To continue this series IGGPPC staff Summer Sparacin and Joanna Volavka discuss their year and what a year 2015 has been! To close out the year we are doing a series of 4 blogs where we discuss what we have loved and loathed through 2015. From films and tv to games, movies, books and things we’ve shopped and places we’ve visited 2015 has been quite exciting! Not all the things we have loved and discovered have been released this year but just because they are new to us doesn’t make them any less fun!

Tell us about some of the movies and TV shows you have enjoyed (or hated) this year

Summer: My favorite new shows of 2015 were Agent Carter and Galavant. You know I love musicals! I also spend a lot of time rewatching the X-Files in preparation for the miniseries in January! I did not see too many movies this year, but Mad Max: Fury Road is at the top of my list! I also really enjoyed Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I was not a fan of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Don’t even get me started…

Jo: Well, as far as films go, I loved Inside Out from Pixar and solidly enjoyed The Force Awakens which was a welcome addition to the Star Wars universe. I was charmed by Cinderella and had a lot of fun with Jurassic World as well. New tv shows I dug were ALSO  Galavant and Peggy Carter (both coming back in January!) and some old favorites like Grimm and Sleepy Hollow. I like off-beat and fantastical stuff, what can I say? Stuff I hated? Well… I just couldn’t get into Daredevil or Jessica Jones, and I was pretty disappointed by The Muppets (to put it lightly). I hear The Muppets is getting a soft reboot in the new year, though, so maybe I’m not the only one who felt that way?

How about comics?

Summer: I’ve been reading a lot of comics this year! Squirrel Girl, DC’s Bombshells, Toil & Trouble are my top three books that debuted in 2015. Squirrel Girl is a quirky and fun super hero book. She’s one of my favorites! Bombshells takes all my favorite female DC characters and sets them in the 1940 with beautiful pin up aesthetic! Toil & Trouble is a retelling of Macbeth from the point of view of the witches. It’s eerie and gorgeous!

Jo: I’m not really into traditional comics (I’ve been known to pick up an occasional single issue and I get a kick out of the My Little Pony ones, but that’s about it), but I’ve been reading a few webcomics for YEARS now. One of them, Earthsong, has been in my life for over a decade and is going into its final year in 2016. Imagine a world where planets are sentient and they have children, called their “Eves,” who have the power to harness an elemental ability from the planet itself! An interstellar war between literal worlds with all the creatures from fairy tales and legends, plus a diverse, mostly female cast? Have I got you hooked yet? It’s currently on hiatus until January 4th for the holidays, so now’s the perfect time to catch up and be part of the finale!

What literature have you had your nose in through 2015?

Summer: I’ve spent most of the year rereading Harry Potter with my small book club! I also reread To Kill a Mockingbird and read a handful of graphic novels such as Fun Home and This One Summer.

Jo: I’m currently reading the latest Diviners book by Libba Bray called Lair of Dreams, which is essentially paranormal historical fiction set in 1920s New York City; super niche but super good! This year I’ve also devoured JK Rowling’s new book (under the name Robert Galbraith) Career of Evil, the third installment in the noir-genre series about detective Cormoran Strike and his partner Robin. Add in Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson (aka The Bloggess), and you’ve got the trifecta of my favorite books of 2015!

Now games, both tabletop and videogames…what have you loved? Any you wish you had avoided?

Summer: At the moment, my favorite tabletop game is Ladies and Gentlemen. It’s hilarious and pretty quick once you get the hang of it. I’ve also become obsessed with my Neko Atsume cats!

Jo: I finally got bit by the Disney Infinity bug this year with version 3.0 and the addition of Star Wars to the playsets. I’ll admit I have only played the Star Wars bits, but they’re super fun. I’ve also quite enjoyed the tabletop game Exploding Kittens this year; I’m always looking for a good two person tabletop game that’s both fun and doesn’t have 8,000 rules to learn, but Exploding Kittens fits the bill.

Lets get audible, what artists and/or albums have you been jamming out to this year?

Summer: Um, the Hamilton soundtrack. Next question!

Jo: The new Fallout Boy album has pretty much been on repeat (but shuffle, because I like to mix it up) most of the year. My favorite song of the moment, however, goes to Andy Grammar with “Good to be Alive” which I can’t get enough of. I’m taking it into 2016 as my personal anthem.

And podcasts?

Summer: Well, Charmbomb, of course! My favorite podcast is NPR’s Ask Me Another, because who does not love trivia and word games?

Jo: I listen to one, and only one, podcast: Dear Hank and John by the Vlogbrothers, Hank Green and John Green. It is the only one I’ve got the patience for! Bizarrely categorized as “comedy,” John reads poetry, they bring you the latest news from AFC Wimbledon and Mars (just go with it) and dispense dubious advice, which is my very favorite kind of advice. Do recommend, even if you don’t know them from anything else. DFTBA.

Favourite IGGPPC activity this year?

Summer: Camp was fun! My favorite thing was getting to hang out with the fun iggles at NYCC!

Jo: Caaaaaaaaaaaamp. (I think that covers it.)

Are there any other notable things from 2015 you want to mention?

Summer: Just got back from going to DisneyWorld for the first time! So much fun!

Jo: Some YouTube channels I’ve gotten into this year include Beyond the Trailer with Grace Randolph and Super Carlin Brothers with Jonathan Carlin and Ben Carlin. Both have to do with movies and fandoms, Beyond the Trailer focusing on backgrounds, trailers, movies reviews, etc, and Super Carlin Brothers focusing on fan theories and fast facts about popular films, including delving deep into the Pixar Theory. I get lost down those rabbit holes on a regular basis. I have also really appreciated Mtv’s Decoded series, which tackles stereotypes, controversial pop culture and race issues in an easy to understand (often humerous) and straightforward way.

Finally what are you looking forward to in 2016?

Summer: C2E2 iggle reunion! I’m sure there are more adventures to be had!

Jo: I’m MOST looking forward to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in 2016! I’m also really interested to see where the Star Wars universe will go now that we’ve reopened the can of worms. Bring it on, Rogue One!