Julia's Favorites of 2024

Books, movies, and outdoor adventures

Happy New Year, friends!

Just under the wire, I finished 50 books to hit my 2024 Reading Challenge on Goodreads. I read fiction, non-fiction, debut novels, obscure murder mysteries about monks, and a book about the impact of sea level rise on the California coast that forced me to wear sunglasses at my local coffee shop so no one would see me tearing up.

Before diving fully into 2025, I’m sharing some of my 2024 favorites by request.

Favorite Book (tie): There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib. In an escapist reading year, I’m surprised that a nonfiction memoir is one of my favorite books of 2024. Structured in four sections like the quarters of a basketball game, the book details Hanif’s childhood in Columbus, Ohio against the career of Lebron James. My other 2024 favorite is Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. Though it’s dark and was initially hard for me to get into, I loved this debut novel about a newly sober son of Iranian immigrants searching for meaning.

Favorite Movie: Kneecap by Rich Peppiat. This semi-true film about a rap group in Northern Ireland is an unhinged riot. It felt shocking, extremely specific to Belfast (much of the dialogue is in Irish) and somehow universally relatable. The movie’s soundtrack is also worth checking out.

Favorite Mixtape: Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechii. I’m late and only discovered the Tampa Bay rapper Doechii last year. Technically a mixtape, this was better than any album I listened to in 2024. No skips.

Favorite Adventure: Havasu Falls, Arizona. Read my love letter to Havasupai.

Favorite Concert: Elyanna with Zeemuffin. I went to this concert primarily for the DJ, Zeemuffin, because I loved her Boiler Room set and wanted to see her live. I knew a couple Elyanna songs from a TV show soundtrack, however, had no expectations about her performance. Elyanna came out with a whole crew of female dancers and gave a wonderful performance.

Favorite Travel Surprise: Antwerp, Belgium. Ended up here after my friend accidentally bought the wrong train ticket. Antwerp is an awesome sleeper city - great museums and excellent Chinese food.

Favorite Accomplishment: Completing my first half marathon, a trail run at night through the desert in Joshua Tree. I don’t quite know what I was thinking signing up for this. Parts of it were frankly brutal, however, there was a stretch in the middle of the race where I felt completely at peace running across the sand under the stars. If you want to run a half marathon in a national park, do an ultra, or complete a multi-day trail running trip in Patagonia, check out Vacation Races. I was impressed with the race setup.

To close, here are some things I’m looking forward to in 2025:

• Diving into specific themes or authors for my reading. Skipping between genres this past year was fun, however, I didn’t retain a ton.

• Aflame: Learning from Silence by Pico Iyer. Extreme travel and adventure aren’t always available to everyone, so I’m excited to read what this famous travel writer has to say about his internal adventures over decades at a quiet retreat.

• Not setting resolutions. I’ve picked two words for 2025, curiosity and calm, and will keep those in mind this year.

Lastly, I’m looking forward to sharing my adventures with you all this year.