The first few years I wrote my yearly recap, I published it on Dec. 31, having worked at it for a few days beforehand. Last year, I was ashamed to have published it so “late:” January 3. Yet, here we are, on January 10, and I’ve finally gotten around to it. I guess it should be a consolation to me that no one–not even my husband (who badgered me about my year 9 teaching recap being late)–mentioned it was missing. Suffice to say, I mainly write these recaps for myself. I enjoy going back and seeing what was important to me each year.

My year started pretty rough with January and February being incredibly difficult but, fortunately, they were quickly followed by what I will often think of as one of the best years of my life. During the difficulties at the start of the year, I clung to my faith in God, and I am grateful that He kept drawing me back to him with reminders of joy. I don’t want to imply that believing in God means that, after a hard season, you will be blessed by a beautiful one. What I do believe, however, is that experiencing hardship allows one to more fully enjoy the goodness of God elsewhere in your life. This year, there just seemed to be a theme of hope and joy in the midst of life’s challenges. It was something that bled from my personal and spiritual life into the media I gravitated toward. I loved stories of happiness, music I could dance to, and people coming back together. Hopefully, you’ll find some new things on my list that bring your 2024 some joy too!

Before I begin the list, a brief preface for those who haven’t read my yearly recap before. This list is just what I loved. It’s not what I thought was the best this year nor even what was particularly “good.” It’s just what I was the most into. As usual, all music listed is from 2023, but everything else is from a variety of years. What’s different about this year’s list is that, instead of just picking my top 3-5 in each category, I did a free-for-all of different ranking systems. Why? Because this is my list, and I wanted to.

Movies

We are starting here because I have the least to say. I watched only a small amount of movies this year and only three of them stood out. Like everyone else on the planet, I loved Barbie (2023). I also saw the new film version of The Color Purple (2023) and thought it was well done. The best film was, by far, The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). My husband and I watched it early in the year, and I’ve thought about it at least once a week since. It was absolutely brilliant and, if you haven’t seen it, please do so. You won’t regret it.

Television

I watched more television than I did movies, and I definitely watched more television than last year. Still, it was not as much as I had in my child-free era. Here are my four favorites, and two honorable mentions:

1. The Bear season 2 (2023) – Miraculously, it was just as incredible as the first season. I think it’s really rare to top the first season of a show when it’s so critically aclaimed. This show is basically perfection. If you haven’t watched it yet, don’t be like me and Peaky Blinders and wait to watch it until way after it came out and then think, “Man, I really missed out!”
2. Peaky Blinders season 1 (2013) – Yes, I know. Everyone else watched it forever ago, but I was in college when it came out, and then I was in my first few years teaching, and then life just got in the way. The hype, however, is deserved. (I am currently at the end of season 3, so keep the comments spoiler-free!)
3. Shrinking season 1 (2023) – Absolutely hilarious! I loved watching this with my husband, and we were surprised to discover just how funny Harrison Ford is. This show is endearing and awkward and will get you laughing.
4. Loki season 2 (2023) – I just love the charming weirdness of this show. The concept didn’t get overly played out, and I am so grateful they decided to keep it as only two seasons. Any more would’ve been too much.
5. Honorable Mentions: Black Mirror season 6 (2023) & Never Have I Ever season 4 (2023)

Books

I read 54 books this year. Of those 54 books, 1 was a play, 4 were books of poetry, 6 were non-fiction, 7 were classics novels, and the rest were general fiction novels. Two of the classics were re-reads, and one of them I actually read twice this year since I decided to teach it after having re-read it. Additionally, I DNFed five of the novels. (Five is a pretty high number for me to DNF. Usually, there’s at least one and, occasionally, two. It’s rare for there to be more than that. I was much pickier this year.) Overall, I’m happy about the variety of books I read, and I hope to continue to incorporate more poetry and non-fiction into my reading rotation.

Here are some good and bad books I read this year:

