Omg, the post-anaesthesia comment 😂 When I came out of it a few years ago, I demanded that my mother take lots of photos “for evidence.” So now I have a bunch of pictures of me drugged out of my mind immediately following a full-blown panic attack (I don’t remember any of this, but that’s why they let my mum in early). Definitely not my best look 😂😂
OMG post-anaesthesia...crazy stuff. I woke up in the OR and assumed the blue people crowding around me were aliens. Then tried to kick and flail my way out...to where, I do not know.
I have always been a hardcore LOTR fangirl and I also enjoyed Rings of Power. My sister and I would hole up in her office after each episode with her copy of the Silmarillion and speculate/hypothesize
Yes, yes to Deathloop, Red fall and Larian games (also an Arkane fan). Wonderful recommendations overall. I think one book I'd add is The Surviving Sky by Kristha Rao which blew me away. My wishlists and watch lists have just grown
I’ve seen seasons 1-3 of The Expanse several times but my husband fell off the bandwagon on season 4. I finally convinced him to rewatch the series with me. We just finished season 4 last night and he’s enjoying it so much he wants to read the books now 🥳
Ah, I've been meaning to pick up the Expanse books for ages now, and after your glowing recommendation, 2024 may be the year! My favourite books of the year have to be The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo, and the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown (the first book I read back in 2017). As for TV shows, I loved the second season of Loki on Disney+, Silo on Apple TV+, and I'm currently in the middle of The Morning Show Season 3, also on Apple, which is just soapy and messy and rather addicting. In terms of movies, Spielberg's The Fabelmans (it came out this year in the UK) really was a highlight, and I loved the likes of Broker, Suzume, and Oppenheimer. I rewatched Interstellar, too, and that is just perfection.
Thank you Susan! I thought I was the only person who was having a reading slump. Which, I decided, made me a very bad writer. I'm feeling a whole lot better about that now!
Games were probably my biggest media this year with Star Wars Jedi Survivor, AC Mirage, and StarField as the top of my list. Had so much fun with them all! The Expanse game was great but compared to my main large open world games much, much shorter. Think they really got the feel of it and Drummer's character, and just played the bonus episode as Avasarala and I was so happy with it!
Books, Star Wars High Republic is still knocking it out of the park, got more scifi reads from Kate Dylan, Claire Winn, and KB Wagers and started Expanse series. Stand out read I was recommended that was my normal read - Spells for Forgetting, mystery, very lite fantasy, and a bit more romance than my normal reads, and I loved it! As well as The Hunting Moon of course 🌒
Movies all blend together for me so if I didn't see it in the past 2 months I wouldn't be able to say when I watched it, but I was finally able to watch the French Musketeers version that came out and I'm so glad it finally released in US, now just to wait for part 2!
TV, as typical for me Ahsoka and Mandalorian season 3 were my top shows. They did so well with Ahsoka and all the call backs, bringing characters to life! I am interested in Rings of Power, only watched 2 episodes and was a bit annoyed that I would get invested in a storyline only to move to another set that I didn't care much for, but did want to give it a second try.
You know I’m co-signed all your comments about Wheel of Time. (I’m still not over that episode with the arches from s2) 😱😭 Thanks for sharing some of your favorite things with us. Here’s to a happy and healthy 2024! 💗
Loved reading this! I had to save it for later when I can actually take advantage of the recs! My two favorite finds in 2023 were
1. Yellowjackets!!!! I started this in October with my best friend and have been dying to watch it whenever I’m not. It’s such a fascinating dissolution into feral chaos.
and 2. Sarah MacLean books!! I read one cause it was on a $1.99 kindle sale and I haven’t stopped reading them since! The Hell’s Belles books are especially engaging! The first one’s romance reminded me of Elizabeth/Will Turner which is THE ultimate otp goal.
Omg the post surgery comment 😂 Ive really loved 911, Station 19, and Good Omens in terms of tv series. Books wise romcoms have been big (I’ve needed the ease of them) and was surprised how much I loved Bridget Jones’ Diary, having watched the movie many times but never read the book before! I also tackled more scifi and found a new all time fave in The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. I also listened to some lotr-verse! I only did The Hobbit tho, but absolutely loved Andy Serkins narration of it, seeing you mention he did the trilogy as well I’m definitely gonna look that up 👀 wishing you a calm end to the year!!
Omg, the post-anaesthesia comment 😂 When I came out of it a few years ago, I demanded that my mother take lots of photos “for evidence.” So now I have a bunch of pictures of me drugged out of my mind immediately following a full-blown panic attack (I don’t remember any of this, but that’s why they let my mum in early). Definitely not my best look 😂😂
OMG post-anaesthesia...crazy stuff. I woke up in the OR and assumed the blue people crowding around me were aliens. Then tried to kick and flail my way out...to where, I do not know.
