towards rewatchability. Movies that I would always want to watch and could watch multiple times. Not the 10 best movies ever made, but probably my 10 favorite. 

For honorable mentions, there were many that were sitting just off the list for a while. It was pretty tough to trim down. I think the last three to be cut were Caddyshack, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade. That last one was real difficult to cut. Sean Connery is great in that one. On to the list!
 

10. Young Frankenstein (1974)

Inga: Werewolf! 

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Werewolf?

Igor: There.

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: What?

Igor: There, wolf. There, castle.

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Why are you talking that way?

Igor: I thought you wanted to.

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: No, I don't want to.

Igor: [shrugs] Suit yourself. I'm easy. 

9. Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

Prof. Neuman:  You see, this is us, and we’re travelling around the sun– that’s a one-point-three million mile trip, every year! You might say that each and every one of us is a crew member here on ‘spaceship earth’…

 
Kid:  When would we say that?
 

Prof. Neuman:  Anytime… dinner… literally anytime.

8. Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

7. Brick (2005)

Laura: [On the phone with Brendan] Who is this?

Brendan Frye: I won't waste your time: you don't know me.

Laura: I know everyone, and I have all the time in the world.

Brendan Frye: Ah, the folly of youth. 

6. Animal Crackers (1930)

Capt. Spaulding:  One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know. 

5. Princess Bride (1987)

Grandpa: It was ten days to the wedding. The King still lived, but Buttercup's nightmares were growing steadily worse.

The Grandson: See didn't I tell you she'd never marry that rotten Humperdinck.

Grandpa: Yes you're very smart. Shut up.

4. Robin Hood (1973)

 

Little John: [after sitting on Hiss] Oh, excuse me, Buster.

Hiss: Buster? You, sir, have taken my seat!

Prince John: [laughs] Hiss, with you around, who needs a court jester? 
 

 

3. Mirrormask (2005)

Helena: What's green, hangs on the wall, and whistles?…Have you found the answer yet?

Gryphon: I give up, I think, no wait, wait…fine. What's the answer?

Helena: Okay. It's a herring.

Gryphon: But a herring isn't green.

Helena: You can paint it green.

Gryphon: But a herring doesn't hang on a wall.

Helena: You can nail it to a wall.

Gryphon: But a herring doesn't whistle!

Helena: Oh, come on. I just put that in to stop it from being too obvious. 

2. Kung Fu Panda (2008)

 

"Quit, don't quit. Noodles, don't noodles."

1. Hot Fuzz (2007)

-Your predecessor assumed rural policing was easy. Ended up having a nervous breakdown, and Sergeant Popwell was an exceptional officer. Truly exceptional. But he had one thing you haven't got.

 

-What's that sir?

-A GREAT BIG BUSHY BEARD!"

 


 
  

John Armstrong's Top Ten Movies

My deciding question was, "What movies would I most want to watch on a Friday after work (if I worked) and wanted to be entertained?"  So here is my list.  I think going first means I will miss a bunch of movies that should be on my list, but like all things, if I wait until it's perfect, it will never get done.  I feel bad that I couldn't include The Sting, or Groundhog Day  or Ghostbusters, or the original Twelve Angry Men.  I even had to leave out Army Of Darkness, the Thunderstick edition.  Oh well, enjoy and welcome back to Marshmallow Fight. I love movies because they are quotable, so I included a quote for each movie. Each title is linked to a trailer or cover page from IMDB or YouTube.

10.  Matinee (1993)

General (watching half-man, half-ant climb up building): What do you call that thing?
Creature's former girlfriend:  Bill. 


9.  Big Fish (2003)


Ed Bloom: Having a kid changes everything. There's burping, the midnight feeding, and changing.
Will Bloom (his son): You do any of that?
Ed: No. But I hear it's terrible. Then you spend years trying to corrupt and mislead this child, fill his head with nonsense and still it turns out perfectly fine.
Will: You think I'm up for it?
Ed: You learned from the best.


8.  O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000)


General Store Owner:I can get the part from a Ford dealer in Bristol.  It'll take two weeks.  Here's your pomade.
Ulysses Everett McGill:  Two weeks! That don't do me no good. Hold on. I don't want this pomade. I want Dapper Dan.
Owner: I can order it. Take two weeks.
McGill: Well, ain't this place a geographical oddity. Two weeks from everywhere.


7.  Star Wars (1977)

Darth Vader: I find your lack of faith disturbing.

6. Sneakers (1992)


Cosmo:  There I was in prison. And one day I help a couple of older gentlemen make  some free telephone calls.  They turn out to be, let us say, good family men.
Martin Bishop: Organized crime?
Cosmo: Don't kid yourself. It's not that organized.


