Eight Things I Loved in 2025
It was a weird year for me and media...
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Eight Things I Loved in 2025
This was a weird year for me. On the personal front, the second quarter of the year was entirely dominated by hardship and loss. That’s life; we move on.
But the impact of that rippled out in unexpected ways—namely: work became my fixation. It was a coping mechanism, of course. I worked so much that I had no space left for grief. I wrote and I promoted and I wrote and I traveled and I wrote and I edited and...yeah, I wrote.
It means I ended the year with two finished books under my belt and three halves (or more like 2/3rds) of completely new books.
But what I didn’t end the year with was much in the way of refilled creativity. And it has finally caught up to me this past week with the holiday. After months and months of creative spark and output...
I’ve got nothing left in the writing tank, y’all.
I don’t feel burned out. I just feel empty. A bit blah, too1. But I know that simply means I need to focus on recharging until the spark returns.
Also, there is a reason I’m explaining all of this. 😅 I can hear you thinking, Get to the point, Sooz.
But here’s the other unexpected way my second quarter rippled into other arenas of life: I struggled to enjoy much of what I consumed this year. That meant that when I sat down to try to write a “Ten Things I Loved” post, I couldn’t actually find ten. Even the eight I list below were a struggle.
I’m almost certain this is a reflection of ME and not what was I was reading, watching, or playing. My reaction to media this year was a mirror of Where I Was Emotionally.
I’d felt enough big things on my own; I didn’t want to feel big things elsewhere.
Yet, as I work to reclaim some creative inspiration and spark, I’m hoping you all might share what you’ve loved most this past year. I’ll build up a list to tackle over the next few weeks as I ease back into writing.
Now onto my list!
1. Atomfall
This was such a Sooz Game, with immersive gameplay that focuses heavily on environmental storytelling. Also, it relies on a lot of stealth and the slow accumulation of skills.
In other words, you have to be patient and pay attention.
Sure, there are some FPS elements, but this game is more like Prey than Fallout. If you want to rush through, guns blazing...fine. You can. But you’ll be missing the narrative thrust, not to mention all the tiny details that make the world feel lived-in.
I played this game twice this year—that’s how much I enjoyed it. And I loved it even more the second time I played because the DLCs were such a delight.
Atomfall was also really influential for me in terms of helping me finally solidify an idea I’ve been chewing on for almost two years (a WWII vibes, Dig for Victory, post-apocalyptic with monsters adult project). I had my world, I’d done my research, but I just couldn’t get my heroine’s voice locked in. No opening chapter felt right...
But something about the nameless, faceless, and yes, voiceless player character in Atomfall helped me realize why my attempts had all failed: I needed more immediac.
In other words, I needed first person present tense—a POV and tense I’ve never used before now. And lo and behold, a few months after I played Atomfall (for the first time, at least), there was Mabel’s voice, ready to go.
2. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33*
I have to add an asterisk here because I had serious narrative issues that pretty much ruined the game’s story for me. (I realize I’m in the minority on this. Please don’t at me in the comments.)
And yet...
Despite my anger, the first two acts were some of the most intense, gorgeous, gloriously satisfying gaming I’ve ever experienced. So if I just pretend Act 3 never happened...
Then yes. This game is amazing. And one day, I’ll replay it. But rather than continue on, I’ll just stop after that big epic battle at the end of Act 2 and write a fanfic ending. 😌
3. Blue Prince
I’m ashamed at how long it took me so long to realize “Blue Prince” sounds like “blueprints”—which are the core mechanic of this entire game. And what a game! It’s low intensity, low stakes, and so satisfying if you get a good run of blueprints going.
It’s also just atmospheric and mysterious. I truly loved this game, and it’s the sort that I can pick up at any time, without needing to start over at the beginning.
4. K-Pop Demon Hunters
This needs no explanation. The hype was absolutely and completely deserved. And while I’m sad that my kid has essentially ruined this soundtrack for me with endless replays of “Golden” and “This Is What It Sounds Like,” I still think this movie is the best of the year.
5. Age of Ash and Blade of Dream by Daniel Abraham
These are the first two books in a planned trilogy, and wow. I loved them. Daniel Abraham is one half of the famous coauthor team, James S.A. Corey (who wrote the Exapanse books), and I’m so glad I tried out his solo stuff.
This trilogy has such a unique structure, following different characters in each book as they navigate the same city-wide conflict. I’m truly awed at how Abraham kept the story so fresh while technically rehashing what we already saw in the previous book.
I can’t wait for the third installment.
6. Murderbot (the show)
I will admit I have never read these novellas. But I’m also glad I went into the show with absolutely no idea what to expect. Alexander Skarsgård is amazing. Just amazing. I laughed so hard, and I was deeply invested in the story.
Plus, just from a narrative angle, the writers did an incredible job of packing a ton of plot into a single episode.
7. The Studio
While yes, some episodes of The Studio gave me so much secondhand embarrassment I had to cover my eyes, this was also some of the funniest, cleverest TV shows I’ve seen in years. Plus, the way it all came together in the season finale? I laughed so hard I was crying. Literally crying.
8. Wheel of Time, season 3
I loved this show. I really did. It had so much heart and also so much hope. Plus, I just adored how multidimensional the characters were! Good guys had streaks of bad, and bad guys had streaks of good...
It reminded me a lot of the Witchlands, honestly.
Was the series perfect? No. But unlike with other shows/games/movies/books where one narrative quibble can ruin an experience for me...
I still adored WoT, quibbles and all. I’m heartbroken there won’t be more seasons.
And that’s it.
That’s all the media I have for you from 2025. There were plenty of other things I consumed, but nothing that I felt so strongly about I wanted to list them here. (Which, again, is more of a reflection on me than it is on the media.)
So now you tell me: What were your favorite books, games, shows, or movies of 2025?
💚 - Sooz
Which is how I always get when I’m not fixated on a book or project. I’m like a border collie, except instead of a task, I need an obsession.
I discovered the Australian cartoon Bluey this year, and I'm obsessed. It's just the sweetest, purest, most heart-warming thing. Two young sisters playing earnest make-believe, with their parents, friends and other grownups playing along. That's it. And that's all it needs to be. It was the perfect antidote to an incredibly challenging year.
I enjoyed reading about what you loved this past year. The book that stayed with me the most was The Witch Roads by Kate Elliot. She built such tender, fragile emotions between characters and kept the tension hiigh with gradual reveals, pulling the reader into an epic yet realistic world. There were quite a few books I really liked, and you can find the full list here: https://iridescentwords.substack.com/p/my-top-books-of-2025?r=cqffp&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web