Year-End Lists

A hand-curated, browsable index of notable year-end lists. Follow the link for each list to see essential commentary from its author, at the source.
Movies TV Shows Music Books Poetry Podcasts

Highlights

2018
All Movies TV Shows Music Books Poetry Podcasts
2018 Books

Dennis Cooper: Favorite Fiction and Nonfiction of 2018

11 December 2018

Dennis Cooper: Favorite Fiction and Nonfiction of 2018

[see also 2019 • 2016 • 2012]

Fiction

Nonfiction

2018 Books

Entropy: Best Books of 2018

11 December 2018

Entropy: Best Books of 2018, Non-Fiction and Fiction, "in no particular order" but numbered as follows.

[see also 2017]

Non-Fiction

  1. Sick
    Porochista Khakpour
  2. Heart Berries
    Terese Marie Mailhot
  3. Carceral Capitalism
    Jackie Wang
  4. All You Can Ever Know
    Nicole Chung
  5. How to Write an Autobiographical Novel
    Alexander Chee
  6. Betwixt-and-Between
    Essays on the Writing Life
    Jenny Boully
  7. Heavy
    An American Memoir
    Kiese Laymon
  8. Litany for the Long Moment
    Mary-Kim Arnold
  9. A Handbook of Disappointed Fate
    Anne Boyer
  10. When They Call You a Terrorist
    A Black Lives Matter Memoir
    Patrisse Khan-Cullors & asha bandele
  11. This Will Be My Undoing
    Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America
    Morgan Jerkins
  12. Raymond Carver's What We Talk About When We Talk About Love
    Bookmarked
    Brian Evenson
  13. Tonight I'm Someone Else
    Chelsea Hodson
  14. Beyond Measure
    Rachel Z. Arndt
  15. Not That Bad
    Dispatches from Rape Culture
    Roxane Gay (editor)
  16. Feel Free
    Zadie Smith
  17. When I Spoke in Tongues
    A Story of Faith and Its Loss
    Jessica Wilbanks
  18. Silver Road
    Maps, Essays and Calligraphies
    Kazim Ali
  19. Idiophone
    Amy Fusselman
  20. Ladies Lazarus
    Piper J. Daniels
  21. Migrant Brothers
    A Poet’s Declaration of Human Dignity
    Patrick Chamoiseau
  22. Light Magic for Dark Times
    More than 100 Spells, Rituals, and Practices for Coping in a Crisis
    Lisa Marie Basile
  23. Mother Winter
    Sophia Shalmiyev
  24. Old In Art School
    A Memoir of Starting Over
    Nell Painter
  25. California Calling
    A Self-Interrogation
    Natalie Singer
  26. The Displaced
    Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives
    Viet Thanh Nguyen (editor)
  27. The Leftovers
    Shaelyn Smith
  28. Rockhaven
    A History of Interiors
    various authors
  29. Spain
    Caren Beilin
  30. The Barefoot Woman
    Scholastique Mukasonga
  31. Wrestling with the Devil
    A Prison Memoir
    Ngugi wa Thiong'o
  32. Eloquent Rage
    A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower
    Brittney C. Cooper
  33. So You Want to Talk About Race
    Ijeoma Oluo
  34. Transgressive Circulation
    Johannes Goransson
  35. Dept. of Posthumous Letters
    Dot Devota and Caitie Moore
  36. John Okada
    The Life and Rediscovered Work of the Author of No-No Boy
    various authors
  37. Pasolini's Our
    Nathanaël
  38. To Float in the Space Between
    A Life and Work in Conversation with the Life and Work of Etheridge Knight
    Terrance Hayes
  39. Lyric Multiples
    George Albon
  40. Refuge
    Ming Lauren Holden