I have always been a hardcore LOTR fangirl and I also enjoyed Rings of Power. My sister and I would hole up in her office after each episode with her copy of the Silmarillion and speculate/hypothesize
I think they only had the rights to the appendices?? But I can't imagine they filmed it without knowledge of the Silmarillion! It was so interesting.
Yes, yes to Deathloop, Red fall and Larian games (also an Arkane fan). Wonderful recommendations overall. I think one book I'd add is The Surviving Sky by Kristha Rao which blew me away. My wishlists and watch lists have just grown
I never skip the theme song on girls 5eva cause it makes me giggle every time 😂
I have been looking for new games and Dave looks right up my alley. Thank you!!
I’ve seen seasons 1-3 of The Expanse several times but my husband fell off the bandwagon on season 4. I finally convinced him to rewatch the series with me. We just finished season 4 last night and he’s enjoying it so much he wants to read the books now 🥳
I love this roundup - thank you for sharing! I've especially enjoyed your newsletters this year and appreciate that you share them.
I LOVE LOTR! I was just saying recently that I want to rewatch the extended versions and maybe reread as well. Same with Harry Potter!
I bought two of your books this year and I look forward to reading them :)
Happy holidays!
PS. LOL the comment about taking the ring to Mordor.
Check out The Others series by Anne Bishop. I’ve listened to it 3 times. Same with Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. Amazing world building.
Great list! Also, I've been wanting to play BG3 but I haven't the time for gaming lately :(
Ah, I've been meaning to pick up the Expanse books for ages now, and after your glowing recommendation, 2024 may be the year! My favourite books of the year have to be The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo, and the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown (the first book I read back in 2017). As for TV shows, I loved the second season of Loki on Disney+, Silo on Apple TV+, and I'm currently in the middle of The Morning Show Season 3, also on Apple, which is just soapy and messy and rather addicting. In terms of movies, Spielberg's The Fabelmans (it came out this year in the UK) really was a highlight, and I loved the likes of Broker, Suzume, and Oppenheimer. I rewatched Interstellar, too, and that is just perfection.
Thank you Susan! I thought I was the only person who was having a reading slump. Which, I decided, made me a very bad writer. I'm feeling a whole lot better about that now!
Games were probably my biggest media this year with Star Wars Jedi Survivor, AC Mirage, and StarField as the top of my list. Had so much fun with them all! The Expanse game was great but compared to my main large open world games much, much shorter. Think they really got the feel of it and Drummer's character, and just played the bonus episode as Avasarala and I was so happy with it!
Books, Star Wars High Republic is still knocking it out of the park, got more scifi reads from Kate Dylan, Claire Winn, and KB Wagers and started Expanse series. Stand out read I was recommended that was my normal read - Spells for Forgetting, mystery, very lite fantasy, and a bit more romance than my normal reads, and I loved it! As well as The Hunting Moon of course 🌒
Movies all blend together for me so if I didn't see it in the past 2 months I wouldn't be able to say when I watched it, but I was finally able to watch the French Musketeers version that came out and I'm so glad it finally released in US, now just to wait for part 2!
TV, as typical for me Ahsoka and Mandalorian season 3 were my top shows. They did so well with Ahsoka and all the call backs, bringing characters to life! I am interested in Rings of Power, only watched 2 episodes and was a bit annoyed that I would get invested in a storyline only to move to another set that I didn't care much for, but did want to give it a second try.
You know I’m co-signed all your comments about Wheel of Time. (I’m still not over that episode with the arches from s2) 😱😭 Thanks for sharing some of your favorite things with us. Here’s to a happy and healthy 2024! 💗
100% Dave the Diver. Most fun I have had diving and running a Sushi restaurant in ages.
Loved reading this! I had to save it for later when I can actually take advantage of the recs! My two favorite finds in 2023 were
1. Yellowjackets!!!! I started this in October with my best friend and have been dying to watch it whenever I’m not. It’s such a fascinating dissolution into feral chaos.
and 2. Sarah MacLean books!! I read one cause it was on a $1.99 kindle sale and I haven’t stopped reading them since! The Hell’s Belles books are especially engaging! The first one’s romance reminded me of Elizabeth/Will Turner which is THE ultimate otp goal.
Omg the post surgery comment 😂 Ive really loved 911, Station 19, and Good Omens in terms of tv series. Books wise romcoms have been big (I’ve needed the ease of them) and was surprised how much I loved Bridget Jones’ Diary, having watched the movie many times but never read the book before! I also tackled more scifi and found a new all time fave in The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. I also listened to some lotr-verse! I only did The Hobbit tho, but absolutely loved Andy Serkins narration of it, seeing you mention he did the trilogy as well I’m definitely gonna look that up 👀 wishing you a calm end to the year!!