Here we are, a year later, with everything seen and read, to the best of my knowledge. Always a few regrets at the end of the day, but over all, a lot of excellent choices.

Movies:

1. Queer
2. Wicked
3. Babygirl
4. The Brutalist
5. The Room Next Door
6. A Real Pain
7. Serious People
8. Sundance Film Festival: Midnight Short Film Program 2025 [The Things We Keep, Bunnyhood, Em & Selma Go Griffin Hunting, Swollen, Jesus 2, Platanero]
9. Atropia
10. Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears)
11. Plainclothes
12. Sinners
13. Secret Mall Apartment
14. Ticket of No Return
15. Pink Narcissus
16. The Wedding Banquet
17. A Nice Indian Boy
18. Superman
19. The Phoenician Scheme
20. The Fantastic Four: First Steps
21. Companion
22. Downton Abbey: The New Era
23. Twinless
24. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
25. The Blue Trail
26. Corina
27. Sirat
28. The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo
29. Weapons
30. Cléo From 5 to 7
31. One Battle After Another
32. Bugonia
33. KPop Demon Hunters
34. Sentimental Value
35. Jay Kelly
36. La Grazia
37. Sound of Falling
38. A Private Life
39. Below the Clouds

Plays/Performances:

1. Kylie Minogue: The Tension Tour
2. MountainTop Masterworks I: Sound Tapestries: Bach, Haydn, Ravel, & Friends
3. Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern
4. The Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show

Books and Graphic Novels:

1. I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together by Maurice Vellekoop
2. Tokyo These Days Vol. 1 by Taiyo Matsumoto
3. What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 21 by Fumi Yoshinaga
4. Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 1 by Ryoko Kui
5. The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera
6. Tokyo These Days Vol. 2 by Taiyo Matsumoto
7. Mao Vol. 1 by Rumiko Takahashi
8. Mao Vol. 2 by Rumiko Takahashi
9. Mao Vol. 3 by Rumiko Takahashi
10. A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
11. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
12. Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 2 by Ryoko Kui
13. Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 3 by Ryoko Kui
14. Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 4 by Ryoko Kui
15. Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 5 by Ryoko Kui
16. The Dog Sitter Detective Plays Dead by Antony Johnston
17. The Question Omnibus Vol. 1 by Dennis O’Neil and Denys Cowan
18. The Power Fantasy Vol. 1: The Superpowers by Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard
19. Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 6 by Ryoko Kui
20. Night Fever by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
21. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Vol. 12 by Kanehito Yamanda and Tsukasa Abe
22. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Vol. 13 by Kanehito Yamanda and Tsukasa Abe
23. To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
24. Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 7 by Ryoko Kui
25. Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 8 by Ryoko Kui
26. What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 22 by Fumi Yoshinaga
27. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
28. Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 9 by Ryoko Kui
29. Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 10 by Ryoko Kui
30. Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 11 by Ryoko Kui
31. I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane
32. Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 12 by Ryoko Kui
33. Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 13 by Ryoko Kui
34. Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 14 by Ryoko Kui
35. Can You Solve the Murder?: An Interactive Crime Novel by Antony Johnston
36. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
37. Tokyo These Days Vol. 3 by Taiyo Matsumoto
38. Spent by Alison Bechdel
39. One-Star Squadron by Mark Russell and Steve Lieber
40. Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
41. Mazebook by Jeff Lemire
42. Geiger Vol. 1 by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank
43. The Power Fantasy Vol. 2: Mutually Reassuring Destruction by Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard
44. The Overlook Murder by Patrick Kelly
45. Geiger Vol. 2 by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank
46. Geiger Vol. 3 by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank
47. Redcoat Vol. 1 by Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch
48. The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
49. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
50. Gaytheist: Coming Out of My Orthodox Childhood by Lonnie Mann and Ryan Gatts
51. Edmund White’s A Boy’s Own Story: The Graphic Novel by Edmund White, Brian Alessandro, and Igor Karash
52. Witch King by Martha Wells
53. Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle
54. Rusty Brown by Chris Ware
55. The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman
56. Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz
57. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
58. DC Finest: Plastic Man: The Origin of Plastic Man by Jack Cole
59. The Dog Sitter Detective’s Christmas Tail by Antony Johnson
60. What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher

Previous Years’ Tallies:

• 2006 (movies only)
• 2007 (movies only)
• 2008 (movies only)
• 2009
• 2010
• 2011
• 2012
• 2013
• 2014
• 2015
• 2016
• 2017
• 2018
• 2019
• 2020
• 2021
• 2022
• 2023
• 2024

Another year of all of the books, movies, and live shows that I read/saw in 2024. (Numbering is the order I saw them, not a ranking.) A few things I meant to get to by the end of the year that didn’t, but the journey itself is half of the fun.

