Things I Enjoyed Last Year

This is it! Another year end post posted over a week late!

As I am sitting down to think about this I realized I haven’t watched many movies or shows this year. I have been busy with various things and when I have free time I try to work on of my various projects or obligations, or I’ve been trying to read. I am really happy with how may books I’ve gotten through in print, audio, and digital formats. I think I’m getting faster at it too. 

Books (Print and Digital) 

• The Hunt For Red October by Tom Clancy – I’ve just recently gotten into Tom Clancy. I liked the book quite a bit and appreciated Clancy’s attention to technical details and the multiple POVs that he used to tell his story. I got around to watching the movie adaptation soon after. It was okay. It felt like a movie where everyone working on it did a great job it just didn’t work for me. I understand that adaptation requires changes, I just think the changes the movie made resulted in a much less compelling story.

• 1177 BC By Eric Cline – a great overview of the late-bronze age mediteranean. The book focuses on what is called the Bronze Age Collapse and discusses the evidence for population migrations, was, plague, and climate change around that time. The parts of the book that interested me the most were the brief discussions of the Amarna Letters. I just think its incredible how much ancient writing has survived and that we can still read it. and I am looking forward to reading the author’s new book on the topic in the near future. 
• Assyria by Eckart Frahm – a great overview of the Asyrian and Neo-Assyrian Empires that I picked up after reading 1177 BC. 
• A Book by Kurtis Wothe- Kurtis was good enough to give me the opportunity to beta read his novel. It was an engrossing urban fantasy inspired by Kurtis’ love for professional wrestling. It had a lot of themes that reminded me of James Lovegrove’s Age of Zeus that I enjoyed immensely in high school. 
• For Whom The Bell Tolls – this book took me a long time to get through. There was a lot I liked about the book but I found myself forcing myself to get through it. I think for me the hardest part to get through was the dialogue. My appreciation for the book grew once I finished it and I was able to view it in its entirety. 

Audiobooks

• Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman – my enjoyment of the first four books overlaps with the tail end of 2024 but I am pretty sure I listened to books three and four in 2025. Jeff Hays and the other voice actors on the roster do a great job of bringing this litRPG story to life.
• The Sun Eater by Christipher Ruochio – I am a big fan of Dune and these books scratch that same science fantasy itch. Ruochio’s familiarity with religious imagery is obvious at many points in the book and I enjoy the unique character voice and mannerisms that come through in this first-person POV narrative. Samuel Roukin is an excellent narrator as well although his pronunciation of different names is not always consistent between books. I’m working through the final book now and I’m excited to see if the series delivers on its promises.

Movies and Shows

• Nosferatu – this was a great movie although I didn’t feel like the story mattered much. It had great visuals and atmosphere. 
• WWE – I’ve seen matches here and there over the years but never really gave wrestling a chance until April when I stayed with a friend for the weekend. Back in college I was always a little confused why so many of my fraternity brothers liked it so much. I understand better now why they said it was such a great work of theater. It’s fun to get invested in the story lines and rivalries. It helps if you pick a favorite to root for. I settled on Penta early on. 

• HBO’s Last of Us – although I did not play the second game (I got very into the first in my freshman year of college) I really enjoyed the second season. The show has great visuals and some incredible writing. Especially on episodes like “Long Long Time” in season one.

Podcasts and Youtubers 

• Tides of History – hosted by historian Patrick Wyman, Tides of History has covered a lot of eras throughout the years including the early modern Europe, the neolithic period, the bronze age, and now the iron age. I’ve always appreciated Wyman’s ability to bring people from the past to life and his focus on regular people. Unfortunately, Tides of History is coming to an end this April but Wyman’s new project Past Lives is already out and off to a great start. 
• Drachinifel – another creator that I’ve been following for years. Drachinifel covers naval history content up until about 1950 although most content I’ve seen focuses on the early 20th century. His videos are well researched and as his channel has grown he has increasingly gone on tours to visit museum ships around the world.
• Folding Ideas – a YouTube project by Dan Olson. Dan covers a variety of topics in depth with unique and engaging style that is hard to describe. I’m not sure how exactly to describe his work. Just go check him out.
• The Tank Museum – yet another mainstay. I really haven’t found many new Youtubers this year. The Bovington Tank Museum has a great Youtube channel with a roster of experienced curators and enthusiasts. I especially like their collaborations with other creators (Including Drachinifel).

• Stefan Milo – Milo discusses all kinds of topics relating to human history from ancient ruins and LIDAR studies to ancient DNA. Milo’s work overflows with his love for human history and he regularly brings experts onto his channel to discuss their findings.

Music

• Ghost – I was first introduced to Ghost when I saw them at the Palace in 2018. Since then I’ve listened to them sporadically but got really into them with the release of their new album Satanized in mid 2025.

• Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – has been a staple for years. I had mixed feelings about Isbell’s latest solo project Foxes In The Snow but his music remains a staple in my playlists. 
• Tyler Childers – this artist has been on my radar for years and I still would not consider myself a Childers consueir, but I have been enjoying more of his music lately especially his recent release Bitin’ List. 

Websites

• Reddit – what can I say? I’m an addict. My favorite subreddit is probably r/AskHistorians.
• Bluesky – I’ve only tried Threads and Bluesky out of the Twitter alternatives. It’s a different environment, but I’ve been able to find a good mix of creators and academics to follow that have made it a very pleasant experience. 
• A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry – Bret Devereux is an ancient military historian who you may know already from social media. He is perhaps best known for his use of fantasy movies like Lord of the Rings as a way to teach historical concepts but he writes about a great many other things too.
• Reuters – I am not interested in most news subscriptions. But Reuters lured me in with topics that interest me and a subscription fee of just $4/month. I think I get a good value for my money and their iOS app is easy and moslty enjoyable to use. 

What I Am Looking Forward to in the New Year

• The Unwomanly Face of War by Svetlana Alexievich – published in 1985 and awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2015. This book is well-regarded oral history of the experience ofSoviet womens during World War Two. I’ve been wanting to read it for awhile and I just got it for Christmas and really enjoy what I read of it so far. That said, it’s a very raw and sobering book, I suspect it will take awhile to get through.
• Mr. Styke – Brian McClellan’s latest novella which he recently funded on Kickstarter. I’ve had the chance to beta read several of Brian’s projects over the last few years and while I wasn’t involved in this one I am excited for a return to his Powder Mage setting. 
• Twelve Months – I have always been a big Dresden Files fan. Even though Codex Alera remains my favorite of Jim Butcher’s work. The Dresden Files has changed a lot since it started. The series’s stakes have increased immensely and I think the power scaling has been handled well. I’m looking forward to seeing how Harry recovers
• The Witcher – I didn’t much like season three and I am not thrilled with the Henry Cavil’s departure. But I have enjoyed the animated movies that Netflix has put out and the first episode of season four. I’m excited to see the rest. At the very least, The Witcher provides a great visual experience.

What did you enjoy in 2025? I’m always looking for new book recs. Shout out your favorites in the comments below.