• Overall favorite: The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde (1890)
  • This is a classic I avoided reading because I thought I knew the story. I was wrong. This does not go in the direction you expect and is way more interesting than you might think it is. I keep forcing people to read, and no one has complained yet.
• Best Character/Best Writing: Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov (1955)
  • This is some of the best writing I’ve ever read, and it’s also one of the most terrifying pieces of literature I’ve ever picked up. I consumed the entire novel in three days and regretted it because now it haunts me full time. Will I recommend it? No. Should you read it? Yes.
• Best Re-Read: 1984 – George Orwell (1949)
  • I got to teach whatever I wanted this year, so I made the students read 1984. I’m not sure if they loved it, but I certainly did. It’s still just as relevant as it was when it was published and when I read it for the first time in 2008.
• Best Non-Fiction: The Reason for God – Timothy Keller (2008)
  • It’s Tim Keller. Of course it’s going to be good. I have has this one on my shelf for a long time. I was gifted it in 2010 by an older friend who told me it would prove helpful to my faith life in college. I ignored his advice, but I was happy to text him a few months ago to tell him how helpful it was to my faith life this year.
• Most Recommended to Strangers: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow – Gabrielle Zevin (2022)
  • Everyone knows this is good at this point, right? If you haven’t read it, what are you doing?
• Most Recommended to People at Work: Purple Hibiscus – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2003)
  • I am currently teaching this book, and I just reread it during the first week of 2024. It was even better upon the second reading. I don’t think this is the book for everyone like Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is, but it’s one I’ve been talking about a lot with my colleagues.
• Deserves the Hype: Klara and the Sun – Kazuo Ishiguro (2021)
  • The book jacket, in my opinion, makes this book sound boring. It is not. It’s absolutely fascinating and the fact that it came out before AI got popular makes it even more interesting. If you’re looking for an incredible piece of science fiction, the critics are right about this one.
• Does Not Deserve the Hype (It’s a tie!):
  • Hello Beautiful – Ann Napolitano (2023) – It was fine. I read the whole thing. I didn’t hate it. I just didn’t think it was anything special.
  • Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby Van Pelt (2022) – Similarly, I didn’t think this was bad. It was just predictable. Marcellus is an awesome character though, and I do think this novel is an indicator that Van Pelt is someone to watch. In about 5 years, she’s going to be churning out incredible books.
• Best Ending: The Song of Achilles – Madeline Miller (2011)
  • I knew what was going to happen, and I still cried at the end. Also, I know this says “Best Ending,” but the whole book was really good.
• Worst Ending: The Other Black Girl – Zakiya Dalila Harris (2021)
  • Do not be misled by “Worst Ending” because this book had me hooked the entire time. I loved the characters and thought the plotline was really creative. I just felt that the ending was a cop-out (Oh, I discovered a file folder that just reveals the answers to all the plot’s major mysteries.) and the main character’s final choice didn’t fit with her overall characterization.
• Most Likely to Brag About Reading: The Passenger (& Stella Maris) – Cormac McCarthy (2022)
  • I love Cormac McCarthy, but I also realize that he’s one of those authors who, for many people, can be a slog. I read his last two novels–companion pieces–early in the year and loved them. His work is not for everyone but, if you want to give it a go, Stella Maris is the better start. Not only is it short but, in my opinion, was better. I read it second but, in theory, you could read them in any order.
• Best Recommendations (It’s a tie!):
  • The Color Purple – Alice Walker (1982): This is my sister-in-law’s favorite novel and, despite its fame, I’d never read it. I loved the layers of religious beliefs in the novel and the wide-sweeping time it covered. It would be easy to go on here, but I assume most others know why this one’s a winner.
  • Little Bee – Chris Cleeve (2008): This one was recommended to me by other teacher in a high school English teachers’ Facebook group. The story really surprised me, and I thoroughly enjoyed the characters.
• Worst Recommendations (It’s a tie!):
  • It Ends With Us – Colleen Hoover (2016): I am a glutton for punishment clear because, a few years ago, I read Verity and hated it. Personally, I don’t think Colleen Hoover is a good writer. I also have some beef with the message of the novel, but I don’t think it’s entirely fair to hate on a book just because you don’t agree with it. Clearly, Hoover is doing something right considering her fame, but I don’t get the hype.
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sarah J. Maas (2015): Reading this is how I discovered I hate Romantasy. It’s basically porn with poorly written fantasy elements thrown in. Pass.
• Biggest Disappointment: Our Missing Hearts – Celeste Ng (2022)
  • I love Celeste Ng, but this one did not do it for me. It was an intriguing premise, but the story seemed rushed, like maybe she needed 6 more months to work on it. I hated the mother character and felt she acted unrealistically. I will continue to read Ng’s books, but this one didn’t work for me.
• Most Boring:
  • This Time Tomorrow – Emma Straub (2022): It was poorly written and predictable. I don’t understand the hype surrounding this one.
  • The Reading List – Sara Nisha Adams (2021): I completely get why people like this book. It’s cute with an upbeat story that celebrates books and libraries and friendship. It just didn’t say anything significant. I didn’t hate it; I just didn’t think it was engaging.
• Earliest DNF: Eligible – Curtis Sittenfeld (2016)
  • In my opinion, a modern retelling of a classic novel is incredibly difficult to pull off. If you stray too far from the story, people are mad because you took out things they loved. If you stick too closely to the story, it ends up not being original in any way. You must strike a balance between the two. This novel did not.

Music

Last year, I was in a music funk. I didn’t like anything I listened to, and I didn’t feel like anyone put out anything good. This year, I listened to so much music, I struggled to narrow it down. There were so many albums I listened (and danced and ran and cleaned) to over and over. I think something that allowed me to discover so much more new music this year is that my commute went from a little less than 15 minutes to 35-45 minutes. Having enough time to listen to almost an entire album on the way to work has allowed me to actually enjoy the longer commute.