Movies:

1. Saltburn
2. All of Us Strangers
3. Killers of the Flower Moon
4. The Zone of Interest
5. Thelma
6. Layla
7. In the Summers
8. Porcelain War
9. Love Lies Bleeding
10. Challengers
11. Anyone But You
12. The Idea of You
13. The Boys in the Band (1970 version)
14. Grey Gardens (1975 version)
15. Kinds of Kindness
16. National Anthem
17. Purple Noon
18. Deadpool & Wolverine
19. Girls Just Want to Have Fun
20. Skincare
21. Le Samourai
22. Drive-Away Dolls
23. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
24. The Substance
25. The Freshly Cut Grass
26. Reinas
27. Hardly a Criminal
28. Conclave
29. Anora
30. The Order
31. My Old Ass
32. The Summer Book
33. Three Kilometres to the End of the World
34. Misericordia
35. Ghost Trail

Plays/Performances:

1. Monster Jam
2. Dixie’s Tupperware Party
3. MountainTop Masterworks IV: A Striking Season Finale with Stravinsky & Rachmaninoff
4. Oh, Mary!
5. Lykos Anthropos

Books and Graphic Novels:

1. Himawari House by Harmony Becker
2. Heartstopper Vol. 5 by Alice Oseman
3. What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 20 by Fumi Yoshinaga
4. System Collapse by Martha Wells
5. The Dog Sitter Detective Takes the Lead by Antony Johnston
6. Gay Giant by Gabriel Ebensperger
7. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
8. The Last Gay Man on Earth by Ype Driessen
9. Jack of Shadows by Roger Zelazny
10. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
11. Washington’s Gay General: The Legends and Loves of Baron von Steuben by Josh Trujillo and Levi Hastings
12. Fence Vol. 1 by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad
13. Fence Vol. 2 by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad
14. Fence Vol. 3 by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad
15. Fence Vol. 4: Rivals by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad
16. Fence Vol. 5: Rise by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad
17. The Daddy Diaries: The Year I Grew Up by Andy Cohen
18. Emma by Jane Austen
19. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
20. Kowloon Generic Romance Vol. 5 by Jun Mayuzuki
21. The Dangerous Convenience Store Vol. 1 by 945
22. The Dangerous Convenience Store Vol. 2 by 945
23. The Dangerous Convenience Store Vol. 3 by 945
24. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Vol. 1 by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe
25. Fence Vol. 6: Redemption by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad
26. The Book of Love by Kelly Link
27. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
28. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Vol. 2 by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe
29. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Vol. 3 by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe
30. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Vol. 4 by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe
31. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Vol. 5 by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe
32. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Vol. 6 by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe
33. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Vol. 7 by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe
34. Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou Vol. 4 by Hitoshi Ashinano
35. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Vol. 8 by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe
36. Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou Vol. 5 by Hitoshi Ashinano
37. Death at the Dress Rehearsal by Stuart Douglas
38. The Mountain View Murder by Patrick Kelly
39. New York, New York Omnibus Vol. 1 by Marimo Ragawa
40. When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb
41. W0rldtr33 Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV and Fernando Blanco
42. Neighborhood Story Vol. 1 by Ai Yazawa
43. Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
44. New York, New York Omnibus Vol. 2 by Marimo Ragawa
45. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Vol. 9 by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe
46. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Vol. 10 by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe
47. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Vol. 11 by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe
48. The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz
49. In Tongues by Thomas Grattan
50. House of the Unholy by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
51. Where the Body Was by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
52. The Guncle by Steven Rowley

Previous Years’ Tallies:

• 2006 (movies only)
• 2007 (movies only)
• 2008 (movies only)
• 2009
• 2010
• 2011
• 2012
• 2013
• 2014
• 2015
• 2016
• 2017
• 2018
• 2019
• 2020
• 2021
• 2022
• 2023

It’s that time when I pull together my list of what movies, books, and (when applicable) live performances I’ve seen over the last year. Everything went way up from last year, which isn’t a surprise. The last few years had a bit of a loss of focus, so it’s nice to get back into the saddle.

