2025 Retrospective - It's All Too Much
Note: Going forward, these will not be as long!
I’m a sucker for apps that track. Tracking my workouts, my spending, my language learning—basically anything that companies can use and sell to target me specifically, I’m down.
When it comes to media, I completely understand the argument against logging and/or tracking. It can turn an enjoyable pastime into something competitive, anxiety-inducing, and performative. Apps like Goodreads for books or Letterboxd for movies introduce a new social media hellscape into what should be a relaxing time.
But me, I love them. I have the worst memory, and being able to reference what I’ve read and watched is helpful. Plus, I like getting recommendations from people I actually know and curating a list of things to watch and read.
Have I done things like read a shorter book because it’s the end of the year and I want to reach a reading goal? Or tried too hard to be clever in a review? Sure, lock me up, it’s all true. But I think it’s a net positive overall (or that’s what our tech overlords want us to think, but I can only fight the power so much).
So before I do my shorter weekly reviews of what I’m watching and reading, I’d like to go to my trusty apps to review my 2025. It’s a good baseline for my tastes, where I could improve, and what I need to completely change. Let’s go!
Music
I want to start with my most hilariously inept. Confession—I am not much of a music person. My defining albums of my youth were Shania Twain’s Come on Over and the original cast recording of Phantom of the Opera. My music taste is normally listening to musicals or 90s/2000s hits I’m familiar with.
Nowadays it’s worse than that. I spend hours a week with AirPods in, listening to podcasts or the audio of YouTube videos. My Spotify is ruled by my seven-year-old daughter.
So based on my listening, my reviews for the year are - K Pop Demon Hunters is actually a banging soundtrack, but it will eat at your soul after 10,000 listens. I have more KPDH takes below, but thanks to my child’s obsession, I am never independently listening to Golden, but I think it has actually eared its wild success.
The other big album that ruled my list was The Sound of Music soundtrack. I love the cheesy Do-Re-Mi, I’m a Lonely Goatherd defender for life, and hearing my daughter sing Edleweiss makes me tear up. We should all appreciate the soundtrack of a film about familial love and fighting Nazis.
That’s kind of it. But to honor my actual listening habits, here are my absolute favorite podcasts (not including politics because that’s less fun and neverending):
Maintenance Phase - A podcast focused on health and wellness nonsense, I’m always excited to hear about the latest grift.
If Books Could Kill - Shares a host with the previous podcast, love their takedown of best selling airport books. Also has forced some self reflection as I’ve heard some people find the hosts smug and condescending, while I find them relatable. Will think on that.
Hard Fork - I started listening to have something to talk to my tech industry husband, but found myself really enjoying the hosts, their approach to journalism, and their chemistry (I know it's technically news, but niche enough I'm counting it).
Decoder Ring - Cracking random cultural mysteries. I suggest the British Teeth episode from the past year to start you off.
You Must Remember This - A film history podcast with an excellent backlog if you’re taking a long trip.
The Wirecutter Show - I know it seems like just a podcast to buy more stuff, but for me, it’s more being thoughtful rather than impulsive about what you buy, plus there was that one laundry episode where I found out I do laundry exactly the right way. Vindication!
In 2026, it’s going to be less about having constant chatter and more about listening to full albums, learning to appreciate music and maybe not being in my head so much. Let’s see!
Books
In 2025, I read 52 books. Let’s focus on what I loved, and I’ll limit it to 10 for your and my sanity (this is in no particular order):
The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream - I love Patrick Radden Keefe and everything he’s written. It’s the kind of nonfiction that is thoughtful storytelling while acknowledging the broader context. One of my favorite books of the past few years was Say Nothing, his book on Northern Ireland’s sectarian violence.
Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears - I want to make it clear this is a list of things I love, not a list of things I’d necessarily recommend. This book is a terribly exhaustive history of the Oscars, highlighting the most absurd and dramatic.
The Land Beyond the Waste - One of two books I read by author B.F. Peterson (the other The Ellyrian Code: The Treaty of Edriendor), this was a beautiful debut novel by a talented writer. Full disclosure, she is my cousin, but this one I do recommend!
Homegoing - A really beautiful story told over generations from Africa to present day America. Another recommendation.
The Dud Avocado - An odd comic novel from the 1950s about a girl in Paris trying to find adventure. Sounds pretty boilerplate, but it is delightfully odd. I think this wouldn’t be every one’s taste, but I just adore the author’s writing style.
