I am participating in the Get Rec’d: A Movie/TV/Book List Challenge and this is the thirtieth and final week’s entry.  I have decided to be bold and list a response for all three categories; a movie, a television show, and a book.

This is the final entry for this challenge.

Week 30: Most Recent Addition To My Top 10

Movie: 300 (2006)

From IMDB: King Leonidas of Sparta and a force of 300 men fight the Persians at Thermopylae in 480 B.C.  Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham

When determining my top ten favorite films, I hold my choices to a high standard. Eleven years ago, I bumped Goodfellas down to number eleven to add 300 to the list. Every time I watch this movie, I am inspired. I notice new details with every viewing. The soundtrack plays when I drive to the gym to get me energized.

Television: Sherlock (2010-)

From IMDB: A modern update finds the famous sleuth and his doctor partner solving crime in 21st century London.  Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Una Stubbs

I’ve never considered myself a huge fan of Mister Holmes in general. Without A Clue held the honor of my favorite before the BBC’s version came along. In that incarnation, Holmes was a front, and the real detective was Doctor Watson. However, this series breathed in new life and inspired me to want to know more. I started reading the original stories and then taking a new appreciation on how Sherlock interpreted it into a modern-day setting. My favorite episode remains A Scandal in Belgravia which I’ve watched enough times to have it almost memorized.

Book: The Count of Monte Cristo (1844) by Alexandre Dumas

From Goodreads: Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration.

I read The Count of Monte Cristo as part of my quest to read all the books on the BBC Must Read Book List. I found the 1276 page novel entirely too short and would have been happy to continue reading forever. The story, the characters, the themes, and everything in between was an excellent world I wanted to live in. Unfortunately, the movie adaptations have been sadly lacking to the point that I felt I needed to hug and apologize to the book for even having it play in the same room. I need to reread this by a cozy fire wearing my “Free Dantes” socks.

Coming Up Next

Next week will be a recap and conclusion of this challenge.

What are your picks? Let us know in the comments.