Movies:

1. Postcards from the Edge
2. Kokomo City
3. Fair Play
4. Bad Behaviour
5. L’Immensita
6. The Quiet Girl
7. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.
8. Polite Society
9. Joyland
10. Asteroid City
11. Wham!
12. Call Me Kate
13. No Hard Feelings
14. Oppenheimer
15. Barbie
16. Valley of the Dolls
17. Passages
18. Theater Camp
19. Red, White & Royal Blue
20. Act of Violence
21. Hud
22. Bottoms
23. Cassandro
24. Strange Way of Life with The Human Voice
25. Love at First Sight
26. Marry My Dead Body
27. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
28. Dicks: The Musical
29. Anatomy of a Fall
30. The Holdovers
31. The Killer
32. Rustin
33. The Taste of Things
34. Fallen Leaves
35. She-Hero
36. The Summer with Carmen

Plays/Performances:

1. Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner
2. Ride the Cyclone
3. Wintergreen Music Festival: Wintergreen Swings, Big Band Style!
4. Wintergreen Music Festival: Barber Violin Concerto with Elisabeth Adkins
5. Wintergreen Music Festival: Motown with Masters of Soul
6. The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show

Books and Graphic Novels:

1. Adventuregame Comics Vol. 1: Leviathan by Jason Shiga
2. What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 18 by Fumi Yoshinaga
3. Walt Disney’s Donald Duck: The Secret of Hondorica by Carl Barks
4. The Nice House on the Lake Vol. 2 by James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martinez Bueno
5. What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
6. Something is Killing the Children Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera
7. Something is Killing the Children Vol. 2 by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera
8. Walt Disney’s Donald Duck: The Lost Peg Leg Mine by Carl Barks
9. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen: Who Killed Jimmy Olsen? by Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber
10. Paper Girls: The Complete Story by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang
11. Something is Killing the Children Vol. 3 by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera
12. Follow Me Down: A Reckless Book by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
13. Something is Killing the Children Vol. 4 by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera
14. Something is Killing the Children Vol. 5 by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera
15. Once & Future Vol. 1: The King is Undead by Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora
16. Marry Me a Little: A Graphic Memoir by Robert Kirby
17. Once & Future Vol. 2: Old English by Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora
18. Total Amnesia: The Complete Text and Programming Notes of the World’s Most Famous Lost Computer Game by Thomas M. Disch
19. She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
20. Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
21. House of Slaughter Vol. 1: The Butcher’s Mark by James Tynion IV, Tate Brombal, and Chris Shehan
22. Liebestrasse by Greg Lockard and Tim Fish
23. The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
24. What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 19 by Fumi Yoshinaga
25. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Tom Waltz, Esau Escorza, Isaac Escorza, Ben Bishop, and Luis Antonio Delgado
26. Our Colors by Gengoroh Tagame
27. Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell
28. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
29. Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Phil Jimenez, Gene Ha, and Nicola Scott
30. Sins of the Black Flamingo by Andrew Wheeler and Travis Moore
31. The Dog Sitter Detective by Antony Johnston
32. The Adventure Zone Vol. 3: Petals to the Metal by Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Travis McElroy, Justin McElroy, and Cary Pietsch
33. Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou: Deluxe Edition Vol. 2 by Hitoshi Ashinano
34. Smahtguy: The Life and Times of Barney Frank by Eric Orner
35. Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
36. Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
37. Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk
38. Kowloon Generic Romance Vol. 1 by Jun Mayuzuki
39. House of Slaughter Vol. 2: Scarlet by James Tynion IV, Sam Johns, and Letizia Cadonici
40. Kowloon Generic Romance Vol. 2 by Jun Mayuzuki
41. Kowloon Generic Romance Vol. 3 by Jun Mayuzuki
42. White Cat, Black Dog: Stories by Kelly Link
43. Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
44. Grease Bats by Archie Bongiovanni
45. My Travels in Japan: A Comic Book Artist’s Amazing Journey by Audry Nicklin
46. Middlegame by Seanan McGuire
47. Mimosa by Archie Bongiovanni
48. The Adventure Zone Vol. 4: The Crystal Kingdom by Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Travis McElroy, Justin McElroy, and Cary Pietsch
49. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
50. Take a Look at the Five and Ten by Connie Willis
51. Bad Mormon: A Memoir by Heather Gay
52. The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke
53. The Tea Dragon Festival by K. O’Neill
54. The Human Target Vol. 1 by Tom King and Greg Smallwood
55. The Human Target Vol. 2 by Tom King and Greg Smallwood
56. Let Me Tell You: New Stories, Essays, and Other Writings by Shirley Jackson
57. Nemesis Games by James S.A. Corey
58. A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand
59. Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou: Deluxe Edition Vol. 3 by Hitoshi Ashinano
60. Kowloon Generic Romance Vol. 4 by Jun Mayuzuki

Previous Years’ Tallies:

• 2006 (movies only)
• 2007 (movies only)
• 2008 (movies only)
• 2009
• 2010
• 2011
• 2012
• 2013
• 2014
• 2015
• 2016
• 2017
• 2018
• 2019
• 2020
• 2021
• 2022

Another year, another tally. The most interesting thing (if it’s even interesting) is that I saw 11 less movies this year… but 8 of the movies from 2021 were from the AFI Docs film festival, which moved to LA in 2022, depriving me of my documentary-palooza that I normally partake of each year. Reading was definitely in spurts this year, often checking out a bunch of books in a series from the public library. I’m hoping to get back on the proverbial wagon in 2023, but haven’t I said that several years in a row now? (I’m afraid to look.)

