What to say about 2024? This year really seemed to fly by and, honestly, didn’t leave me with any distinct impression. I went to a couple concerts and on one vacation, spent a lot of quality time with family, and continued to enjoy my job. Most of my year, I was focused on growing my faith and raising my son. I don’t want anyone to get the impression that my year was not enjoyable because I didn’t travel the globe or attend a ton of interesting events. That would be a total lie; I enjoyed this year. It was made up of mostly everyday, magical moments rather than anything grandiose.

One thing that left a distinct impression on me was a portion of The Story of a Soul by St. Thérèse of Lisieux in which St. Thérèse discusses her desire to be someone like Joan of Arc, to be called to some epic adventure by God; instead, God called her to a quiet, humble, little life. There is beauty and joy in living the life God called me to: being faithful, loving my spouse and son, and working hard at my job and in my home. It’s not glorious like Joan of Arc’s story, but I get to listen to my toddler giggle every day, chase my niece up and down her hallway, sing for joy at the top of my lungs in the car, go to Mass multiple times a week, swim, run, pray, laugh, eat really good food and drink really good wine, and wake up breathing every day. A song I listened to a lot this year is “Alive and Breathing” by Matt Maher. The lyrics read, “If you’re still alive and breathing / Praise the Lord / Don’t stop dancing and dreaming / There’s still Good News worth repeating.” Or, as Pitbull puts it, “Every day above ground is a great day, remember that.” If I could summarize what I learned this year it’s that there is joy to be found in everyday life–even in the seemingly mundane. Our Good Lord made each day to be a blessing. In our bathroom, this year, I hung one of my favorite verses, Lamentations 3:22-26: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’ The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” The Lord is my portion, and I need nothing else, YET He has blessed me immensely!

That being said, before I begin my typical list, as usual, here is 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 into and/or enjoyed the most. As is typically, all music listed is from 2024, but everything else is from a variety of years. Like last year, I did a free-for-all of different ranking systems within categories. I started doing this last year because this is my list, and I wanted to.

Television: I feel like this list is going to be a little all over the place in terms of genre, but let’s do it. In no particular order, the following are my top five from the year.

• The Bear season 3: Do I need to explain this one? I live for the Carmy/Sydney storyline, but let’s be honest: “Napkins” was probably the best episode (ep. 6).
• The Young Pope (limited series): I know I’m late to the game here, but this was excellent. I both loved and hated Pope Pius (Lenny). The series was beautifully filmed with fantastic writing and a strong understanding of Catholicism. As a Catholic though, it also made me incredibly uncomfortable. I love to hate it, and I hate to love it. Would watch again.
• One Day (limited series): I didn’t love the book and the film version wasn’t very well done, but this TV show is beautiful. It’s exactly what I wish the book and film could have captured about the complexities of the relationship between the two leads. Great writing, great acting, great cinematography.
• Shrinking season 2: I laughed, I cried, I shouted at the TV. I also love that this show is something my husband also enjoys because I often find he doesn’t like the same type of shows as me. We were gripping each other’s hands and tearing up at the end of this season’s final episode.
• The Rookie seasons 1 & 5: We binged this show in the first half this year. Season 1 was substantially better than I expected, and I will stand by the statement that it’s actually good television. In subsequent seasons, it devolved pretty quickly into a typical over-the-top emergency drama. Some parts of seasons 2-3 were so ridiculous we found ourselves making fun of it. However, I felt like the show got it together in season 5. It was as though the show suddenly understood how cheesy it was and just leaned into it. There was a nice balance of good story lines but still maintained what was, somehow, the right amount of ridiculous.
• Honorable Mentions: Masters of the Air (limited series), Only Murderers in the Building season 4
• Side Note: I also watched the entire first four seasons of The Chosen this year. I have a lot of thoughts here, but I’ll try to keep it brief. I think some of the criticisms are warranted: it does not follow the Bible the majority of the time, the theology is a bit all over the place (as in, there doesn’t seem to be a specific Christian traditional it follows which, in my opinion, is a little sloppy), and it should not be marketed as a documentary (Amazon Prime lists it as a “documentary drama”–whatever the heck that means). To be fair to the show, however, it does do some things really well: the Bible stories it does cover really come to life in a refreshing way (especially the miracle in which Andrew and Peter catch an overabundance of fish); it does a nice job of exploring how the disciples might have felt, especially with a mixed group of men that included traditional Jews, Zealots, and tax collectors (Remember, it’s called The Chosen, not The Christ.); and I do not believe it makes a mockery of Jesus. One final thing I want to add: I would not recommend this to anyone who does not know their Bible well and already has a solid foundation for their beliefs. It’s way too fictionalized for it to be promoted as something that can introduce someone to the true Christian story.

