Episode 205 - Favourite Reads (and Media) of 2024

 It’s episode 205 and time for us to talk about our favourite reads of 2024! We discuss fiction and non-fiction books we read for the podcast, plus comics, videos, music, and more!

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray 🦇 | Jam Edwards

Check out Hark! Jam's holiday music podcast!

Favourite Fiction

• For the podcast
  • Anna
    • The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence (Episode 200 - Library Fiction)
  • Jam
    • A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher (Episode 202 - A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking)
  • Matthew
    • The Sixth Gun Omnibus, vol. 1 by Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt, Bill Crabtree, and Tyler Crook (Episode 201 - Weird West)
  • Meghan
    • Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (Episode 203 - Dark Academia)
• Not for the podcast
  • Jam
    • Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman
  • Matthew
    • Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day: And Other Tales of the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard, narrated by Nicholas Guy Smith
  • Meghan
    • When Among Crows by Veronica Roth
  • Anna
    • Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
      • Trailer

Favourite Non-Fiction

• For the podcast
  • Matthew
    • I Am the Law: How Judge Dredd Predicted Our Future by Michael Molcher (Episode 195 - Pop(ular) Culture Non-Fiction)
  • Meghan
    • Telling It to the Judge: Taking Native History to Court by Arthur J. Ray (Episode 197 - Law & Legal Non-Fiction (for the layperson))
  • Anna
    • Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions by Valeria Luiselli (Episode 194 - Indie Publishers)
  • Jam
    • Why I Adopted My Husband: The True Story of a Gay Couple Seeking Legal Recognition in Japan by Yuta Yagi (Episode 192 - Non-Fiction Graphic Novels & Comics)
• Not for the podcast
  • Meghan
    • Secret Gardens by Jennifer Potter 
  • Anna
    • Bunker: Building for the End Times by Bradley Garrett
  • Jam
    • Slow AF Run Club: The Ultimate Guide for Anyone Who Wants to Run by Martinus Evans
  • Matthew
    • How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Other Favourite Things of 2024

• Anna
  • Cats
  • Buldak Cream Carbonara
  • Go Go Town!
• Jam
  • Diceomancer
  • “California” by Chappel Roan
  • Galway Food Tour
• Matthew
  • The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel by Jenny Nicholson
  • Giant Days by John Allison, Max Sarin, and Lissa Treiman
  • Spy x Family by Tetsuya Endo
    • Matthew talked about this and Giant Days in Episode 193 - Spring Media Update
  • Spy x Family / Designer Chairs
• Meghan
  • Living Small - Laura Fenton (series: Small Takes)
  • BBC: The Secret History of British Gardens with Monty Don
  • Dwell magazine

