Stuff I liked this year
I spent all year whining about stuff I hate, so here's a list of stuff I didn't hate. Not everything was released in 2025, but it's all stuff I happened to stumble across this year that made a lasting impression.
The key word here is lasting as I consume a ton of content every year, but most of it gets filtered out of my brain as quickly as it enters. Finding media that's "sticky" is getting increasingly harder it feels.
Books
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier: This was the first book I read this year and still my favorite. I even watched the 1940 film adaptation by Alfred Hitchcock1. The "twist" is kind of predictable, but I think my favorite part is that it's essentially a book about unchecked anxiety.
Man and His Symbols by Carl Jung: I tried reading The Red Book and it was so dense and complicated, I had to stop and downgrade to this. This book, unlike his other essays, was meant for the general public, so it's easier to read and plainly explains his core theories on the unconscious and symbolism in dreams. It pretty much changed how I see everything. I also read the Archetypes, but I think this book is the perfect intro into Jungian psychology.
TV Shows
Severance: I'm so glad I waited to watch season one last year because I didn't have to wait 1894093274 years for season two. It's brilliant for all the reasons you've probably already heard. I just hope I don't have to wait 580350989 years for season three.
Common Side Effects: I caught this show while watching Adult Swim in a hotel. It caught my attention, so when I got home I binged the whole thing on HBO Max2. It's basically a cartoon about a guy who discovers a magic mushroom that can cure everything, but it has side effects. But probably what's most interesting about the show is how it explores the pharmaceutical industry, government conspiracies, and hippie drug culture. I also liked how it wasn't your typical Adult Swim show (badly drawn brainrot) and was something still weird but slightly elevated.
Albums
Nala Sinephro - Endlessness: You know, it's rare these days to find an album I love from beginning to end, where I'm not just skipping around and listening to the same three songs. This is definitely one of those albums you can put on and work, daydream, sleep, etc. The vibe is jazzy space symphony that lulls you into a weird, little trance.
Songs
Young Fathers "Lowly": Is it sad I remember the soundtrack to 28 Years Later more than the actual movie? The movie was fine, but Young Fathers did an excellent job on the soundtrack, and this song is my favorite.
Cindy Lee "Lucifer Stand": I saw a bunch of hype for Diamond Jubilee, but that album was so long, I decided to start with her previous album What's Tonight to Eternity instead. This track was the clear standout, and I wish she had more songs that sounded like this one.
Addison Rae "High Fashion": Now this one surprised me, and I still can't get over the fact that this is that annoying dancing girl from TikTok. But this is genuinely a fantastic song (was pretty "meh" on the rest of the album, though).
Movies
Offside: My husband and I both really like Iranian director Jafar Panahi, as his movies are usually part documentary, part scripted movie. Sometimes it's difficult to tell what's real and what isn't. His film Offside is about a bunch of young women who try to sneak into an all-male soccer game and it's surprisingly hilarious and heartfelt. The incredible thing about Panahi is how he can weave political commentary into his films without being preachy or relying on sentimentality.
I think I might start a Letterboxd next year to keep track of the movies I watch because I watch a lot of films, but I immediately forget them. I know there was more than one movie I liked this year, I just can't remember any right now. However, Offside is a movie I watched a few months ago, so it's still fresh on my mind.
Blogs/Essays
Leaving this here to remind myself to bookmark the blogs/essays I read that I liked so that I don't forget them. I'm looking through my bookmarks now, and while there's a lot of things in there, I haven't checked most of them out yet. I usually bookmark things so that I can check them out later, but I usually never do. Not sure how to fix that.