Music: This is a little more focused genre-wish, but I will also add that I didn’t listen to as much new music as I normally do. Mostly, I think this was due to spending a lot of time in the car either listening to podcasts or carting around a toddler who was very insistent on listening to his selections as opposed to mine. In no particular order, the following are my top four from the year.

• Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations – The Vaccines: This album has some clear influence from The Killers and had me in a chokehold for the first two months of the year.
• Bleachers – Bleachers: I probably listened to this album more than any others. Parts of the album bring me to tears while others make me jump up and dance while still others make me sit in contemplative silence. And, honestly, “Modern Girl” was belted out the window of my car more often than I care to admit.
• Mood Swings – Marcus King: When not around our toddler, this is what my husband and I listened to the most. Every song is great yet, despite the fact that I have a pretty awesome life, “F*ck Up My Life Again” got a lot of plays this year.
• Black / Red – Feeder: This one’s just a really solid rock album. I appreciate a good-all-around album, especially one that has an ambitious 18 songs.
• Honorable Mentions: Can We Please Have Fun – Kings of Leon; This Is How Tomorrow Moves – baebadoobee
• Side Note: I know some of you know I am a massive Green Day fan, yet you might have noticed that their 2024 album Saviors did not make the cut. I just didn’t think it was that great. The impression I was left with was “ehh.” This is not to say the album is “bad” (“Bobby Sox” is a fantastic and incredibly catchy song!) but, as a whole, it was just mediocre.

Movies: Like most parents of young children, the number of movies I saw was extremely limited and mainly included movies from last year I didn’t get a chance to see until they hit streaming.

• Best All-Around (tie):
  • Everything Everywhere All At Once (2023) – Not only was the acting and editing in this movie out of this world, the story was creative and unique. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen before, and I loved the overall message of the film.
  • Oppenheimer (2023) – The cinematography is so incredible, I found myself marveling at the sheer look of scenes more than I found myself paying attention to the story at some points. It was engaging enough that my husband and I watched the entire film in one sitting–a rarity these days! I also appreciated the moral conflict presented in the film. I prefer a film or novel or TV show that leaves me to decide for myself (see: Honorable Mention).
• Great Book-to-Film Adaptation: Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) – I read this book late last year then saw the film a few months later. The film focused in on a particular storyline and really dramatized it, leaving out the historical details without compromising the author’s emphasis on the victimization of Native Americans. Also–and this is a given–the acting was incredible!
• Most Surprising: Idiocracy (2006) – This is never a movie I would choose for myself. However, my husband kept referencing it during the election and, finally, put it on one night. Yes, parts of it are incredibly stupid, but I actually ended up enjoying the somewhat prophetic nature of the film. Its underlying meaning should not be lost under it’s bawdy jokes.
• Best Rewatch: Schindler’s List (1993) – It had been more than a decade since I first saw this movie, and my husband had never seen it. I forgot how incredibly impactful it is! Wow. If you’re like my husband and have yet to see it, it’s time.
• Honorable Mention: Juror #2 (2024)

Books: I set this year’s reading goal at 50 books, and I made it through 56 books. I’ve always wondered how some people read more than a book/week. I guess I figured it out somehow! I read 34 fiction novels (two of which were rereads and three of which were classics), 17 non-fiction novels (only two of which were not related to faith/religion), 5 devotionals/religious study books, and not a single book of poetry. This is the largest number of non-fiction books I’ve ever read in a single year!

