A Few of My Favorite Things, 2024 Edition

Jan 10

Curious about my top picks of entertainment I indulged in during 2024? Look no further!

BOOKS

I read 89 books in 2024; here are four of my favorites!

Kurt, I’m sorry it took me eight years to finally read your book — it was hilarious. If you want Ocean’s Eleven but for 11th graders, this is the book to read. The story captivated me from start to finish. While I had a suspicion of what the plot twist was and when it was coming, I was still enthralled when it was revealed. Part of me wants a sequel, but the bigger part of me loves this book just the way it is: a standalone.

Ah, another Percy Jackson book in my annual media round-up — who could’ve guessed? (Everyone.) I love this book more than the previous one due to all the Percy and Annabeth scenes; plus I cried a couple of times. I really enjoyed the Greek myths that Rick utilized; it never feels like he’s trying to bend the myths to the plot, but rather that the myths and their elements are simply meant to be there.

I know, I know, it’s a vampire and werewolf romance, but this feels so different than what’s currently on the market today. I really enjoyed the world-building, and I hope Hazelwood writes more books in this universe. Misery made me laugh so many times with her inner monologue, and Lowe is her perfect match. My favorite part of this book was the fact that the romance part felt secondary in the overall plot, even though this is a romance book. Misery’s dedication to her best friend is something to be admired. Also, I recommended Bride to a friend and she also loved it.

I have a Thing™ for fictional mafia men, and I cannot stop thinking about this book, even weeks after finishing it. Most of the mafia men I read about deal in drugs or weapons, but Drago handles diamonds and gemstones, and I thought that was a unique detail. I enjoyed how Sienna’s character was handled: a badass woman who knows how to wield a gun but is also dealing with past traumas. Altaj’s entire Perfectly Imperfect series is divine, but this book is going to stick with me for a while.

SONGS

I didn’t listen to a lot of music albums in 2024, so here are five songs that I had on replay throughout the year:

PODCASTS

My Percy Jackson obsession not only continues but intensifies with this podcast. Mike Schubert, a man in his late 20s, is narrating his journey through the Percy Jackson universe, as he never read the books when he was a kid (like me!). Mike’s commentary is hilarious, but he also knows how to handle serious topics when they crop up. Rather than having favorite episodes, I have favorite guests on the show. I believe that an episode’s enjoyableness rests on how great the guest is. Here are a couple of my favorite show guests:
Dr. Moiya McTier has been dubbed the show’s “Greek Myth Correspondent,” and I always look forward to her episodes. After each book, Mike brings her onto the show and they talk about anything and everything Greek mythology related that happened in that book (without giving away spoilers for future chapters and books). You don’t need to know about Greek mythology to read the books, but having Dr. Moiya on the show helps add more dimension to them, and having more Greek mythology knowledge is never a bad thing.
Steven Parra & Johnny Frohlichstein: These two guys are some of Mike’s best friends, and I love hearing them banter back and forth and crack jokes while going through the books. They’re hilarious together, and I love whenever Mike brings them on the show.

While the premise of this podcast intrigued me, I was much more excited to listen to another podcast that had Michael Hobbes at the helm. Most well known for You’re Wrong About, Mike teams up with Peter Shamshiri, and the two of them snark over the most famous pop science books and tear them to shreds. While I don’t have a favorite episode, I found the banter between Mike and Peter so entertaining, and the entire premise of the podcast made me realize that you really can’t take everyone at their word – even if their book sells millions of copies worldwide. I wish I knew how to research and fact check as thoroughly as these two hosts do. They should teach a master class of some sort.

TV SHOWS

For years I had been hearing about this show centered around the afterlife, so Adam (who has seen it before) and I decided to watch it together. I knew about the “big spoiler,” but this entire show was so enjoyable to watch from start to finish, even though it left me bawling at the end. I enjoyed the philosophical aspects to the show, and I really liked how it raises big questions about the afterlife. I think the show does a great job in exploring different thoughts and ideas without causing an uproar.

With the reboot show Daredevil: Born Again coming out soon, I wanted to rewatch and finish some of the old Marvel Netflix shows. The first season of Daredevil will always have my heart. I love the character of Wilson Fisk, and watching Matt Murdock attempt to bring him down both as a lawyer by day and vigilante by night is riveting.

Frank Castle can do no wrong in my eyes. The Punisher had me on the edge of my seat every single minute, and I had to cover my eyes or mute my audio a few times because I can’t handle the sight of blood and gore and the sounds of torture.

MOVIES

Spy films will always have a special place in my heart. I know I had seen bits and pieces of Mr. & Mrs. Smith throughout the years, but I had never seen it all the way through in one sitting. This was action packed from start to finish. I love watching Angelina Jolie on screen, but knowing the fallout between her and Brad Pitt did make the viewing experience somewhat bittersweet.

My want to watch this movie started out with my wanting to play the board game Clue. Instead of playing the board game, one of my best friends insisted we watch the 1985 film Clue and then play the game. (Reader, we didn’t make it to the board game.) I loved how the ending had three different scenarios, with my favorite being "How About This?": Mrs. Peacock committed all the murders, and the butler Wadsworth is an undercover FBI agent. Also, I need to give a shout-out to the movie poster; the layout and design of the poster is gorgeous and fully encapsulates both the board game and the film.

I didn’t know if I was going to like this film, but I loved it. Julie Andrews is truly a national treasure, and the performance numbers were to die for. The costuming, the music, everything was phenomenal.

ART

We Are All Artists (If Only We Knew?) by Brad Keywell, on display at WNDR Museum - Boston
“Let’s Survive Forever,” 2017 by Yayoi Kusama, on display at WNDR Museum - Boston

A Love Letter to 2024