January 2025 Recap & Favorites
Maybe it's the current state of the country, or maybe I really really love art, or maybe it's the spell finally taking hold, but I watched/read/played/listened-to so much this month.
I think I'm in an osmosis-forward point of time, where I feel so excited and encouraged by all the good art I've spent time with.
I've been writing a long poem I'm calling CREATURE POEM or CRIATURA for now, which has been a great way to focus my thoughts lately.
Anywho, here's my list:
Books
Calling a Wolf a Wolf by Kaveh Akbar (reread)
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson I started this towards the end of 2024, was racing to finish it before the new year. But it's a TOME, 1,000 pages. I ended up polishing off the last 250 pages in the first week of 2025 after taking a break to ring in the new year with Kaveh Akbar. I love this book. I've been meaning to read it for years and years, so finally getting to it is satisfying, but it's even more-so because the book wound up blowing my expectations out of the water. Throughout the book, we follow (mostly) 4 point-of-view characters: Kaladin, a surgeon turned soldier turned slave who leads with the most fleshed out arc in the novel; Shallan, a young scholar torn to be, but still plotting to steal from her mentor; Dalinar, an aging military general who's becoming disillusioned with the war he called for; and Szeth, an mysterious and remorseful assassin. The way that Brandon Sanderson unraveled Kaladin's arc throughout this novel is brilliant. If I think to hard about him, I start getting all misty eyed. I can't wait to continue this series. High fantasy is so back.
The Story of the Sun by E.M. Forster
Sorceror of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Williams
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata I heard about this book from my favorite podcast, Books Unbound. I've been following one of the hosts, Ariel Bissett (from what I would call the Original Cast of Booktube) since early undergrad, maybe even high school. She mentioned this novel in some episode I was rewatching and the synopsis seemed so insane and fun. At Barnes and Noble, I read this paragraph and found it resonated with me in a way that made me feel kind of uncomfortable but also very curious: The time before I was reborn as a convenience store worker is somewhat unclear in my memory. I was born into a normal family and lovingly brought up in a normal suburban residential area. But everyone thought I was a rather strange child. I think I resonate with the way this main character feels as if who she is is completely incompatible with being a part of society. The ways that she experiences life, as in the thought patterns that she goes through during innocuous situations were so familiar to me. The sense that you aren't able to trust your intuition, because when you have and have spoken/acted naturally, the world responds negatively or confused by it. Because of this, spending conversations with people disconnected from it, because you are trying to figure out what you are supposed to say next. I think it made me realize I rarely approach conversations/social interactions as a fully present and honest participant. There's always a part of me that is trying desperately to figure out what the other party would want me to say or do next. I find it impossible to believe that anybody would actually want me to express myself honestly. (This got way too deep for a favorites listicle on a personal blog no one reads but oh well.)
EECCHHOOEESS by N.H. Pritchard (reread)
Are You Borg Now? by Said Shaiye
Noor by Nnedi Okorafor
Movies
Dune dir. Denis Villenueve
Babygirl dir. Halina Reijn
Call Me By Your Name dir. Luca Guadagnino (rewatch) I will not write about why this movie rocks just know it rocks no matter what those liberals on Tiktok say.
One Of Them Days dir. Lawrence Lamont
Television
Somebody Somewhere (seasons 1-3) This show is phenomenal. I've been recommended it twice, so I finally gave in and watched it. Like Convenience Store Woman, this is another example of a main character who reflected back onto me so clearly and painfully. It was tough getting through this series, especially as it went along and its main character, Sam, really started to confront her self-worth and depression issues. I have a lot to process with this one, and I look forward to rewatching it soon to hopefully do some of that processing.
EVIL (season 3) They got Horny this season. Thumbs up!
XO, Kitty (season 2) Don't even ask.
Kath & Kim (season 3, still watching) I hope he likes jojobas. I've got tons of jojoba leftova from Octoba.
Video Games
Microsoft Solitaire Classic The best ipad baby game.
Baldur's Gate 3 (replay)
Returnal
Warhammer: Rogue Trader
Dragon's Dogma 2
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Collection
Albums
De todas las flores by Natalia Lafourcade
Pop 2 by Charli xcx (relisten)
Vampire Fitness by KATYA (relisten)
EUSEXUA by FKA twigs