Alright, I’ve finished scrubbing my cabinets, folding laundry, and meal prepping, so I can finally sit down to write my yearly round-up. My usual rules apply: the TV shows, movies, and books on this list are not specific to this year; they are just things I watched/read this year. The music I selected, however, is specific to 2021.

Movies

Okay, to be totally honest, I basically watched no movies this year. Having both a demanding teaching job and a toddler means my evenings were either spent grading or sleeping. If I happen to have a night when I wasn’t doing either, I would usually pick a TV show instead, complete chores, or read. Regardless, here were my favorites (in order):

1. Dunkirk (2017) – Astounding film work! A visual masterpiece!
2. Glass Onion (2022) – I was surprised by how good this was considering it’s technically a sequel. I love the way that the writers continued to play into the tradition conventions of the mystery genre while still managing to keep it fresh. The new storyline was refreshing, and I was pleased by the strong acting throughout.
3. Spirited (2022) – Say whatever you want, I thought this movie was great. As someone who frequently expresses how much I don’t like Will Ferrell or Ryan Reynolds, I thought this was hilarious and fun and the perfect adult Christmas movie. The only reason it’s third on my list is because it was a bit lengthy.

Honorable Mention: Not Okay (2022) – I thought this film offered some good commentary on the insidious nature of social media; however, I didn’t think it said anything its audience didn’t know, and I found the ending to be disappointing.

TV Shows

Similar to movies, I didn’t feel like I watched a ton of TV this year, but I definitely watched a few that really stood out. Here were my favorites (in order):

1. Severance (season 1; 2022) – This is, by far, one of the greatest seasons of television ever made.
2. The Wire (season 1; 2002) – I have been slowly making my way through The Wire for the last year–emphasis on slow since I have just started season 3. Season 1 was incredible, and I appreciated the way the writers made you feel empathy for each of the characters (police, drug addicts, criminals). This is a show I definitely should’ve watched before now.
3. The Great (season 2; 2022) – I loved season 1, and I had no idea where the show was going to go from there. Luckily, the writers were able to add new twists into this untraditional love story, and I found myself laughing out loud a lot. For those considering this show, just know that it’s a raunchy dark comedy, so it’s not for everyone.

Music

I felt like I was largely disappointed by music this year. While I enjoyed Midnights by Taylor Swift, I thought it was weak in comparison to her other work. I found myself returning to albums I loved in the past, or listening to new artists that sounded like what I’ve always liked. Basically, I had some sort of obsession with nostalgia for most of the year, which might’ve preventing me from finding new music to love. I do want to say that I discovered a love of 1990s rap and early 2000s Eminem, especially in terms of music to listen to while running. Aside from that, here were my favorites (in order):

1. Harry’s House – Harry Styles – I was concerned I wouldn’t love this one as much as Fine Line (2019), but I did. I thought it was raw and introspective with some of the tracks bordering on almost too intimate. The title of the album is apt, and I found myself returning to it a lot this year.
2. Tornillo – Whiskey Myers – This is a typical choice for me, but I have got to give it up with Whiskey Myers for continuing to put out album after album of absolutely killer music. This is a great album to run to, especially “John Wayne” which, for me, has entered into my top three running songs alongside “Gold Digger” (Kanye) and “Work Bitch” (Britney). Hopefully, I’ll be able to see them in concert again soon!
3. Smithereens – Joji – This won’t surprise anyone who knows me well. My brother and I are obsessed with Nectar (2020), and he gave me a copy of said record for Christmas. We were really excited about this release, and I was not disappointed. Since it came out in November, it’ll stay on repeat for a few more months (or years since I’m still listening to Nectar on the regular).

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

• Stick Season – Noah Kahan – I feel like everyone has been talking about this album, so I don’t feel the need to sing its praises too much. I like that, somehow, it tends to fit my mood regardless of what mood I am in.
• Only the Strong Survive – Bruce Springsteen – Considering this album is covers, I couldn’t, in good faith, put it in my top three despite the fact that I enjoyed it immensely.
• Mainstream Sellout – Machine Gun Kelly – Y’all know I’ve been a MGK fan since he switch to pop punk, but I found this album derivative whereas his previous was refreshing and unique. I still enjoyed it, but it wasn’t good enough to be in my top three.

Books

This is always the hardest part of these recaps for me, especially this year. I read a lot of good books this year, so I had a really hard time narrowing it down. In the process of narrowing it down, I came up with 10 books out of the 33 that have stuck with me. Then, I forced myself to narrow it down further to six, wanting to stick with a top three and only three “honorable mentions.” I failed and had to, ultimately, add just one more. Therefore, here is my very uncertain list (in order):

1. Cloud Cuckoo Land – Anthony Doerr (2021) – This was well worth the length wait on the public library’s waitlist. It was mind-blowingly good. Not only was it the best thing I read this year, it’s the book I’ve recommended to every single person I can. It’s definitely moved into my top 10 of all-time and is (if I’m allowed to say this…) better than All the Light We Cannot See.
2. Sea of Tranquility – Emily St. John Mandel (2022) – Since I was such a huge fan of Station Eleven, I highly anticipated this novel, and it did not disappoint. It overlaps with some of her previous novels but, in my opinion, is more put together. As always, the writing was stunning. If you’ve not read one of her novels, start here!
3. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous – Ocean Vuong (2019) – This was a hard pick. I read this book and wanted to forget about it immediately. It’s a horribly sad story about a young adult who’s completely misunderstood by the people he loves the most and his inability to truly cope with it. It’s incredibly painful, but Vuong’s background as a poet (This is his first novel.) means that it’s also written in stunning, beautiful language that skirts the border between poetry and prose. While I have a hard time recommending this novel to anyone, I cannot stop thinking about it–for better or for worse–which is why it ended up on the top of my list.

