In review
The one about 2025.
Last week, I wrote about how a small goal of mine from this year turned out to be a bigger lesson than I could have initially imagined, which you can read here if you missed it in the holiday shuffle:
In the words of my friend Meg, “Who knew the topic of beans could yield such a lovely essay?!”
As a companion to that piece, today I’m sharing more of the specifics that made this year special for me, specifically some lessons learned and standout tv, music, and books that provided endless inspiration. Hopefully you’re not sick of these recaps by now!
General life philosophies
Creativity
Some things I did this year that really helped jumpstart my creativity: go to writers’ groups, meet up with friends for one-on-one writing sessions, submit to a book contest, meditate before sitting down to write, go on a long walk to sit by the water, and have a book about creativity/art/writing going at all times. On days when I felt foggy and uninteresting, reading a few pages could help unblock my brain.
In Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague, every director Jean-Luc Godard encounters gives him endless advice as he embarks on making his first film, Breathless. Jean-Pierre Melville is no exception, droning on with his pithiest tips, though he winkingly ends his set visit with, “Feel free to ignore what I’ve said. That’s what advice is for.” There’s a time and a place for listening to others, but Linklater’s telling us to not take what others say so personally, especially if you have a strong vision. Breathless looks like a mess on set but turns out to be a masterpiece in the end.
Relationships
Getting the dinner reservation and then asking if friends are free is something I only started doing later on in the year, but it’s been such a hit. Instead of coordinating endless logistics and schedules, this is a simple question to friends asking if they can make it on a certain night. Like how boundaries make toddlers feel safe and secure, I think a dinner reservation does the same for adults.
It’s so easy to get caught up in rushing through our days, from one activity to the next, or one article or video to another. When I did a digital detox in August, there were so many more hours in the day to fill than I’d previously had. Maybe it sounds silly but I realized when I stepped back from my computer and phone how many times a day I was walking past my dog without giving him a little pet. There were so many opportunities for connection I was missing because I wasn’t paying attention. Now that I’m giving him some attention every time I turn to him, I feel so much closer to him and more attuned to his needs. Somewhere in here is a lesson that applies to all relationships more broadly.
Health
Eating more fiber (I know I know I’m sorry!) transformed my anxiety. I read once there’s a theory of panic attack disorder as a catastrophic misunderstanding of normal bodily functions. It might be normal to feel too full occasionally or to feel lightheaded at times, but you bring on the panic by not accepting it as part of your body’s functions. This makes total sense then for why increasing my fiber intake helped calm a lot of my anxiety. I felt full before I could overeat, my digestion felt smoother, and all around I felt calmer and more settled.
I have a love/hate relationship with lurking on Reddit, but I have to admit that crowdsourcing health questions on niche subreddits helped me be more prepared at the doctor’s office and find relief, both from tangible tips on what to do differently and understanding that no matter what you’re going through, someone else feels the same way. I’ve become addicted to typing in “[random symptom] + reddit” on google and finding the answers to all my problems (mostly).
Having a little heating pad, as a treat. Nothing motivated me more this year to answer emails, finish essays, or respond to texts than when I told myself I could be cozy under a blanket with my heating pad instead of freezing at my desk.
Home
Becoming a white board household is maybe inevitable when you move in with your partner, but I resisted for a while. Joke’s on me, though, because it turns out it’s so satisfying to see what’s in the fridge, what we need to buy, what quick meals can be made from the freezer. (I also became a freezer evangelical this year, but I’ll spare you the details.)
Allison Bornstein’s closet editing method, which says to take a specific pile of clothes you don’t know how to wear and then figure out new ways to style them with what you already have. I have a whole new mindset on what I already own and only grabbed a few new pieces to round it all out. You don’t need to change everything or totally start fresh in order to get a new perspective.
A return to TV
Since leaving the television industry, I’ve watched very little new TV, instead opting mostly for reruns of old comfort shows or vlogs/cooking content online. But in 2025, sick of the low effort and low value content I was watching online, I started seeking out shows that were well-produced and meaningful.
Dickinson on Apple TV has been cancelled for a few years now, but it rekindled something deep within me. The show blends a period piece with modern music and dialogue, which feels cheesy at first before relaxing into an exploration of creativity, societal expectations, and privilege. It’s been months since I watched, but the final scene of the series still sticks with me in quiet moments when I’m writing.
