Movies

Quarterly Look Back - 2nd Quarter 2026 /  by Todd Henson

Looking back at the second quarter of 2026

It’s been quite a quarter, but instead of trying to come up with a nice pithy intro, how about we pretend I did and just move on to the next section? 😃

Please enjoy this look back at the second quarter of 2026.

Photography

I’ve not gotten out photographing very often and yet it’s still been a fairly good quarter.

I was fortunate to have one of my photographs published in Ducks Unlimited’s Spring 2026 issue of Puddler, their magazine for younger readers, which came about because of my post about the nictitating membranes of birds.

And I was able to see the results of one of my photographs of a luna moth being used for a poster and website by ETH Zürich’s Master of Advanced Studies in Urban and Territorial Design in Switzerland.

On the blog I’ve continued posting both new photographs and those from my archive. Below are the posts I published this quarter. Please take a look back at any you missed or would like to see again.

Architecture

Chapman-Beverley Mill (Virginia)

Mostly Photos

Street Scenes on East Davis Street, Culpeper, Virginia

A Treasury of Trilliums

Twelve Northern Virginia Wildflowers of Mid-May to Early June

Museums

Strasburg Museum (Virginia)

Random Thoughts

The Road Goes Ever On and On

Reading

Reading has been one of my major escapes this quarter when I needed to step aside for a brief bit from all the day-to-day goings on and just relax. Thankfully it’s something I can do just about anytime and almost anywhere with paper books lying all around the house, along with a couple old Kindles, and multiple apps on my phone and computer for both ebooks and audiobooks. As always, I tried to keep some variety to my reading, and this quarter I read fiction in the form of fantasy, horror, science fiction, spy thriller, young adult mystery, poetry, graphic novels, and some general fiction, and non-fiction in the form of history, finance, and art. I don’t know that I read anything old enough to be considered a classic this quarter, so I’ll have to be sure to do that in the 3rd quarter.

The books I consumed this quarter (paper, ebook, and audio).

Here’s the full list of books read in the 2nd quarter of 2026:

Crossroads of Ravens (The Witcher) by Andrzej Sapkowski (2024), More Wealth, Less Taxes by Lance Belline (2022), Essential Bukowski: Poetry by Charles Bukowski (2016), Art in Detail: 100 Masterpieces by Susie Hodge (2016), The Knives (Criminal #11) by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (2025), ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King (1975), They Sawed Up a Storm: The Women’s Sawmill at Turkey Pond, New Hampshire, 1942 by Sarah Shea Smith (2010), Gaint’s Bread by Agatha Christie as Mary Mestmacott (1930), Firefly: Magnificent Nine by James Lovegrove (2019), On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (James Bond #11) by Ian Fleming (1963), We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor (2016), Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher (2026), Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves — The Feast of the Moon by Jeremy Lambert, et al (2023), Krakatoa — The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 by Simon Winchester (2003), Brigands & Breadknives (Legends & Lattes 2) by Travis Baldree (2025), A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (2012), The Russia House by John le Carré (1989), The Case of the Missing Marquess (Enola Holmes #1) by Nancy Springer (2006), Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker (2026).

And of those, my favorites were:

Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker

I was already deep into several other books so I don’t know why I grabbed this one from the library, but I’m glad I did. The tale is told as interweaving storylines from 1877 Japan and 2026 United States, and two characters, one from each place and time, who are very surprised to actually meet one another. Each are from troubled families and struggle through major problems, and they keep coming together as the story progresses. I couldn’t stop reading. And now I’d like to find my own copy of the book, as well as try any others the author has written.

‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

This is a classic vampire story and yet it’s my first time reading the book. I do think I may have watched a made-for-tv movie or miniseries when younger but don’t recall for certain. It had that distinctive Stephen King feel to it that I recall so fondly from other books of his I read when younger. King takes his time in the beginning, setting the mood and developing the characters, but the pace picks up nicely when the town starts falling apart. I listened to this one as an audiobook and I loved it.

