32 Books for 32 Years

In 2018, I announced I would celebrate 25 years of life by publishing “lists of my 25 favorite films, books, and albums.” That year I only succeeded in writing a “25 Films for 25 Years” list and lost the time and motivation to finish the project before I turned 26. Then, in 2023, I began the attempt again, publishing “30 Films for 30 Years.” The sequel arrived a year late, hence it was called “31 Albums for 31 Years.” I’m close enough now to turning 32 that I’ll complete the sequence with “32 Books for 32 Years.” If I ever attempt to repeat this three-part project, it will not be until I turn forty. It took far more time and effort than it was probably worth. But I do love to champion the works that have been most formative for me as a viewer, listener, and reader, and in the process of writing this books list, I’ve enjoyed reminiscing about the contexts in which I was introduced to each of these texts.

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31 Albums for 31 Years

When I turned 25, I planned to write a series of articles on my 25 favorite films, 25 favorite albums, and 25 favorite books. I only finished the film article; the album article stalled and I gave up on it. Then, when I turned 30 last year, I attempted to complete the series again—now with 20% more items—but it took so long to finish the album article that I’m not 30 anymore. So here are the 31 albums that are the nearest and dearest to me. (Well, there are 32, at least, depending on how you count things.)

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30 Films for 30 Years

I turned 30 this past year, and just like when I turned 20 and 25, attaining the significant-sounding number has put me in a retrospective mood. (Then again, I am an obsessive list-maker, so almost any excuse will do for cataloguing my favorite things.) As the title suggests, what follows are the films, one per year I’ve been alive, that I most value. (Actually, there are 34 films, besides the 5 honorable mentions.)

There were three criteria for selection. One, I consider each of the “30” films to be a masterclass in screenwriting or storytelling, a masterclass in filmmaking, or both. Two, inspired by an essay Timothy Lawrence wrote a few years ago, I count them among my “Film Friends.” Three, I would strongly recommend these films to just about anyone.

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