By Erin K. Wagner
The clue to 23-across on the NYT crossword puzzle for November 26 was a redacted Oscar Wilde quote: “To love _______ is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” My natural inclination was to find a word along the lines of “art” or “beauty,” given the source. The answer was instead “oneself.” Can we propose, however, that consuming art and narrative is a form of self-love? That we read and watch what we enjoy—that which reflects ourselves, challenges ourselves, nurtures ourselves? And that we learn how to love and respect other selves through the same method?
Take a break this midwinter to care for yourself and others.
Here were some of my favorite reads and watches for 2025.
Andor (s2)
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I am a fully committed fangirl of this series. It’s the rebel TV show we need right now. And it is truly unlike any other Star Wars series (if you’re wary of the recent uptick).
Anne of Green Gables series by L. M. Montgomery
I read through all of the Anne books when I was a kid—as well as many other works by Montgomery. They were formative for me. I love the CBC adaptations and was highly skeptical of Netflix’s version. However, reading back through these books as an adult was an entirely different experience. In addition to catching the problematic words, labels, and attitudes that Montgomery unthinkingly reflects (and which make me more willing to consider the anachronism of the Netflix series), there is a deep sadness in the later books that grapple with WWI. I highly recommend revisiting childhood favorites.
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
My latest read, completed this December. A story that interweaves three generations of stories in a compelling and sinister mystery that kept me turning the pages. It examines how culture and heritage shape our fears and character.
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Jones
I’m still undecided on the end of this novel but am thoroughly intrigued by the vampire narrative embedded in the more mundane horrors of American colonialism.
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
My first time reading the work of sci-fi powerhouse Tchaikovsky. I am impressed by the variety of compelling perspectives on the evolution of species and ideas (including that of some spider-folk!).
A City on Mars by Kelly & Zach Weinersmith
A fascinating nonfiction read that I highly recommend to any writer hoping to set their fiction in space colonies. A detailed examination, with humorous interludes, of where we are now in the “space race.”
Conclave (2024), dir. Edward Berger
A look at a papal conclave that investigates both worldly ambition and religious inspiration. Truly engaging intrigue!
Eddington (2025), dir. Ari Aster
Some of Ari Aster’s work I cannot bring myself to watch. (I think Beau is Afraid would be awful for me.) However, this work I found truly compelling. An unflinching and very explicit look at the echo chambers that have hastened our current political moment. This easily pairs with One Battle After Another.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
I dove into Fawcett’s work for the first time this year. Her Emily Wilde series hits the perfect note for me when I want a good fairy-world adventure.
Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
An effective read on how Western colonialism and racism have guided the very fundamentals of health policy.
Great Performances: Twelfth Night (2025)
I have watched so many versions of Twelfth Night. But I think Peter Dinklage’s Malvolio might be my favorite ever. This is the filmed version of the Shakespeare in the Park staging. Support your local PBS station!
Hum by Helen Phillips
An uncanny and incisive story about the ever-monitoring role of technology in our lives that cuts very close to home and leaves you squirming at the end. (But important for that reason.)
I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons by Peter Beagle
If you need a comforting bedtime read with notes of nostalgia and commentary on classism and hierarchies, this is your book.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), dir. Philip Kaufman
We watched this in honor of Donald Sutherland’s passing. It is very 70s in its glorious VFX but there is something truly gut-wrenching in this commentary on a consumer-driven society.
Katabasis by R. F. Kuang
An adventure in dark academia and hell (which Kuang equates). Replete with classic allusions, this story grapples with gender, race, and class in the context of higher education.
Murderbot (s1)
So violent and so humorous, sometimes simultaneously. This tv series truly captures the reckless mania of the book series.
Nosferatu (2024), dir. Robert Eggers
I’m often wary of Eggers’s work and its sometimes-overwhelming male gaze. But the black-and-white meticulousness of this remake is truly an original watch.
Notes from a Regicide by Isaac Fellman
Aqueduct Press alum Fellman delivers a simultaneously physical, grounded, and surreal narrative that hints at an almost Gene-Wolfian world. The story examines the nature of revolution itself.
Predators: Badlands (2025), dir. Dan Trachtenberg
I was a big fan of Trachtenberg’s Prey. Though I think Prey might be the more sophisticated movie, this Predators movie is thoroughly enjoyable, embracing the “humanity” and humor of the Predator.
The Righteous Gemstones (2019-2025)
A send-up of mega-churches and the commercialism of Christian mainstream culture. But unlike some McBride vehicles, there is a genuine emotion at the core of this show that acknowledges the promise/potential of love and faith when truly pursued. (TW: these shows are not for the faint of heart.)
Roadside Picnic by Arkady & Boris Strugatsky
A sci-fi classic that I finally read, in a volume introduced by Le Guin. I so appreciated the detailed mundanity of this world—and the post-first-contact setting for our desperate characters.
St. Denis Medical (s1) & The Paper (s1)
Competitors to fill The Office vacuum. The Paper is drier and yet more zany than St. Denis. But both shows have well-rounded and sympathetic characters at their core.
Scavengers Reign (2023)
Beautiful and surreal animated mini-series that thinks about the flora and fauna of an alien planet—and the implications for intelligence and sentience.
Sinners (2025), dir. Ryan Coogler
You’ve no doubt heard of this blockbuster. A truly satisfying vampire story that critiques past and current race relations in the US.
Skeleton Crew (2024-2025)
This is no Andor, but I appreciated that this Star Wars show knew what it was—and leant into the ET-esque nostalgia of an 80s sci-fi film.
Superman (2025), dir. James Gunn
Entertaining, humorous, and yet still grittier in its thematic implications than previous DC iterations.
The Tusks of Extinction & Where the Axe is Buried by Ray Nayler
I seem to be a fan of just anything Nayler writers. I love his incisive prose and his focus on how artificial and human intertwine.
Wednesday (s1 & 2)
Season 2 was underwhelming, but Jenna Ortega’s performance as Wednesday (and the widely-praised dance scene of season 1) is a truly star turn.
Wellington Paranormal (2018-2022)
We finished up this series—sadly—this year. It was a show where you have trouble hitting play on the last episode, knowing there will be no more. Coming out of the same world as the last show on my list, this New Zealand-set show about a police force responsible for managing paranormal threats is clever.
What We Do in the Shadows (2019-2024)
And we caught up with and finished What We Do in the Shadows, a bittersweet experience. This show deserves all the praise it has received and manages to show heart without sappiness (but not without blood).
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