Krakatoa — The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 by Simon Winchester

Recommended to me by a friend, and another book I listened to as an audiobook, this time narrated by the author. This is a work of nonfiction telling the history of the great volcanic eruption of Krakatoa in 1883. I struggled just a bit in the beginning, wondering when he’d start talking about the volcano, until I realized he was telling a wider history, almost a mini history of the world where all events are connected in some way by the eruption, either in leading up to it or as consequences of it. I loved how the author managed this. An absolutely fascinating read, very well narrated by the author. I very much look forward to more books by Simon Winchester.

Movies, Shows & Anime

I didn’t finish it, but I continued watching Last Exile in the 2nd quarter of 2026.

I can’t remember watching a single movie this quarter. That’s unusual for me. I did watch a few more episodes of the old anime series, Last Exile, which I’m continuing to enjoy.

Music

This quarter I listened less to new music and more to favorites from previous years. Below are three songs I found myself listening to more than once.

Goo Goo Dolls - We Are the Normal

I loved this song when it came out in the early 90’s, and something about the lyrics always resonated with me.

Blink-182 - I Miss You

Another song I loved when it came out, around 2004. This one has some interesting lyrics weaving throughout an otherwise soft and melodic tune.

Joe Satriani - Always with Me, Always with You (from Satriani LIVE)

Joe Satriani is one of my favorite guitarists. He can make his guitar absolutely sing and can write and perform songs in virtually any musical genre. I recall loving this song when it came out and this time I thoroughly enjoyed listening to a live version.

 

Life

My father and I keep going on our periodic explorations of semi-local areas. Sometimes we’ll revisit favorite locations and other times we’ll look for something new. For some trips we have specific destinations in mind and for others we almost just pick random directions and see where we end up. Sometimes we don’t find much of anything but other times we discover a really cool area or way of getting from here to there. It’s amazing how many interesting locations are out there, seemingly hidden away down this or that side road that we always pass by on the way elsewhere. It’s fun to finally take some of these side roads.

I’ve mentioned this in previous quarters, and this quarter was no different: I love coffee and exploring all I can learn about it. I keep looking for new beans to try, both beans from regions I’ve yet to try, as well as simply different beans on offer from my go-to roasters as the seasons change and they receive new beans from different farms and regions. The primary regions I sampled beans from include Bali, Burundi, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Zambia. Roasters I purchased from this quarter include:

I’ve had conversations with the owner of Bluemont Coffee about roasting and she’s given me lots of info and encouragement to try roasting coffee beans myself. I decided to start small and purchased a handheld roaster, the Cascabel, from Hive Roaster out of Santa Rosa, California. It might not be as easy to create consistent roasts as with a larger drum or air roaster but it should allow me to learn about the different phases the beans go through and get used to the sights, sounds and smells and what they mean (while also getting a little exercise).

My 3rd attempt at roasting with the Hive Roaster. I’m about 14.5 minutes into what became a 16 minute roast of some beans from Zambia. If you click on the image to see a larger version you can see some small dark bits of burned chaff that come out of the roaster, so I need to sweep up the kitchen after each use.

My very first attempt at roasting went a bit awry when I set off my smoke detector before the beans even got to first crack (even though there wasn’t any visible smoke), so I had to stop the roast way too soon. But I learned a lot from the experience and my second attempt went much better. I dealt with the airflow issues, was able to hear first crack, when the beans start popping similar to pop corn, and finish the roast. Unfortunately, the coffee from these roasted beans tasted a bit sour, which led me to do more research before trying again using different temperatures and times, and resulting in a much better cup of coffee. I think this is going to be a lot of fun as I keep trying, failing, learning, and trying again.

The biggest change in my life this quarter has occupied most of my time and energy. It’s why I decided earlier this year to scale back blogging to every other week instead of every week, to give me a little more time and focus. It was a difficult decision and it’s been a long time coming, but I finally decided I was ready to retire from my day job. I was there long enough that to a great degree it felt like a part of me, and yet it’s felt pretty good and fairly easy to step aside, though I’m still working out a new rhythm. Interestingly, I’ve felt almost as busy as before, just on different things. Now I have more time to work around and in the house, to help my father at his, to read, to explore things like coffee roasting, to work more on my photography, to get back into playing my guitar, to learn new skills and continue practicing old ones, and much more. But I’m trying to be realistic, understanding time is still very limited and I can’t do everything I’d like. I have lots of long-term goals but I know from experience how easily I can get distracted and move on from one shiny thing to the next. So I’ll take it slow. The Road goes ever on and on, and thankfully I’m at the point in my journey where I’m pursuing the Road ahead with mostly eager feet.

