2015 favorites

I'll always remember 2015 as a challenging year on all kinds of levels. I've got a lot more scars, but maybe I'm a bit more resilient as a result. Here are my favorites for 2015. And here's a wish that 2016 will be a good year with good health and prosperity for all!

Stuff I read

Favorite book of the year . . .  The Golem & The Jinni by Helene Wecker

General fiction . . . Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

Unexpected pleasure . . . The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz

Southern fiction . . . Soil by Jamie Kornegay

Nonfiction  . . .  Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Magazine . . . Garden & Gun


Music I listened to

Band . . .  (tie) The Black Lillies and A Thousand Horses

Artist . . .  (tie) Adele, Leon Bridges, R.L. Burnside

Album . . . Sound and Color by Alabama Shakes

Song . . . (tie) "Gimme All Your Love" by Alabama Shakes, "Smoke" by A Thousand Horses, and "Everything Falls Away" by Gretchen Peters

Local (North Carolina) music . . . Mipso

Song rediscovery . . . "Poison & Wine" by The Civil Wars

Artist rediscovery . . . Nick Drake


Things I watched

TV show . . . The Man in the High Castle

New (to me) TV show . . . House of Cards (US version)

Live theatrical performance . . . King Charles III (Music Box, New York, NY)

Movie . . . I didn't watch many this year and don't have a favorite


Miscellaneous things I liked or enjoyed

Social Network . . . Twitter (fourth year in a row)

Vacation . . . Machu Picchu, Peru

Weekend getaway . . . (tie) Kiawah/Seabrook/Charleston (Andell Inn) and Asheville (Reynolds Mansion Inn)

Restaurant . . . Kindred, Davidson, NC

Beverage . . . Sea Breeze!

Music Festival . . . The National Folk Festival, Greensboro, NC