Movies:

1. A Hero
2. Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
3. Nanny
4. Palm Trees and Power Lines
5. Girl Picture
6. Utama
7. House of Gucci
8. Everything Everywhere All at Once
9. The Tinder Swindler
10. Doctor Strange
11. Fire Island
12. Elvis
13. Emily the Criminal
14. See How They Run
15. Bros
16. Do Revenge
17. Tár
18. The Banshees of Inisherin
19. Corsage
20. Holy Spider
21. Rimini
22. Will-o’-the-Wisp
23. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
24. The Whale

Plays/Performances:

1. Trixie and Katya Live
2. Elton John: Farewell Yellow Brick Road
3. Holiday
4. The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show

Books and Graphic Novels:

1. Destroy All Monsters: A Reckless Book by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
2. Deuces Down edited by George R.R. Martin
3. Hostage by Guy Delisle
4. Dragon’s Breath and Other True Stories by MariNaomi
5. Far Out: Recent Queer Science Fiction and Fantasy edited by Paula Guran
6. Heartstopper Vol. 1 by Alice Oseman
7. Heartstopper Vol. 2 by Alice Oseman
8. What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 16 by Fumi Yoshinaga
9. Heartstopper Vol. 3 by Alice Oseman
10. What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 17 by Fumi Yoshinaga
11. Heartstopper Vol. 4 by Alice Oseman
12. Loveless by Alice Oseman
13. The Ghost in You: A Reckless Book by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
14. The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel
15. Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 1 by Kamome Shirahama
16. Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 2 by Kamome Shirahama
17. Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 3 by Kamome Shirahama
18. The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros
19. A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
20. The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djeli Clark
21. Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 4 by Kamome Shirahama
22. Yokohama Haidashi Kikou: Deluxe Edition Vol. 1 by Hitoshi Ashinano
23. Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 5 by Kamome Shirahama
24. Other Boys by Damian Alexander
25. Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 6 by Kamome Shirahama
26. Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 7 by Kamome Shirahama
27. The Extraordinaries by T.J. Klune
28. Crushing by Sophie Burrows
29. Check Please! Book 2: Sticks & Scones by Ngozi Ukazu
30. Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 8 by Kamome Shirahama
31. To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
32. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton
33. Fadeout by Joseph Hansen
34. How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch
35. The Art of Sushi by Franckie Alarcon
36. Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 9 by Kamome Shirahama
37. The Nice House on the Lake Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martinez Bueno
38. Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova
39. Brave by Svetlana Chmakova
40. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
41. Wynd Vol. 1: Flight of the Prince by James Tynion IV and Michael Dialynas
42. Wynd Vol. 2: The Secret of the Wings by James Tynion IV and Michael Dialynas

Previous Years’ Tallies:

• 2006 (movies only)
• 2007 (movies only)
• 2008 (movies only)
• 2009
• 2010
• 2011
• 2012
• 2013
• 2014
• 2015
• 2016
• 2017
• 2018
• 2019
• 2020
• 2021

Another year, another round-up of movies and books. In 2020, seeing films in the theatre cane screeching to a halt after the seventh item on the list (Emma), and in a bit of balance for 2021 there were only seven films on the list seen in the theatre. The latter was a combination of trying to display an abundance of caution and also a lot of films either being simultaneously released online or me being willing to wait until it was online.

The overall reading went down for 2021, for a variety of reasons that are honestly a little too much to go into here, other than that’s what happened. But on the bright side, there actually was one live performance seen, so that’s a little exciting. This isn’t really a year in review itself, so I’ll stop it there other than to say that there are a lot of things I’d certainly like to read and view in 2022, and hopefully I’ll make some significant progress on those lists.

Movies:

1. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
2. Promising Young Woman
3. Swallow
4. Minari
5. Disclosure
6. Nomadland
7. Mildred Pierce
8. Tab Hunter Confidential
9. AFI DOCS: Shorts Program 1 [ A Night At The Opera, The Brother (Le Frère), Bug Farm, Golden Age Karate, International Dawn Chorus Day, Invisible Monsters And Tomato Soup, Under The Lemon Tree ]
10. AFI DOCS: Shorts Program 2 [ Eagles (Águilas), The Game, The Hairdresser (La Coiffeuse), The I And S Of Lives, Senior Prom, When We Were Bullies ]
11. AFI DOCS: Shorts Program 3 [ The Gallery That Destroys All Shame, Mama, The One Who Crossed The Sea (Der Übers Meer Kam), Scum Boy, Souvenir Souvenir, Trade Center ]
12. AFI DOCS: Shorts Program 4 [ The Beauty President, The Communion Of My Cousin Andrea, Mission: Hebron, Spaces (Mezery), The Train Station, Unforgivable (Imperdonable), The Way We Wait ]
13. AFI DOCS: Shorts Program 5 [ Halpate, Nsenene, Party Line, R.I.P. T-Shirts, Red Taxi, Since You Arrived, My Heart Stopped Belonging To Me (Desde Que Llegaste, Mi Corazón Dejó De Pertenecerme) ]
14. AFI DOCS: Shorts Program 6 [ Audible, Coded, Shelter ]
15. No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics
16. Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free
17. Zola
18. The Suicide Squad
19. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
20. The Celluloid Closet
21. Who You Think I Am
22. The Eyes of Tammy Faye
23. The French Dispatch
24. Dune
25. Tick, Tick… Boom!
26. King Richard
27. Passing
28. Belfast
29. C’mon C’mon
30. Single All the Way
31. The Power of the Dog
32. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
33. Don’t Look Up
34. Swan Song
35. Red Rocket

Plays/Performances:

1. The Return of the Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show Live!

Books:

1. Route 66 by Thomas Ott
2. The Umbrella Academy Vol. 3: Hotel Oblivion by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba
3. Circe by Madeline Miller
4. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
5. The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag
6. The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
7. Hour of the Huntress by Dave Gross
8. Enter the Aardvark by Jessica Anthony
9. The Hidden Witch by Molly Knox Ostertag
10. The Midwinter Witch by Molly Knox Ostertag
11. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
12. Defekt by Nino Cipri
13. What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 15 by Fumi Yoshinaga
14. A Journal of My Father by Jiro Taniguchi
15. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
16. Yotsuba&! Vol. 15 by Kiyohiko Azuma
17. A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
18. Reckless by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
19. Friend of the Devil: A Reckless Book by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips

Previous Years’ Tallies:

• 2006 (movies only)
• 2007 (movies only)
• 2008 (movies only)
• 2009
• 2010
• 2011
• 2012
• 2013
• 2014
• 2015
• 2016
• 2017
• 2018
• 2019
• 2020

2019 was an extraordinarily busy year, and this year’s list definitely reflects that.

Movies:

1. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
2. Shoplifters
3. Serenity
4. The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2019: Animated
5. The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2019: Live Action
6. Tootsie
7. Booksmart
8. Shazam!
9. The Souvenir
10. Rocketman
11. AFI DOCS Shorts Program 1 [Ghosts of Sugar Land, Departing Gesture, Conception: Melissa, Take Me to Prom, St. Louis Superman]
12. AFI DOCS Shorts Program 2 [In the Absence, A Love Song for Latasha, The Clinic, Life in Miniature, A Tale of Two Kitchens]
13. AFI DOCS Shorts Program 3 [All Inclusive, Sweetheart Dancers, Lightning vs Thunder, Crannog, Exit 12]
14. AFI DOCS Shorts Program 5 [Dulce, The Separated, A Very Thin Line, Mack Wrestles, Quilt Fever, The Trial]
15. Three Identical Strangers
16. Drag Becomes Her
17. The Farewell
18. Downton Abbey
19. Pain and Glory
20. Parasite
21. Jojo Rabbit
22. The End of the Century
23. Joker
24. Knives Out
25. And Then We Danced
26. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
27. The Two Popes

Plays/Performances:

1. The Play That Goes Wrong
2. Katya: Help Me I’m Dying
3. Lizzo: Cuz I Love You Too Tour
4. RuPaul’s Drag Race: Werq the World Tour 2019
5. BenDeLaCreme & Jinkx Monsoon: All I Want For Christmas Is Attention

Books and Graphic Novels:

1. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
2. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
3. The Best American Comics 2016 edited by Roz Chast
4. A Forever Family: Fostering Change One Child at a Time by Rob Scheer and Jon Sternfeld
5. What Did You Eat Yesterday? Volume 13 by Fumi Yoshinaga
6. Yotsuba&! Volume 14 by Kiyohiko Azuma
7. You & a Bike & a Road by Eleanor Davis
8. Tremontaine: The Complete Season 1 by Ellen Kusher et al.
9. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
10. Full Fathom Five by Max Gladstone
11. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
12. Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau
13. An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
14. The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story by Marie Kondo and Yuko Uramoto
15. Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone
16. Abbott by Saladin Ahmed and Sami Kivela
17. A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney
18. Poochytown by Jim Woodring
19. This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
20. The Ascent to Godhood by JY Yang
21. Caliban’s War by James S.A. Corey
22. Guts by Raina Telgemeier
23. Abaddon’s Gate by James S.A. Corey
24. Meddling Kids by Edgar Contero
25. Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos by Lucy Knisley
26. Clyde Fans by Seth
27. Calypso by David Sedaris

Previous Years’ Tallies:

• 2006 (movies only)
• 2007 (movies only)
• 2008 (movies only)
• 2009
• 2010
• 2011
• 2012
• 2013
• 2014
• 2015
• 2016
• 2017
• 2018

2018 had me reading less, but seeing more for both movies and live performances. I definitely think some of the former had to do with a lot of work in the teaching realm, but I’m hoping to rally a bit in 2019. Maybe? We’ll see.