Thanks so much for reading. Thanks for all your support. And please have a fantastic third quarter of 2026!

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!

Quarterly Look Back - 1st Quarter 2026 /  by Todd Henson

Looking back at the first quarter of 2026

Despite being a slower quarter, photographically, it has been a busy one with a lot of focus and energy spent planning and working on both short and long-term goals. I expect much the same in the second quarter, so I’m trying to stay focused and moving forward. This is the first quarter in a great many years publishing a blog post every other week instead of weekly, and though I do miss the more regular posting schedule I’m also grateful for the reduced stress and extra time it’s giving me.

I hope you enjoy this look back at the first quarter of 2026.

Photography

The reduced blogging schedule has resulted in a much shorter photography section this quarter, though I did include a post that came out last year after the final quarterly look back of 2025 (favorite books and films of the year). I tried to rotate between recently created photos and some older ones, and I tried to balance out the types of posts I published into several categories. I hope you’ve enjoyed them.

Below are the posts I published this quarter. Please take a look back at any you missed or would like to see again.

Best of the Year

My Favorite Books and Films in 2025

Best Photos of 2025: My Favorites of the Year

Mostly Photos

One Windy Morning

First Spring Crocus of 2026

Trip Report

Waynesboro Model Railroad Club Open House – 12/20/2025

Aldie Mill Historic Park – Loudoun County, Virginia

North Stratford, New Hampshire

Reading

It’s been a decent reading quarter, though I’ve not read as many standout, 5 out of 5 star, books. That being said, though, I did rate almost all the others with 4 stars, and only one book, King Sorrow, with 3 stars which is still good, just not great. I read one translated book, The Premonition, from Japanese. The classics I read this quarter were The Old Man and the Sea and Dracula. And for non-fiction, I read The Traitor’s Circle and Printer’s Error.

The books I consumed this quarter (paper, ebook, and audio).

Here’s the full list of books read in the 1st quarter of 2026:

The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto (1988), The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell (2006), Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz (2020), The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (1952), King Sorrow by Joe Hill (2025), Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897) (reread), The Traitors Circle by Jonathan Freedland (2025), Printer’s Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History by Rebecca & J.P. Romney (2017), Shogun by James Clavell (1975).

And of those, my favorites were:

Dracula by Bram Stoker

I’ve read Dracula several times now, and watched so many movie adaptations over the years. It’s a personal favorite that goes back to my childhood. What prompted me to reread the book again was watching the movie, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, which isn’t a Dracula retelling but instead focuses on chapter 7 of the book when we read pages from the logbook of the captain of the Demeter, the ship that unknowingly brought Dracula across the ocean. I love what the movie did, and it ignited a new desire to reread the book and see how well they fit together (pretty well). And for this reread I decided to listen to the full cast audiobook, a choice I’m very pleased with. It was such a fantastic way to experience this story. And it turns out it was so long ago I last read the book that there was that sense of rediscovery, of not always knowing exactly what would happen next. I look forward to my next reread, perhaps many years in the future.

The Pale Horseman (The Last Kingdom 2) by Bernard Cornwell

This is the second book in the series and it picks up right after the events from the first book, The Last Kingdom. We learn more of the story of Uhtred, whose homeland was attacked by the Danes (Vikings), and who was captured by them and adopted into their way of life. But then he finds himself in England, where he starts a family. And when the Danes return he’s torn between the two worlds. I love how Cornwell really puts us into that time period and into these people’s minds. He writes such gripping and emotional stories and I can’t wait to continue this series, and try some of his other works.  

Movies, Shows & Anime

Films I watched this quarter.

Movie watching this quarter to a great extent focused on either classic Peter Sellers movies or those related to Dracula, with a couple unrelated films mixed in.

