When I consider what to include on these lists every year, I notice that my interest in different media rises and falls. This year, for instance, I was more drawn to books and music, whereas other years I might be more into TV or movies. It’s just the natural flow of things. Anyway, here were my favorites from this year.
Books
1. No Self No Problem by Chris Niebauer – Neibauer provides an overview of what the right (creativity) and left (rationalization) sides of the brain are responsible for, and then argues that the left side’s propensity for trying to make a narrative out of every situation can be sabotaging. Using Buddhist principles, he instead argues that we could stand to pay more attention to our right side’s desire to live more immediately in the moment.
2. Search by Michelle Huneven – Based on some real experiences, this novel tells the story of the search committee of a Unitarian Universalist church looking for a new pastor. Huneven does such a good job of depicting the different characters that can find their way into a congregation, as well as the political side of church life.
3. Seek the Singing Fish by Roma Wells – If you’re on TikTok, you may know Wells for her videos about animals. That love is quite palpable in this novel about a girl who finds herself in the midst of the Sri Lankan civil war, torn from her family and on a quest to return home. The main character has a strong curiosity that allows Wells to intersperse facts about various species. It’s an imaginative, gripping story of survival and finding one’s way.
4. Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig – Wendig is a favorite of mine, so of course I was going to pick up this new novel about a man who grafts branches from a forgotten species of apple tree onto his own orchard. Unfortunately, the apples end up making people evil, and it’s up to a handful of residents who can’t stomach the fruit to find a way to stop what’s happening.
5. All the White Friends I Couldn’t Keep by Andre Henry – Henry’s stories of discovering and nurturing a passion for anti-racist justice work is fascinating in its own right. However, he takes the unique approach of highlighting his conversations, arguments, and frustrations by white friends and family who are well-meaning, ill-informed, willfully ignorant, plainly malicious, or some combination thereof. As a white man, I found it to be a good cautionary tale for myself.
Honorable Mention: I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Movies
1. Banshees of Inisherin – Two men on a small Irish island deal with the degeneration of their friendship. This film balances discomfort and humor so well, as one goes to increasingly desperate lengths to save the relationship and the other goes to increasingly desperate lengths to dissolve it. Colin Farrell and Brenden Gleeson are both fantastic in the lead roles.
2. M3GAN – A human-like doll becomes self-aware and overly protective of her young girl owner, with violent results. The horror is minimally graphic, giving you the idea of what has happened without having to dwell on the details. It’s also quite funny, giving the story a surprising amount of lightness and levity.
3. A Man Called Otto – Tom Hanks is a grumpy, lonely man who self-polices his little neighborhood while grieving his wife. As he contemplates ending it all, a younger family moves in across the street and helps him find meaning and purpose again. This was very heart-warming and shows the importance of relationships and connection.
4. Evil Dead Rise – This was such a good addition to the franchise, with the evil infiltrating an apartment complex rather than the usual cabin in the woods. Unlike M3GAN, this had gallons of blood everywhere (as Evil Dead movies do) and Easter eggs galore for longtime fans. It’s a very well done and original entry to the series.
5. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 – After the events of Endgame (and after they finally offload Thor), the Guardians have settled down a little even as each of them continue to struggle with parts of themselves. Rocket’s past ends up finding him, with both heart-warming and heart-breaking flashbacks to fill in why his creator is such a threat. This was a fantastic conclusion to the trilogy, which I’m now ready to call the best in the MCU.
Honorable Mention: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
TV Shows
1. Yellowjackets – A high school girls’ soccer team crash lands in the wilderness and they turn to strange means to survive. The show time jumps between the team’s struggles in the woods and their adult versions coping with life in the years since. There’s a blending of the psychological and supernatural, and it keeps you guessing as to what’s really controlling the situation.
2. Barry – A veteran turned contract killer discovers an interest in acting that greatly complicates his life. This had the right combination of drama, dark humor, and occasional outright absurdity that I tend to get into. The show provokes questions about the creating of narratives and who gets to do so.
3. The Bear – A brilliant culinary mind returns home to take over his deceased brother’s restaurant. This was easily the most chaotic show I watched this year, with plenty taking place both inside and beyond the kitchen. Each character is going through their own struggle to prove themselves in an unforgiving business, as well as the complicated dynamics of family.
4. Only Murders in the Building – Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez have brilliant chemistry as a trio of murder podcast fans who decide to start their own when residents of their apartment complex start dying. The humor is smart and crisp, but there are also many excellent heartfelt moments and dramatic beats. Well-placed guest stars such as Paul Rudd, Meryl Streep, and Matthew Broderick help, too.
5. Doctor Who – The long running series finally returned with a trio of specials to mark the show’s 60th anniversary late in the year, with the titular character suffering from an identity crisis, as well as guilt over basically everything that’s happened since David Tennant was last in the role. We got a resolution of sorts to both those things, as well as the introduction of Ncuti Gatwa’s new Doctor.
Honorable Mention: Ahsoka
Albums
1. The Amazing Devil, Ruin – The best I can describe this band is goth folk-rock. It may be best enjoyed in the woods while wearing black and maybe conjuring a few spells around a campfire. The sound can be big and epic, but also light and playful. “The Calling” and “Drinking Song for the Socially Anxious” are several of my favorites.
2. Dave Matthews Band, Walk Around the Moon – My favorite band returns with a collection of both brand new songs and songs that have been played on the road for at least a few years, if not longer. At least a few of the songs touch on current events such as the pandemic and widespread shootings. My favorites include the title track, “Monsters,” and “The Ocean and the Butterfly.”
