As I write this—with a mug of hot chocolate, my favorite candle burning, and rain pummeling the van—I’m struck by the impulse to slam my laptop shut and start rereading one of my favorite books of the year. There were so many good ones, each with its own universe of such fascinating characters, timelines, and settings, that it felt nearly impossible to select only ten to share here (I admittedly cheated a bit, by adding the “honorable mentions”).

This time of year was made for avoiding work, in favor of curling up with a good book or excellent movie, and I hope these recommendations offer some inspiration before real life creeps back in! Read on for:

My 10 favorite books
5 favorite movies and shows
3 favorite albums
and 5 favorite recipes… of 2025!

I’ll be sharing more next week about what I want to bring into 2026 and leave behind from 2025, but for now enjoy these recs! Happy reading, watching, and listening. xx

📚 The Sisters by Jonas Hassen Khemiri: Khemiri’s doorstopper of a novel follows three Swedish-Tunisian sisters from a New Year’s Eve party in 2000 to a death in 2035. It takes a while to understand what exactly the book is about (a curse, among other mysteries, unveils itself), but I found myself captivated by the sisters’ daily lives, romantic entanglements, and constant conflicts from the start.

Issue #227: My 10+ Favorite Books, Shows…

Comments on this post are for paid subscribers