2017 is not going to end up being my favorite year ever.
That said, it is not my least favorite year ever either. (No, 2015 takes that prize.)
As always, I read a lot, listened to more music and podcasts than I properly know what to do with, watched my fair share of movies, and very little television as compared to years past. 2017 is the year that I learned to make peace with my limitations, the year that I began to recognize that making time to marinate in things that I enjoy is just as important as my never ending list of tasks to be accomplished, and to accept with two hands the grace that I have been granted through not one ounce of my own doing.
First, two articles to set the mood:
The Ultimate Best Books of 2017 List
Literary Hub has graciously done all the math in rounding up all the best books from the book lists for 2017. Since math is most definitely not my thing, I am appreciative. And proud to have read at least a few of the top books of 2017.
7 Stages of End-of-the-Year Reader Grief
This article from Book Riot is me. The end of the year is a whiplash of emotion from I can't believe I didn't get to this book, and that book, and of course this book, to my inevitable reassurance of myself that next year I will read all the books. I am Linus, quite convinced that next year I will meet the Great Pumpkin.
That said, here's a list of things I loved from the year 2017:
Best Books:
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. Hands down, my favorite book of the year.
This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel. About a topic I love, of course, but told in such a way that I am still mulling it over.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. Not technically a novel from this year, but I read it in February and loved it so, so much.
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. So many feelings about this book. But I would recommend it.
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid. One of those books that 8 million people recommended to me, and I read it and was not blown away until the very last page, and then I set it aside and my life changed.
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins. So much better than Hawkins other book. So I'm sort of grading on a curve.
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. Finished this over the weekend. So good. Still rattling around in my brain.
Best Podcasts:
The Popcast with Knox and Jamie On Wednesdays, I popcast.
What Should I Read Next? with Anne Bogel Of course.
The Rewatchables I love, love, love the You've Got Mail episode.
Literary Disco Pardon me while I crush so hard on Rider Strong.
On Being Every week, this is a gem.
The Daily I start my morning with this and Up First from NPR every week day.
The Lazy Genius So good. And she gave me the best turkey recipe, thus saving Thanksgiving.
Best Movies:
Baby Driver
Wonder Woman
As far as new movies that I've seen this year, that's it. I really want to see Dunkirk, Ladybird, and Call Me By Your Name. I'm not a real fan of sci fi or comic book movies. It has made my movie list shorter every year.
2018 will be an even better year, Charlie Brown. Quite possibly the best year ever. Or at least, probably not the worst. We will hope.
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