The First Annual Ralphies

The first Annual Ralphies were announced today.

NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR: Chronicles Volume One, by Bob Dylan. Who else would say of somebody that they had "an illegible smile"?

FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR: Bone, by Jeff Smith. I'm in love with Thorn. Who wouldn't be?

MOVIE OF THE YEAR: Dodgeball. I can hear the comments now. "But Ed," you say, "what about The Passion of the Christ? What about Fahrenheit 9/11?" OK: As for The Passion, I'm sorry. I just didn't care for it that much. I'm an Aramaist, and I didn't think much of the Aramaic in this movie. I know that some will say that the crude grammar and Hebraisms were Just What You Would Expect from first-century Jerusalem. But I still think that maybe the language consultants didn't know Aramaic all that well. As for the issue of anti-Semitism: I don't think this movie set out to be anti-Semitic, but the brutally insensitive stereotypes, especially the high priests, certainly didn't help. An anti-Semite would come out of this movie unchallenged and unchanged, and that ain't good. As for Fahrenheit 9/11: You're kidding, right? I didn't see it. Life is too short to waste it on propaganda.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Blueberry Boat, The Fiery Furnaces.

SONG OF THE YEAR: Yeagh, James Lileks. No one can understand the USA in 2004 without having heard this song. Download it for free here.

All right, all you other bloggers, especially bibli*bloggers! Step up to the plate! Let your hair down, push back the rug, and put the CD player on Random Shuffle. Let's see those best-of lists!

UPDATE: Jim West takes up the challenge here. Excellent! Others?

UPDATE: Mark Goodacre joins the fun here.

UPDATE III (12/25): Helenann Hartley and AKMA pitch in. I am delighted to see that AKMA also is a Fiery Furnaces fan.