Movies:

1. Phantom Thread
2. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
3. The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2018: Live Action
4. Love, Simon
5. Annihilation
6. Black Panther
7. Thoroughbreds
8. Isle of Dogs
9. Il Boom
10. Outside In
11. Deadpool 2
12. Avengers: Infinity War
13. Ocean’s Eight
14. AFI Docs Shorts Program 3
15. The Gospel of Eureka
16. The Liberation
17. Alone in the Game
18. When Ladies Meet (1933 version)
19. Wild Strawberries
20. Eighth Grade
21. Never Goin’ Back
22. Crazy Rich Asians
23. Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
24. The Wife
25. The Heiresses
26. The Children Act
27. A Star is Born
28. First Man
29. Can You Ever Forgive Me?
30. Beautiful Boy
31. At Eternity’s Gate
32. Green Book
33. The Favourite
34. Cold War
35. Non-fiction
36. Diamantino
37. Eva
38. Aquaman
39. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse
40. Mary Poppins Returns

Plays/Performances:

1. Blame it on Bianca Del Rio
2. Miss Richfield 1981: Born Again
3. Janelle Monae: Dirty Computer Tour
4. Hamilton
5. Garbage: Version 2.0 20th Anniversary
6. Anything Goes

Books and Graphic Novels:

1. Saturn Apartments Vol. 6 by Hisae Iwaoka
2. Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor
3. Here by Richard McGuire
4. Saturn Apartments Vol. 7 by Hisae Iwaoka
5. Shoplifter by Michael Cho
6. Borne by Jeff VanderMeer
7. Full Bleed Vol. 1 edited by Dirk Wood
8. Doctor Who: The Eyeless by Lance Parkin
9. The Red Threads of Fortune by JY Yang
10. Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002 by David Sedaris
11. Moonstruck Vol. 1: Magic to Brew by Grace Ellis and Shae Beagle
12. Spinning by Tillie Walden
13. Gemma Bovery by Posy Simmonds
14. Epileptic by David B.
15. Full Bleed Vol. 2 edited by Dirk Wood
16. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
17. Less by Andrew Sean Greer
18. What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 12 by Fumi Yoshinaga
19. Theory of Bastards by Audrey Schulman
20. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
21. The Descent of Monsters by JY Yang
22. Time Was by Ian McDonald
23. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
24. Check Please! Vol. 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu
25. The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo by Drew Weing
26. Japanese Notebooks: A Journey to the Empire of Signs by Igort
27. Gumballs by Erin Nations
28. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
29. My Brother’s Husband Vol. 2 by Gengoroh Tagame
30. I Met a Traveller in an Antique Land by Connie Willis
31. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — Creating a Champion by various authors

Previous Years’ Tallies:

• 2006 (movies only)
• 2007 (movies only)
• 2008 (movies only)
• 2009
• 2010
• 2011
• 2012
• 2013
• 2014
• 2015
• 2016
• 2017

This year’s media consumption had less movies, less books, less graphic novels… and more live performances. So that’s something, at least. But I think that teaching three classes in addition to everything else really sucked up a lot of my free time, as well as just have some less free time overall. Something to get better about in terms of priorities, clearly.

Movies:

1. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
2. Hidden Figures
3. Elle
4. 20th Century Women
5. The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2017: Live Action
6. Colossal
7. AFI Docs Shorts Program: Labors of Love
8. Dina
9. Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press
10. AFI Docs Shorts Program: The Unexpected
11. Wonder Woman
12. The Big Sick
13. Atomic Blonde
14. Baby Driver
15. Dunkirk
16. Ingrid Goes West
17. Girls Trip
18. Beach Rats
19. Blade Runner 2049
20. The Florida Project
21. God’s Own Country
22. Lady Bird
23. The Lego Batman Movie
24. In the Fade
25. Goran
26. Pin Cushion
27. The Shape of Water
28. Call Me By Your Name

Plays/Performances:

1. Fun Home
2. Wig Out
3. Mean Girls
4. The Pajama Game
5. Crazy For You

Books:

