When I was younger, I always felt like Stephen King’s books were too formulaic. I enjoyed his writing, but never really appreciating any of his work. It wasn’t until I was older and actually tried a little writing myself that King’s sheer storytelling talent really hit me. I actually read Wizard and Glass twice this year, and I’ve never read any other book more than once. If you haven’t yet read any Stephen King (shame on you), I implore you find a copy of The Stand as soon as possible.

I didn’t like this album at first. It was an impulse purchase after hearing the song "Rill Rill," and the rest of the album wasn’t what I was expecting at all. I was disappointed and set the record aside for months. But something kept calling out to me, telling me to give the album a second shot, and I finally gave in. Treats became my go-to driving album and, from there, it was a short climb to the top of my favorites list. There’s just something about Alexis Krauss’ voice paired with the raw guitar riffs that makes me very very happy.

I have vague memories of a time long ago when my recycling bin overflowed with empty seltzer bottles, but those memories have softened and been replaced with thoughts of reusable bottles, loud buzzes, and a seemingly limitless supply of fresh sparkling water. Store-bought seltzer just doesn’t have enough fizz; the Sodastream gives me the power to pump my water so full of carbonation that my nose burns.

Every time I tell someone to watch Dogville, I preface the recommendation with a disclaimer that the movie is really long and boring... but that the last 20 minutes are totally worth the wait. Lars von Trier’s scathing look at small-town America starts innocently, growing deeply disturbing as the movie progresses at a pace so slow it’s barely noticeable. It’s not a movie I’d watch every week — or even every year — but I’ll definitely sit through the three-hour film any time a friend expresses even the slightest amount of interest.

No matter how many times I’ve used it, Dark Sky still blows my mind. Technologically, I understand that we’re able to accurately predict short-term weather conditions, but it still feels like magic every time the rain precipitation chart matches what I see out the window. Dark Sky has saved me from many runs through the rain, and the developer’s complimentary website, forecast.io, has become the go-to weather app on my phone.