Here’s some of what I enjoyed this year:

• Favorite/Most Listened to: ONE MORE TIME… – Blink 182
  • I think it’s safe to assume that, if you’re a Blink fan, this was your favorite album this year. Having the OG members reunite, go on tour, and produce an album was a dream come true. I really appreciated that most of the songs on this album were really geared toward adult pop punk lovers in terms of lyrical content without losing their band’s dumb boyish vibe.
• Best to Dance To: YUNGBLUD – YUNGBLUD
  • I cannot begin to explain how much kitchen dancing I did to this album (in addition to ONE MORE TIME…). I’ve loved YUNGBLUD since his first album, but this one is my favorite of his yet. I got to see him in concert this year, and he had awesome stage presence. I was in the pit, and he was really fun and engaging with the audience.
• Best Pop Punk: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY – Waterparks
  • I have listened to Waterparks in the past, but I never really felt like they were mindblowing. I never thought they were bad but also never thought they were doing anything too radical. This album changed my mind. The diversity of songs really showcase the variety within pop punk as well as their skills as musicians.
• Best Debut Album: Pineapple Sunrise – Beach Weather
  • I was surprised to find myself gravitating to this album so much since alt-pop, while I enjoy it, is not typically a go-to for me. I just really loved the whole vibe of this album: the upbeat synthy music is just something you can zone out and bop to (see: “High and Driving”).
• Best Christian: My Tribe – Blessing Offor
  • For years, I have listened to almost no Christian music outside of church despite being a committed believer (and, yes, that one part of “EDGING” does bother me). However, through an odd twist of fate, I stumbled upon this album via a Gospel Coalition IG post. After learning about Blessing Offor as a person, I could not stop listening to this album. It was so joyful and honest and didn’t sound like a lot of the popular but boring Christian music I was used to.
  • Honorable Mention: Divided Frame of Mind – Stephen Stanley
    • This album really falls far outside your mainstream Christian music. Upon first hearing a single off the album, I actually thought it was secular music. When I started paying attention to the lyrics, I thought, “Wait. Is this about God?” Sure enough! This album has really encouraged me to give Christian music another chance.
• Best Rock Album: But Here We Are – Foo Fighters
  • Y’all, it’s the Foo Fighters. They don’t make bad music.
  • Honorable Mention: Mammoth II – Mammoth WVH
    • The amount of times I’ve listened to “Another Celebration at the End of the World” this year is almost embarrassing.
• Best Album From a Band That’s Been Around Forever But I Never Listened To and Now I’m Obsessed: Cold War Kids – Cold War Kids
  • I know that’s oddly specific, but this is my list, and I don’t give a toot. I love, love, love this album. It’s absolutely brilliant, and I’m sorta pissed I wasn’t listening to anything beyond their popular songs until now. I’ve missed out!
• Best Comeback: History Books – The Gaslight Anthem (last album was 2014)
  • When they released The ’59 Sound in 2008, I was obsessed. Then, after 2014 (and a few more albums), they disappeared. Then, this year, they put out this brilliant album (featuring Bruce Springsteen, one of my favorite artists, on the title track). I cried the first time I listened to it. I don’t know what it is about this band’s sound that just sinks into my soul.
• Derserves the Hype: Weathervanes – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
  • This is your “late-night, bonfire and whiskey, staring at the stars, deep conversations” album. I listened to it solely because it got so much press, and I was not disappointed.
• Should Get More Attention: Drift Back – Phillip Phillips
  • The question I ask myself every, single time Phillip Phillips puts out an album is “Why the hell is no one talking about this?!” Do people think he’s just an American Idol washout? What’s the deal? He’s a brilliant songwriter and so much fun in concert. This album is raw and romantic, and you need to listen to it and tell all your friends.
• Most Surprising: Tell Me I’m Alive – All Time Low
  • All Time Low is still making music? I guess so! I actually really like this one. It was very positive and uplifting and not cheesy like the type of music they were putting out early in their career. (No shade to “Dear Maria, Count Me In” because we all know that song is a bop.)
• Honorable Mention: GUTS – Olivia Rodrigo
  • Following such a mind-blowingly good and critically acclaimed debut album with something worthwhile is rare, especially for someone so young. However, the second album really confirms whether an artist is going to stick around in the public eye and maintain a strong following. Olivia Rodrigo’s second album hits the mark. I read an interview in which she said something to the effect of, “I just want to make music that I want to hear on the radio.” You can really tell this album is for her, and we just happen to get to be along for the ride, and I love that.

The last few years, I’ve included a section with personal bests and things I’ve learned. I didn’t give that too much thought this year, but I will mention two highlights: my brother moved back home (with his wonderful wife and new baby girl), and I finally landed my dream teaching job (at my alma mater). Those two things really fit into the themes of joy and people coming back together that permeated my 2023. What things stuck out to you this year?

–M