The “best” of movies, songs, books, etc., is widely subjective and, for me, changes often. These lists may have subcategories, like “___ is my favorite in the summer, but I like___ better in the winter.” The beauty of “favorites” is that they are deeply personal: they can change every month or stay the same over time, and they can tell you a lot about a person. So, here are my current top five movies, songs, and books.
*These are simply lists and are not in any specific ranking or order*
Movies
- Call Me By Your Name
- Frankenstein
- Dune: Part 2
- Titanic
- Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Honorable Mentions: Interstellar, The Lorax, Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society, Don’t Worry Darling, Elvis, and Fight Club
Since I am certainly not a film connoisseur and probably watch one movie a month at most, I pick my favorites by deciding whether I would watch them again. These five on my list are the only movies I’ve seen that I actually want to see again. If I had to pick, my favorite out of this list would be Frankenstein. It has lived rent-free in my mind since it came out. Call Me By Your Name is both heart-wrenching and beautiful, and I’ve definitely seen it at least four times. Dune: Part 2, another Chalamet flick, was so epic that I watched it three times in the theatre when it came out. Titanic, rightfully so, is a classic. It’s been 84 years, and I can still remember the first time I saw it… did you catch the reference? Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is also a classic. The concept and colors in this movie are just incredible, and the second movie is equally as good, if not better.
Songs
- “Youngest daughter” – Superheaven
- “Live Well” – Palace
- “Rhiannon” – Fleetwood Mac
- “One” – Metallica
- “Fall In Love” – Phantogram
Honorable Mentions: “Edge of Desire” by John Mayer, “Michelle Pfeiffer (feat. Lil Aaron)” by Ethel Cain, “Staying” by Lizzy McAlpine, “Scorsese Baby Daddy” by SZA, “Don’t Dream It’s Over” by Crowded House, “Crush” by Ethel Cain, “Breathe (In the Air)” by Pink Floyd, and “North” by Clairo
I listen to a lot of music from countless artists in every genre. I am also constantly finding new songs, adding to my playlists, and playing my monthly favorites on repeat. Since my favorites change so much, I tried to narrow them down, but I still had to add some honorable mentions. I can’t explain my taste in music; either you agree, or you’re wrong. Just kidding. But seriously, I can’t explain. Also, chances are that by this time next week, I will have new favorite songs, and this list will change a bit.
Books
- Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas
- The Shepard King Duology by Rachel Gillig
- Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
- Euphoria by Lily King
Honorable Mentions: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Picking this list was also extremely difficult because I read a lot and love every book I pick up. I read a little bit of everything and can find something to like in everything. To further my point, I have only DNF’d two books in the past few years. If I had to, I couldn’t pick a favorite. My Goodreads average is 4.5 stars because I only give 4- and 5-star ratings. Each book I read is beautiful in a different way, and though some say that certain authors are “bad” writers, I think it’s cool that you can feel the difference between one author and another. For example, I still feel like I am in the jungle with Nell, Fen, and Bankson, courtesy of Lily King. I can still hear the radio in war-torn France thanks to Anthony Doerr, and every time I think of a witty, strong female main character, I think of Aelin from the Throne of Glass series.
All of that to say, my favorites change a lot. Even on a small scale, I have about four favorite colors right now. So, give it a shot and try to narrow down your favorites. Was it easy? Or maybe you’re just as indecisive as I am!