2025 in Rearview (Pages and Stages)

There were three goals I had rolling into 2025. Watch more movies, read more books, attend more live shows. It was my hope to keep myself distracted so the news of the real world didn’t drain my already weary soul. I succeeded. I watched more movies last year than I have in a long time. Books and performances on the other hand … Technically I did it. While I didn’t read as many books or go to as many concerts as I would like, I did more in both categories than in the year (years?) prior.

As with the movies, I ranked them in two separate lists for you to enjoy. Solely objective, completely opinionated, and set in wet concrete. With a solid enough argument, I could change my mind. Should you want details of any of my choices below, all you need to do is ask.

Watching Evil Dead: Unlocking the Radiant Artist Within (2025) 10/10

A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn (1980, revised in 2003) 9/10

Hip-Hop Is History by Questlove (2024) 8.5/10

UnClobber by Colby Martin (2016) 8.5/10

Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams (2004) 8/10

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie (2025) 8/10

Eruption by Michael Crichton and James Patterson (2024) 6.5/10

We Ate the Dark by Mallory Pearson (2024) 0.5/10

Georgia Warder / Andrew Rivers / Steve Hofstetter (Comedy) 10/10

Puddles Pity Party / Weird Al (Music) 10/10

Gabrielle Grace / Joseph (Music) 10/10

Adam Conover (Comedy) 10/10

Heather Shaw (Comedy) 9/10

Amos Gill (Comedy) 8.5/10

Nonpoint / POD / Seether (Music) 7/10

While this quantity is an improvement over the year prior, I do hope to exceed 2025’s productivity in this new year. My wife and I are reading Dungeon Crawler Carl together and I’m reading Baby Teeth when I’m home alone. Maybe next year I’ll have more to look back upon.