Not another "I read X dozen books" list
because no media is better than any other!
š¤I always find it so interesting that when the end of the year hits, I see MANY people I know posting āhow many books I readā or ābest books of the yearā lists. But the only people I see posting a top 10 TV, Music, Movie, or Video game lists are those who work in those industries.
š This year, I think I read at most 10 books in their entirety, which is nothing compared to many people. Three were Young Adult, several were non-fiction, and most of my time was taken up by reading my own book over and over to edit, proofread, and record the audio book. Almost all the books I read this year were āmehā (for me personally). The worst video game I played this year was better than almost every book I read. The best movie I saw this year was more formative and moving than most books Iāve read in recent years.
šThereās no right or wrong way to read, and thereās no right or wrong way to consume media either. If youāre in an era of life in which reading is more feasible and you enjoy it, thatās absolutely something to celebrate! And to be clear- there is NO right way to consume a book. Audiobook, graphic novel, ebook, physical book, itās all reading and all books are ārealā books.
š« But reading isnāt everyoneās jam, thatās ok, and some years the books donāt stack up much compared to other media in our lives.
šµāš«Sometimes, we consume media that shows us the realities going on in the world so that we will hear a differing perspective and witness the horrors occurring during our lifetime. Other times, we consume media that reminds us of the beauty and joys of the world because the horrors we are witnessing are making us nihilistic.
And sometimes, we consume media that is warm, familiar, comforting, or distracting, because we need a break from it all. None of that is better or worse than the other, and neither is the format.
What was your favorite media that you consumed this year, book or otherwise?
I am an AVID reader, of blogs, articles as well as books, and as much as I would like to have an intellectual answer here, my absolute Favourite piece of media has been the Dragonoak series by Sam Farren, just delightful world building and characters.
I'm also loving the knitting podcast by One Wild Designs, which I have just discovered and am working my way through previous episodes
Honestly, I loved your book. I wouldnāt actually call myself a massive book fan, Iām more of a blog/article reader. But I have written top books lists, mainly because I want to help families find more information in our ānicheā area of PDA. Iām more of a music listener than a book reader, and am not much of a gamer, but my daughters are! Love this post, youāve definitely given me an idea for the new year :) Happy 2026 to you when it comes!