2024 Highlights & 2025 Thus Far

reading, watching, listening

Jan 31, 2025

After 30 days of the new year, I’ve finally decided to take a moment to share some of my favorite reads, listens, and watches from 2024 and the first month of 2025. Among other things, one of my intentions for this new year is to continue intentionally consuming media rather than scrolling on social media sites that make me feel Bad. So far, it’s been a fruitful endeavor. I hope you join me.

Reading in 2024

In 2024, I read 56 books. On average, it took me 10 days to finish a book, and I had an almost even split of nonfiction and fiction at 48 and 52 percent respectively. My top genres were LGBTQIA+ (naturally), Literary, and Memoir. I read 54% of books in print, 30% on audio, and 16% on my Kindle. My most read (and deeply cherished) author was Hanif Abdurraqib with three books, and if I haven’t convinced you to pick up his work yet, I don’t know what more I can do. Walk on my knees repenting through the desert? Become a goose? (Okay, that took the Mary Oliver reference too far.) Seriously, read Hanif. Stat.

Image Description: a bar chart of the genres I read the most in 2024, starting with LGBTQIA+ at 24, then literary at 16, memoir at 12, contemporary at 10, and essays at 9.

My favorite books of 2024 were:

Fiction
- James by Percival Everett
- Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth
- Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu
- Chlorine by Jade Song
- Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Nonfiction:
- Undue Burden: Life and Death Decisions in Post-Roe America by Shefali Luthra
- Sex with a Brain Injury by Annie Liontas
- There’s Always This Year and They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib
- Who’s Afraid of Gender? by Judith Butler
- Real Queer America by Samantha Allen
- Bless the Blood by Walela Nehanda
- Coming Home by Brittney Griner
- Don’t Let Me Be Lonely by Claudia Rankine

Every year, I find that I know my taste better than the last. What a privilege to learn so much about myself through books.

Image Description: a line graph of my 2024 reading moods, which starts high in January, drips in February, creeps up in June, tanks in July, rebounds a bit in August, then slowly goes down, down, down some more through the end of the year. I love to end on a low note.

Listening in 2024

If I am being completely honest, my ears lost the plot last year. I guzzled podcasts, blasted what can only be called frat music on repeat to stay awake (“No Hands” is banned from my Spotify this year) and fell asleep to podcasts that I let play well into the early hours of the morning. I refused to be alone with my thoughts, and it didn’t do me much good. Still, there were some highlights.

My favorite albums of 2024 were:

Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé
What a Relief by Katie Gavin
Stick Season by Noah Kahan (always)
Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechii
Short n' Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter
Proof of Live by Joy Oladokun (I saw Joy at the first show on her Blackbird tour. It was a truly magical experience.)
Deeper Well by Kacey Musgraves
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan
Chromakopia by Tyler, the Creator
Image Description: a photo of Joy Oladokun, a queer Black singer, at their concert in Minneapolis in January 2025. She is wearing a Prince t-shirt, a baseball cap, and playing an electric guitar. A purple stage light is shining down on her. Magic.
My Favorite Podcasts:
Two Dykes & a Mic
Normal Gossip
Jockular

Watching in 2024

In late December, I downloaded Letterboxd to fill the bottomless desire to turn on my phone and scroll that could no longer be filled by Instagram or X. Follow me here for bad reviews and minimal movie watching. With that said, one of the only movies I can remember watching is one I reviewed in the final week of the year: The Substance.

This body horror made me gag, hide behind my fingers, and make loud screeching noises that potentially concerned my retired neighbors. Though its messaging on ageism and the commodification of women’s bodies was entirely unsubtle, I can’t help but be deeply obsessed. The visuals - truly, so disgusting - were somehow also stunning and fun. And, of course, it did what I feel body horror almost always does best: it unintentionally showcased the disabled experience by highlighting the internalized ableism present in the fear of aging. More on that in a future newsletter (…maybe. My final semester of school is drowning me. Thank you for your patience.)

I would also be remiss not to highlight Challengers, a new favorite that I’ve been desperate to rewatch since cheering on Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka in the Australian Open. May 2025 bring us more queer sports movies.

And, of course, I spent a ridiculous amount of time watching women’s sports. That’s a given.

So Far in 2025…

The Best of Reading:

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones: this literary horror swept me off of my feet and immediately became a new favorite. Stunning.
Magical/Realism: Essays on Music, Memory, Fantasy, and Borders by Vanessa Angélica Villarreal: a new favorite essay collection that did what all of my favorite nonfiction does by analyzing media through the lens of one’s personal experiences. I’ll be thinking about her essay on Game of Thrones for a long, long time.
A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqib: brilliant, show stopping, incredible as always. I am already mourning the day I finish all of his backlist.
Black AF History by Michael Harriot: did you also grow up in the American school system, learning whitewashed, colonizer-friendly history? This audiobook taught me so much, and I highly recommend.

Image Description: a January summary of my reading on Storygraph that includes stats and a pie chart of my moods. I read 11 books, 2,912 pages, took an average of 10 days to finish books, and read primarily reflective, emotional, and informative books, with a splash of darkness. Naturally.

Follow me on Storygraph, where I don’t review books but do keep track of what I’ve read, here!

The Best of Listening:

“Sports Car” by Tate McRae: if I was in high school I’d hang a poster of her Think Later album cover on my wall. Perfect hot girl pop. I can’t wait for her new album.
“GIRLS"!” by Cat Burns: I love Cat, and if you haven’t listened to her cover of Teenage Dirtbag, you should.
Dyed (2008-2023) by The Maine: This album release sent me right back to my pop punk roots. “Stray Dogs” is my favorite on the album.

The Best of Watching:

Unrivaled Unrivaled Unrivaled: if you aren’t watching the new 3v3 women’s basketball league, you should. Streaming on Max and TNT. Fun and fast as hell with all of your WNBA favs (almost.)
PWHL: My obsession with hockey is the most Minnesotan thing about me. Go Frost! Games available to stream for free on YouTube.
I Kissed a Girl (Hulu): I’m not much of a reality dating show watcher, but I started this on a whim and couldn’t tear my eyes off the screen, much to my sleep schedule’s detriment. Sapphic dating show a la Love Island.
All of Us Strangers: haha gutted!
American Fiction: I need to get my hands on Erasure stat. Percival Everett is a genius.
Plan B: give me more buddy comedies about reproductive care!!