My top 10 non-movie things of 2023

Let's talk TV, books and music

And, here we are. I’ve counted down my favorite movies of the year, as well as 10 runners up. Now, it’s time to focus on other media. 

Movies tend to be my primary passion, but as any healthy media consumer, I also have a healthy diet of TV, books and music. I read nearly 40 books this year, but I’ll admit that my TV viewing was way down. And, to be honest, this list is light on music because that’s probably the art form about which I feel least confident writing (also, like many others, my music diet still consists largely of music from my teenage years and early twenties). 

I always love putting this list together because, even more than movies – which I keep a running tally of throughout the year – it really makes me stop and appreciate the breadth and depth of quality released this year (or things that were new to me). One thing I look forward to as the year comes to a close and 2024 approaches is that now I’ll be able to pull back the throttle on movie watching and get back to my TV viewing and reading. There’s a lot of good stuff on here, and I’m happy to share it with you all. 

Just a programming note before we get into the list: Unless inspiration strikes and I decide to do a Christmas-centric post, this will probably be my last newsletter until closer to the new year. I want to spend the next few weeks enjoying the holiday preparations and activities with my family, and then take some time away from writing and social media in the last week of the year. If I don’t write, I hope you all have a wonderful and restful holiday season and enjoy your time with family and friends (there will, however, be some reviews posting over at CinemaNerdz).

And now, let’s count this year out with my thoughts on the best books, TV and music of 2023. 

The Bear, season 2 (Hulu) 

It’s quite possible that this sophomore season of The Bear was the best thing I watched all year, regardless of medium. Christopher Storer’s drama-comedy about the Chicago culinary scene built on its tense but emotionally involving debut season to become something even more beautiful and deep about the cost of excellence and the joy of collaborative creation. Moving on from a season that focused on Carmy (an excellent James Allen White) trying to keep the family sandwich shop afloat, these episodes focused on the lead-up to Carmy opening a trendy new restaurant in downtown Chicago. A beautiful ode to creativity and partnership as well as a fraught and at times emotionally rending family drama (that Christmas episode is the most intense of the year), The Bear continues to be powered by empathetic writing and television’s best ensemble. And it knows when to quiet down and focus; episode 7, in which the prickly Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) finds his purpose by shadowing at a fine dining establishment, is bar-none the best episode of TV all year.

The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King 

Regular readers of this list know that over the past few years, Stephen King’s Dark Tower series has made regular appearances. I purchased the entire series during the pandemic and have been slowly making my way through them – not because they’re difficult reads, but because I want to savor them. This year, I started with Wizard and Glass and then read the next book, Wolves of the Calla, over the summer. Truthfully, either two could be on this list – Wizard and Glass is one of the most beautiful and tragic stories King’s ever crafted, and Wolves is the great, rollicking adventure for the Ka-Tet that we’ve been waiting for since Drawing of the Three. I might slightly prefer Wolves only because I love the high adventure and the meta twists — including appearances from the world of Harry Potter as well as hints toward King’s own existence in this universe. I only have two books left, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store, even as I don’t want it to end. I love these characters and this world. 

Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino 

A few years back, Quentin Tarantino wrote a novel based on his film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood…, and while I found it entertaining, I thought the story and characters were the least interesting aspect and I had more enjoyment from his digressions into film history. It made me wish Tarantino would just write a book of criticism. Well, my wish came true with this hugely entertaining read, a work that’s part criticism, part film history and part memoir from the writer-director. Couple that with Tarantino’s unmistakable voice and interests, and you can probably guess what’s in store. Heavy on B-movies and odes to the auteur’s favorite writers and directors – with an entertaining side trip wondering what would have happened had Brian de Palma directed Taxi Driver – it’s a must-read for film nerds, and proof that if Tarantino does, indeed, retire after his tenth film, he’ll still be capable of turning out great work in other media. 

Beef (Netflix) 

Road rage spins deliriously out of control in this tense, funny and surprisingly moving Netflix series, featuring great performances from Ali Wong and Steven Yeun. What begins as an immature act of aggression spirals into a story of revenge, failure, insecurity and a culture that seems bent on turning us all crazy. Funny and shocking while also containing some of the most powerful storytelling about grace, forgiveness and loving your enemies that I’ve seen, it’s a powerful and masterfully acted show that I won’t soon forget.