Fiction

  1. The Incendiaries
    R.O. Kwon
  2. There There
    Tommy Orange
  3. Friday Black
    Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
  4. Bury What We Cannot Take
    Kirstin Chen
  5. Wild Milk
    Sabrina Mark
  6. The Great Believers
    Rebecca Makkai
  7. Red Clocks
    Leni Zumas
  8. The End of Peril, The End of Enmity, The End of Strife, A Haven
    Thirii Myo Kyaw Myint
  9. The Naked Woman
    Armonía Somers
  10. The Third Hotel
    Laura van den Berg
  11. Motherhood
    Sheila Heti
  12. Strawberry Fields
    Hilary Plum
  13. On Hell
    Johanna Hedva
  14. A Lucky Man
    Jamel Brinkley
  15. A River of Stars
    Vanessa Hua
  16. The Collected Stories of Diane Williams
    Diane Williams
  17. Lion Cross Point
    Masatsugu Ono
  18. Call Me Zebra
    Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi
  19. Mecha Samurai Empire
    Peter Tieryas
  20. Fruit of the Drunken Tree
    Ingrid Rojas Contreras
  21. If You Leave Me
    Crystal Hana Kim
  22. Florida
    Lauren Groff
  23. The Emissary
    Yoko Tawada
  24. Empty Set
    Verónica Gerber Bicecci
  25. An American Marriage
    Tayari Jones
  26. H & G
    Anna Maria Hong
  27. Monster Portraits
    Del Samatar and Sofia Samatar
  28. The Taiga Syndrome
    Cristina Rivera Garza
  29. Sacred Smokes
    Theodore C. Van Alst
  30. French Exit
    Patrick deWitt
  31. The Poet X
    Elizabeth Acevedo
  32. My Pet Serial Killer
    Michael J. Seidlinger
  33. Comemadre
    Roque Larraquy
  34. White Dancing Elephants
    Chaya Bhuvaneswar
  35. The Golden State
    Lydia Kiesling
  36. Break.up
    A Novel in Essays
    Joanna Walsh
  37. Little Reunions
    Eileen Chang
  38. Scribe
    Alyson Hagy
  39. The Largesse of the Sea Maiden
    Denis Johnson
  40. Open Me
    Lisa Locascio
  41. After the Winter
    Guadalupe Nettel
  42. Pretend We Live Here
    Genevieve Hudson
  43. Unnatural Habitats & Other Stories
    Angela Mitchell
  44. Suicide Club
    A Novel About Living
    Rachel Heng
  45. Not Heaven, Somewhere Else
    Rebecca Brown
  46. The Immigrant's Refrigerator
    Elena Georgiou
  47. The Lucky Ones Get to be People
    Rachel Haley Himmelheber
  48. American Hippo
    River of Teeth, Taste of Marrow, and New Stories
    Sarah Gailey
  49. The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish
    Katya Apekina
  50. Freshwater
    Akwaeke Emezi
  51. The Pisces
    Melissa Broder
  52. The Dirty Text
    Soleida Rios
  53. My Year of Rest and Relaxation
    Ottessa Moshfegh
  54. What We Were Promised
    Lucy Tan
  55. Whiskey & Ribbons
    Leesa Cross-Smith
  56. The Overstory
    Richard Powers
  57. Self-Portrait with Boy
    Rachel Lyon
  58. The Blurry Years
    Eleanor Kriseman
  59. The Houseguest
    And Other Stories
    Amparo Dávila
  60. The Poppy War
    R.F. Kuang
2018 Music

Pitchfork: 50 Best Albums of 2018

11 December 2018

Be the Cowboy - Mitski

Pitchfork: 50 Best Albums of 2018

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

  1. Be the Cowboy
    Mitski
  2. Golden Hour
    Kacey Musgraves
  3. Knock Knock
    DJ Koze
  4. Honey
    Robyn
  5. Lush
    Snail Mail
  6. El Mal Querer
    Rosalía
  7. Some Rap Songs
    Earl Sweatshirt
  8. Double Negative
    Low
  9. Whack World
    Tierra Whack
  10. Safe in the Hands of Love
    Yves Tumor
  11. Sweetener
    Ariana Grande
  12. Ephorize
    cupcakKe
  13. Devotion
    Tirzah
  14. Freedom
    Amen Dunes
  15. Room 25
    Noname
  16. Singularity
    Jon Hopkins
  17. Daytona
    Pusha T
  18. Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides
    Sophie
  19. Invasion of Privacy
    Cardi B
  20. 7
    Beach House
  21. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships
    The 1975
  22. In a Poem Unlimited
    U.S. Girls
  23. ASTROWORLD
    Travis Scott
  24. Aviary
    Julia Holter
  25. Die Lit
    Playboi Carti
  26. FM!
    Vince Staples
  27. Clean
    Soccer Mommy
  28. Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
    Deafheaven
  29. boygenius
    boygenius
  30. Chris
    Christine and the Queens
  31. Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
    Arctic Monkeys
  32. I’m All Ears
    Let’s Eat Grandma
  33. Mudboy
    Sheck Wes
  34. Broken Politics
    Neneh Cherry
  35. 2012-2017
    Against All Logic
  36. Nasty
    Rico Nasty
  37. Veteran
    JPEGMAFIA
  38. Isolation
    Kali Uchis
  39. Hive Mind
    The Internet
  40. Beyondless
    Iceage
  41. MIH-TY
    Jeremih & Ty Dolla $ign
  42. abysskiss
    Adrianne Lenker
  43. The Sciences
    Sleep
  44. How to Socialise & Make Friends
    Camp Cope
  45. Wanderer
    Cat Power
  46. Negro Swan
    Blood Orange
  47. Compro
    Skee Mask
  48. Heaven and Earth
    Kamasi Washington
  49. Overload
    Georgia Anne Muldrow
  50. Gangin
    SOB X RBE
2018 Poetry

Autostraddle: 6 of the Best Feminist Poetry Books of 2018

11 December 2018

Autostraddle: 6 of the Best Feminist Poetry Books of 2018

2018 Movies

Rolling Stone: Peter Travers: 20 Best Movies of 2018

10 December 2018

Peter Travers: 20 Best Movies of 2018, as published by Rolling Stone

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2017]

