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Two years ago, I started formally tracking what I read in a monthly post, originally called Book Notes until I quickly remembered that books aren’t the only media I enjoy, and renamed them Media Notes last year. Books, games, movies, TV — even notable sporting moments now and then — it’s a way for me to create an accessible archive for myself rather than splintering that effort across different platforms that come and go.

(I’m still mad at myself for prematurely nuking my Goodreads account a few years ago before exporting an archive, so I won’t ever be making that mistake again.)

2025 wasn’t a very good year on most counts, but it was actually pretty good for reading, playing, and watching things that entertained, enlightened, and even inspired me. Do we have similar tastes, or will you be questioning how we ever got connected? Let’s find out!

Favorite Books

NONFICTION

It was a great year for nonfiction, so instead of forcing a single favorite, I’m noting the two that had the most impact on me, at opposite ends of the calendar, both of which also earned their way onto my all-time favorites list.

Native Nations: A Millennium in North America by Kathleen DuVal

• I learned new things and clarified other things that I’d only been vaguely aware of, because this isn’t the history they teach in most schools. They should, of course, but that’s unlikely to happen anytime soon, so I highly recommend reading it for yourself! (Read in December 2025)

Dark PR: How Corporate Disinformation Harms Our Health and the Environment by Grant Ennis

• This hit my radar via Ennis’ appearance on The Wars on Cars podcast back in 2023 and was a Christmas 2024 gift that I immediately devoured. Similar to my 2024 favorite, Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Pérez, Ennis pulls back the curtain on a topic that seems obvious on the surface, but is so much more enraging the more you know about it. (Read in January 2025)

Honorable Mentions

• The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want by Emily M. Bender & Alex Hanna
• One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad

FICTION

Gaming and “prestige TV” have had the most impact on how much and what kinds of fiction I read these days (that doesn’t include pictures or a connection to Warhammer 40k), as a traditional novel has to be really exceptional to be anywhere near as engaging for me.

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, translated by Ros Schwartz

• A recommendation from my wife who randomly discovered it on TikTok like so many other people did last year, I went into it cold and was completely enthralled by Harpman’s premise, setting, and unapologetic approach to storytelling. Believe the hype! (Read in May 2025)

Honorable Mentions

• Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
• Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

COMICS & MANGA

I’ve separated these in the past, partly because I was still relatively new to manga, but I finally combined them on my physical bookshelves at the end of the year, so I’m doing it in my wrap-up, too, while still picking a favorite in each.

Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Octavia E. Butler, Damian Duffy, John Jennings

• I remember liking but not loving Butler’s original novel, and graphic adaptations aren’t usually my thing, but Duffy and Jennings actually make her story even stronger and more compelling. (Read in June 2025)

Goodnight Punpun, Vol. 1 by Inio Asano

• While I didn’t quite love the actual story itself, nor many of the characters, I was so fascinated by Asano’s weird, surreal, and extremely confident execution that I bought the remaining six volumes and have committed to reading them all. I have three volumes left and don’t regret it yet. (Read in September 2025)

Honorable Mentions

• The Library Mule of Córdoba by Wilfrid Lupano and Leonard Chemineau
• Lucas Wars: The True Story of George Lucas and the Creation of Star Wars by Laurent Hopman and Renaud Roche; translated by Jeremy Melloul
• Sensory: Life on the Spectrum, An Autistic Comics Anthology edited by Bex Ollerton

Games

2025 was a surprise transitional year as I became a PC-first gamer for the first time ever, shifting my focus from Xbox to Steam, and ending the year jumping between my PC and Steam Deck. If you’re a regular reader, you already know my game of the year, because along with mentioning it in several monthly updates, I even wrote two dedicated posts about it: one, two.

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (Steam/PC)

• Not only did I put 300+ hours into this game across two playthroughs, it was also the gateway to my finally becoming more engaged on Reddit, while putting me in a constant internal debate over whether or not I’ll ever actually paint a miniature. (I won’t. Probably…) That it’s very possible I’ll do a THIRD playthrough when the next DLC comes out later this year pretty much sums up how much I loved this game, though!

Honorable Mentions

• Grim Dawn (Steam/PC)
• Metaphor: ReFantazio (Xbox)
• Tactical Breach Wizards (Steam Deck)
• Wordplay (Steam Deck)

Movies & TV

It was a weird year for movies and tv — for me, at least. It takes a lot to get me into a theater these days, and if I’m not watching something on TV with my wife and/or son, I’m more likely to play a game or just go down a rabbit hole of personal interest on YouTube.

Sinners (IMAX & Blu-Ray)

• Not only did this get me into a theater, I also pre-ordered the Blu-Ray as soon as it was listed because it’s a keeper. Unlike a lot of popular horror movies that found mainstream success in recent years, it actually held up on a second viewing, and the extras are all worthwhile, too.

28 Years Later (Streaming)

• I did not expect to love this movie as much as I did, and there’s absolutely no reason for it to have been as good as it was. I definitely didn’t think it would end up being one of my favorite movies this year, but here we are.

Honorable Mentions

• Pluribus (Apple TV)
• Sandwiches of History (YouTube)
• There Will Be Blood (Streaming)

Your Notes?

Were any of these on your favorites list? Let me know and drop a link in the comments if you’ve posted yours. Some of you prefer email, which is cool, too. You do you!