My Picks Of The Year for 2023

Here’s a list of my favorites of the year in entertainment, books, apps, and a favorite gadget purchase for good measure. I don’t believe in “Best of.” There’s too much good being created by too many good (and some not so good) folks out there, that I just pick favorites. Lots of mediocrity out there, but here’s the cream that rose to the top of my list, though I certainly didn’t see or consume everything.

Movies

• Oppenheimer
• Barbie
• Maestro
• FinestKind
• Blackberry

TV and Streaming

• The Bear
• Mrs. Davis
• Drops of God
• Silo
• Slow Horses
• Fargo
• The Fall of the House of Usher
• The Last of Us
• Wes Anderson’s Roald Dahl Shorts on Netflix

These films and streaming shows mentioned above contained some outstanding performances by Carey Mulligan in Maestro and Emily Blunt and Robert Downey, Jr in Oppenheimer. As for Oppenheimer all the hype was about the big boom. I loved it more for the explosive intimacy of the brilliant film making in the human moments. Brilliant acting from that entire ensemble. Also, episodes 7 and 8 of Season 2 of The Bear were two or the richest small screen viewing experiences I think I’ve ever experienced. Masterpiece work.

Books

• Prequel by Rachel Maddow
• Undertow by Jeff Sharlett
• Sapiens Yual Noah Harari
• The Kingdom, The Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in the Age of Extremism by Tim Alberta
• The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

Apps and Software

• Paste. A terrific clipboard manager.
• It’s an update to the iPhone, but The Action Button
• Ivory. A Mastodon client.
• IceCubes. Another Mastodon client.
• Mona. Yet another Mastodon client.
• Bartender 5 (It’s an update to an oldie, but always goodie)
• The Double Tap Gesture on the “Is it legal or not legal?” Apple Watch

Gadget Purchase of the Year

GL.iNet Beryl AX (GL-MT3000) Travel Router. Excellent, powerful travel router in a tiny package that belies its size. Helps extend WiFi and provides on board VPN protection while traveling. A huge winner in a small package.

Here’s hoping you enjoy your New Year!