 

Find a Way Home by MxPx

After my first listen, I thought the latest album from the pop-punk group was just a fun lark. But, as the months went on, I found myself returning to it over and again. It became my soundtrack at the gym and great driving music. MxPx has been doing this for awhile, but Find a Way Home finds them comfortably in middle age, looking back in gratefulness and joy. “This is What You Told Me” is a great anthem for my drive time, “Cautious Optimistic” is a fun bop about neuroses, and “Stay Up All Night” is a fantastic and energetic ode to loyalty. Dad rock never sounded so good. 

Poker Face (Peacock) 

After delivering one of last year’s most enjoyable mystery movies with Netflix’s Glass Onion, Rian Johnson produced this Natasha Lyonne-starring love letter to episodic capers. Lyonne is great fun as Charlie Cale, a drifter whose superpower is that she can always tell if someone’s lying. This comes in handy as she heads from town to town, stumbling upon crimes and getting involved. The episodic structure allows for some fantastic guest stars – including Adrien Brody, Judith Light, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tim Meadows, Nick Nolte and more – and the writers and directors keep the tone and structure fresh. By turns violent, funny and shocking, it was a great weekly pleasure and one of my favorite ways to decompress in the evenings last winter. 

Opposable Thumbs by Matt Singer 

I’ve been able to make a nice hobby out of reviewing films for nearly 20 years now, and none of that would have been possible without Roger Ebert. A friend turned me on to his reviews in college, and he provided an education in understanding and writing about films through his website. I’ve read hundreds of his reviews, consumed his memoir in written and documentary forms, and even listened to a podcast series about the Siskel & Ebert TV show just a few years back. There should be nothing new here. But Matt Singer’s book, which discusses the origins and history of Ebert’s partnership with Gene Siskel, constantly surprised me, informed me and made me laugh. The book is an obvious labor of love. It hits the necessary points – how the competitors became collaborators, the debate over the “thumbs up” method of criticism, Siskel’s death and its impact on the show – but it also spins off in some wonderful digressions, including a chapter about their talk show appearances, information about a (thankfully?) aborted sitcom about the duo, and even their failed attempts to create a pizza. It’s a wonderful tribute to both critics – and it gave me a new appreciation for Siskel – and my only complaint is it was over too soon. 

Kind of a Big Deal by Saul Austerlitz 

As you can probably tell by the list thus far, books about movies made up a lot of my reading diet this year (I also could have included Wild and Crazy Guys and The Last Action Heroes, both wonderful books by Nick de Semlyen). But I have special love for this book by Austerlitz, which is a long study of Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy that not only details the film’s making but delves into its themes and discusses its impact on American comedy. My guess is this book is most appropriate for people who, like me, are megafans of Will Ferrell’s news anchor/jazz flute impresario. But even casual fans might appreciate how Austerlitz examines this silly’s film’s place in changing American comedy and treats it as an important piece of satire about the American news landscape and the country’s gender divide. By the beard of Zeus, this is a great book. 

Caves (Needtobreathe) 

Needtobreathe has been around for about two decades now, but they keep surprising me. They’re an insanely prolific band – Caves is their third studio album in as many years – and yet their brand of Southern rock is always fresh, energetic and refreshingly deep. Caves is a great follow up to Into the Mystery, and I particularly love their collaboration with Judah and the Lion, “Dreams.” A highlight of this year was heading out to Grand Rapids with my wife to see the two bands play and perform it live. 

Analog Church by Jay Y. Kim 

I haven’t delved much into my faith this year – something I’d like to write about more in 2024 – but it’s been a year of changes. We’d been attending an Evangelical Presbyterian church for the last two years because my wife worked there, but it’s probably no surprise to say that cultural events of the last five years or so had made me begin to sour on evangelicalism. When my wife’s tenure at that job ended this summer, we made the move to an Anglican church, which is farther away from the evangelical and Baptist settings in which I grew up. It would seem surprising to me, except that earlier this year I read Kim’s book, which explores some of the ways digital and new media have hampered our spiritual experiences and worship gatherings. I didn’t know it then, but it was the latest part of a years-long process of making me dissatisfied with performative, cultural Christianity and yearn for practices that were a bit more ancient, embodied and tangible. Kim’s book put to words a lot of the distaste I have for modern worship and megachurches, and I think it helped me approach our new church setting with a sense of curiosity and openness, whereas just a few years ago, I would have largely felt uncomfortable. Kim’s newest book, Analog Christian, is also worth a look, a comparison about how our digital culture tends to form us in ways that are at odds with the fruit of the Spirit the New Testament talks about.