You Are Spring

I am glad to have experienced art in its many forms in 2024. A little late but here are my recommendations with fewer words and more ratings across different formats. None of these recommendations are ranked.

Top 5 films that I watched in

1. The Substance (dir. Coralie Fargeat): Absolute cinema with one of its kind performances.
2. Joyland (dir. Saim Sadiq): Turned me into an ocean of emotions.
3. Anatomy of a Fall (dir. Justine Triet): That monologue is going down in history.
4. Taste of Cherry (dir. Abbas Kiarostami): Makes you want to live.
5. Perfect Days (dir. Wim Wenders): Retirement goals. Reminds me of when Joan Didion said, “Well, every day is all there is.”

Special mentions: The Boy and The Heron, Kokomo City, and How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies

Top 5 animes that I watched

1. Monster: One of the most brilliantly told and beautifully animated fiction pieces.
2. Mob Psycho 100 (Season 3): Arataka Reigen, you are a hero!
3. Haikyu!!: Friendship, hard work, failure, resilience, joy, and sorrow all in one.
4. Banana Fish: Makes you want to pull your hair out.
5. Hell’s Paradise: Gorgeous animation.

Top 5 books that I have read

1. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin
2. The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone, by Olivia Laing
3. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, by Jeanette Winterson
4. Minor Detail, by Adania Shibli
5. I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman

Top 5 poems I read

1. What Begins, by Danusha Laméris
2. Tea, by Leila Chatti
3. Failing and Fling, by Jack Gilbert
4. Mirror, by Rita Dove
5. Don’t Hesitate, by Mary Oliver

Top 3 short stories that I read

1. Snare by Bora Chung
2. The Head by Bora Chung
3. The Door Between Us by Mieko Kawakami

Other than the above, I also enjoyed watching the TV shows, Say Nothing and The Bear S3 by FX. The Penguin was one of the best TV shows that I have watched in a long, long time. I loved this video by Looking at Life with Dee, this Ted Talk by Brené Brown, and this one by Daniel Mackler. I am not an avid TV show and YouTube watcher so my recommendations here are limited.

That’s all for my recommendations for 2024! Looking forward to experiencing more art in 2025.