5.  Roxanne (1987)


Mayor: I would rather be with the people of this town than with the finest people in the world.


4.  My Favorite Year (1982)


Alan Swann: Damn you, I'm not an actor. I'm a movie star. 


3.  Running Scared (1986)


Captain Logan:  I hear you two watched them mop up the pancake today. You two weren't, uh, interrogating a suspect up on the roof, were you?
Ray Hughes: We got an alibi, Captain. Snake, tell him where we were or we'll kill you, too.


2.  Field of Dreams (1989)


Terrence Mann:  The one constant through the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game it's a part of our past, Ray.  It reminds us of all that once was good and could be again. 


1.  Princess Bride ( 1987)


Vizzini has just cut the rope the Dread Pirate Roberts is climbing.

Vizzini:  He didn't fall? Inconceivable.
Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means.




Looking back on my list, I notice that seven of the ten movies fall during a roughly 10 year span of my (almost) 60 year life. Weird.

Please use the comment button below to let me know what you think of my list.

Please don't make me wait too long to see your list. You can e-mail them to me. You can pick a different format (you don't have to include quotes). You may want to explain why some of them are on your list.  It's up to you.  I will put in the links when I get your list. It will help if you put a year with each one, since some movie titles are reused.  Happy hunting!

Dana Crawford's Top 25 Songs

This list is in chronological order
of listening experience.

1. You Can't Hurry Love - Diana Ross and the Supremes
In the beginning their was Oldies 104.3. it was the only compromise that could override talk radio in the car. I have 3 older sisters. Naturally, our best sing-a-longs were to all female ensembles.

2. Young at Heart - Jimmy Durante
This song was in a movie that I saw with my Dad’s mother (Grandma June) when I was about 11. It was one of the last times I spent the night at her house. This song stuck out to me back when I was young at everything, and it still does not that I’m young at most things still.

3. I'm Going to Go Back There Someday - The Muppets
This is the first song I put an effort into learning all the words to. It's difficult to try and imagine how different a person I would be without Muppets in my life.

4. On My Own - Les Miserable
A long, long time ago I wanted to be an actress. During my brief affair with children's musical theater my audition song was "Castle on a Cloud" but I always wanted it to be this song.

5. Always Be My Baby - Mariah Carey
Dare I categorize a Mariah Carey song as timeless? Yep, I dare. This is a timeless jam and a timeless video in my book. I miss the days when pigtails and cut off jean shorts is what sold a pop song.

6. Susanne - Weezer
There are no popular songs out there about a Dana. Suzanne is my middle name which is a nice coincidence because I like this song.

7. Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley
I could and have listened to this song over and over again.

8. Submarine # 3 - Starlight Mints
I really like string instruments in pop songs.

9. Two Headed Boy - Neutral Milk Hotel
I suppose this was the first ‘indie’ song that I fell for. Although, per Dan Tafelski’s list this album was on was all over the place when I was in high school and a lot of things seemed two headed.

10. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
I heart Freddie Mercury.

11. I Wanna Dance With Somebody - Whitney Houston
My junior year of college I studied abroad in Sidney, Australia. It was far away and remote and I made a small group of friends that was a very special little family for my time there. We did everything together, and more than anything else we danced. We danced like it was our job, we danced like nobody and everyone was watching, we danced with somebody.

12. God Only Knows / Sloop John B - Beach Boys
This song was part of the Oldies repertoire in the beginning, but it wasn’t until I heard it later that I realized just what a gem Pet Sounds is.

13. In a Sentimental Mood - Duke Ellington and John Coltrane
This song will always make me think of someone in particular.

14. Us - Regina Spektor
Us is the first I’d heard of Regina Spektor.

15. Celebration Guns - Stars
I love the opening strings.

16. I Wish It Would Rain - The Temptations/ The Cougars
Each version is great. Paired back to back each only gets better. (I couldn't find The Cougars version on youtube, so I'm leaving it up to Nate to fill that in.)

17. These Days - Nico/ Mates of State
There will always be days that feel like these days.

18. Downtown Train - Tom Waits (VH1 Storytellers version)
Tom Waits is a good example of how to grow into yourself.

19. Wake Up - Arcade Fire
It’s difficult to pick one song from this album.

20. Get By - Talib Kweli
This song certainly never lets me ignore what it's saying.

21. Maps - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

22. For Good - Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth
This song best captures why I like Wicked.

23. Wrestlers - Hot Chip

24. Thriller - Michael Jackson

25. The Love You Save/ I Want You Back - Jackson 5
Thank you, Michael, for all the sage wisdom from such a young person.

Randi Glass's Top 25 Songs

Note: Randi's first song is her favorite, but the rest are in no particular order. Enjoy.

