As 2025 comes to a close, I am reflecting on some highlights from this year. This post will focus on media, with activities and food & drinks already posted and one more category to follow soon!
Letters from an American
I started listening to the podcast version of Letters from an American, Heather Cox Richardson’s daily synopsis of contemporary political events and relevant historical context. The episodes are brief (typically about 10 minutes) and help me to be informed without doomscrolling.
Fun Podcasts
Hans and I sometimes listen to podcasts together during longer car rides. These have been our go-to options this year:
- Handsome: The trio of Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, and Mae Martin is so much fun. They answer questions from famous friends, such as Sarah Paulson’s, “Do you believe forgiveness is truly attainable?” and Ed Helms’, “What is a really mundane hill that you will die on?”
- If Books Could Kill: This one is funny and informative. The hosts apply a critical lens to “airport bestsellers” including Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory, J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy, and Gary Chapman’s The Five Love Languages.
Survivor & RHAP
If I had made versions of this list over the past five or six years, Survivor would have made it on every time. I grew up watching with my family, took a several-year break, caught up on what I missed, and ultimately convinced Hans to watch the entire back catalog and all new seasons with me. This year, we have also watched one season of Australian Survivor plus the special Survivor: Australia vs. the World season.
In addition to watching the show, I have also listened to many Rob Has a Podcast episodes over the past year or so. I cemented my superfan status this year when I became a paying RHAP Patron and attended a live show in NYC in October. It was fun! I’d do it again.
The White Lotus
This year, Hans and I watched all three currently released seasons of The White Lotus. Everyone has been talking about the show since it premiered in 2021, and we finally understand why. It is uncomfortable, suspenseful, funny, and loaded with great actors like Jennifer Coolidge, Aubrey Plaza, Aimee Lou Wood, and Walton Goggins. And that theme music!
Fun fact: The show’s creator, Mike White, was a Survivor contestant on season 37 and has since cast other contestants as extras on The White Lotus. He’s also returning for season 50 of Survivor in 2026.
Other Notable TV Shows
Hans and I watch quite a bit of TV. Here are some additional shows that we enjoyed in 2025:
- Twin Peaks: I never understood what this show was about before watching it, and I suppose I’m still not sure. Weird is an understatement – especially for the 2017 reboot – but I’m glad I’ve finally seen it.
- Mad Men: This is another one where we are late to the party. The premise sounded boring to me, but we are four seasons in and I’m getting more and more attached to the complex, not-always-likable characters.
- Severance: After a captivating first season in 2022, I think we were all (impatiently) waiting to see if the mysteries would have a satisfying payoff. I enjoyed the long-awaited season 2 and appreciated getting a peek behind the curtain at Lumon Industries.
Music
As you can see from my 2025 Spotify Wrapped, I listened to a lot of Renee Rapp, The Beaches, Sabrina Carpenter, Miley Cyrus, and Chappell Roan this year. This is very similar to 2024, except that Remi Wolf was on the list instead of Miley Cyrus.
They didn’t make it to the top, but I also listened to a lot of Lucius, Ashe, Hozier, Noah Kahan, and some Lola Young. I was looking forward to Lady Gaga’s album, but I definitely didn’t love it – and none of the songs made it onto the list of my 100 most-streamed songs of 2025.
Books
Truly Devious Audiobooks
For several years, I have been a devoted audiobook listener (via Libby and Hoopla, using my library card). This year I found Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious series – a murder mystery set at a fictional boarding school in the mountains of Vermont. I’m currently on the third book in the series and still having fun.
E-books
As you’ll see in my 2025 Item Highlights post, I bought my first e-reader this year. I didn’t make the purchase until November, but I have been making my way through two books:
- Holly Black’s The Stolen Heir: For fans of her The Folk of the Air series, this duology picks back up with a few minor characters several years later. I’m about halfway through the first book and having a good time with it.
- Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends: I was craving some whimsy and this bizarre children’s poetry collection scratches the itch.
Priya Parker
Priya Parker’s book, The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters, is an interesting read. To give you a taste, it includes chapters such as “Don’t be a Chill Host,” “Keep Your Best Self Out of My Gathering,” and “Cause Good Controversy.”
Even better, I think, is her content on magical questions. Check out her NPR podcast interview on the subject and her Instagram post highlighting some of her personal favorites – here are a few examples that I particularly like:
- What are you an evangelist for?
- If you were a fly on the wall, what would you love to hear people saying about you?
- What’s a path you almost took but didn’t?
