The Olive Reader

Answers from bestselling author Elizabeth George, author of the Inspector Lynley mysteries

What was the best book of the year?
Although the best book of any year would have to be The Gulag Archipelago, for this year I was quite taken with Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan.

What was the best movie?
I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve spent most of the year watching the entire seven seasons of The West Wing, so I have been to virtually no movies. I laughed myself sick at Death at a Funeral, one of those wonderfully inane British comedies, but otherwise I don’t remember seeing anything good because I’ve been swept up with wishing Jimmy Smits would run for president.

What was the best song/album?
For me, the best song was in a short moment broadcast over the internet from British television. It is in a clip from their show Britain’ s Got Talent aand it features a mobile phone salesman called Paul Potts who sings about one minute of “Nessun Dorma” and brings the crowd cheering to their feet. I’ve watched this about 50 times and counting so far.

Favorite Blog?
As far as Favorite Blogs go, I have managed to make it this far in life without ever having read a blog and I intend to make a noble attempt to go to my death holding on to that position.

Who was the person of the year?
Person of the Year: Greg Mortenson who is single-handedly doing for the Middle East what the American Government is terrified of doing: making peace by building schools, not bombs. You can read about him in Three Cups of Tea.

What is your New Year’s resolution?
My New Year’s Resolution is to attempt to be present in my life, one moment at a time.