Dan H
Designer & Developer
✦

2024: A Year in Books, Beats, and Binges

Looking back on 2024, it’s clear this was a year of indulgence—whether that meant getting lost in grim yet gripping books, discovering new musical obsessions, or ugly crying in the theater over a robot. From revisiting big-hit games (finally beating Elden Ring, thank you very much) to binging standout TV like Succession, I embraced escapism in all its forms. Here’s a rundown of the stories, sounds, and screens that stuck with me this year. Did any of these make your list too? Let’s compare notes!

Favorite reads:

Between Two Fires

Hands down, my favorite book of the year. It’s one of those stories that worms its way into your head and refuses to leave. Grim and disturbing, sure, but there’s something about it that lingers in a way I couldn’t shake. I even wanted to revisit it several times, though I held off to explore other books. Still, it’s stuck with me like few others have.

Other 5-Star Books That Hit Me Hard This Year:

Music on repeat:

Eternal Sunshine - Ariana Grande

This one surprised me. I hadn’t listened to much Ariana before, but I gave this album a solid go the day it dropped—and wow, did it grab me. I ended up listening to it front to back five more times in just a few days. It became a constant soundtrack for me this year. Love, love, love.

Songs I Played Into the Ground This Year:

Top games:

Revisiting Elden Ring (& Shadow of the Erdtree)

This year, I finally went back and beat Elden Ring. I'd stalled out at the Fire Giant on my first attempt, but this time, I powered through. Shortly after, Shadow of the Erdtree dropped. I jumped in, got about 10% through, and—true to form—abruptly stopped. Not because it wasn’t great (it is!), but because I’m hopeless at actually finishing games. Maybe I’ll wrap it up in a couple of years.

Other Gaming Highlights:

Favorite TV & Movies:

Crying Over The Wild Robot

I ugly cried in the theater during this one—like, embarrassingly so. The animation, the score, the story—everything hit me hard. Part of me was emotional because of the plot itself, but a bigger part was just overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work and passion that clearly went into it. It’s one of those films where you sit back and think, “Wow, humans made this.” Beautiful, through and through.

Other Movies That Hit the Mark:

TV: The Year of Bingeing
We didn’t hop around a ton of shows this year. Instead, we just sank our teeth into a few and went all in. For All Mankindand Succession were the big winners in our house.

"You can't make a Tomlette without cracking a few Gregs."

Shows We Loved:

That’s All, Folks!

Thanks for checking out my list. Did we share any favorites this year? Let me know in the comments—or wherever this post ends up in the fragmented social media chaos we’re all navigating.

Here’s to hoping 2025 brings us all plenty of escapism. Cheers!