It’s nearing the end of the year and I’ll be honest: I’m running so close to empty it’s practically fumes. So, in order to still post something but give myself a break, I’m going back to the basics of what this newsletter was about and posting about the particular things I’ve consumed this year that I loved.
That’s right folks, it’s a best of 2025 clip show!
Top 4 Books
I didn’t read as many books this year as I’d have liked to. I was aiming for 25 and I read a total of around 13. I would have also been happy to just get to 20 books, but, I sadly did not. Still, a book a month (not really) isn’t bad, and considering that I did read a lot of short stories, I’m not going to kill myself over this one.
In no particular order (I did 4 because I had to mention martyr)
Creation Lake - Rachel Kushner
Small Rain - Garth Greenwell (I already wrote my thoughts about Small Rain here, fyi)
Cities I’ve Never Lived In by Sara Majka (I just love her ability to tell a story about the specific types of people who inhabit a city. Realistically she’s weaving a larger narrative about what makes a city a city or who makes a city a city, but she’s also writing about the looked over members of our society in a really gripping and exacting way).
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (everyone recommended this book and for a good reason, it’s great)
Top 3 Short Stories
A big part of my personal journey this year was recommitting myself to short stories. Both in the practice of writing and reading them. I’ve always loved the short story as a format. To succeed at writing a great short story you have to be an expert at your craft: precise, purposeful, and clear-headed.
This year I read around 58+ short stories. I say + because I stopped counting at around the 58th short story. I originally felt bad thinking about how I haven’t finished as many full novels as I planned, but, thinking through the sheer number of short stories I read, I think I’ve clearly still read a lot of fiction this year regardless.
In no particular order my top three picks are:
The St. Alwynn Girls at Sea By Sheila Heti
The love song of the Mexican free-tailed bat by Gina Chung (from her book Green Frog: Stories.
Peking Duck - Ling Ma
Top 3 Comics/Graphic Novels
Because I didn’t read a lot of books this year, I also didn’t read a lot of comics/graphic novels. Still, I really love the format of a graphic novel so I try to read at least a handful of them each year. Here are three recommendations from the short list of ones I did read:
The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Manu Larcenet (I’ve never read or seen The Road before so I enjoyed this, results may vary)
Absolute Superman, Vol. 1: The Last Dust of Krypton (the absolute DC series is actually really interesting, they’re taking some big swings and making some inventive choices that I find refreshing as someone who usually finds DC boring as fuck)
Slaughterhouse-Five, or the Children's Crusade: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Ryan North
Top 3 TV Shows
The Pitt - Season 1
Everyone should watch The Pitt. It’s prime healthcare/ER TV baby!Gilded Age - Seasons 1 - 3
2025 was the year I finally watched the Gilded Age and honestly I loved it. I regret waiting so long to watch it and it even got me to start dipping my toes into Downton Abbey.Somebody Somewhere - Seasons 1 -3
Just like the Gilded Age, 2025 was the year I finally watched Somebody Somewhere after so many people recommended it. It’s just a masterclass of TV that everyone should watch. A real triumph of storytelling, acting, and exploring the idea of relationships and friendships.
Top 3 Movies
As I was writing this I realized it was really really hard to choose my top 3 movies!
Sinners (If you’re smart I don’t need to explain to you why Sinners was great. If you’re not smart stop being dumb and go see it!)
Twinless
One Battle After Another
Top 3 Video Games
Hades 2
I don’t think Hades 2 was game of the year or anything like that, but I’ve been waiting a while for this game because it scratches the exact itch in a video game that I want scratchedDispatch
However, I do think Dispatch should be a game of the year contender. I think it’s probably technically for next year, but just despite being a short and easy to play game, it was so good!Blue Prince
Look I just love game play loops. I sunk too many hours into this game to not say it was one of my top games of this year.
Top 4 Things I’ve Written
Wildfire
Which I can’t post because I’m trying to get it published but if i know you and you want to read it, just reach out and you can!Drought/Matryoshka
which again I can’t post but i’m liking what it’s becoming
Top 3 Experiences
Seeing Rilo Kiley with Zach
Everything despite picking a view of the Alamo only to realize upon arrival that there’s currently construction going on and getting hungover over cheap tall boy beers.D&D Campaign with Zach, Chris, and Dane
10 Week writer’s workshop