This week, I’m thinking about 2024. . . let’s wrap this up.
This year in listening. . .
Not Like Us over and over and over and over and over and over again - just like Kendrick intended.
And in general, if I was walking down the street listening to something with main character energy, naturally I was probably listening to one of these songs or artists. (This is a no judgment zone, okay? I contain multitudes!)
The Dear Felicity podcast had me in a chokehold this year. The access combined with the absolute atrociousness of the hosts made it unbelievably compelling. I couldn’t have stopped listening even if I’d wanted to.
RIP to Longform.
This year in my fave issues of LITL. . .
ICYMI: some of my favorite issues of this newsletter from this year —
an oral history of Coven (so much work! so worth it), parenting badges (got to collaborate with my sister!), Calvin Klein ad roundtable (I meannnnnn DIOS MIO), Disney visit and Zu’s photos, the very very popular 5 Rules which I am going to bring back in 2025, and the ultimate in trolling Nicole.
This year in TV. . .
Even Hacks’ least strong season is better than most other shows on TV. I really thought I knew what I was getting into with Man on the Inside, instead I was taken on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Damn you, Mike Schur! Like Water for Chocolate is so beautiful and sexy and sad and I just loved it. Mr. and Mrs. Smith. . .was released this year? Somehow that is true? I loved it! Shrinking was great even if Roy Kent and Harrison Ford never interacted (a shame, honestly). The Diplomat is just so much fun. I love Keri Russell an embarrassing amount. Evil, you were too good for this world to keep going. Would an annual Evil Christmas special be off-brand? Speaking of too good for this world - My Lady Jane. RIP, you sweet weirdo show. How to Die Alone did not get the love it deserved.
This year in a gif. . .
2024 in a nutshell
This year in a TikTok. . .
No, really — how 2024 felt for so many.
This year in movies. . .
I feel like this was not my year for movies? Challengers was a lot of fun. All of Us Strangers was beautiful, but my goddddd so sad. I thought Conclave was gorgeous and the acting was over the top (complimentary). Since I am a sucker for a friendship movie, I was unexpectedly touched by Babes. The Martha Stewart doc was as good as everyone said.
This year in a newsletter. . .
This essay by Ann Friedman on parasocial relationships was so damn good as was her series on pregnancy. I am still thinking about it 6+ months later Unbelievably good essay by Brandon Taylor about the Alice Munro/Andrea Skinner situation. This anonymous blog by a recently divorced woman dating in her 40’s. I wish it was daily and that she was my friend texting me, honestly. Courtney Martin on midlife. Tracy Clark-Flory on Kristen Cavallari and her younger boyfriend and motherhood and age gap relationships. Photographer Dina Litovsky on working “for exposure”. All of Tembe’s book dates. Heather Havrilesky on loving your inner hobbit.
In general: Hunter Harris forever. The Platonic Love newsletter. Rob Stephenson’s NYC Neighborhoods. Anne Helen Petersen on everything, always, but especially generational bullshit thinking.
This year in google searches. . .
These are the ones that you all reacted to most strongly
why are there so many nights of football
[fill in the blank Disney World query]
hot actor + girlfriend and/or age
This year in one good thing. . .
So many sappy things, like health and family and friends, so instead let’s go with - I finally found really fantastic pants that I love.
This year in a quote. . .
"Absolutely anything is possible, and we must acknowledge this, not out of surrender, but as a means of readying ourselves for the impossible fights ahead.” - Roxane Gay
This year in artsy stuff and photo things. . .
The Alvin Ailey show at The Whitney. The Clock at MoMA. The Met Museum TikTok. A map of the internet. Or the World History Timeline Graph. This woman who made infographics of her text messages. 25 photos that defined the modern age. This NYC subway photo essay.
Thirsty: Javier Bardem photographed by his wife, Penelope Cruz. Paul Mescal in GQ. Jeremy Allen White for Calvin Klein.
2025 in a single page.
This year in the internet. . .
AMERICA: Patrick Fealy’s firsthand account on his experience with homelessness was exceptional. Triggering: the Mom calendar. Parenting in America is a mess. No, really. Related: the year after a denied abortion. Joe Sexton on the Parkland shooter defense team.
Gmail is my diary, for real. I think about death cleaning not an insignificant amount. Friends and location sharing. Lisa Miller on friendship. Samhita Mukhopadhyay on failure and her relationship to work.
Brandy Jensen on non-monogomy. Roxane Gay on TikTok. Jazmine Hughes profile on Usher. Amelia and Andrew’s long-awaited Chicken Shop Date.
I am not sure I laughed at anything (that was not a TikTok) harder than this piece.
Oral history of 13 Going on 30, Go, Forrest Gump, Gremlins
The situation in Gaza has only worsened, but this piece in February and this one from March have stuck with me - the specificity of the devastation of the hunger and famine is something I think about daily.
This year in books. . .
Another year filled with so many glorious books. I didn’t read as many as last year which I am TOTALLY FINE WITH (you can tell I am fine with it by the way my voice goes up several octaves when I say this!!)
As of today I’m at 104 and I’ll probably finish between another one to three, if I am lucky. So many important books remain on my TBR, not in small part because there were so many budget cuts to the libraries that the wait time for books has been painfully long. I’m trying to be a reasonable human - I can’t buy them all!
Here are the ones that made an impression, the ones I will recommend to friends, the ones I will revisit.
The Ministry of Time was handed to me by my bud Gilbert. I had zero information about it beforehand. It was inventive and compelling and I was thrilled by how unexpected it all was. (I was also surprised to find it on romance lists!)
Lone Women was a historical novel with creepy horror woven through. I couldn’t put it down trying to figure out what the hell was going to happen next.
Martyr! was one of the more inventive novels I’ve read all year and I really liked it. . .even with one thing that really made me kind of nuts. The writing was just that good.
Liars made me SO-SO-ANGRY and yet. . .I couldn’t put it down. I should’ve! It made me mad at all men everywhere, but I love Sarah Manguso’s prose.
Hello Beautiful was a beautiful, emotional novel about complicated family relationships and the cost of stubbornness among sisters. A devastating read.
Like Happiness was a sleeper hit for me. A dual narrative that tells the story of an infuriating power dynamics with a character painted in shades of Junot Diaz.
The True Love Experiment was a fun romance with one of the most delightful main characters I’ve read in a long time. She was laugh-out-loud-on-the-train funny.
I feel like every year I put something on the list with a caveat - We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman is that book this year. It was unbearably sad and a lovely portrait of friendship and even though the protagonist was such an absolute mess of a person, you can’t really blame her. I cried basically the entire time I read it.
If we have talked about books at all this year, then I have already shared my absolute obsession with Anita de Monte Laughs Last. The wild ride of this book and my love affair with Ana Mendieta and Xochitl Gonzalez took over my life in the best way. If I absolutely had to pick a favorite from this year, it would be this one.
Thanks for everything this year. I appreciate you readig and I appreciate you sharing with friends. I am so grateful to this community.
Leonor
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