  1. Roma
    Alfonso Cuaron
  2. A Star Is Born
    Bradley Cooper
  3. Black Panther
    Ryan Coogler
  4. The Favourite
    Yorgos Lanthimos
  5. BlacKkKlansman
    Spike Lee
  6. If Beale Street Could Talk
    Barry Jenkins
  7. First Man
    Damien Chazelle
  8. First Reformed
    Paul Schrader
  9. Eighth Grade
    Bo Burnham
  10. Green Book
    Peter Farrelly
  11. Vice
    Adam McKay
  12. Burning
    Lee Chang-dong
  13. Widows
    Steve McQueen
  14. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
    Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman
  15. The Rider
    Chloé Zhao
  16. Hereditary
    Ari Aster
  17. Cold War
    Pawel Pawlikowski
  18. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
    Joel & Ethan Coen
  19. Bohemian Rhapsody
    Bryan Singer
  20. Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
    Morgan Neville
2018 Poetry

New York Times: David Orr: Best Poetry of 2018

10 December 2018

David Orr: Best Poetry of 2018, as published by The New York Times

[see also 2019 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015]

2018 Books

Nylon: Kristin Iversen: Best Books Of 2018

10 December 2018

Kristin Iversen: Best Books Of 2018, as published by Nylon

2018 Music

Billboard: 50 Best Albums of 2018

10 December 2018

Sweetener - Ariana Grande

Billboard: 50 Best Albums of 2018

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2017 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

  1. Sweetener
    Ariana Grande
  2. Invasion of Privacy
    Cardi B
  3. Golden Hour
    Kacey Musgraves
  4. Daytona
    Pusha T
  5. Dirty Computer
    Janelle Monáe
  6. Black Panther The Album Music From And Inspired By
    Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, SZA
  7. ASTROWORLD
    Travis Scott
  8. Camila
    Camila Cabello
  9. Vibras
    J Balvin
  10. Everything Is Love
    The Carters
  11. Be the Cowboy
    Mitski
  12. Honey
    Robyn
  13. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships
    The 1975
  14. Swimming
    Mac Miller
  15. Scorpion
    Drake
  16. Isolation
    Kali Uchis
  17. El Mal Querer
    Rosalía
  18. Tha Carter V
    Lil Wayne
  19. Whack World
    Tierra Whack
  20. Chris
    Christine and the Queens
  21. A Star Is Born Soundtrack
    Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
  22. Room 25
    Noname
  23. Shawn Mendes
    Shawn Mendes
  24. Hive Mind
    The Internet
  25. Lush
    Snail Mail
  26. Voicenotes
    Charlie Puth
  27. Victory Lap
    Nipsey Hussle
  28. Bloom
    Troye Sivan
  29. boygenius
    boygenius
  30. Kids See Ghosts
    Kids See Ghosts
  31. High As Hope
    Florence + The Machine
  32. Care for Me
    Saba
  33. Piano & a Microphone 1983
    Prince
  34. Trench
    twenty one pilots
  35. iridescence
    BROCKHAMPTON
  36. Singularity
    Jon Hopkins
  37. Interstate Gospel
    Pistol Annies
  38. beerbongs & bentleys
    Post Malone
  39. Caution
    Mariah Carey
  40. Clean
    Soccer Mommy
  41. Language
    MNEK
  42. K.T.S.E.
    Teyana Taylor
  43. KOD
    J. Cole
  44. Expectations
    Hayley Kiyoko
  45. Solace
    Rüfüs Du Sol
  46. Egypt Station
    Paul McCartney
  47. Aura
    Ozuna
  48. I’m All Ears
    Let’s Eat Grandma
  49. The Mountain
    Dierks Bentley
  50. SR3MM
    Rae Sremmurd
2018 Movies

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Favorite Movies Of 2018

10 December 2018

Eighth Grade - Bo Burnham

NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour: Favorite Movies Of 2018

[see also 2017]

2018 TV Shows

A.V. Club: Best TV of 2018

10 December 2018

The A.V. Club: Best TV of 2018

[see also 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2017 • 2016]

  1. The Americans
  2. The Good Place
  3. Atlanta
  4. Killing Eve
  5. Glow
  6. Pose
  7. Better Call Saul
  8. Lodge 49
  9. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
  10. Barry
  11. Sharp Objects
  12. BoJack Horseman
  13. The Good Fight
  14. The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
  15. One Day at a Time
  16. Big Mouth
  17. Succession
  18. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
  19. Homecoming
  20. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
  21. Legends of Tomorrow
  22. Billions
  23. The Terror
  24. Vida
  25. American Vandal

Recent Lists

By Year

By Category

Trending Works

Archive

About

Year-end lists are fingerprints; aggregate statistics are smudges. Therefore, I make no tallies.