My Favorite Media from 2025

Today, I’m departing from my standard fare to share a special end-of-year post.

I’m sharing this one because I consume a ton of content each year. (In 2025, I read 70 books, watched 49 movies and 26 TV seasons, and listened to countless podcasts.)

Here’s a quick wrap-up of my favorites from what I read, watched, and learned in 2025 (regardless of when any of this content was first published).

Favorite Nonfiction Books

My overall #1 this year was Bill Perkins’s book Die With Zero. It’s the personal finance book I didn’t realize I needed. Perkins explains it’s actually possible to save too much. He helps readers find a balance between saving for tomorrow and living well today.

A close second this year was Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller. I’ve been trying to learn more about marketing and positioning, and this book is a phenomenal guide.

Favorite Fiction Books

I’m not a big fantasy guy, but a fantasy book stole my heart (and my top fiction slot) in 2025. If you haven’t heard of Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, go check it out. Huge thanks to my friends Ashlie Blaske and Rob for recommending this book—and for specifically plugging the audiobook version, which was absolutely the right choice.

My second favorite novel this year was Stephen King’s gem 11/22/63. It’s a long read (almost 900 pages) but worth it. And if you’re not a horror person, fear not! This book is drama/thriller, not horror.

Favorite TV Show

I watched a lot of epic shows this year: The Last of Us, Adolescence, Welcome to Derry, etc. But my favorite show by far was Season 2 of Severance.

Season 1 blew me away when it came out back in 2022, so I eagerly awaited for Season 2 and hoped it wouldn’t suck. Thankfully, it didn’t. I freakin loved it.

Show creator Dan Erickson continues to include ever-weirder and creepier things in the series, but he does so while artfully tying up loose ends and building suspense within the dark corporate world of Lumon Industries.

Favorite Movie

Few movies offer poignant social commentary alongside edge-of-your-seat action. Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another delivers both in spades. It’s almost three hours but feels half that long thanks to its fast pace and satisfying storytelling.

Best New Follows

I follow a lot of online creators, and I’m thankful for all they’ve taught me through the years. Each year, I find one or two creators whose writing and thinking inspire me to create better content myself.

This year, I’m glad I stumbled across the thought-provoking questions of Barrett Brooks and the hilarious, whip-smart writing of Adam Mastroianni (who runs the Substack publication Experimental History). Both represent the top of their game in their respective fields: Barrett for podcasts & interviews and Adam for science & humor.

Favorite Podcast

Speaking of Barrett, I’ve listened to many episodes of his podcast Good Work, which was my favorite podcast this year. He hosts long-form interviews (usually 1-2 hours) with talented people who are using their careers to make the world better in some way.

Favorite Apps

I just started on Substack in April, and I love it. It’s rare to find a place that feels like home as both a writer and a reader. Since joining Substack, I’ve found great leadership thinkers like Gaurav Jain and Nick Makris, and also brilliant essayists like the husband/wife duo Cate Hall and Sasha Chapin.

Another perennial favorite app for me in 2025 was Glasp. I haven’t stopped using that platform since I realized it can help me essentially highlight and save the coolest things I find on the internet.

And lastly, I’m a huge fan of the personal knowledge management tool Obsidian. I use it to save quotes, stories, research data, article ideas, and anything else I want to leverage later in my writing and speaking. Plus, I love that it’s free. (It’s a freemium product, so you can pay for certain advanced features.)

→ Btw, I don’t get paid for any of these plugs. I genuinely use and love these apps.

I hope you enjoy these books, shows, movies, etc. Have a great last bit of 2025 and I wish you all the best in the new year!