I began the quarter watching anything and everything Peter Sellers, including After the Fox (1966), A Shot in the Dark (1964), The Pink Panther (1964), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), The Party (1968), and Trail of the Pink Panther (1982). I loved rewatching many of these classic comedies that I enjoyed as a kid, as well as watching a few I may never have seen before. Peter Sellers was fantastic in these comedic roles, especially when working with Blake Edwards.

Later I watched The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023), a Dracula film that ended up being my favorite movie of the quarter, about the period of time from the book when Dracula is carried over the ocean to England. As mentioned in the book section, this prompted me both to reread Bram Stoker’s novel, this time in audiobook form, and to watch a couple other Dracula movies: the classic Count Dracula (1970) starring Christopher Lee, and the slightly more recent Dracula Untold (2014), that attempted to merge history with fiction in a new interpretation of the mythos.

I also rewatched Meteor (1979), starring Sean Connery and Natalie Wood, about how the governments of the world would handle an incoming meteoric threat. Could they cooperate to try to save the planet? There’ve been similar movies telling the same sort of story since then, but this was perhaps the first I watched when younger. It was good to rewatch but didn’t really age all that well.

And I watched the anime movie, Her Blue Sky, about music, youth, growing up, drifting apart, and trying to grab ahold of what was thought to be lost. I enjoyed how it mixed a bit of the fantastic with what is otherwise a coming of age sort of story.

Music

Last quarter I’d mentioned my discovery of the band Myrath. This quarter I’ve continued listening to their music, including some new songs they’ve released, one of which is below. I’ve also listened to a new song by another favorite band, Beyond the Black. Though I listened to much more, I’ve decided to focus in on just these two songs for this look back.

Myrath - Breathing Near the Roar

One of the many elements I love about Myrath, who originated from Tunisia, is how they mix many musical influences into their own work. This song is from their new album, Wilderness of Mirrors, which I very much look forward to purchasing and listening to.

Beyond the Black - Let There Be Rain

I first featured Beyond the Black, who hail from Germany, in the 2023 1st Quarter Look Back, and I’ve been listening to them ever since. This song is from their new album, Break the Silence, another album I plan to purchase and look forward to enjoying.

 

Life

As mentioned in the intro, this has felt like a very busy quarter, mostly spent planning for future events. This has cut into my time for other pursuits, like photography, reading, etc, though I’ve worked to keep a balance that still allows for some downtime and enjoyment. The difficulty is actually making use of any downtime and not allowing myself too often to choose mindless doomscrolling over things I actually enjoy and get some benefit from. That’s a struggle I’m sure many of us work at on a regular basis.

I’m still thoroughly enjoying my time learning about and trying different coffee beans from regions all over the world. This quarter I’ve mostly purchased beans from Red Rooster Coffee out of Floyd, Virginia, and Bluemont Coffee out of Bluemont, Virginia, which have become my go-to roasters of late, from regions such as Costa Rica, Rwanda, Guatemala, Venezuela, Ethiopia, Kenya, India, Nicaragua and Mexico.

Here’s my current brewing setup, for those interested:

  • 1Zpresso X-Ultra manual grinder (great all purpose grinder)

  • 1Zpresso ZP6 Special manual grinder (my newest addition, specialized for lighter roast pour over)

  • Metal and Glass Hario V60 pour over brewers

  • Small and large bodum French press brewers

  • Fellow Stagg gooseneck electric kettle

On days I have time to pause and enjoy my cups I use a V60, and on days I’m in a little more of a hurry I’ll use a French press. I have certain recipes (grinder, grind size, water temperature, ratio between grinds and water, brewer, pouring patterns) that I regularly use but I also like to experiment with new recipes. It fascinates me how much the flavor can change when adjusting any element of the recipe.

On the book front my father and I visited a bookstore he’d heard about in Woodstock, Virginia, called Bonfire Bookstore and Yarnery. It was a fascinating store that I described in one of my regular emails, and sold both new and used books, yarn and thread art items, and puzzles of all sorts and sizes. I really enjoyed the very comfortable feel of the store.

And on the food front we ate a couple times at the New Iberia Kitchen located inside The Marketplace in Sperryville, Virginia. It’s a real hidden gem of a restaurant, and The Marketplace is fun to walk through, full of little stores, a chocolate shop and a bakery. Check them out if you’re ever in the area, though you may have to look to find the place.

