In 2024 I attended Camosun College for two semesters (with A- to A+ marks), traveled to Saltspring to and stayed with friends, went to the Maritimes for seven weeks (blog posts ongoing), travelled to Comox and Tofino for long weekends (posts to come eventually). I could say I am way behind in my posts due to schoolwork and life, but it was also because I have been preferring reading, writing, and relaxing when I have free time. I need to do better, though, so I resolve to do so.
Here some things that I read and watched of note:
Fiction Books: Fifty-three (53) books were read which is nearly double of what I accomplished last year. Standouts were Battletech Warrior Trilogy & Battletech Blood of Kerensky Trilogy by Michael A Stackpole, Beaowulf new translation by Seamus Heaney, Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth, So You Want to Be a Wizard? & Deep Wizardry by Diane Duane, the first five Bridgerton novels by Julia Quinn, No Middle Name by Lee Child, The Giver by Louis Lowry, Parable of the Sower & Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler, Riddlemaster of Hed Trilogy by Patricia A McKillip, Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian, The Tutor by Peter Abrams, The Plot Against America by PhillipRoth, The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, The Gunfight by Richard Matheson, five books in the Parker series by Richard Stark (Donald Westlake), Bloodstream and Gravity by Tess Gerritsen, and The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K LeGuin. Yes, I know that 35 out of the 53 books I have read were standouts. So what.
Non-Fiction Book: Only one was read, unfortunately, but it was a very good one; Artful Edit: On the Practice of Editing Yourself by Susan Bell. I intend to read at least three in 2025.
Comics: Only three; Essential Punisher Vol 2 & Vol 3 and the first volume of Nausicca. I will be reading more Nausicca because it has been decades since I last read them.
Magazines: Seventeen (17) were read and those were Archeology (Jan/Feb 2024 to Sep/Oct 2024) and
National Geographic (Feb 2023 to Jan 2024). I am reading the Archeology magazines as they arrive, but I am still a year behind on the National Geographics. I hope to gain at least three months for National Geographics in the next year.
Podcasts: A total of two hundred and ninety-seven (297) podcasts were listened to. They are still the best way to chop vegetables, cook meals, wash dishes, dust, drive for errands, and do yard-work. I like them all, but will only list the ones I have stuck with: American History Hit: 54, Ancients: 84, Betwixt the Sheets: 9, Debaters: 10, Gone Medieval: 62, History Hit: 5, Ideas: 22, Not Just the Tudors: 4, Under the Influence: 2. I will probably listen to about the same in 2025 and will have to expand my podcasts as I am almost caught up to recently released ones for several of the above podcasts.
Documentary: Fifteen movie length documentaries were watched. Standouts include: A Citizen's Guide to Preserving Democracy, AE: American Coup Wilmington 1898, Brian Cox: Seven Days on Mars, Frontline: Democracy on Trial, Ken Burns: Leonardo plus Behind the Scenes (5 hrs), Little Richard: The King and Queen of Rock and Roll, AE: Nazi Town USA, Stargazing: 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing, NASA: The Mavericks of Mars; Ingenuity Helicopter, AE: The Riot Report. I will likely watch just as many documentaries this year because I enjoy longer format informative programs.
Music: Ten music concerts were watched, but there were many others that the audio or singing were bad so I deleted them before finishing so I will not count them here. Standouts were: John Bonavassa at the Hollywood Bowl, Pet Shop Boys: Live at Rostable 2009, Taylor Swift: Extended Eras Tour, Wolf Alice: Reading and Leeds Festival, and U2: From the Sky Down. I will probably watch just as many in 2025. They are good to have in the background while painting models.
Films in a Theater: A pitiful three movies were watched in the theatre. I do want to see more. What I had seen were D-Day on IMAX, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Dune 2.
Films at Home: Whether it was part of a gathering, with my wife, or on my own seeing movies in a home is a great feeling when they are done right. Twenty movies were watched and standouts were: Dinner Rush, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Godzilla, Holiday Inn, In the Mood for Love, Master and Commander, Mr. Jealousy, and The Batman.
Animated Films at Home: Thanks to Adult Swim, and my own collection, thirteen animated films were watched. Standout include: Castle of Cagliostro, Crisis on Infinite Earths vol 1 (2 and 3 felt rushed and the story was not as good), Graveyard of the Fireflies, Mortal Combat Legends: Cage Match (for its 80's action film love in), My Neighbour Totoro, and Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind.
Reality Competition Shows: We still watch reality shows, but mostly the British ones. They are nicer towards each other, less drama, and it brings smiles to our faces as we learn more about the subject matter of the show. 233 hours were watched and the shows watched were: AGT: Fantasy League, AGT, Amazing Race Canada, Canada's Got Talent, Great British Baking Show, Great British Junior Baking Show, Great British Sewing Bee, Great Canadian Baking Show, Great Canadian Pottery Throwdown,
Great Pottery Throw Down, Landscape Artist of the Year, Masterchef Australia, Olympics, Paralympics, Preakness, Race Against the Tide, Top Chef Canada, Top Chef: Wisconsin and Last Chance Kitchen.
Non-Fiction TV: I like learning about things I knew nothing or little about as well as shows expanding what I know. 184 hours were watched and here is what we watched: 1491: The Untold Story of the Americas before Columbus, 80th Anniversary D-Day CBC, American Politics (2024 State of the Union Address and Republican Rebuttal, DNC, Presidential and Vice Presidential debates, The Choice 2024: Harris vs Trump, Washington Week with the Atlantic, Election Coverage), *Art that Made Us, Battle of the Exoplanets, BLK: An Origin Story, *Cosmos: Possible Worlds, Daily Show, Escape to the Country, Fight the Power: How Hip-Hop Changed the World, Finding Your Roots, Hitler and Reichstag Fire, Human Universe, Icons Unearthed: Marvel, In Search of Science with Brian Cox, Inside the Court of Henry VIII, Jamie Oliver's Italy, Jane Austen: Behind Closed Doors, Mark of Empire: Asia's Ancient Civilizations, Monty Don's Adriatic Gardens, Monty Don's Spanish Gardens, Nova, One Cup 1000 stories, Pompeii: The New Dig, Repair Shop, Searching for Secrets, Secrets of the Dead, Superpowered: The DC Story, The Nature of Things: Cataract House, The Massacre that Shook the Empire, The Planets with Brian Cox, The Romantics and Us, Treasures and Treasures of the World with Brittany Hughes, Walking Hadrian's Wall with Robson Green, Walking Wartime Britain, Welcome to Wrexham, Winston Churchill's War, Wonders of the Solar System, and Wonders of the Universe.
Animated TV: Thirty-eight and a half hours were watched of animated TV. Standouts were Spectacular Spider-Man, and Star Trek: Lower Decks. Others watched were Atom Eve, Creature Commandos, Invincible Fight Girl, Kite Man, My Adventures with Superman, and Rick and Morty: The Anime.
Fiction TV: I like good stories and this year I watched 238 hours of it. Standouts were Broadchurch (S1-3), Fargo S5, For All Mankind, I Claudius, Mindhunter S1-2, and The Expanse S1-4 (watching for the second time and it is the first time for my wife). Notable shows were 3 Body Problem, All Creatures Great and Small S3-4, Band of Brothers, Bridgerton S3, Grace, Interview with a Vampire S2, Loki S2, Reacher S1-2, Resident Alien, The Lazarus Project S2, and We are Lady Parts.