Orbital - This is a strange book about astronauts in the International Space Station. It's really just musings on the experience rather than telling a story. I thought it was really original and lovely, but my husband hated it. Do with that what you will.
Annie Bot - If you liked the movie Her (which I do!), I think this is more relevant and darker look at a relationship with artificial intelligence, told from the robot’s perspective.
The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom - Don’t let children be anywhere near online influencing!
Just Kids - This book cultivates an incredible vibe. Patti Smith brings you into her world of the art community in 1970s New York. It rules.
Unfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas - I read this before going to New Orleans. It has gorgeous maps accompanied by essays on the many facets of the city. Don’t get this on Kindle!
Now done with all that nerd stuff, let’s get to the flix!
Movies
Despite my love of logging, I was not good at keeping track of movies over 2025. Instead of a top ten list, this is going to be all of the movies I have on my Letterboxd from worst to best:
Tomorrow Never Dies - My British husband was on a kick to watch all the James Bond movies, and I decided to join him for the Pierce Brosnan ones (he’s my favorite, I will not engage in debate). This movie is bad but not in a fun way, which is a real shame given the strong cast.
Die Another Day - Arguably worse than Tomorrow Never Dies, but the campy nonsense really has its moments for me, so higher on the list.
A Working Man - If you want to turn your brain off for a straightforward Jason Statham action flick, this is not the worst choice. However, I was disappointed because the previous year I watched the Beekeeper, an amazing stupid Jason Statham action movie with an excellent villain and well-paced action. So watch that instead.
Interview with a Vampire - This is a fun movie to luxuriate in. The acting is top notch (Brad Pitt is really the mediocre standout of the bunch), the southern gothic vibe is spot on. It was a fun experience to watch, but I can’t say much for the plot. It’s also a bit longer than it needs to be, in my opinion.
Wicked For Good - Not much to say here that hasn’t been said. It was never going to be as good as the first because the second act of the play isn’t as good, but the bland extra songs and the bad CGI were especially disappointing. The For Good musical number did make me tear up though.
Back to the Future/Back to the Future III - Watched these with my kid (she watched the second one without me). Yes, these are fun and well made films, but they are a bit dumber than I remember.
Goldeneye - Excellent Bond film. A great mix of the camp I like and an engaging action movie. The music is weirdly distracting, but I got into it as the movie went on.
Good Fortune - A fun movie with Keanu Reeves as a second rate guardian angel. Unfortunately the funniest line was in the trailer:
Martha: Gabriel, why did you do this?
Gabriel: I tried to show him that wealth wouldn't solve all his problems.
Martha: And?
Gabriel: It seems to have solved most of his problems.
Michael Clayton - Had never watched it, but it was on the NY Times best 100 movies of all time list. It really was a phenomenal film, but made me depressed about the powerlessness we have against large corporations.
K Pop Demon Hunters - Even though the soundtrack haunts me as I try to sleep, it’s genuinely pretty great. The animation is really fantastic, the story well told, and the jokes are funny. I’m glad my daughter and her friends found something so interesting and original to make their entire personality.
Weapons - I don’t generally like scary movies, but this movie was still so well done. A little too neat at the end, but I understand the hype.
Now for my five-star rated films of the year:
Who Framed Roger Rabbit - This film RULES. It’s a gorgeous film noir with Disney and Warner Brothers characters, but it doesn’t talk down to its child audience (by being terribly inappropriate, but still). The look of the film still holds up and was clearly made with care. Plus it’s about a true villain, corporations who want to destabilize public transportation for profit.
Predator: Badlands - Sometimes I rate a movie highly just because it wildly exceeds my expectations. I know Predator as a schlocky monster from a fun classic action movie, then the monster was incorporated into a series of cash grab low effort movies. However, this turned the whole thing on its head into a well done buddy comedy that I was rooting for. I was floored by how much I liked it.
Wake Up Dead Man - This is a MOVIE. I was so tired of the flat, digital sheen of most modern movies, then Rian Johnson comes over here with gorgeous diffuse lighting in a gothic church with deliberate intentional framing. Oh and the script is funny and surprising and heart wrenching. And Glenn Close is there. Best of the bunch, and I like all the Knives Out movies.
Phew, that was a lot.