We asked our reviewers to offer the top five titles they enjoyed most in 2017 in a number of categories. Some felt five was too limiting; others had trouble sticking to 2017. All in all, our gracious reviewers offer up some wonderful lists of great books, movies, music, and more for your consideration. You can follow links to either the Banner review where available or more information on the title. Here are the lists:
From Kristy Quist of Grand Rapids, Mich., Mixed Media Editor for The Banner:
- Revisionist History by Malcolm Gladwell. Writer and journalist Gladwell takes on a variety of topics with a gentle approach and a sharp intellect.
- Hi-Phi Nation. A podcast about philosophy for people like me who think they don’t like philosophy.
- Busted: America’s Poverty Myths from On the Media. This set of five podcasts is really from last year, but it offered invaluable insight for me and my fellow youth leaders as we prepared for a service trip to a coal-mining area in West Virginia.
- Science Vs (Gimlet). Aussie Wendy Zukerman takes a scientific, sometimes irreverent look at popular trends in health and lifestyle; you may not agree with her conclusions, but you’re guaranteed to learn something new.
- The Yarn from School Library Journal: New to me this year, even if it’s been around a while longer, each episode offers a deeper look into the making of a children’s book.
From Greg Veltman, the Interfaith Centre coordinator at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta:
- Invisibilia from NPR and . . .
- Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History. Each episode challenges some conventional thinking on a wide variety of topics.
- Note to Self with Manoush Zomorodi and . . .
- Reply All from Gimlet. At the intersection of technology and what it means to be human are these two great podcasts.