From Hell (Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell 2006)

A Christmas present.

In Search of Beethoven (Phil Grabsky 2009)

Wonderful to see elite musicians describing their sense of Beethoven as developed through the intimate connection of playing/conducting his compositions.

Nowhere Boy (Sam Taylor-Wood 2009)

Made by the same Taylor-Wood who took those photos of weeping men. There are quite a few such men in this wonderful movie.

Treason on the Airwaves (Judith Keene 2009)

I bought this months ago. As it deals with people in England, Australia and the US prosecuted for treason in the aftermath of the Second World War, it feels right to read it after Drawing the Global Colour Line and Travels in Atomic Sunshine.

The French Kissers (Riad Sattouf 2009)

We saw ads for this, as Les Beaux Gosses, in France earlier in the year but couldn't tell it was a zitty teen comedy. It was a fun Boxing Day family outing.

The Book of Genesis Illustrated (R Crumb 2009)

Who'd have expected, from the creator of those raunchy underground comix, this utterly respectful, though not at all pious, Creation?

SOS from Three Worlds (Murray Leinster 1966)

Another gloriously yellowed BookMooched science fiction classic that you probably need to be 14 to read properly.Subtitle: Super-Medic for Interstellar Catastrophes.

Up to Speed (Rae Armantrout 2004)

I got this US poetry via BookMooch, effectively in exchange for Les Murray's Learning Human.

Broken embraces (Pedro Almodóvar 2009)

Fathers and sons, mothers and (step)sons, The Making Of docos, abstinent vampire movies ... I'm such a fan!

Bright Star (Jane Campion 2009)

This managed to make the high romance comprehensible, more mundane perspectives being acknowledged but not undermining (a cat plays with a butterfly as Fanny is in the depths of despair). Both leads, both children, in fact all the actors are splendid.

TV: My Place (Series directed by Shawn Seet 2009)

If it seemed ambitious to make Where the Wild Things Are into a feature film, what does that say about turning My Place, roughly the same length book, into 12 hours (eventually, I hope) of television? We just watched the first four episodes in one sitting, and we're loving it (except for Mrs Benson the nasty neighbour – too much like real life).

Away We Go (Sam Mendes 2009)

I didn't like American Beauty at all. This is much more palatable – a road movie in the third trimester, considering a range of possible futures, with an improbable but beautiful exchange of vows as the climax. Relevant xkcd comic here.

Heat 21: Without a paddle (edited by Ivor Indyk)

Ah, austere as ever, this issue starts with a detailed description of an eccentric piece of text&image that few readers will have seen.

TV: Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars

The second of three specials that are seeing David Tennant off from the role. He's going out in style.

Where the Wild Things Are (Spike Jonze 2009)

I enjoyed this much, much more than I expected, especially the intense emotion of Max when out of control

Travels in atomic sunshine (Robin Gerster 2008)

With the explanatory subtitle Australia and the occupation of Japan, this won this year's NSW Premier's History Award. I'm reading it with Nathan Rees in mind.

Australian Story : Kevin Rudd and the lucky country (Mungo MacCallum QE 36)

Quarterly Essay seems to be alternating between personality pieces and issues: climate change, Obama, climate change, Turnbull, Aboriginal education, and now Rudd.