1. The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters
2. The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
3. The Swan Riders by Erin Bow
4. Sorry Please Thank You: Stories by Charles Yu
5. Crosstalk by Connie Willis
6. The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket
7. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne
8. The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket
9. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
10. Air by Geoff Ryman
11. Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley
12. The Good Times are Killing Me by Lynda Barry
13. Passing Strange by Ellen Klages
14. The Massacre by James Cooray Smith
15. The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu
16. Cocktails at Seven, Apocalypse at Eight: The Derby Cavendish Stories by Don Bassingthwaite
17. Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente
18. Lust & Wonder: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs
19. The Target Book: A History of the Target Doctor Who Books by David J. Howe
20. Doctor Who: Only Human by Gareth Roberts
21. Doctor Who: Sick Building by Paul Magrs
22. A Taste of Honey by Kai Ashante Wilson
23. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
24. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
25. The Black Tides of Heaven by J.Y. Yang

Graphic Novels:

1. Emma Vol. 4 by Kaoru Mori
2. Peanuts: A Tribute to Charles M. Schulz by various creators
3. Patience by Daniel Clowes
4. Emma Vol. 5 by Kaoru Mori
5. Beyond: The Queer Sci-Fi & Fantasy Comic Anthology by various creators
6. Hellbound Lifestyle by Alabaster Pizzo
7. My Brother’s Husband Vol. 1 by Gengoroh Tagame
8. Monstress Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
9. The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances by Matthew Inman
10. Beanworld Vol. 4: Hoka Hoka Burb’l Burb’l by Larry Marder
11. Usagi Yojimbo Vol. 29: Two Hundred Jizo by Stan Sakai
12. The World of Edena by Jean “Moebius” Giraud
13. The Leaning Girl by Benoit Peeters and Francois Schuiten
14. The Theory of the Grain of Sand by Benoit Peeters and Francois Schuiten
15. Usagi Yojimbo Vol. 30: Thieves and Spies by Stan Sakai
16. Usagi Yojimbo Vol. 31: The Hell Screen by Stan Sakai
17. Zenith: Phase 1 by Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell
18. Zenith: Phase 2 by Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell
19. Tune: Vanishing Point by Derek Kirk Kim
20. Nijigahara Holograph by Inio Asano
21. Vattu: The Name & the Mark by Evan Dahm
22. Vattu: The Sword & the Sacrament by Evan Dahm
23. Saturn Apartments Vol. 4 by Hisae Iwaoka
24. Saturn Apartments Vol. 5 by Hisae Iwaoka

Previous Years’ Tallies:

• 2006 (movies only)
• 2007 (movies only)
• 2008 (movies only)
• 2009
• 2010
• 2011
• 2012
• 2013
• 2014
• 2015
• 2016

This was in some ways a very good year; I saw more movies and read many more books than last year! It also seems to be the year I’ve more or less given up the ghost on tracking any serialized comics in Goodreads (which is how I keep up with what I’ve read each year), as well as tracking zines and such. I’ve also read a lot less serials now that I’m writing far fewer articles about them, which is certainly part of it. A few got added into the list, but the attempt to do so slacked off tremendously the further into 2016 I went.

Anyway, a nice tally of films and books, if nothing else, and I’m hoping to continue that progress into 2017.

Movies:

1. Carol
2. Brooklyn
3. The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2016: Live Action
4. The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2016: Animated
5. Hail, Caesar!
6. Max Max: Fury Road
7. Zootopia
8. Marguerite
9. Hello, My Name is Doris
10. Midnight Special
11. Captain America: Civil War
12. Love & Friendship
13. The Lobster
14. The Lovers and the Despot
15. Obit
16. AFI Docs Shorts Program: No Borders
17. Under the Sun
18. Looking: The Movie
19. Finding Dory
20. Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
21. Star Trek Beyond
22. Kubo and the Two Strings
23. Hell or High Water
24. Captain Fantastic
25. Steel Magnolias
26. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
27. Moonlight
28. The Handmaiden [아가씨 Agassi]
29. Being 17 [Quand on a 17 ans]
30. Manchester by the Sea
31. Mother [Ema]
32. Frantz
33. Arrival

Plays/Performances:

1. Bianca del Rio’s Not Today, Satan
2. Carousel

Books:

1. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
2. Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree Jr.
3. The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture by Glen Weldon
4. When Gravity Fails by George Alec Effinger
5. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
6. Tropic of Sunshine by Patrick Youngblood
7. Drag Teen by Jeffrey Self
8. Lady Susan by Jane Austen
9. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
10. In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker
11. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
12. The Evening and the Morning and the Night by Octavia E. Butler
13. The Black Archive: Ghost Light by Jonathan Dennis
14. What the Witch Left by Ruth Chew
15. The Mystical Beast by Alison Farthing
16. Naming The Flowers by Kate Wilhelm
17. Look Away by George Alec Effinger
18. Thebes of the Hundred Gates by Robert Silverberg
19. Superman: The Unauthorized Biography by Glen Weldon
20. Witches of Lychford by Paul Cornell
21. All I Could Bare: My Life in the Strip Clubs of Gay D.C. by Craig Seymour
22. Arabian Wine by Gregory Feeley
23. This Census-Taker by China Mieville
24. Get in Trouble: Stories by Kelly Link
25. The Black Archive: Image of the Fendahl by Simon Bucher-Jones
26. Lion Time in Timbuctoo by Robert Silverberg
27. The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow
28. Archivist Wasp by Nicole Kornher-Stace
29. Three Moments of an Explosion by China Meville
30. Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen by Laurie Colwin
31. Luna: New Moon by Ian McDonald
32. More Home Cooking: A Writer Returns to the Kitchen by Laurie Colwin
33. Stoner by John Williams

Graphic Novels:

1. Killing and Dying: Stories by Adrian Tomine
2. Wizzywig: Portrait of a Serial Hacker by Ed Piskor
3. Scheherazade: Comics About Love, Treachery, Mothers, and Monsters edited by Megan Kelso
4. Second Avenue Caper: When Goodfellas, Divas, and Dealers Plotted Against the Plague by Joyce Brabner and Mark Zingarelli
5. The Best American Comics 2009 edited by Charles Burns, Jessica Abel, and Matt Madden
6. The Best American Comics 2010 edited by Neil Gaiman, Jessica Abel, and Matt Madden
7. Emma Vol. 1 by Kaoru Mori
8. The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 3: Commercial Suicide by Kieron Gillen and assorted artists
9. Doctor Fate Vol. 1: The Blood Price by Paul Levitz and Sonny Liew
10. Curiosities: An Illustrated History of Ancestral Oddity by Mike Yamada, Victoria Ying, and Jonathan Ying
11. You Don’t Say by Nate Powell
12. Black River by Josh Simmons
13. Our Expanding Universe by Alex Robinson
14. Rutabaga the Adventure Chef: Book 2: Feasts of Fury by Eric Colossal
15. What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 10 by Fumi Yoshinaga
16. East of West Vol. 5: All These Secrets by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta
17. Step Aside, Pops: A Hark! A Vagrant Collection by Kate Beaton
18. Something New: Tales from a Makeshift Bride by Lucy Knisley
19. Bitch Planet Vol. 1: Extraordinary Machine by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro
20. Trash Market by Tadao Tsuge
21. How to Talk to Girls at Parties by Neil Gaiman, Fabio Moon, and Gabriel Ba
22. Snow Angel by David Chelsea
23. SuperMutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki
24. Yotsuba&! Vol. 13 by Kiyohiko Azuma
25. Nemo: River of Ghosts by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill
26. Al-Qaeda’s Super Secret Weapon by Mohammad al-Mohamed Muhammad
27. Mae Vol. 1 by Gene Ha
28. Get Jiro! by Anthony Bourdain and Langdon Foss
29. Elfquest: Wolfrider Vol. 1 by Wendy Pini and Richard Pini
30. Elfquest: Wolfrider Vol. 2 by Wendy Pini and Richard Pini
31. Elfquest: The Discovery by Wendy Pini and Richard Pini
32. Elfquest: Dreamtime by Wendy Pini and Richard Pini
33. Elfquest: The Searcher and the Sword by Wendy Pini and Richard Pini
34. Elfquest: In All But Blood by Wendy Pini, Richard Pini, and company
35. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
36. Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascoet
37. What’s Your Sign, Girl? edited by Robert Kirby
38. Emma Vol. 2 by Kaoru Mori
39. To Terra… Vol. 1 by Keiko Takemiya
40. Guardians of the Louvre by Jiro Taniguchi
41. Alphabet edited by Jon Macy and Tara Avery
42. The Omega Men: The End is Here by Tom King and Barnaby Bagenda
43. Hilda and the Stone Forest by Luke Pearson
44. Emma Vol. 3 by Kaoru Mori
45. Angel Catbird Vol. 1 by Margaret Atwood and Johnnie Christmas
46. Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
47. The Best American Comics 2014 edited by Scott McCloud and Bill Kartalopoulos
48. Rosalie Lightning by Tom Hart
49. Bread and Wine by Samuel R. Delany and Mia Wolff
50. What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 11 by Fumi Yoshinaga

Previous Years’ Tallies:

• 2006 (movies only)
• 2007 (movies only)
• 2008 (movies only)
• 2009
• 2010
• 2011
• 2012
• 2013
• 2014
• 2015