Favorite Media of 2025
This year I tried something new. I kept track of everything I read, watched, and listened to from January through December, not to measure productivity, but to notice what actually nourished me. The result is a delightfully mixed cauldron of books, films, series, podcasts, blogs, and (according to Spotify) 100 different genres of music all of which feels like a wonderful accidental exploration.
Here are the standouts.
Blogs
Adelaide’s Haunted Horizons
A wonderfully atmospheric blend of Australian folklore, strange history, and odd human experiences.
Benebell Wen
Thoughtful, structured, and immensely generous in its approach to esoteric study.
EarthFiles
Curious, investigative reporting that keeps me paying attention to the edges of what we think we know.
Mary K. Greer’s Tarot Blog
Insightful teaching rooted in decades of practice, written with clarity and real affection for the cards.
Books
James – Percival Everett
A sharp, inventive, and fearless reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s perspective transforming a familiar American mythos into something incisive, humane, and urgently modern.
The Fissure King – Rachel Pollack
A wonderfully weird and immersive urban fantasy that showcases Pollack’s imaginative world-building and mythopoeic prose.
Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent – Judi Dench & Brendan O’Hea
A backstage pass with one of our greats, filled with wit and lived-in theatrical wisdom.
Taylor’s Version: The Poetic and Musical Genius of Taylor Swift – Stephanie Burt
Drawing from her Harvard course, Burt treats Swift’s work with real academic rigor—highlighting her collaborative, joyful genius, intricate lyrics, and evolution as a writer rather than a celebrity.
The Tarot Architect – Lon Milo DuQuette
A characteristically warm, witty, and insightful exploration of Tarot’s esoteric structure. DuQuette makes complex metaphysics feel accessible without sacrificing depth or delight.
The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafón
A novel that reminded me how a good mystery can also feel like a love letter to books themselves.
When the Drummers Were Women – Layne Redmond
Filled with pulse and history, it made ancient rhythms feel alive and relevant in the present.
Movies
Amsterdam (2022)
Despite its eccentric narrative, the film dazzles with its lavish 1930s visual flair, striking cinematography, and an ensemble cast that is clearly having fun inhabiting the movie's quirky, historically inspired world.
Conclave
This expertly directed and well-acted political thriller maintains a palpable, gripping sense of suspense as it navigates the secrecy, politics, and theological maneuvering inside the Vatican during the selection of a new Pope.
Enigma (2025, dir. Zackary Drucker)
A riveting, complex, and vital documentary masterfully juxtaposes the contrasting public and private lives of April Ashley and Amanda Lear, creating a powerful meditation on trans survival, visibility, and the cost of fame.
Housewife,49
Victoria Wood's BAFTA-winning performance is utterly compelling, grounding this moving wartime drama with a touching sense of authentic, everyday heroism as an ordinary woman finds her voice.
Sinners
An unforgettable and intensely original cinematic experience that masterfully blends a historical period piece with visceral horror and a soulful celebration of Black music and culture.
Podcasts
Mythical Kitchen: Last Meals
Mythical Chef Josh and celebrity guests dive into their ultimate last meals, trading surprising tastes, personal memories, and culinary stories. It’s playful, intimate, and often more heartfelt than you expect.
Old Gods of Appalachia
This award-winning horror anthology invites listeners into a mythic Appalachia shaped by old mountains, stranger magic, and haunting folklore. Its immersive worldbuilding makes every episode feel like stepping into a dream you half-remember.
Rewilding Jude
Jude documents his move to a remote stone cottage in the Scottish countryside, learning homesteading from scratch while rebuilding a life after burnout and grief. His gentle, wholesome storytelling makes rural living feel both relatable and quietly brave.
StarTalk
Neil deGrasse Tyson and guests explore cosmic questions with curiosity and real humor. The show makes big science feel welcoming, playful, and surprisingly easy to fall in love with.
The Tarot Podcast
Hosted by author and teacher T. Susan Chang, this podcast welcomes everyone from tarot newcomers to longtime readers. Scholars and practitioners join her to explore the big questions behind the cards with clarity and depth.
Wildly Imaginable
Grace shares her creative journey through pens, inks, and journals while sparking new ideas for fellow stationery lovers. Her enthusiasm turns each episode into a bright, encouraging nudge toward your own creativity.
Series and Documentaries
A Girl's Guide to Hunting, Fishing, and Wild Cooking
The series is an intimate and beautifully filmed celebration of self-sufficiency, following a world-class chef as she builds a compelling new life embracing nature and seasonal, wild living in Tasmania.
Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything
This documentary provides a sharp, insightful, and comprehensive look at the pioneering journalist's extraordinary career, revealing the strategic tenacity she used to shatter glass ceilings and redefine the television interview.
Dark Winds (final season)
Featuring stunning cinematography of the Navajo Nation and anchored by exceptional performances, this thriller is a captivating and culturally rich expansion of the classic Tony Hillerman novels.
Leonardo
This compelling historical drama brings the Renaissance master's genius and personal struggles to life with lavish production design and a narrative that expertly weaves his iconic artworks into a personal and political mystery.
Penny Dreadful (Seasons One and Two)
These seasons are a masterpiece of Gothic atmosphere and literary depth, distinguished by their exquisite dialogue and Eva Green's mesmerizing, career-defining central performance.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Following Captain Christopher Pike and the USS Enterprise a decade before The Original Series, this show returns to Star Trek’s episodic roots while blending modern character depth with the classic optimism and adventure that defined early Trek.
Twelfth Night (PBS 2025)
A vibrant, star-studded production, recorded at The Public Theater's Delacorte, is a joyful and richly inventive reimagining of Shakespeare's perfect comedy, full of modern energy and brilliant comic timing.
Wolf Hall
A subtle, brilliant, and impeccably acted historical drama, the series immerses the viewer in the tension and low-lit intrigue of the Tudor court, offering a fresh, mesmerizing perspective on the rise of Thomas Cromwell.
V Spehar – “Under the Desk News”
A uniquely calming and accessible perspective on current events, delivering complex information with empathy and clarity. Their social presence offers a refreshing “safe space” for staying informed without feeling overwhelmed.
Kristel Yoneda (@sadbutradclubxo)
Creator of SAD BUT RAD CLUB, a mental-health advocacy movement that destigmatizes the struggles so many of us carry. Her mix of honesty, gentleness, and humor made her work a steady source of heart-warmth this year.
Timothy Steiner (Hemingway Jones)
A fountain-pen aficionado and devoted journaler whose love of vintage objects and everyday storytelling has evolved into a deeply satisfying passion for pens, history, and the kind of steady self-reflection that never goes out of style.
Looking Towards 2026
Keeping a media-consumption log this year became far more than a record: it was a way of noticing myself. What fed me, what surprised me, what softened me, and what called me forward. I loved the practice enough that I'm already looking toward 2026 with renewed curiosity. I want to see what patterns emerge, which unexpected titles find me, and how my tastes continue to wander across books, screens, headphones, and, apparently, another hundred genres of music.
Here’s to more exploration!
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