3. Smith & Thell, Pixie’s Parasol – This Scandinavian group is in the same vein as Of Monsters and Men and The Rua: songs about a variety of topics but with a certain upbeat, driving pop-rock style that makes the brain feel good no matter the subject matter. “Radioactive Rain,” “Forgive Me Friend,” and “Hotel Walls” are standouts for me.
4. A Band Named Ashes & King Locust, Nowhere But Somewhere – Both of these artists are local to my area, the former a folk group and the latter a hip-hop artist. They combine on this EP to produce something incredibly original and enjoyable. Favorites include “Drummer Go,” “Quiet Down,” and the title track, but really the entire album.
5. Transviolet, Body – Frontwoman Sarah McTaggert sings about a variety of self-liberation topics such as embracing one’s body image, sexuality, and enjoyment over an alternative pop-rock sound. “Supernatural,” “Destroy Destroy Destroy,” and “Run Towards the Monster” are favorites of mine.
Honorable Mention: Dessa, Bury the Lede
My 2023 Playlist (listen here):
Envy of None, “Liar”
Toulouse, “I Hope It Takes You Higher”
Jodie Nicholson, “Move”
Mr. Gnome, “Be Here Now”
CLOVES, “Manic”
Neoni, “Carry On Wayward Son”
Sabaton, “The Lion from the North”
Kristen Hirsh, “Your Ghost”
YONAKA, “Seize the Power”
Besomorph, Jergaz, “Barbarian”
LYELL, “Eraser”
No Resolve, Kayla King, “Kiss From a Rose”
Paris Jackson, “adagio”
Cody Crump, “I Guess You Get What’s Coming”
Roniit, Saint Mesa, “Martyr”
Bishop Briggs, “Lessons of the Fire”
Saint Mesa, “Oceans (Where Feet May Fall)”
HEALTH, Poppy, “DEAD FLOWERS”
Storefront Church, Phoebe Bridgers, “Words”
Madalen Duke, “How Villains Are Made”
Cryoshell, “Nature Girl”
Dave Matthews Band, “Monsters”
Zeal & Ardor, “Golden Liar”
Eydis Evensen, GDRN, “Midnight Moon”
Vines, “All Eyes on Me”
Michelle Gurevich, “Feel More”
Vok, “Skin”
Lindy-Fay Hella, “Seafarer”
Bo Burnham, “Microwave Popcorn”
The Amazing Devil, “The Calling”
Hannah Wants, “Cure My Desire”
Kat Frankie, “Shiny Things”
CHINCHILLA, “Little Girl Gone”
Craig Wedren, Anna Waronaker, “No Return”
Sina Moonlake, “Undone”
Dubkiller, Archer, Mark Victor, “Step Into Darkness (Mark Victor Remix)”
Meg Myers, “CHILDREN OF LIGHT II”
Gen and the Degenerates, “Girl God Gun”
Veda, “Blood on Your Hands”
Greg Puciato, “Evacuation”
Choir Noir, “Shadow Moses”
Pussy Riot, “PANIC ATTACK”
SZA, “Kill Bill”
Danielle Ponder, “The Only Way Out”
Sneaker Pimps, “So Far Gone”
Lacey Sturm, “Awaken Love”
Forts, “The Chemist”
Rivals, “Thunderstorm”
Doctor Flake, “Lonely Road”
Joni Fuller, “Condemned to Be Free”
Electric Callboy, “Everytime We Touch”
Kesha, “Eat the Acid”
Baby Billy Freeman, “There’ll Come a Payday”
Roniit, Saint Mesa, “Only Happy When It Rains”
Mother Mother, “Until It Doesn’t Hurt”
Royal & the Serpent, “IM NOT SORRY”
Being Dead, “Muriel’s Big Day Off”
Kiki Rockwell, “Cup Runneth Over”
Kalandra, “Slow Motion”
Larkin Poe, “Mad As a Hatter (Live)”
Southern Avenue, “Push Now”
ZAND, “I Spit on Your Grave”
Dance Gavin Dance, “For the Jeers”
Waterparks, “FUNERAL GREY”
Charlotte Sands, “Tantrum”
Annabelle Chairlegs, “Tolls (To See Me)”
Smith & Thell, “Hotel Walls”
Only Murders in the Building Cast, “Look for the Light”
Dahlia Sleeps, “Close Your Eyes”
Golems of the Red Planet, “Re’cha”
Aberdeen, The Nychillharmonic, “I’ve Lost It”
Dessa, “Long Wave”
Only Murders in the Building Cast, “Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It”
The Stupendium, “The Fine Print”
Transviolet, “Destroy Destroy Destroy”
PHAANTOM, “Coming For You”
Run the Jewels, “ooh la la”
Bic Runga, “Dream a Dream”
Sophie Hunger, “Le vent nous portera”
Absofacto, NITESHIFT, “Dissolve”
Rosa Linn, “SNAP”
Marian Hill, “back in time”
Ren, CHINCHILLA, “Chalk Outlines”
Valerie Broussard, “Killer”
Samantha Margaret, “Self Disrespect”
Zach Bryan, Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything”
Iniko, “Jericho”
bludnymph, “ORAL HEX (spell on you)”
NF, “The Search”
Doja Cat, “Paint the Town Red”
Moby, “Find My Baby”
RAYE, “Escapism.”
The Last Dinner Party, “Nothing Matters”
Ava Preston, “Some Overdose”
Jeffrey A. Nelson 