Good. Better. Best. 2019 is not even halfway over and the year has already come in all degrees of quality. Exploring numerous films, television shows, songs, concerts, books, hikes and beer to determine what has been the best thus far is no small thing, but I have done my best. With the last year of this decade not even half over, I can’t wait to see what else could possibly be in store to explore. Until then, welcome to the Best of 2019, so far…
FILMS
1. Us
2. Braid
3. Guava Island
Just missed: Wine Country; The Hole in the Ground; SuperLópez
Most Looking Forward To: Once Upon a Time In Hollywood; Mustang; High Life; Birds of Passage; Piercing; Joker; The Goldfinch
TELEVISION SHOWS
1. The OA, Netflix
2. You’re the Worst, FX
3. Killing Eve, AMC
Just missed: Game of Thrones, HBO; Corporate, Comedy Central; Veep, HBO;
What We Do In The Shadows, FX; Superstore, NBC; The Other Two, Comedy Central
Most Looking Forward To: Watchmen, HBO; Black Mirror, Netflix; Catch 22, Hulu;
Legion, FX; Dark, Netflix; Good Omens, Amazon; Fosse/Verdon, FX
TELEVISION EPISODES
1. “Chapter 8: Overview,” The OA, Netflix
2. “The Long Night,” Game of Thrones, HBO
3. “Pancakes” You’re the Worst, FX
Just missed: “Stories” Broad City, Comedy Central; “Veep,” Veep, HBO; “The Concert,” Corporate, Comedy Central; “The Blizzard,” Superstore, NBC; “The Calm Before,” The Walking Dead, AMC; “Ariadne,” Russian Doll, Netflix
ALBUMS
1. Crushing, Julia Jacklin
2. The Destroyer – 1, TR/ST
3. WHEN WE FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE ALL GO?, Billie Eilish
Just missed: Stuffed & Ready, Cherry Glazerr; Assume Form, James Blake; Everythings for Sale, Boogie; Crush On Me, Sir Babygirl; Gallipoli, Beirut; Fever, Megan Thee Stallion; The Devil You Know, The Coathangers
Most Looking Forward To: Childish Gambino; Lady Gaga; Run the Jewels; Danny Brown; Rihanna; Grimes; Sky Ferreira; Glacier Boyz
SONGS
1. “Barefoot in the Park,” James Blake ft. Rosalía
2. “The Barrel,” Aldous Harding
3. “Con Altura,” Rosalía / J Balvin
Just missed: “Everyone Is a Bad Friend,” Sir Babygirl; “Unbleached,” TR/ST;
“Tuesday,” Malibu Ken; “Cubicle,” BB Sun / AJ Suede; “Hologram,” Tacocat;
“Waiting,” Dark Smith; “Okashi,” Charlotte Adigéry; “Truth Hurts,” Lizzo; “Pressure To Party,” Julia Jacklin; “Only Child,” Tierra Whack; “Faraway Look,” Yola; “Free Uzi,” Lil Uzi Vert
CONCERTS
1. TR/ST, Neumos
2. Beirut, Paramount Theatre
3. Cherry Glazerr, Neumos
Just Missed: Palehound, Neumos; Lydia Ainsworth, Neumos; Helado Negro, Paramount Theatre
Most Looking Forward To: Tacocat, Showbox; SOAK, Barboza; Fenne Lily, Barboza; Lucy Dacus, Neumos
BOOKS (Read in 2019)
1. My Year of Rest and Relaxation, by Ottessa Moshfegh
2. French Exit, by Patrick DeWitt
3. The Water Cure, by Sophie Mackintosh
Just missed: My Sister the Serial Killer, by Oyinkan Braithwaite; When She Woke, by Hillary Jordan; The Largess of the Sea Maiden, by Denis Johnson
Most Looking Forward To: The Broken Earth Trilogy, by N.K. Jemisin; Killing Commendatore, by Haruki Murakami; Borne, by Jeff Vandermeer
BEER (Drank in 2019)
1. Susan (New England IPA), Parrotdog (Wellington, NZ)
2. El Cuatro – Grand Cru (Sour Ale), Ale Apothecary (Bend, OR)
3. Incandescence Sour Winter Ale (Sour Ale), Dirty Couch Brewing (Seattle, WA)
Just missed: Senescence (Saison), Floodland Brewing; I Award You No Points (Triple IPA), Cloudburst Brewing; Sacred Arrow (Sour Ale), Urban Family Brewing
HIKES (Hiked in 2019)
1. Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand
2. Roy’s Peak, Wanaka, New Zealand
3. Bryce Canyon Traverse & Rim Trail, Bryce Canyon, Utah
Just missed: Stawamus Chief Trail (Second Peak), Squamish, Canada; Green Lake, Mt Rainier National Park, WA; Annette Lake, Snoqualmie Pass, WA; Coogee to Bondi Trail, New South Wales, Australia
Most Looking Forward To: Chain Lakes Loop Trail, Mount Baker, WA; Hoh River Trail, The Olympics, WA; Gem Lake, Snoqualmie, WA
Mikethatmiller 
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