Top 25 of 2025: Books, Shows, Products, and More!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the US, and I thought sharing a list of 25 favorites from this past year would be a fun (and different) way to express gratitude as November comes to a close. This list is in no particular order, just grouped into loose categories. Let’s dive in!

Prose hair care system – I was reluctant to try Prose because it is expensive, but I like how my hair has looked and felt since I started using it. A set of shampoo, conditioner and curl cream can last me two months instead of one, so it’s a little less painful to the pocketbook. I will be fitting this into my budget for the foreseeable future. Love!
E.L.F. Brow Laminating Gel – my right eyebrow is wonky and thus it needs to be tamed. Or I just want to tame it, forcing it into symmetry submission. Laminating gel seems to be my only hope and I like this one. It gets the job done without breaking the bank.
Daisy Jones & The Six (book and show) – I was on a Taylor Jenkins Reid backlist binge this year and this one was great fun! I enjoyed both the book and the show— hearing the music come to life was amazing and I loved it.
Atmosphere by TJR – THIS BOOK! Heart eyes forever! Absolutely spellbinding and heartbreaking and breathtaking! A wondrous rollercoaster! Five stars forever!!!
Taylor Jenkins Reid – I’m glad I embarked on the journey of reading all of TJR’s books this year, I was a fan before and am more of a fan now. I can’t wait for whatever comes next from Ms. Reid!
Great Big Beautiful Life – I have loved everything by Emily Henry (including/especially her early novels that were more young adult, magical fiction than rom com) and GBBL is no exception! One of my faves of the year!
Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby – while not a five star read for me, some of the essays in QH had me crying laughing out loud (all of Sam’s books that I gobbled up this year had real gems in them that got me hysterical because #truth and also I can’t even imagine some of the situations she writes about – I also would recommend the audio books, read by the author)
Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer- this telling of Twilight through Edward’s eyes was a massive (digital) tome but well worth it! It took me a while to get started (some loooong chapters had me hesitating) but I was hooked before long. After I finished it on Halloween, I immediately watched Twilight and have been rewatching the rest of the Saga movies this month. It been a fun trip down memory lane to the stories I read in my youth.
Listening to Barbra Streisand’s autobiography – I wouldn’t say I was a particular fan of Barbra Streisand, but I was intrigued when her autobiography came out and I wanted to listen to it, all 48 hours of it! And it has been a delight! I love hearing her stories, in her voice, and how she reads it. As of this writing, I am 39 hours in and am on track to finish by the end of the year.
Ordinary by Alex Warren – this is my favorite song of the year! I listened to it on repeat on Amazon Music and think I broke my subscription lol— love, love, love!
Mystical Magical by Benson Boone – THE song of summer, so fun! Love Benson!
The Life of a Showgirl (album) by Taylor Swift – TLOAS was on repeat over here for all of October! It was fun to focus on a single album all month. I really love most, if not all, of the songs on it. Some of my faves are Elizabeth Taylor, Opalite, Actually Romantic, Cancelled! And Life of a Showgirl, but truly I love something about each of them.
MeUndies – this isn’t a new find in 2025, but this year I expanded my collection. The cotton is so soft, so comfy!
Wearing CRZ yoga flare leggings, as work pants – I don’t know if it was a good or bad idea to start wearing these flare leggings to work (with tops that cover my bum) but it has made dressing such a less stressful experience, and being dressed a much more comfortable one. Ideally, one day I will fit back into my regular work pants without feeling like I’m being squeezed to death, and maybe then I’ll stop wearing them to work… maybe. Or maybe not.
Govee smart plugs – I wrote about these in my last post HERE, but these have been a great discovery this year. I love having lights on timers and these give me the flexibility of having them set on a schedule, but also being able to control and override from my phone.
Habit app – for a one time subscription cost, this app is worth it— I love the widget that lets me easily tap when I’ve completed a habit.
Vision Beam projector – this was a birthday present to myself earlier this year and at first it was not a favorite. I was planning on returning it. A software upgrade that allowed me to adjust brightness, and also buying a freestanding projection screen, made it a winner.
Nobody Wants This – I haven’t finished season 2 yet, but plan to before months end. This is a fun yet poignant series in easy to watch half hour episodes. And I love Seth… I mean Adam!
TSITP Season 3 (finale in particular) – I waited impatiently for Season 3 since I finished binging Seasons 1 and 2 last summer. I had not read the books so I did not know how the story would unfold. But the finale was perfect. And a movie???
Grace & Frankie – I have loved watching this series over the course of this year. Sometimes I struggled to make time, but I never regretted it when I fit an episode into my routine. Love these ladies!
M&S Sultana cookies – in 2009 when my mom and I went to England for her 60th birthday, we had these cookies from Marks and Spencers and I’ve remembered them fondly ever since. A month or so ago it dawned on me that I could maybe order them online… and so I did! And they are just as heavenly now as they were then. Yum!
NY Cheesecake Pancakes at iHop – Indulgent? Yes. Delicious? Yes!
Dave’s Killer bread and bagels – I’m on the bandwagon, I like Dave’s bread and bagels! I get the small loaves of bread, and my favorite bagels are either the blueberry, or the everything.
Chick-Fil-A pretzel bun sandwich – heartbreaking that this was a limited time offer but maybe it’s for the best because I’d be tempted to get it too often… lol
Chicken Magerk sandwich at Magerks (local restaurant) – this sandwich makes up for the fact that Chick-Fil-A pretzel bun sandwich isn’t available anymore. I had it in March and would love to get it again before the year is over. Maybe this weekend…