My top 10 favs of 2015: A year spent reading, watching and listening to intriguing stories

This year, I consumed 43 books, 24 movies, dozens of TV programs and many podcasts. Herein are my favorites.

(Note: Not all were released during the past 365 days.)

1. “Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania” by Erik Larson
2. “Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses” by Bess Lovejoy
3. “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory” by Caitlin Doughty
4. “Finders Keepers” by Stephen King
5. “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson
6. “The Last American Vampire” by Seth Grahame-Smith
7. “The Killing Kind” by Chris Holm
8. “The Blonde” by Duane Swierczynski
9. “Mockingbird” by Chuck Wendig
10. “Keep Moving: And Other Tips About Old Age” by Dick Van Dyke

(Honorable mentions: “Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen” by Mary Norris, “The Martian” by Andy Weir, “Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography” by Neil Patrick Harris, “The Best Of Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! More Famous People Play ‘Not My Job'” by Peter Sagal, “A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life” by Brian Grazer, “The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman” by Denis Thériault, “Fraud” by David Rakoff, “The Magician’s Lie” by Greer Macallister and “The Killer Ascendant” by Barry Eisler)

1. Sense8
2. Penny Dreadful
3. Daredevil
4. Jessica Jones
5. Agent Carter
6. Ruth & Erica
7. Leverage
8. Grace & Frankie
9. Supernatural
10. Forever

(Honorable mentions: House of Cards, Grimm, True Detective, Mr. Robot, Castle, The Americans, Person of Interest, Elementary, CSI: NY, White Collar, The Good Wife, Galavant, The Following, NCIS, Haven, Sleepy Hollow, Covert Affairs and Marvel: Agents of Shield)

1. The Age of Adaline
2. I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story
3. The Martian
4. A Walk In The Woods
5. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
6. The Intern
7. Bridge of Spies
8. Avengers: Age of Ultron
9. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
10. The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

(Honorable mentions: Jurassic World, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, San Andreas and Back In Time)

1. The Vinyl Cafe
2. Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!
3. 99% Invisible
4. Death, Sex & Money
5. Dear Hank & John
6. Criminal
7. Radiolab
8. Nocturne
9. Fresh Air
10. America’s Test Kitchen

(Honorable mentions: Tavis Smiley/PBS, The Sporkful, The Nerdist, NPR Books, WTF with Marc Maron, BackStory, I Was There Too and How To Do Everything)