Best of 2018: all things entertainment

I can’t believe 2018 is coming to a close! I was inspired by Brittney to combine all my media favorites into one post for your viewing pleasure.

Books

I can’t believe I did it, but I also completed my 2018 GoodReads reading challenge of 24 books! It wasn’t looking great (I had about 15 books read by October), but with the quick read of the Harry Potter series helped me get my feet back and put seven books quickly under my belt.

Here were my top six books (because I couldn’t pick just five):

• This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay: This book is about a junior doctor’s journey through the ranks at the hospital through humorous encounters with colleagues and patients. This book had me laughing out loud, after a few chapters I realized I couldn’t read it on the bus. To my recollection, this is the first memoir I’ve read and I was not let down.
• Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
• Replay by Ken Grimwood
• Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer: Wow. Wow, wow, wow. I have read two other books by Krakauer and enjoyed them, but this one left me speechless. This book is a recollection of what happened in the 1996 Everest disaster and left me on the edge of my seat throughout and gasping for air at the climax. I cannot recommend this book enough, probably my favorite book I’ve read this year.
• How Bad Are Bananas?: The Carbon Footprint of Everything by Mike Berners-Lee
• Memory Man by David Baldacci

Music

I will be reviewing my favorite musical discoveries (may not necessarily be released this year) since I made this post last (October 2017, so a year and a bit). I will mark those albums released in 2018 with an asterisks*

Here are my top five musical finds more or less in order:

• Meloncholia Hyms by Arcane Roots: I listened to this shortly after it came out in late 2017 and immediately fell in love. I saw them live twice since then and much to my dismay they broke up recently, but I look forward to whatever the members do next. Top tracks: Matter, Indigo, Half the World
• Eternity, In Your Arms by Creeper: This is a band, again, I heard a lot of my Twitter friends talk about and they grew on me really quickly. I saw them at their “last show” in November, but we’ll see if that holds true. Top tracks: Black Rain, Suzanne, Down Below
• The ’59 Sound by the Gaslight Anthem: I haven’t properly listened to them until my friend Lisa said she would visit me for their 10 year anniversary show of The ’59 Sound and that album is pretty much all I listened to for three months leading up to the show. Also, I bought the CD at the oldest record shop in the world, immortalizing this album in my heart forever. Top tracks: Old White Lincoln, Film Noir, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
• Rue by Hellions*: I have seen some of my Twitter friends rave about them and I would to go as far as to say the approval they get is underrated. They are an incredible bands who I think (hope) have a very big future in front of them. Top tracks: Odyssey, The Lotus, X (Mwah), Get Up!
• Trouble Will Find Me by The National: My friend Alex gave me loads of great music recommendations this year, but this was my favorite. Top tracks: I Should Live in Salt, Sea of Love, Graceless, Pink Rabbits

Honorable mentions: Everybody Down by Kate Tempest, Prequelle by Ghost*, Here’s to the Fatigue by Press to MECO, Dispose by The Plot in You*, Be The Cowboy by Mitski*, TA13OO by Denzel Curry*, Losers/Lovers by Orchards*

And, of course, there was the coveted Spotify year wrap-up…

YouTube channels

I realize I’m years late to the party, but I got properly into YouTube this year (in the last six months or so, actually).

Here are my favorite YouTube channels:

• Cody Ko and Noel Miller (commentary/ comedy): Because you can’t have one without the other. They were one of the first people I got into on YouTube, particularly their “That’s Cringe” videos. I really hope to see them on tour next year. Favorite videos: Steamy Tweets (1 & 2), That’s Cringe: Girl Defined (1 & 2), That’s Cringe: Jake Paul Teacher Diss… it’s so hard to pick only a few!
• Kurtis Connor (commentary/ comedy): My friend from the great white North. He’s so funny! My favorite thing about him is the way he laughs at his own jokes. Favorite videos: The country girls of Tik Tok, Roasting my subscribers
• UNHhhh (comedy series): My all time favorite drag queens Trixie and Katya talk about… whatever they want… because it’s their show (and not yours). It’s fun to see the natural banter between the two and crude, yet amusing editing.

Other channels I enjoyed: Danny Gonzalez, JaackMaate, ImAllexx, Ask a Mortician, Jessica Kellgren-Fozard, Tiffany Ferg, Molly Burke, Brad Mondo, Mr. Atheist

YouTube videos

I have a bit under 200 liked videos, so here’s a sample of some of the stuff I enjoyed this year!

1. 70 People Imitate What Cats and Dogs Sound Like in 70 Countries
2. Movies Everyone  Should See At Least Once In Their Life
3. 10 Dumbest Minimalist Mistakes
4. Movie Accent Expert Breaks Down 32 Actors’ Accents
5. Ready Player One – What’s The Difference? [between the book and film]
6. Best and worst Lush products
7. One Man Shares a Memory From Every Country in the World
8. 10 Questions to NOT ask a blind person
9. Hairdresser reacts to emo/ scene tutorials
10. How to swear like a Spaniard
11. 10 Spanish words that don’t exist in English
12. Roasting fans pt. 1 & Roasting fans pt. 2
13. The world’s strangest time zones
14. Helen Keller #DisabilityHistoryMonth
15. Top 10 frontwomen in hard rock and heavy metal

Movies

I haven’t watched or especially loved many new movies this year, but regardless, here are my favorites:

• Kingsman: The Golden Circle: I firmly believe that these films are modern classics. Although they didn’t receive the best critic reviews, you can’t help fall in love with the awesome action sequences and humor anecdotes.
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
• Dallas Buyer’s Club
• A Quiet Place: I was hesitant to watch this film because I don’t like horror movies (particularly cheap jump-scares), but this is more of a thriller than a horror. Although I assert that John Krasinski is a really goofy-looking bloke and hard to take seriously, he did an amazing job both directing and acting in this movie. An interesting premise and flawless execution.
• Million Dollar Baby
• A Star is Born: I absolutely worship Lady Gaga and have since the beginning. She is an absolute legend, having hit albums in pop, jazz, country… and now a soundtrack. Is there anything she can’t do? The plot of the movie was just okay, but the music is absolutely incredible. I’m living for this age of more frequent musical movies.

T.V. shows

I really enjoyed the new seasons of Shameless and RuPaul’s Drag Race, both of which I’ve been watching for a few years now. In fact, I just saw Alyssa Edwards live a few days ago!

• Anything and everything Louis Thereoux: I didn’t get around to watching many documentaries this year (although I did really enjoy one on a cancer-scandal-turned-murder of Gypsy Rose Blancharde), Louis Thereoux never lets me down. His new altered states was very thorough and vulnerable, dealing with issues of life, love and death. The assisted suicide episode had me in ugly tears.
• Jack Whitehall: Live: Now, I’m not usually one for stand-up comedy specials, but I really enjoyed this one! I watched the show Fresh Meat last year and discovered my love for Jack Whitehall and his humor.
• The Good Place: I cannot sing my praises for this show enough. I’ve really been enjoying keeping up with the new season and can’t wait to see what happens next.

Photo by whereslugo.