Another year to wrap up and strangely 2012 seems memorable mostly for news events to me and not much else. I guess it's hard to top all of the Obama drama, storms and shootings, as far as lasting impressions go. Here are some of my notables for the year 2012:

Favourite New TV Show: Elementary
Just happy to have a mystery show where the mystery isn't solved by csi forensic computer magic.

Favourite Movie: 21 Jump Street
This was actually very funny. Though I haven't even seen Dark Knight Rises or The Hobbit so I'm not sure it's a fair win.

Favourite Graphic Novel: Jerusalem by Guy Delisle
An intriguing view of the Holy Land through the eyes of an outsider feauturing art with just the right amount of detail. Runner-up to Michael Cho for his art book, Back Alleys and Urban Landscapes.

Favourite Book: Not much of what I read this year jumped out at me, but I guess I enjoyed the final book of Tad Williams fantasy series Shadowmarch if I had to pick.

Favourite Album: Again not much stood out this year...mostly delving back further into the 90's, but the new Ben Folds Five album The Sound of the Life of the Mind was decent.

Favourite Restaurant: Rise Above
Good vegan eats in St.Catharines in an artsy setting at good prices.

Favourite New Drink: Vanilla Spiced Whiskey
Warm stroke of genuis.

With the passing of North Korea's idiosyncratic dictactor, Kim Jong Il, it might be just the right time to give Guy Delisle's graphic novel, Pyongyang a read.

With its wonderfully simple pencil drawings, Pyongyang documents Delisle's extended stay in North Korea as a director for an outsourced animation team. Through humour and keen observences he explores the unique and often baffling society that is North Korea. With his trusty chaperone, Delisle experiences both the workplace and the "recommended" tourist sites, while doing his best to handle the culture shock. From amongst the backdrop of abandoned half-finished building projects and power outtages, endearing characters emerge...sometimes walking to work backwards as a form of exercise and other times hand-pruning grass in parks as a form of patriotism. Having gotten a glimpse behind North Korea's closed doors, something so few will ever get to do, Delisle does his best to pass on the experience, and Pyongyang does just that, in heartfelt and engaging fashion.