Books I loved this year

Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Willams. I love historical fiction by women about women. Add a book about words and I am IN!

Matrix by Lauren Groff – This may be my favorite novel I read all year. I loved the writing and the story.

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich is a fabulous, rich pandemic novel. Set in Minnesota, I got a lot of insight about the Native community there.

In the Country of Others by Leila Slimani is a historical novel telling the story of a Frenchwoman married to a Moroccan and their life in Morocco. It’s the first of a trilogy and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

Saved by a Song by Mary Gauthier I love the blend of memoir and how-to. This book shares what it takes emotionally to craft a good song. Loved it!

In Love by Amy Bloom may not seem like something you’d rush to read. But the story of how her husband chose to deal with early-onset Alzheimers was inspiring and taught me a lot.

Free Time by Jenny Blake gave me so many new ways to think about how I do my work. Super inspired, and my assistant Ulli and I had a mini-book group around this book.

Life Is Better When You Draw It by Koosje Koene will inspire anyone who wants to have more fun drawing. Koosje was one of my co-leaders on Paris Sketchbook, and I was delighted to get her book from her in person.

Movies and shows I’ve loved

Stutz On the flight home from London, I watched Stutz, which I’d downloaded on Netflix. This film by Jonah Hill introduces us to his therapist, Phil Stutz. I just loved this documentary. It gave me a lot of new perspectives on personal growth, plus tools I can use. I was inspired by Stutz, his life story and his belief that therapy should help the patient feel better right away. I don’t know if you’ll like this. But any time there is a therapist and patient relationship onscreen, I am riveted.

Blown Away Have I talked about this show? I never watch competition shows. But this one about glass artists totally sucked me in. There are three seasons plus a limited holiday season. The title is so perfect – I truly was Blown Away.

The Patient – I avoid shows and movies about serial killers, but this one starring Steve Carrell drew me in. I love shows about therapists (see Stutz above) so that got me hooked. This show gave me a lot to think and talk about but it’s not for the faint of heart.

What are your favorite books and movies from this year? Share in the comments below.