2025 Media Roundup
my top books, tunes, and creators of 2025
Please pretend that I released this in January! Life got away from me. Without further ado, I deliver to you my top books, music, and creators of 2025! Please enjoy!
Top Books
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
In my favorite nonfiction read of the year, pro-bono death row attorney Bryan Stevenson recounts the many cases he tirelessly worked to get innocent Black men, women, and children freed from death row. Within these stories, he examines the racist history of the American justice system and the many ways this country has used policing and prisons as our primary tool for dealing with poor, homeless, mentally disabled, and vulnerable children, women, and men instead of creating systems that actually help them.
In the introduction, Stevenson writes, “This book is about getting closer to mass incarceration and extreme punishment in America. It is about how easily we condemn people in this country and the injustice we create when we allow fear, anger, and distance to shape the most vulnerable among us.”
This book should be required reading for anyone interested in American history, police reform, and social justice, and I cannot recommend it more highly.
They’re Going to Love You by Meg Howrey
I made the strange choice to pick this as my vacation beach read in Punta Cana, and despite it not being a beach read whatsoever, it did become my favorite book of the year and perhaps one of my favorites of all time! (I DID sob while reading this on the flight home lol)
They’re Going to Love You tells the life story of Carlisle Martin. It is set in the professional ballet world and alternates between the backdrop of NYC during the height of the AIDS crisis and modern-day LA. This beautiful novel asks what it takes to be an artist in America and the price of forgiveness, familial loyalty, and love. I can’t describe the plot without giving a lot away, so please trust me when I say you need to read this book!
Great Black Hope by Rob Franklin
In Rob Franklin’s debut novel, a young, wealthy Black man is arrested and charged on Labor Day weekend in the Hamptons for cocaine possession. Forced into the justice system while mourning the recent, mysterious death of his socialite best friend, Smith finds himself in a strange position: his class protects him but his race does not. Franklin expertly depicts Smith’s journey through the NYC nightlife scene, courtroom dramas, and Atlanta’s Black society in this fantastic coming of age novel.
I read this excellent book in my book club (thank you Eli Rallo and the Prose Hoes!), and I was hooked from the first chapter! Franklin’s prose is beautiful, funny, and razor sharp, and I cannot wait to read whatever he publishes next. A new auto-buy author!
The Women by Kristin Hannah
This was the very last book I finished in 2025 (literally finished on Dec 31!), and it might just be one of the best books I’ve ever read! The Women tells the story of Frankie, a bright-eyed nursing grad who enlists in the Vietnam War to serve as a nurse.
This phenomenal book explores untreated PTSD, the misogyny that Vietnam vet nurses experienced, and the nuances of serving in a war and for a country that you no longer believe in. I cannot recommend this devastating, gripping novel enough!
Hat Trick by Chelsea Curto
Riley Mitchell, the man that you are!! I couldn’t compile a list of my favorite books of the year without a fluffy romance book because I am nothing if not committed to my brand.
Chelsea Curto’s D.C. Stars series is a delightful collection of spicy hockey romance books that makes me maybe believe in love? (Jury’s still out on that in my actual life!)
Her fourth installment, Hat Trick, tells the love story of the team’s athletic trainer Lexi Armstrong and professional hockey player Riley Mitchell as he is rehabilitated after losing a leg in a car accident. This funny, emotional, sexy read is perfect for getting you out of any reading slump, and I also highly recommend the rest of the books in this series!
My Top Album, Artist, & Playlists
BRAT by Charli XCX
I’ve been bumping that since BRAT dropped in 2024, but I returned to the album with a vengeance after the life of a boring, billionaire showgirl came out and shaded my girl Charli!
Thank you Charli XCX for reminding the world that songs with excellent lyrics about running out of time, insecurity, and the stickiness of female friendship can exist on the same banger album as songs about partying! Women DO contain multitudes.
Anyway, go stream sympathy is a knife a million times like I have!
Olivia Dean’s Discography
In 2025, I became an Olivia Dean stan, and my only regret is not listening to her incredible music sooner! She genuinely has a perfect song for every possible emotion, from falling in love to choosing yourself to outgrowing relationships to familial love.
After her Art of Loving album went viral on TikTok, I became obsessed with every song she has ever released, and I hyper-fixated on nearly every song on the album for several days at a time. If the album had dropped earlier in 2025, it would have dominated my spotify wrapped!
If you haven’t listened to her, I highly recommend Baby Steps, Nice to Each Other, Lady Lady, and Something Inbetween.
Michigander
I only went to four concerts in 2025 (shocking I know!), but my absolute favorite was Michigander in Detroit in November. This was the second time I’ve seen Mr. Michigander live, and while he didn’t play my favorite song on the new album (rip the broadcast), he still exceeded every expectation!
He even ended the show with a fantastic speech about caring for each other, your community, and the planet before saying, “Fuck ICE! Anyway, here’s wonderwall”! We love an artist who actually gives a fuck about more than their bank account and uses their platform accordingly!
If you want to get into this fantastic indie rock band that I’ve been obsessed with since 2019, check out my playlist of their discography!
She’s a House Girlie Now
While I hate to admit when my older sister is right, she is correct in her love of house music, and I am eternally grateful that she has singlehandedly turned me into a house fan! From baby’s first rave at Gorgon City at the Russell in December 2023 to now loving it so much that tech house was my second most listened to genre in 2025, I’ve had quite the music journey in the last few years.
My top DJs? Sofi Tukker, Gorgon City, Fred Again, Dom Dolla (the hottest mustached man to exist), and the love of my life, LP Giobbi! If you’re not a house fan but are interested, please check out the playlist I made for my bestie who doesn’t care for house music (YET).
Top Creators
Simon Sits/Isabel Klee
As the world is set on fire by the most terrible loser men, I have tried to curate my algorithms to feel a little lighter. In 2025, I discovered Isabel Klee and her beautiful foster dogs, and her heartwarming, tear-jerking stories have made my social feeds feel just a little bit less scary.
My algorithm knows I love her so much that she is often the first video to pop up on my IG and tiktok feeds every day! In such a terrifying world, I encourage you to look for the light in creators like Isabel, even for just a minute.
Eli Rallo
If you know me, I’m sure you’ve heard me yap about my favorite parasocial content creator, Eli Rallo! She is a hilarious, feminist, theatre kid with a million opinions about politics and pop culture (she’s just like me fr), and I could not love her and her content more!
Her latest book, Does Anyone Else Feel This Way, puts into words every messy, difficult emotion that I have experienced in my 20s. From friendship breakups to feeling like you’re running out of time to finding your purpose, she validates the feelings that every 20-something woman experiences but no one says out loud! I cannot recommend the book and her content enough.
Taryn Smith (aka the unlikely country woman)
My favorite comedic follow of the year is hands-down Taryn Smith and her bestie Tiffani Singleton! I discovered her from a skit about revisiting years-old gossip, and her nyc morning-in-my life content quickly became my favorite escape from my tiktok doomscrolls.
She recently bought a 200-year-old manor in upstate New York, and her renovation content is guaranteed to make me giggle even on the worst days. Her video of the ghosts hating her bedroom paint color went so viral that she picked a different color! Go follow Taryn, you will not be disappointed!
The end
If you made it all the way to the end, congrats! I know that this was posted in February, but please pretend that I posted it on January 31 (I was fighting for my life with a hangover and couldn’t bear staring at my laptop).
My top new year’s resolution is to release one long-form piece per month, and nothing motivates me to write quite like feminist rage. Given the state of the world, get ready for a lot of political pieces! K love you bye!