I hope you’ve been well this quarter. And I hope you’ve enjoyed this look back as much as I’ve enjoyed creating it. Thanks so much for reading and for all your support. I hope you have a fantastic second quarter of the year!

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!

My Favorite Books, Films, Series and Anime in 2025 /  by Todd Henson

My favorite books, movies, series and anime in 2025.

Photography is the focus of my website and blog, but it’s not the only activity that brings me joy. I also love reading and watching great movies and series, and I enjoy sharing some of that with you in hopes you may find something you’d enjoy, or perhaps discover we both enjoyed the same thing. Take a look below to see which of the books, movies and series ended up my favorites in 2025.

Some of the links below are affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This is at no extra cost to you.

Favorite Photography & Art Books

National Gallery of Art - Master Paintings From the Collection

This was an easy pick in that it was the only book of this category I read in the entire year. But thankfully, I did absolutely love the book. It’s a great read for anyone interested in the paintings of the great masters, especially those on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. It can be thought of as a perfect alternative for those unable to physically visit the museum, or as a fantastic supplement for those who have. It includes some information about each piece shown, and has short essays with even more information on many works.

Favorite Non-fiction Books

First Principles: What America’s Founders Learned from the Greeks and Romans and How That Shaped Our Country by Thomas E. Ricks

I’ve read other works of history about the founding of the United States, but this one differs from the others by looking at the education of the founders, what works and authors they were reading at the time, and how that likely affected their efforts to form a new government. I really enjoyed this perspective and learned quite a lot.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster

This was a fun read, as well as educational. The author is a professor and he shares how he goes about reading, analyzing, and understanding works of literature. I think I would have enjoyed classes with this professor as he appears to want students to learn to come to their own conclusions as much as, or more, than accepting any conclusions he’s come to.

Favorite Fiction Books

A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny

An absolutely perfect book, and my introduction to Zelazny’s novels, though I think I’d read some of his short stories when younger. Told from the perspective of a watch dog as it goes about helping his human with his preparations in the Game. There are many players in the Game, each with an animal companion, and we only slowly learn what the Game is over the course of the novel, told one day at a time with each chapter a single day in October. I loved this book and look forward to trying more by this fantastic author.

The Riftwar Saga (Magician: Apprentice, Magician: Master, Silverthorn, A Darkness at Sethanon) by Raymond Feist

As with Zelazny, I’ve been aware of Feist for quite some time, but only this year did I finally try any of his novels. I dove straight into the larger Riftwar Cycle with these novels, The Riftwar Saga, where it all began. And I loved them. Classic Epic Fantasy, and yet it felt a bit different from much of the rest I’ve read. I listened to these as audiobooks and I’ve been slowly collecting the rest of the books he’s written so I can continue exploring his worlds and characters in the many interconnected series.

Contact by Carl Sagan

So this isn’t the first book I’ve read by Carl Sagan, though it is the first fiction I’ve read by him. Previously, I’d read and watched the two different versions of Cosmos where he teaches about the earth, the universe and everything. And I’ve watched the movie version of Contact, which I also loved. But it was great to finally read the book, one that explores first contact with a species not of this world. Fantastic read, and an interesting look back at a specific point in history.

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

I read and loved many Stephen King novels when younger but at some point I sort of stopped reading his works. I tried to get back into his newer stuff every so often and it just didn’t work. But this time is different, this time I found a fantastic book that reminds me why I used to love King’s stories as much as I did. This one is more mystery and thriller and horror, though it certainly includes aspects of that, as well. But most of all it has a great cast of characters, some that are not very good people but still expertly portrayed. I hope to continue reading more of King’s newer works.

The Swords of Lankhmar by Fritz Leiber

I’ve been enjoying reading Fritz Leiber’s adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser for quite some time. They are absolutely classic fantasy characters, most often portrayed in short story anthologies, but this time in a full length novel. This is probably one of the oldest fantasy novels I read this year, first published in 1968. And thankfully, I still have some of their stories left to read. I both look forward to, and dread, the day I finally read the last story of this incredible duo.

