Another year has come and gone, and as always, I have spent it having opinions. It's no secret if you know me that I think all people should share their favorites at the end of each year, just as Obama does unprompted every December. I've shared my favorite books online for the past couple of years, but this year I decided to expand.
My favorite books aren't the only things you did not ask for that I plan to make your problem. I also have favorites in other media, in travel and dining, in miscellaneous life — and I want to discuss them. I want you to read these because I do think I have good taste that you might enjoy (and because I'm clinically addicted to attention), but most of all I share because I want to yap. Did you read or watch or consume something on this list? Is there something here you think is insane? It would delight me if you reached out to chat about it. These are my Las Culturistas Culture Awards, and you are my readers, Kayteighs, publicists, and finalists — but also my friends.
Read on for my favorite and best things of the year. Catch you in the next one!
Best Books
Bright Young Women, by Jessica Knoll
The Guest, by Emma Cline
Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier
Manacled, by SenLinYu
The Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman
This was a slow reading year for me, but this is my small, un-ordered group of five-star books. A warning: Manacled is a novel-length Harry Potter fan fiction decidedly for adults only; do not attempt unless you are ready for the amount of freak that that entails. An endorsement: The Guest is the second Emma Cline that's earned an immediate five stars from me (the other being her debut, The Girls); I highly recommend either. A lament: Yes, it bothers me that Richard Osman here ruins my streak of almost never recommending books by men.
Best Film & TV
Sinners
The Hunting Wives
Taskmaster
In order, these are: 1) the best movie of the year and it's not close (two very sexy Michael B. Jordans! spooky stuff! important musical motif!); 2) a terrible, delightfully gay red-state murder drama whose second season I EAGERLY await; and 3) a British celebrity game show, available for free on YouTube in its entirety, which Patrick and I became obsessed with this year — and which strangely also involves Richard Osman.
Best Restaurants
Il Carciofo, Chicago
Tre Dita, Chicago
Creepies, Chicago
Fore Street, Portland, Maine
Dish That's Been GOATed This Year When Restaurant Dessert is the Vibe
Ice cream / gelato / sorbet.
I generally think of myself as someone who prefers cake or other baked goods when choosing dessert out at a restaurant, but this year I have been on a hot streak of ordering just wittle baby ice creams. I've had a peach sorbet that was delicious; a gianduja gelato that tastes exactly like Sycamore chocolate custard (that was at Il Carciofo and you should go get it); a delightfully cozy spiced apple cider sorbet; a baguette-flavored soft serve...the possibilities are endless. I cannot recommend enough that you go out to eat and tell the server at the end, "Can I just do the [little frozen treat]?" So dainty. So good.
Best Hotel
Casa de Sierra Nevada, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Most Adorable Airport
Savannah-Hilton Head Island
Songs from Eurovision You Should Really Be Listening To
"Hallucination," from Denmark
"Baller," from Germany
"Bara Bada Bastu," from Sweden
"Espresso Macchiato," from Estonia
The first two of these are unironic bangers. "Hallucination" is a great enough pop song that I listen to it alongside the other pop girlies as if it is not from Eurovision at all, and "Baller" is essentially Berghain techno music for people raised on Radio Disney (read: me).
The latter two of these are Eurovision comedy songs for the ages. "Espresso Macchiato" is even mostly in English! Just trust me and go listen to them.
Worst Day of the Year
The day when my local Italian deli got evicted. Those paisans not paying their rent is RUINING MY LIFE.
Best Day of the Year
Chicago pope day. Duh.
Best Chicago-Area Hospital Amenity
The robot smoothie vending machine in general surgery waiting at UChicago.
I am something of an expert in this niche field by now, and trust me, the coolest visitor-facing item in any Chicago hospital is the machine at UChicago where you can command a robot to make you a smoothie in front of your eyes. It takes an uncomfortably long time, but you're in surgery waiting — what else do you have to do?
Best Thing to Spend $15 On
Fancy chocolate bars that really should only cost $5 but which you will happily pay triple that for, because you deserve a little treat. My personal favorites are "Block Party Brownie" by the excellent Seattle-based chocolate company Maeve, and "Butter Biscuit" by Meurisse. They're Belgian and almost 200 years old. Really I should be paying them even more!
Best Place to Say That You Are Going
The fishmonger.
There's a great independent fishmonger in our neighborhood, and I never feel like more of a pretentious nightmare (positive) than when I am talking about shopping there. I have actually shopped there a total of two times, but my God, what a rush it is to say you're thinking of stopping by the fishmonger once or twice a week. So unnecessary. So Nordic. You must go — or at least talk about it.
Young People Things That Maybe I'll Get Into Next Year
Funky little pimple patches
K-Pop Demon Hunters
Young People Thing That I'm Glad We're All Leaving Behind
Labubus.
That's all, folks. Happy new year!
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