A Few Of My
Favorite Things
Ebenezer Scrooge will not be represented in this column. These are a few of my favorite things (you kind of sang along with that, didn’t you?), because, for the most part, I enjoyed a lot of stuff in 2024.
It was actually kind of difficult to think of things I didn’t find somewhat delightful, so picking a few of the best was harder than I expected. But you’ve started reading this so I should finish it.
Audiobooks are a particular pleasure for me. I listen when I run, it’s my way of distracting myself from the horror that is moving this body for long periods of time. Whatever it takes, my friends, whatever it takes.
I have favorite authors and favorite narrators, and when they collide, magic happens. Here are my picks:
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarity. I discovered her, like most, with the book “Big Little Lies” and I proudly admit it hooked me on certain parts of what should never be dismissed as “chick lit”. “Moment” (excuse me for shortening it) is narrated by the amazing Caroline Lee, who is the main talent in Morarity’s work.
She’s remarkable. The beautiful thing about this book is that these two women took a main character that you truly wanted to hate, and kind of do for the first half of the novel and transformed her into someone you absolutely love, and they did it without changing her, but your perspective. You’ll love it, I don’t care who you are.
Scott Brick is amazing. I’ve had him on my podcast, you should listen to it if you get the chance at GaryScottThomas.com He’s one of the best narrators working today. Lee and Andrew Child write the Jack Reacher books. In Too Deep was released this year, and none of these artists disappoint. I know it might be jarring to go from Liane Moriarity to Jack Reacher, but that’s the way my brain works.
Four Minutes is a book by Jefferey Wilson and Brian Andrews. I have no interest in giving you spoilers, but the premise is the government have developed a time machine, but it can only send you four minutes into the future of a particular day. So if you want to go to May 17, 2028, they can do that, but only for four minutes.
It’s a trip, literally and figuratively, and the immensely talented Ray Porter brings every character to life, his ability to speak at different tempos and give each character a unique voice is something to marvel at.
Ok, I admit, my addiction to time travel entertainment is real. Shawn Inmon writes the Middle Falls Time Travel series. Let me give you a brief explanation. In each book, the protagonist dies, and then wakes up in their own body, at a different stage of their life. They are given the chance to live that life over again and fix whatever was the tragic flaw that held them back from finding true happiness in their original lives.
They are brilliant, and the first two must be read back to back. I told Shawn when he came on my podcast that the second book may be one of the best books I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a lot of books.
As I said earlier when favorite authors and favorite narrators combine their talents, I salivate. That happened this year when Shawn wrote The Tumultuous Lives of Karl Strong and he got Scott Brick to narrate it. If you can start at the beginning of the series, you should. They are stand-alone books, for the most part. But I can also recommend if you want to listen to just one, then Karl Strong is a good place to begin.
Red Sky Morning by Jack Carr, read by that man again, Ray Porter. I have read all the Terminal List series books, and they simply don’t disappoint. And I enjoy that Jack Carr didn’t just research the life of a special forces operator, he actually lived it. Ray Porter is special, he just inhabits the characters he reads. I loved this audiobook.
Movies were not big on my list this year, I saw very few. But I will tell you I enjoyed Deadpool & Wolverine, but be forewarned, the violence is graphic and plentiful, and the language is beyond coarse and vulgar. Yet it is hilarious.
TV shows were fun. Survivor is still a family favorite in our house, as is The Amazing Race. We fell in love with Ghosts. The Chosen got high marks from my wife and me, and we really enjoyed the Formula 1 series on Netflix. I may or may not be ashamed to admit how much I like “I Am A Killer”, a docuseries on Netflix. It literally talks to people in prison who have been convicted of murder.
Just an observation, if you live where it snows a lot, either you want to kill someone or they want to kill you, just sayin’.
OK, I just wanted to give you this quick list. Feel free to check them out or completely disregard them. Or better yet, share with me your favorites from this year, and it can be whatever you want. Restaurants, games, outdoor activities. You know me, I may write a column about it!