• Best Contemporary Fiction: The Ferryman by Justin Cronin (I read this lengthy book in about two days. Looking forward to reading more of his novels in 2025!)
• Best Classic: All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (Believe it or not, I’d never read it! I try to read at least three classics each year I haven’t read before.)
• Best Retelling: Julia by Sandra Newman (It’s 1984 retold from Julia’s perspective with a heavy emphasis on feminism. It’s absolutely fascinating, but you need a strong stomach for it. Fantastic ending!)
• Fiction That Lived the Longest in My Mind: Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (I’m teaching this novel in a few months! Looking forward to hearing my students’ thoughts!)
• Most Original/Unique Read (tie):
  • Yellowface by RF Kuang (Read it! After The Ferryman, this was my second favorite contemporary fiction novel this year. I don’t want to spoil it by sharing the whole plot, but it’s definitely worth your time. Her novel Babel has moved up in my to-read list just because this book was so good.)
  • The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones (Based in Native American beliefs and myths, this chilling story imagines what would happen if a deer sought revenge on its killers. I’ve never read anything similar.)
• Most Recommended: A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash (If you’re an audiobook fan, I highly recommend the audiobook. The multiple narrators are read by different people, and they do a great job of bringing the story to life.)
• Best Religious (tie):
  • Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary by Brant Pitre (This one is mind-blowing! I also read his book Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist this year, too, which was also great, but it wasn’t as impactful to me since I did a deep dive on the Eucharist last year.)
  • The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis (If you really want to be challenged in your faith, especially in terms of humility, or want to spend more time contemplating your depravity, this is the book for you. It’s one I’ll certainly reread.)
• Most Impactful Book of Bible (Old Testament): Ecclesiastes (All of my friends are inwardly groaning right now because they’re so sick of hearing me quote Ecclesiastes… except for the handful of women who studied the book with me; they’re cheering!)
• Most Impactful Book of Bible (New Testament): John (I read the four gospels back-to-back at the beginning of the year. I’ve read John 6 so many times this year that the words are etched into my mind… And, I’ll just leave this here.)
• Most Disappointing Read: By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult (I actually DNF‘d this one. Picoult has been one of my favorite authors for the last 20 years of my life, but I really struggled with this one. I thought it was a “me thing” but, since having finished, I saw many other people had issues with this one as well. I have a graduate degree in Shakespeare studies and really could not suspend reality for this one. It wasn’t necessarily the completely disproven theory that Shakespeare was a woman; it was the fact that he could have been Jewish when his writings were saturated in Christian/New Testament references, the fact that Kit Marlowe was essentially a caricature, and the complete dislike I had for both of the lead characters. Additionally, Picoult has always been good at balancing both sides of political issues in a way I found insightful and challenging, and she is just so singularly sided in this one that it left me not only unfulfilled but also kinda annoyed.)

Podcasts: New category alert! I was really into podcasts this year, often preferring them to music in the car. I feel like that makes me sound really old, but I do not care.

• Pints with Aquinas: Hosted by Matt Fradd, “Australian by birth and Catholic by choice” (his words), this podcast is basically just him interviewing a variety of popular Catholics and the occasional Protestant. Yes, I will listen to Matt Fradd (who my husband affectionately calls “Matt Fraddie the Baddie”) and someone else essentially shoot the breeze for three hours and will not be bored.
• The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Hosted by Justin Brierley, this podcast was encouraging, well-researched, and thought-provoking. It covers the importance of a Biblical worldview in shaping a functioning society, the current rise in Christianity globally, and the downfall of the New Atheism movement. It also includes interviews with famous adult converts to Christianity. It currently has one season with season two starting in January, and the perspective cuts across denominations to look at Christianity on a large scale (Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, etc.).
• Shameless Popery: I was hesitant to include this one because I know that Joe Heschmeyer can rub people the wrong way–which I totally get; he can be a bit aggressive with Protestants. However, if you’re looking to understand basic arguments for Catholicism, this is a good place to start. Heschmeyer does a nice job of addressing common critiques of Catholic beliefs by utilizing the Bible, and his episodes are usually only 20-30 minutes. He was also the reason why I developed an obsession with apologetics podcasts too.
• Honorable mentions: Counsel of Trent, Truth Unites, The Cordial Catholic, Daily Gospel Exegesis