In the House of Stone and Light - Martin Page

Go Cubs Go - Steve Goodman

Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash

Key Largo - Bertie Higgins

Theme from Greatest American Hero - Joey Scarbury

Dance Tonight - Paul McCartney

Make Me Lose Control - Eric Carmen

Something to Talk About - Bonnie Raitt

Viva la Vida - Coldplay

Got My Mind Set On You - George Harrison

Pick Up the Pieces - Average White Band

Thriller - Michael Jackson

Midnight Blue - Melissa Manchester

September - Earth Wind & Fire

Walking On Broken Glass - Annie Lennox

In the House of Stone and Light - Martin Page

Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley

Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin

Easy Lover - Phil Collins

Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding

My Girl - The Temptations

In the Jungle - Straight No Chaser

The Banana Boat Song - Harry Belafonte

Shining Star - Earth Wind & Fire

Behind Closed Doors - Charlie Rich

I Fall to Pieces - Patsy Cline

Steve Glass's Top 25 Songs

1. Money for Nothing - Dire Straits
Summer college work crew

2. Red Barchetta - Rush
Evocative lyrics

3. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - George Harrison

4. Turn the Page - Bob Seger
This song has pretty much been ruined by karaoke

5. Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress - The Hollies

6. Take Five - Dave Brubeck
Musical definition of cool!

7. Further On Up the Road - Eric Clapton

8. City of New Orleans - Arlo Guthrie

9. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - Mozart

10. Radar Love - Golden Earring

11. We've Got Tonight - Bob Seger

12. Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton

13. Night Train - Oscar Peterson

14. Ashokan Farewell - Jay Ungar

15. Witch Hunt - Rush
Great lyrics

16. Ba Ba O'Riley - The Who

17. Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Gordon Lightfoot
THE american shipwreck dirge

18. Kashmir - E Muzeki
(Thanks for pointing me in the right direction with the video, Steve. -ed)

19. Middle of the Road - The Pretenders
Great when in college, still meaningful as I get older.

20. Eruption/ You Really Got Me - Van Halen
OK its a remake, but this represents the high water mark of Eddie Vanhalen, after this he becomes hard to work with and David Lee Roth never matures:)

21. The Trees - Rush
More great lyrics

22. Star of the County Down - The Burly Minstrels

23. Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2

24. I Don't Care Anymore - Phil Collins

25. Sailing - Christopher Cross

Patrick Lighthall's Top 25 Songs

1. Club Oslo - Detholz!

2. I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar - Jonathan Richman
I heard this song and fell in love with it (as well as the other songs on the album). It is part of the shift in my musical interests Junior year of college; also, it contains only a few things I witnessed at a gay/lesbian bar.

3. Stalin Malone (Vocal Version) - Elvis Costello
The instrumental version is also good, but there is a beauty in Costello’s mainly successful attempts to sing in a spooky- yet attractive- harmony with the horn section.

4. Midnight Confessions - Grass Roots

5. I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues - Elton John
See also: Pinball Wizard (though I was mainly off-put by the movie “Tommy”)

6. Surfin' USA - The Beach Boys
Basically listening to all of their songs with Dad growing up

7. The Tears of a Clown - Smokey Robinson
Again, Dad's influence

8. Shot With His Own Gun - Elvis Costello
It’s often melodramatic, but I think it’s a great song.

9. Still Alive - Jonathan Coulton
Featured in the video game “Portal”, song writer/artist/programmer Coulton has several songs out that are simply awesome. I sung this song for a long time.

10. Head Over Heels - Tears for Fears

11. No Cigar - Millencolin
The first song I ever heard from this band, it holds an authentic rock feel that their early albums never possessed (because they weren’t really a rock band)

12. The Bell Tower - Mad Caddies

13. PS Shock the World - Less Than Jake

14. Dear Sergio - Catch 22
While playing Perfect Dark for Nintendo 64, that CD eventually broke from being overplayed and I had to get a new one.

15. Electric Version - The New Pornographers

16. A Moment of Violence - Streetlight Manifesto
They have a fast-paced style of music I can’t get enough of, and I’m not sure if that album or their newest is my favorite.

17. East Side Beat - The Toasters

18. It's Tricky - Run DMC
This song will also stand as my small foray/interest in hip-hop and other similar styles of music.

19. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - The Flaming Lips

20. Golden Brown - The Stranglers

21. Giants - Five Iron Frenzy

22. North - Elvis Costello
My all-time favorite Costello song, it doesn’t appear on the album, only as one of the songs on the DVD that came with the CD.

23. Snails - The Format

24. Please Forgive Me - Westbound Train

25. Santeria - Sublime