Top Fives of 2022* 

*not all released in 2022. I tried my best, but I made this list in a hurry on a day I was sick, and time is a flat circle so it doesn’t really matter anyway so here’s some stuff I liked this year!**

**I mean last year. I posted this late, in 2023.

Books

• Ducks by Kate Beaton. Full disclosure, Kate is a current friend and former studio mate but this book would be #1 even if I didn’t know her at all. Truly spectacular. 
• Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker. A Fascinating look into hereditary mental illness and also a quick explanation on how Pfizer totally fucked schizophrenia research for many years.
• The Male Brain by Louann Brizendine. The path this book follows might be a bit too traditional/straight for many, but the science is fascinating and helped me understand my (very traditional boy) toddler better. 
• Notes from a Sickbed by Tessa Brunton. Full disclosure, Tessa was my roommate a million years ago but again, I don’t put books on here unless I think they deserve it! Her flights of fancy in this book are such a treat. 
• Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen. This book is fiction but also serves as glimpse into the very real world of counterfeit products.

Podcasts (Not necessarily new, but new to me this year)

• Tooth & Claw -Jeff Larson, Wes Larson, and Mike Smith. A very original and funny breath of fresh air (if you can stomach it).
• Ghost Church– Jamie Loftus. I’m jealous of everything Jamie does, she’s a real treasure. 
• Flightless Bird– David Farrier. An entertaining outsider’s look into every day American stuff.
• I Said No Gifts- Bridger Winegar. God bless Bridger Winegar for existing and giving the public the gift of this hilarious podcast.
• Abandoned America– Matthew Christopher. I’ve been candid in the past about how a lot of urban exploring stuff is highly irritating to me (a semi-retired urban explorer) but this podcast is good! (It also frequently features my old exploring pal Matt Lambros) 

TV Shows (All these ended in 2022)

• Better Things -Pamela Adlon. The best thing about this show, besides the fact that it makes Oliver cry, is that all the characters take their turns being pretty revolting, and yet, you still love them all so much. That’s such a hard line to walk with writing and this show nails it. 
• Tuca & Bertie –Lisa Hanawalt. Full disclosure: Lisa is one of my besties but this show was so fun and unique and covered some really unpleasant topics in a hilarious and heartfelt way. Plus it was peppered with wonderful weird little sayings and songs that would get stuck in your head for weeks.
• Atlanta -Donald Glover. I’m not sure what to say about Atlanta that hasn’t been said a million times, it’s just so fucking good. 
• Derry girls -Lisa McGee. The best thing to do with this show was pick one character per episode and hyper focus on them, because each actor was so brilliant and funny in their own right.
• Salvage Kings -Robert Cohen. The only reality show worth watching, it rules. Not sure if it’s canceled or not though. What they do (salvage things from historical buildings prior to demolition and then resell it at a salvage yard) is my dream job. 

Movies

Hahaha I don’t watch movies anymore. My toddler goes to bed at 8:30 and I’m asleep on the couch by 9. (Note that all the TV shows I listed are less than an hour long) 

Music (Not new, just most listened, according to Spotify)

• People That Can Eat People are the Luckiest People in the World –AJJ. An oldie but goodie that made the list because 2022 was the year my toddler discovered this  album and went nuts over it. 
• Baby Beluga -Raffi. Thanks A Lot makes me cry and I have to sing Baby beluga every night.
• Year of the Spider –Shannon & The Clams: Full disclosure, I’ve been friends Shannon since high school but this band would be on my top lists even if not. This album came out in 2021 so close enough!
• Nothing Special -Will Sheff. Actually new to this year!
• Baby Shark- Fuck you, Pinkfong. JK I’m glad they could make hella $$$ of one song, that’s the dream. 

Instagram accounts I enjoyed this year (of the not-personal variety)

• Dead Motels USA– great then/now of old hotels, motels, inns, and resorts. 
• Publisher’s Brunch- Kinda insidery for people who work in publishing, but appeals to everyone who knows anything about the industry and/or books
• Segregation By Design– fantastic, in-depth research and reporting on how Urban Renewal projects intentionally destroyed a lot of minority communities in the name of “progress.” 
• Sacramento Food Forest. Botanist Jessie Dickson thinks eucalyptus and ice plant can go fuck themselves and so should you. 
• James and Karla– photos of old (mostly) NYC storefronts and you know that’s extremely my thing.

Top 5 Activities of 2022 (no links, but pics of all of this are on my instagram)

• Harbin Hot Springs with Jen Phippen
• A weeklong visit from Sarah Glidden & Diego
• Biking with my boys followed by regular dinners w/the Coakley’s  
• Dealing with hard family shit that actually got better this year
• Elephant Seals/Drake’s Beach in Point Reyes