Favorite Graphic Novels & Comics

No Longer Human by Junji Ito

A dark, depressing, sometimes depraved, story about a man with so many problems throughout his life, many if not most self-inflicted. There are recurring themes of addiction of various forms, as well as suicide. This graphic novel by Junji Ito was based on the novel of the same name written by Osamu Dazai and thought by some to be a suicide note from the author who soon afterwards committed suicide with his lover. The graphic novel feels almost circular in some ways, self-referential, with Osamu Dazai being one of the characters, and him writing No Longer Human within the story. I assume this was also the case with his original novel, though I’ve not read it. The artwork by Junji Ito is fantastic and very well suited to the story. I would be curious to try reading Osamu Dazai’s novel to compare it to this adaptation.

Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror by Junji Ito

What a crazy and wild ride. I’d watched the live action movie, but so long ago I’d forgotten most of it so this felt very fresh and new. In some cases it felt like an anthology of interconnected stories, though the further in the more cohesive the story felt. A fantastic read for any fan of Junji Ito’s work.

The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn by Tri Vuong

I won a copy of this book through a goodreads giveaway. This was a real winner. It apparently started as a web comic and now it’s been published in a hardback graphic novel. I love these stories of Oscar Zahn, a floating skull in a trench coat and a paranormal investigator solving supernatural problems. He has a heart of gold as he struggles to help others, and each time he does we get a deeper look at problems he carries within himself. I’d love to read more of these tales and learn more about Oscar and all the fascinating characters and realms he’s a part of.

Favorite Movies and Series

The Expanse - Season One

I put off this series both because of its length and because I couldn’t decide whether to try the videos or the books first. Eventually I went for the videos and watched season one. What an incredible, epic, science fiction story, showing future conflicts and politics between Earth, Mars, and the Belters who live in the asteroid belt. I felt there was an incredible cast of characters, great special effects, and magnificent writing. I can’t wait to continue watching the series, and perhaps to one day reading the book series, as well.

Greyhound

A WWII story based on a novel inspired by true events, starring Tom Hanks commanding a destroyer escorting an international convoy of 37 ships across the Atlantic, who end up facing a wolf pack of Nazi U-boats, at least 6, and do all they can to fight them off and protect the convoy. Fantastic film. Well acted. Very emotional. Shows the difficulties of naval warfare at that time, the decisions one might have to make, the sacrifices, the honor, the fear.

The Faculty

This might have been my favorite movie the year it came out, when I was around the age of the characters, so it was easy putting myself in their shoes. And though I remembered the gist of it, enough years had passed since I first watched it that there were still some surprises during this rewatch. What do a group of students do when, one by one, the faculty of their school begin behaving very strangely?

The Sandlot

Another favorite movie when I first watched it back when it came out, and one that easily holds up today. It’s a coming of age film about a group of kids who love baseball but run afoul of the Beast, a dog behind a wooden fence at the edge of the sandlot where they play ball.

Favorite Anime & Animated Movies

Paranoia Agent

It’s definitely Satoshi Kon, that’s for sure. A series of fascinating characters linked together through getting attacked by Little Slugger, a kid with a bent bat and inline skates. And yet each person seems to feel like they’ve been set free after being attacked, almost as if Little Slugger has somehow saved them. Gets stranger and stranger the further in we get and by the end you may wonder what you just watched.

The Hobbit (Rankin Bass)

I loved this animated film when I was a kid. I’d already read the book and it was exciting to see it adapted. I remember watching it a couple times when younger. And I have to say I really enjoyed this rewatch, full of nostalgia of my youth.

Last exile

I almost didn’t include this one in the list because I haven’t finished watching it yet. But I’m thoroughly enjoying it so I figured I might as well call it out. It’s an anime series I first started watching, though never finished, when it first came out. But I enjoyed it enough that I purchased the DVDs. It’s a steampunk sort of story with warring nations, groups of pilots and mechanics who fly interesting aircraft delivering messages of various difficulty levels, and a great storyline portrayed with some incredible animations that mixes traditional and digital styles. It also has a great soundtrack. I look forward to finishing this series next year. Who knows, maybe it’ll also end up on next years favorites list.

So what did you read or watch in 2025 and what were your favorites? Have you ever read or watched anything from my list? Let me know in the comments below.

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!