Happy holidays!
As I have done for quite a few years, here are some of the experiences I enjoyed this past year: what I listened to, what I read, what I watched, and more.
Reading
The best books I read this year, most of which are non-fiction (as is usually the case for me):
- King by Jonathan Eig
- Live From The Underground, A History of College Radio by Katherine Rye Jewell (undoubtedly more interesting to me than it would be to most people, with college radio being such a major part of my college experience)
- Rethinking Chronic Absenteeism, Why Schools Can’t Solve it Alone by Sarah Winchell Lenhoff and Jeremy Singer (who is my son: I am a very proud father, and this book is important, and highly readable despite its target audience being academics and policymakers)
- Working by Robert Caro (whose final volume of the LBJ biography I, and many others, continue to eagerly await)
- Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (whose music, as Japanese Breakfast is also wonderful)
- Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (a rare, graphic memoir, and I’ve only ever read maybe one graphic novel)
- Not My Type by E. Jean Carroll
- 2024 by Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, and Isaac Arnsdorf (an election I had no interest in reliving, but Tyler is my cousin and it turned out to be a great read)
- All In by Billie Jean King
- Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
- Playworld by Adam Ross (fiction)
To keep up with current events, I scan three news apps and two sports apps every morning, and regularly read a few newsletters, my favorite of which are “Axios AM,” “Axios PM,” and Dave Pell’s Next Draft.
Viewing
I will stop watching a series if I don’t like it. These were my favorites:
- The latest seasons of: The Last of Us, Severance, The Rehearsal, Quarterback, Wednesday, Formula 1: Drive to Survive, The Bear, Slow Horses, and the final seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale and Stranger Things (the final few episodes come out next week and then on New Year’s Eve). Also, the first season of Pluribus (the final episodes of which come out shortly).
- These mini-series: The Girlfriend, Five Days at Memorial (not new in 2025), American Primeval (warning, exceedingly violent), Adolescence, Say Nothing, Dope Thief, Band of Brothers (a classic, I hadn’t watched back when it first aired), Task, Black Rabbit, and Death by Lightning.
- The movies I enjoyed most: A Complete Unknown (the Bob Dylan biopic), Hundreds of Beavers, Conclave, Anora, The Departed (not new), Battle of the Sexes (not new), Sing Sing, The Ballad of Wallis Island, One Battle After Another, F1: The Movie, Marty Supreme, and The Phoenician Scheme.
- These documentaries (most of which came out this year): The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, Charlie Hustle & the Matter of Pete Rose, Becoming Led Zeppelin, Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius), Pee-wee as Himself, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, Devo, Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan, Bill Russell: Legend, Mr. McMahon, Selena y Los Dinos, Sean Combs: The Reckoning, Mr. Scorsese, Jiro Dreams of Sushi (not new), and John Candy: I Like Me.
I also loved the Broadway show, “John Proctor is the Villain,” seeing comedians Alex Edelman, Zarna Garg, and Jerrod Carmichael, humorist David Sedaris (my 3rd time seeing him), and magician Justin Willman, whose TV special Justin Willman: Magic Lover was super.
Listening (to Music)
I listen to new music more than anything else. As always, there was tons of great new music this year.
My favorite albums (and other releases with multiple songs I like) came from these artists (not in any particular order): Big Thief, Waxahatchee, Blondshell, Clover County, Lola Young, Wednesday, Annie DiRusso, and Valerie June.
This Spotify list contains my favorite 2025 songs, including some from the artists listed above. This much longer Spotify list contains additional songs I like a lot.
Listening (to Podcasts)
This has been the fourth year I listened to A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs. I’ve listened to every episode since I began with episode 99. (I also went back and listened to many episodes before #99.) It’s incredibly well researched and extremely interesting.
My favorite new-to-me podcast series was an incredibly wacky one called Valley Heat. I could try to describe it, but if you are inclined to like quirky stuff, give it a listen.
I listen weekly to This American Life. Fresh Air has a wide range of interviews, many of which I listen to. Mike Pesca’s almost-daily, The Gist is excellent. I like Heavyweight, which came back recently, after a long hiatus. I enjoy most of the episodes of The Interview, from the New York Times, the interviewers are superb. I am a big fan of the writer Michael Lewis and have enjoyed several seasons of his podcast Against the Rules, but none as much as the most recent season regarding sports gambling, which came out early this year, before the very recent gambling-related arrests of several professional athletes. I also listen to many of the episodes of the music podcasts: Broken Record, Hit Parade, Song Exploder, and All Songs Considered.
Starting around the time of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, I began listening to Tangle, a nonpartisan podcast (I also get the newsletter) mostly covering one topic each day with several views from both the left and the right, and then, what I and most listeners and readers consider a fair view from founder Isaac Saul. Most days, I simply skim the newsletter and read Isaac Saul’s “My Take” section. I do like listening to their Friday podcast, Suspension of the Rules.
Travel
Trips with family and friends, and to visit family and friends, are my single favorite thing to do. This year, we visited family and friends in Florida, California, Detroit, Vermont, Maryland/D.C., and Chicago.
List-Making
I’ve always enjoyed making lists. Going back as long as I can remember, I have made lists of my favorite movies, books, and music (and within music, my favorite artists, albums, songs, and concerts).
I’ve often recommended making lists to help you to “Be Happy” – lists of what you are grateful for, what makes you smile, and your accomplishments. When I started posting these annual reviews, I realized they fit with the happiness lists: Looking back at all I’ve learned, experienced, and enjoyed gives me a sense of accomplishment, a sense of gratitude, and makes me smile.
What did you read, watch, learn, enjoy? What are you grateful about?
My best regards for happiness, peace, and health for you and your loved ones in 2026,
David