Honorable mentions for Pluribus, Celebrity Traitors UK, and Real Housewives for also keeping me going this year. All rich texts in their own ways.
Small note for movies: after letting my Alamo season pass expire at the beginning of the year, I wasn’t as inspired to keep up with new movie releases. I think Nosferatu and Highest 2 Lowest were the only two I saw in theaters this year! Shameful. I still want to see Sentimental Value and Blue Moon, though. What else did I miss that you loved?
I didn’t watch a ton at home either, but I did love Ikiru (1956) and A New Leaf (1971). Maybe it’s the Dennis the Menace lover in me, but I still think Walter Matthau was one of the funniest actors ever.
Music on repeat
I listened to surprisingly little music on streaming services all year, something like an hour per week compared to an hour a day just a few years ago. Instead, I went raw dog on walks or played ASMR videos in the background while writing. This playlist contains all the songs I did reach for when I was in the mood, which is how you know they’re good. Listening back, it’s overwhelmingly dreamy, upbeat, full of pining and complex emotions that simmer under the surface.
Naturally, my favorite albums of the year included I quit by HAIM, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party by Hayley Williams, and Liquorice by Hatchie.
Standout books
One thing about me: I love being late to adopt new technology. This year, I finally got a Kindle and ended up reading more than ever thanks to the Libby app. I don’t find setting specific goals to be a helpful motivator, but it is cool to see that I read basically a book a week just by making it a point to try to read a little each day.
Of the 53 books I read, these are the 15 that have stuck with me all year.
Nonfiction that changed how I think
Immunity to Change by Lisa Lahey and Robert Kegan, for rethinking my resistance to certain tasks or behavioral changes.
Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman, for helping me see a new way television (and now social media) impacts our lives.
Shakespeare Was a Woman and Other Heresies by Elizabeth Winkler, for driving home how easily we can fool ourselves (and for giving my whole book club the ick on Shakespeare).
How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell, for reframing the modern internet and its relationship to capitalism.
What Art Does by Brian Eno and Bette A., for reassurance on the importance of art.
On Writing Well by William Zinsser, for an entire college writing degree in one book.
Memoir that made me cry
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes, for capturing the beauty, joy, and frustration of making a home in a new country.
There’s Always This Year by Hanif Abdurraqib, for seamlessly weaving together stories of home, sports, and hope. I don’t particularly care for basketball, but I did grow up in Ohio in the Lebron James era and felt particularly touched by the references here.
Fiction that I stayed up way too late to read
The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher, a book about seeing people and loving them for exactly who they are, even the less-than-savory bits.
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar, for pushing the boundaries of what fiction should and shouldn’t reveal about its characters and leaving us all wondering about what really happened at the end.
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, for the fast pace that sucks you into its vortex and spits you out again with a stomach in knots.
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino, for making all the aliens out there feel seen.
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne, for a sweeping narrative that shows how much can change in the course of a life.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, for tackling class, religion, morals, and even agriculture in a way that’s transcended centuries.
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney, for prose that challenges you and characters whose hypocrisies have you second-guessing what you thought you knew and valued.
This year, I also stopped rating books on a scale of 1-5 stars. You can read more about my book matrix philosophy here, if you’d like:
Most popular essays this year
The one that changed everything:
The one I almost didn’t publish:
The one about AI:
THANK YOU 🤧
This year Half Life grew from five subscribers I knew personally and half-bullied into subscribing into readers from around the world. Thank you for being here and reading, commenting, connecting, sharing. The internet can feel like such a weird, amorphous, nefarious place, but the connections here have made this year a thousand times better.
And please, share what you’ve loved and/or learned this year. I’d love to hear and add more to my queues!
See you in the new year!
A. The dinner reservations are everything. B. I’ll never be sick of your recaps.
I'm so glad to have found another Kindle reader! I tend to feel a little guilty for almost exclusively reading on Kindle, but the Libby app makes it so easy and the backlight and folding case mean I can read comfortably on my side in bed long after we turn out the beside lamps. I know it technically counts as another screen, but it really enables me to read more than I would otherwise. I'm definitely going to be adding some of your favorites you mentioned here to my TBR 🙌