Runner-Ups

• Jam
  • Books for the podcast
    • Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (Episode 204 - Cozy Fantasy)
    • Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (Episode 189 - Romantic Comedies & Humorous Romance)
    • Any Other City by Hazel Jane Plante (Episode 194 - Indie Publishers)
  • Picture Books
    • I Won’t Give Up My Rubber Band by Shinsuke Yoshitake
    • 100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli by David LaRochelle
  • Games
    • Wingspan (both board & Switch Edition)
    • Crossword puzzles
  • Movies/TV/Video
    • Delicious in Dungeon
    • I Saw the TV Glow
    • Robot Dreams
    • Gastronauts
    • I Want to Tell You About My Favorite Fight Scene 
• Anna
  • River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey (Episode 201 - Weird West)
  • Kimiko Does Cancer by Kimiko Tobimatsu and Keet Geniza (Episode 192 - Non-Fiction Graphic Novels & Comics)
• Matthew
  • Comics (For series I’m linking to volume ones regardless of what volumes I read or how many I read this year.)
    • Astro City by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson
    • Blade Runner 2029 by Mike Johnson and Andres Guinaldo
    • Catwoman: Lonely City by Cliff Chiang
    • Do A Powerbomb! by Daniel Warren Johnson
    • Friday by Ed Brubaker, Marcos Martin, and Muntsa Vicente
    • Kit + The Wolf by John Allison
    • Lost Cat by Jason
    • Night Cry by Borja González
    • Orcs by Christine Larsen
    • Reckless, vol. 5: Follow Me Down by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
    • Silver by Stephan Franck
    • Of Thunder & Lightning by Kimberly Wang
    • Where The Body Was by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
  • Manga (For series I’m linking to volume ones regardless of what volumes I read or how many I read this year.)
    • A Cat from Our World and the Forgotten Witch by Hiro Kashiwaba
    • Akane-banashi by Yūki Suenaga and Takamasa Moue
    • Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo
    • Blue Period by Tsubasa Yamaguchi
    • Dementia 21 by Shintaro Kago
    • The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All by Sumiko Arai
    • Heavenly Delusion by Masakazu Ishiguro
    • I’m a Terminal Cancer Patient, but I’m Fine by Hilnama
    • Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service by Eiji Otsuka and Housui Yamazaki
    • Mimi’s Tales of Terror by Junji Ito, Hirokatsu Kihara, and Ichiro Nakayama
    • Okinawa by Susumu Higa
    • Seven Little Sons of the Dragon by Ryoko Kui
    • Sketchy by Makihirochi
    • Soara and the House of Monsters by Hidenori Yamaji
  • Books
    • Fiction
      • A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
      • New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction By People of Color edited by Nisi Shawl
      • Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
      • Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian
        • Episode 201 - Weird West
      • Tales of the Tattooed: An Anthology of Ink edited by John Miller
      • Unauthorized Bread by Cory Doctorow
      • Your Mind Is a Terrible Thing by Hailey Piper
      • We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang
    • Non-Fiction
      • Anime: A History, 2nd edition by Jonathan Clements
      • Media Law Through Science Fiction: Do Androids Dream of Electric Free Speech? by Daxton Stewart
        • Episode 197 - Law & Legal Non-Fiction (for the layperson)
      • Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World by Anand Giridharadas
      • Poisoned Chalice: The Extremely Long and Incredibly Complex Story of Marvelman by Pádraig Ó Méalóid
        • Episode 195 - Pop(ular) Culture Non-Fiction
      • The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket by Benjamin Lorr
        • Episode 199 - Summer Media Update
  • Video Essays
    • Alpha Protocol Retrospective | An Extremely Comprehensive Critique and History
    • Reform!
    • X Men Video Game Retrospective | A Complete History and Review 
    • DB2024 - The Taco Bell "Wedding" in Decentraland
      • The Future is a Dead Mall - Decentraland and the Metaverse
    • The Great Game: The Making of Spycraft
    • The Bizarre World of Fake Video Games
• Meghan
  • French
    • Balcons by Marianne Brisebois (contemporary fiction)
    • Cariacou by Olivier Lussier (poetry, prose)
    • La véritable histoire de la maison mobile des Miller by Dave Eggers (childrens, illustrated)
  • Fiction
    • The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir (horror, translated)
    • Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (cosy fantasy, series)
    • The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (supernatural)
    • The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (time travel)
    • The Gathering by C.J. Tudor (horror, vampires)
    • Bride by Ali Hazelwood (supernatural romance)
    • The Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff (horror, series)
    • Any Other City by Hazel Jane Plante (contemporary)
    • Frontier by Grace Curtis (scifi, western)
    • Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang (horror)
    • The Gray House by Mariam Petrosyan (weird, translated, series)
    • The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes (scifi, spy thriller)
    • Roaming by Jillian Tamaki by Mariko Tamaki (graphic novel, new adult)
  • Nonfiction
    • Instructions for Travelling West by Joy Sullivan (poetry)
    • Island Home: a Landscape memoir by Tim Winton (essays, memoir, Australian)
    • Yardwork: A Biography of an Urban Place by Daniel Coleman (essays, history, Canadian)

Occult/Mysticism/New Age books by BIPOC Authors:

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

• The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge by Carlos Castaneda
• The Living Tarot: Connecting the Cards to Everyday Life for Better Readings by T. Susan Chang
• The Man Who Could Move Clouds by Ingrid Rojas Contreras
• Orishas, Goddesses, and Voodoo Queens: The Divine Feminine in the African Religious Traditions by Lilith Dorsey
• You Are the Medicine: 13 Moons of Indigenous Wisdom, Ancestral Connection, and Animal Spirit Guidance by Asha Frost
• Inner Witch: A Modern Guide to the Ancient Craft by Gabriela Herstik
• Postcolonial Astrology: Reading the Planets through Capital, Power, and Labor by Alice Sparkly Kat
• The Power Wish: Japan's Leading Astrologer Reveals the Moon's Secrets for Finding Success, Happiness, and the Favor of the Universe by Keiko
• Spell Bound: a New Witch's Guide to Crafting the Future by Chaweon Koo
• Spirit Talker: Indigenous Stories and Teachings from a Mikmaq Psychic Medium by Shawn Leonard
• Blood Sex Magic: Everyday Magic for the Modern Mystic by Bri Luna
• Red Tarot: A Decolonial Guide to Divinatory Literacy by Chris Marmolejo
• Brujas: The Magic and Power of Witches of Color by Lorraine Monteagut
• Next World Tarot: Pocket Edition by Cristy C. Road
• The Mexican Witch Lifestyle: Brujeria Spells, Tarot, and Crystal Magic by Valeria Ruelas
• The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz
• Crystal Clear: Reflections on Extraordinary Talismans For Everyday Life by Jaya Saxena
• Enchantments: A Modern Witch's Guide to Self-Possession by Mya Spalter
• Signs & Skymates: the Ultimate Guide to Astrological Compatibility by Dossé-Via Trenou
• White Magic by Elissa Washuta
• Tarot of the Divine Handbook: A Guide to Understanding Tarot Symbolism by Yoshi Yoshitani

Give us feedback!

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Join us again on Tuesday, January 7th we’ll be discussing the genre of Cultural Studies!

Then on Tuesday, February 4th we’ll be talking about the genre of Monster Romance!