"Olive Kitteridge," by Elizabeth Strout

Novel, 2008

A novel, musing and reporting on a woman's transition from happy if rather stolid middle age into old age, and how her New England small town community goes with her. The eponymous heroine is the focus if not always at the centre of each narrative, which piece together and look at how her relationships to her family develop and her habits and social standing change accordingly. The tone and pace of this book are both fantastic, taking the reader along. Some understated and truly wonderful writing and a compelling read.

"The Reader", directed by Stephen Daldry

Movie, 2008

Rather fraught, gloomy and affecting film, humanising an SS concentration camp guard and telling of her downfall through the eyes of a lover she briefly takes after the war. While there's not much in the way of subtlety or surprise here, an atmosphere of decay and the struggle to rebuild is beautifully evoked through settings and acting. Ultimately, this is a tough film to watch, but it's compelling and raises a number of questions about love, duty, honour and history.