Honorable Mentions (in order):

• The Stand – Stephen King (1990) – I deliberated making this my #3, and I might’ve had I read it in the 1990s or even early 2000s, but I think, being a pretty impactful piece of literature, it suffers from the same problem all popular literature suffers from: the ideas from the novel have been reused throughout media (other literature, TV shows, and movies) to the point where the original ends up feeling “been there, done that.” Still, it’s an incredible work that should be on everyone’s TBR list.
• The Four Winds – Kristin Hannah (2021) – Mothers, be warned. You will cry uncontrollable, ugly tears at the end.
• The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafón (2005) – I waited too long to read this one, which was recommended to me a lot. It’s a great read packed with mystery, politics, romance, secret libraries, and language sure to sweep you away.
• Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee – Casey Cep (2019) – I try to read 3-4 pieces of non-fiction each year since I often find that, despite avoiding it, I tend to enjoy it. A co-worker recommended this one since I am obsessed with To Kill a Mockingbird. I found it fascinating and followed it up with In Cold Blood (which I hadn’t read… No judgement please!)

Travel

I did a surprising amount of travel this year, so I wanted to rank my top three places (in order):

1. Stowe, Vermont – My husband and I went without our kid (thanks to the grandparents!) to celebrate our sister-in-law’s 30th birthday. It was the perfect escape: fantastic company, beautiful Airbnb with a heated pool and hottub, lots to do/drink/eat.
2. London, England – I’ve been before, but this gets bumped to #2 over a place I’ve never been because I took a group of students, parents, and teachers with me. It allowed me to enjoy my students in a different capacity. I loved watching them enjoy learning for the sake of learning. It was really refreshing!
3. Lisbon, Portugal – I loved Portugal, and I want to go back with my husband. I won a free trip with other teachers, which was awesome. Everything was planned and paid for. I really enjoyed not having to be in charge and just going with the flow. I saw a surprisingly large amount of things for only being there for barely 5 days. The downsides (which made this land at #3) were my child was 7 months old (and, therefore, homesick), I was still breastfeeding (and, therefore, pumping), and I got violent food poisoning while I was there.

Honorable Mention: The Outer Banks – We go every year, but it’s still one of my favorite trips!

Personal Moments

I wanted to add two more categories here at the end, which I did for the first time last year: personal moments and things I learned about parenting. Here are my three favorite moments of the year (in no particular order):

1. My son learned to walk. I was, unfortunately, not there to witness the first steps, but a walking child is a whole new ballgame! We went on many family walks after dinner this summer, a new, little (hopefully) tradition I love.
2. My son’s first plane ride was the worst plane ride of my life: endless turbulence to the point where it actually got scary. The entire time, my son thought it was hilarious. He was laughing and screaming like we were on a roller-coaster. Seeing things through his eyes is so much fun!
3. I ran 5 miles. If you follow my blog, you’ll know I’ve previously run a half-marathon, so this might seem lame. However, post-pregnancy, I struggled to be consistent enough to really rack up the miles. In the past four months, I ran four times a week every week with the exception of two during which I ran twice only due to a combination of weather and illness. I’m proud of myself for maintaining consistency and hope to get back to a half-marathon by the end of 2023.

Things I Learned About Parenting

I feel like this goes without saying, but I am not a parenting expert. I have one kid, and he’s a year and a half old. This is just what I’ve personally learned about my own parenting (in no particular order):

1. Have fun! Everyone knows parenting is really difficult, but it’s much easier if you’re willing to look like a fool. Kids will laugh at anything ridiculous. They love silly games (pretending things are hats that aren’t, chasing them like you’re a scary monster, etc.) and dance parties. They’re also more willing to do things, like eat vegetables, if you make it fun.
2. Monkey see, monkey do. Your child will copy everything you do. They are learning how to be a person from you, and you are their best friend. They want to be just like you. This is a great and terrible power. You must constantly model appropriate behavior. Kid yelling? Respond in a calm, quiet voice. Easier said than done!
3. Balance is hard. Okay, I didn’t learn this so much as I had to relearn how to deal with it in a different capacity. Last year, learning work-life balance was difficult, but I thought I did a good job. This year, I’ve had to learn how to balance life as a parent and life as an individual. I learned how to be a person who does not exist solely for the sake of my job or my child. Communicating when I needed time for myself is not something I’ve ever been good at but, fortunately, I have a supportive spouse who encourages me to grab dinner with friends, go for long runs alone, and sleep in every once in a while.

Whew! This ended up being a bit longer than I intended, so thanks to everyone who made it to this point. Drop a comment with your favorite 2023 moments, movies, TV shows, books, or music. I’ve got a whole year wide open for recommendations!

–M