At the end of each year, I like to take time to acknowledge the art that defined it. I saw several movies that led to hours of discussion. There are quotes from stories that stuck with me long after I read them. Songs became earworms I’d repeat when a certain emotion triggered them. Each of these things makes me, in its own small way, the person I am. I won’t swear by the order, but each is on this list for a reason.

Without further ado:

Movies

1. Caught Stealing. Action-packed, hilarious, a variety of interesting characters, and solid story.
2. Eddington. A COVID period piece seemed a strange concept, but I loved the exploration of isolation, technology, and misinformation, among other relevant topics.
3. 28 Years Later. It was quite different from its predecessors, but I enjoyed the emotional depth and new horrors.
4. Good Boy. A unique horror film told from the perspective of its canine protagonist. I loved the aspects of terror, but also its message on grief, survival, and resilience.
5. The Long Walk. The best Stephen King adaptation in years. Brutally violent and upsetting, but the metaphors it provides (either war, life, or both) left me speechless.
6. Bring Her Back. Easily the most disturbing horror movie I’ve seen in 20+ years, but it says a lot about desperation, grief, and insanity.
7. Sinners. A story of vampires, music, and Black culture and community. There’s a lot to appreciate here.
8. Warfare. This is one of the better war movies. It makes no stance on issues but instead focuses on the brutality and grittiness of “the moment.”
9. Bugonia. Admittedly strange, but well-acted, and the second half is an edge-of-your-seat thriller.
10. Friendship. It’s beyond absurd, but it delivers great points about male companionship.

Music

1. SABLE, fABLE — Bon Iver. A soulful, gorgeous collection of songs from a master songwriter.
2. A Quiet and Harmless Living — Matt Maeson. These songs reflect the life of a man questioning life, the world, and religion, something I relate to on a deep level.
3. All Is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade — Of Monsters and Men. A surprise return, and much improved from their previous work. Still a bit “pop-ier” than I’d like, but a lovely collection of songs about life and community.
4. Big Ole Album, Vol. 1 — A Day to Remember. A step in the right direction for fans of their earlier sound, and some great pop-punk jams I sang my heart out to all spring.
5. Automatic — The Lumineers. An album with the overarching theme of life and its difficulties. Several songs earned a regular spot in my rotation.
6. Get Sunk — Matt Berninger. I’m not as big a fan of his solo material as I am The National, but I love his crooning voice and the stories he tells.
7. Rushmere — Mumford and Sons. It’s a return-to-form for the band, and a solid entry into a solid catalog. Excited for their next one in February.
8. Copper Changes Color — CAAMP. More of the same. Good folk rock to tap your feet and sing along to.
9. We Could Be Brave — Michael Cera Palin. I love their genre-blending sound, even if I haven’t had the chance to do a deep dive into the lyrics.
10. The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still — Hot Mulligan. It wasn’t necessarily a standout album for me, but I love to have it in the background from time-to-time when I’m in an angsty/emo mood.

Books

Note: I have a long backlog of books I’d like to read. Most of these books weren’t published in 2025; they’re my favorite books I read last year.

1. Nickel Boys — Colson Whitehead. A fiction based on the real-life Dozier School for Boys here in Florida. It was an upsetting read in many ways, but equally powerful.
2. Remarkably Bright Creatures — Shelby Van Pelt. I read this book over one weekend, the one of my grandpa’s funeral. It’s poignant, beautiful, and funny.
3. We Are All Guilty Here — Karin Slaughter. I’ve never read Karin Slaughter before, but I love mysteries. I picked this up on a display and purchased it on a whim. I read it in less than a week. It is a much more gritty, realistic mystery than most. I will forewarn you, though: this book does discuss CSA/CSAM.
4. The Long Walk — Stephen King. I read this book, and the message went over my head. I read more about it and then I cried. This one hit hard.
5. The Things They Carried — Tim O’Brien. Oof. A heavy hitter about soldiers in the Vietnam War. Some parts are true, others are exaggerated, as I understand it. Still, a great perspective on the realities of war and its effects.
6. IT — Stephen King. I read this in preparation for Welcome to Derry, and after doing an IT escape room in Las Vegas. It was terrifying but reading it felt immersive. I loved learning the lore of IT. We won’t talk about that one scene, though.
7. Conclave — Robert Harris. I didn’t love the “twist” at the end, but I loved the inner reflections, thoughts, and prayers expressed by the main character. This was unfortunately didn’t translate to film.
8. The Stand — Stephen King. I’ve long put off reading a book that is nearly 1,200 pages. A lot of nothing happens in this book, but a lot of “something” happens, too. A good read, although I may check out the shortened version in the future.
9. The Complete Maus: A Survivor’s Tale — Art Spiegelman. I read at least Maus I in high school (although I probably read both). I reread it this past year. I love the unique approach to autobiographical storytelling, and I love that it is raw–the narrator and his father are not perfect, and they don’t get along well. I appreciate and respect its authenticity.
10. The Girls of the Glimmer Factory — Jennifer Coburn. I bought this book in anticipation of meeting the author at a local library (I ended up sick and unable to attend). I really liked this one–it is a historical fiction about the Theresienstadt Ghetto, a place I’d never heard of. “Love” is probably not the right word, but it was interesting to learn something new about the Holocaust.

TV Shows

Note: I missed a lot shows this year (e.g., Alien: Earth–working on it). This probably isn’t a fair assessment, but it felt important to list these anyway.

1. Adolescence. You’ve heard all the praise for it. It’s well deserved.
2. Task. I love Mark Ruffalo, and I love Tom Pelphrey. This was a well-acted, dark crime show. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and am equally excited and disappointed that there will be a second season (it was designed as a miniseries).
3. The Pitt. I loved the fast-paced, chaotic, and uncensored look into the life of an ER team. Perhaps it was unrealistic, but it had me hooked from episode one onward.
4. Pluribus. I haven’t finished this yet, but I loved the first several episodes. I love Rhea Seehorn, Vince Gilligan is a genius, and the sci-fi story at play was fascinating.
5. Severance. I don’t want to like this show (I hate not knowing what’s going on), but damn, it’s so good. Well-acted, intriguing story, and thought-provoking.