Products: Another new category! Isn’t this fun?

• Kind laundry sheets: I deeply care about the environment, but my personal goal is to always look for convenient and easy ways to impact the environment. (For example, we use cloth napkins, but we didn’t use cloth diapers. Cloth diapers require a substantial financial investment, are difficult to clean, and require buy-in from childcare providers.) This year, I wanted to switch to laundry sheets to eliminate one way I was using single-use plastic. After doing a bunch of research on the best kind of laundry sheets, I ended up with these. They come in a recyclable box and clean better than Tide ever did! They’re also more cost-effective. (If you know me personally and want a sample sheet, let me know!)
• Apple Watch: My husband bought me one in January for my birthday, and I really thought I would hate it. I honestly figured I’d wear it for a few days then shove it in the back of a drawer never to be used again. Turns out, I love it! I basically cannot live without it at this point. The thing I love most about it is that it actually makes me less attached to my phone. I thought it would make me more dependent on my device but, since everything comes to my watch and can be checked instantly, I can see if a text is worth responding to at that moment or can wait. Prior to getting one, I would feel the need to open every single notification immediately. With the Apple Watch, that pressure is gone. It’s also really great for work since I don’t want to have my phone on me while I teach, but I always worry something bad will happen to my son and I’ll miss a call or text about it.
• Missals: Despite growing up Catholic, I never knew anyone who used a missal for Mass. This year, we bought the St. Joseph Sunday Missal for my husband and, because he loved it so much, then purchased a Daily Roman Missal for me. My husband likes it because he says, “It’s like having closed captions for Catholic Mass.” I like that it includes all the readings for every Mass for the entirety of the year. I know there are apps for this, but we both prefer to stay off our phones in church. I like that I can look at and think about the readings in advance or read the readings for the days on which I don’t attend Mass. If you plan to get one, be forewarned: there is a learning curve. We did have to ask a priest (Shout out to Fr. Luke at Cardinal Gibbons!) for a couple lessons before we could do it on our own. My husband is basically an expert at this point, and I’m decent at using one.

Top 2024 Moments:

• My niece’s first birthday: There aren’t many things better than a kid turning one and eating cake for the first time.
• I officially completed a full decade of teaching! I can’t believe it. On some days, I feel like I’ve been teaching my whole life but, on other days, I feel like I was a first year teacher only a couple years ago.
• I finally saw Blink 182 in concert–and I got to experience it with my husband and a ton of close friends!
• Our yearly family trip to the Outer Banks: This trip is always fun, but the thing that made this year great was how much my son ended up loving the beach. He would play in the sand for hours every day! He also loved going in the pool, and we had tons of fun watching him jump off the wall and try to swim.
• My husband and my convalidation ceremony: I reverted (the preferred term as opposed to reconvert) to Catholicism early this year, and undergoing the Sacrament of Matrimony was the final step in the process. Learning about the sacrament in the months leading up to it was extremely impactful on the way I view marriage and my role as both a wife and mother. (Shout out to St. Pope John Paul II!) Having a small wedding ceremony also drew my husband and I closer together, strengthening our original vows before the Lord.

As always, I have started formulating some New Year’s Resolutions, planning which books I want to read next, and creating a watch list on various streaming platforms. I welcome your recommendations! What did you enjoy this year?

–M