If you like these things too, we could be friends!
Instant buy authors:
(Not every book of theirs is a hit, but I trust them and will keep returning to their work)
- R. F. Kuang / Rebecca Kuang
- Olivie Blake
- Juno Dawson
- Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Sally Rooney
- Mona Awad
- NoViolet Bulawayo
- John Green
- Ava Reid
- Bernadine Evaristo
- Gabrielle Zevin
- V. E. Schwab / Victoria Schwab
- Suzanne Collins
- Alex Michaelides
- Krystal Sutherland
Honourable mentions:
- Kasim Ali
- Leena Norms
- Christie Ann Jones (haven’t read her debut yet but watched her YouTube for years and trust her writing so I can’t wait until it’s out!)
- Jeanette McCurdy
- Alex Michaelides
- Ali Hazelwood
- Abbie Emmons
- T Kingfisher
- P. Djèlí Clark
- Charlene Antrobus
Authors most intrigued to sample in 2026:
- Stephen Graham Jones
- Rivers Soloman
- Andrew Joseph White
- Akwaeke Emezi
Instant watch actors:
- Stephen Graham
- Timothee Chalamet
- Florence Pugh
- Jodie Comer
- Emma Stone
- Jessica Buckley
- Michael B. Jordan
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- Adam Sandler films
- Lupita Nyongo
- Brad Pitt
- Adam Driver
- Olivia Coleman
- Emily Blunt
- Amy Poehler
- Will Ferrell
- Viola Davis
- Elizabeth Olsen
- Cillian Murphy
- Robert Pattison (later in his career)
Honourable mentions:
- Daniel Radcliffe
- Mark Wahlberg
- Amanda Siegfried
- Benedict Cumberbatch
Favourite books / 5 star reads:
- Babel by R. F. Kuang
- Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
- Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake
- Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
- Bunny by Mona Awad
- Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo
- HMRC series (1st and 2nd books are faves)
- A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
- Harry Potter series
- Percy Jackson series
My StoryGraph profile if you’re interested in stalking my reading tastes!
Favourite TV shows / 5 star watches (and go-to rewatch sitcoms):
- The Office USA
- Brooklyn 99
- Modern Family
- Community
- Bob’s Burgers
- The Big Bang Theory
- Parks and Recreation
- Ted Lasso (Apple TV)
- Game of Thrones
- Orange is the New Black
- Breaking Bad
- Sons of Anarchy
- Harlan Coben shows
- Korean thrillers
- Stranger Things
- Gilmore Girls
- Friends
- How I Met Your Mother
- Rick and Morty
- Silo (Apple TV)
- See (Apple TV)
- Adolescence
- The Walk-In
- Killing Eve
- Dickinson (Apple TV)
- The Devil’s Hour
- Bridgerton (my guilty pleasure!)
- Severance (very slow but still great for the concept)
- Kim’s Convenience
- One Day at a Time
- Bojack Horseman
Favourite genres, tropes and themes:
- Animations and Anime (Japanese) films
- Psychological thrillers
- Comedy
- Family drama / domestic drama
- Sitcoms
- Dark academia
- Mystery
- Fantasy (not epic or quest or war based usually for reads, but like those for watching)
- Literary Fiction
- Translated / Non-English fiction
- Found family & misfit group
- Thought provoking
- Darker aspects of class
- Cultural tensions / Inner conflict with cultural norms and traditions
- Magical realism
- Character driven
- Bighearted / wholesome / feel good
- Quest for belonging
- Social class dynamics
- Human condition explored
- Introspective tone
- Journey of self discovery
- Childhood and memory
- Trauma
- Exploration of mental health
- Grief
- Immigrant experience
- Books about books
- Nostalgia for the 90s and early 00s
- Childhood friendships
- Epistolary novels
- Episodic novels
- Novels told across time/ flashbacks
- Sibling dynamics
- Platonic relationships
- Ragtag group of misfits
- Toxic group at an elite institution obsessed with success
- Exploration of family dynamics
- Darker aspects of human nature
- Old grumpy person’s life is changed by meeting a special younger person
Favourite YouTubers:
- Leena Norms
- Christy Anne Jones
- Leonie / The Book Leo
- Leora Aileen
- This Story Ain’t Over
- The Carlin Bros
- Charlie Follows (yoga)
- Yoga with Adriene
- Yoga with Kassandra
- Muchelle B
Sincerely,
S. xx