We've created a list of 12 things we’ve enjoyed this year and would recommend to others. Get to know us a little better and discover what makes us tick. You might find some inspiration to keep you entertained over the festive period or even some last-minute gift ideas!
Day 1: How To Know A Person – David Brooks
Recommended by: Colin
Category: Book
A great read ahead of all the socialising that goes with this time of year.
"People don't see the world with their eyes; they see it with their entire life"
Drawing from the fields of psychology and neuroscience, David Brooks has constructed a superbly written guide to seeing and understanding those around you more deeply. It's accessible, warmly written and to my mind something of an antidote to our fragmented world.
Day 2: Back to Black
Recommended by: Jenny
Category: Film
I loved Marisa Abela’s portrayal of Amy Winehouse in this poignant film. She captures Amy’s distinctive voice and style so well. The film is a fictional account of Amy’s rise to fame and battle with addiction, but still a powerful watch. It took me back to the 2000s and living in London while Amy was a rising star, but tragically also a constant presence in the tabloids. Amy was an incredibly talented young woman whose life ended far too soon. I found the film immersive and particularly loved Amy’s moving lyrics and Marisa’s vocals. I watched it on a long-haul flight, and even though I know how it ends, there were still tears rolling down my cheeks at the end.
Day 3: Heartstopper
Recommended by: Dan
Category: Netflix series
A story of how "boy met boy", Heartstopper is a breath of fresh air in a world where the stereotypical "boy met girl" stories have been depicted on TV and Film for decades. However, to summarise Heartstopper like this is a gross oversimplification because every 30 minute episode manages to tackle tough subject matters like; bullying, mental health, relationships and queerness all while handling those topics with grace, humour and positivity unlike anything else I've watched. I laughed and cried my way through every episode until I finished all that Netflix had to offer. I took a couple of days to compose myself and then I started it all over again!
Day 4: Why We Sleep – Matthew Walker
Recommended by: Colin
Category: Book
A book for that sleepy period between Boxing Day and New Year!
"Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day"
This fascinating book explores one of the most vital of all human activities. It changed my perspective on sleep, as well as my understanding about what our bodies and brains do whilst we're sleeping. The effect of sleep on physical and mental health is profound and this is probably the book I recommend most often.
Day 5: Griselda
Recommended by: Jenny
Category: Netflix miniseries
I found this to be a gruesome yet captivating watch! It’s said that even Pablo Escobar was afraid of Griselda Blanco. This series follows Griselda’s journey from the murder of her husband in Colombia to how she became known as the “Godmother”, a dominating figure in Miami’s underground cocaine empire. Sofía Vergara who plays Griselda is brilliant in the role, though completely unrecognisable to those who know her best as Gloria in Modern Family. Not one for watching with the family around the Christmas tree but it’s a great miniseries for the over-18s once the kids are safely tucked up in bed.
Day 6: The Apollo Murders - Chris Hadfield
Recommended by: Dan
Category: Book
While this wasn't a book I read in 2024 I thought it was worth including thanks to my Dad. I'm not a big reader and generally use it as a way to shut off my brain before bed, but I found this story about a fictitious final Apollo mission to the Moon fascinating & compelling - which isn't ideal when you're trying to sleep! Written by an Astronaut who spent 166 days in space there are a lot of wonderful nods to things only an Astronaut would understand. I gifted this book to my Dad for his Birthday and discovered a few weeks later that not only had he finished it but, he bought the sequel and finished that too! I guess it was a good Birthday present.
Day 7: The Laws of Simplicity – John Maeda
Recommend by: Colin
Category: Book
One to read as you contemplate the latest piece of tech gadgetry gifted to you this year (and how the heck it works!).
"It's not necessarily beneficial to add features just because we can."
In an increasingly complex world, we're stuck in something of a paradox. We want products to be simple and easy to use, but all the features we could ever want to be present. In this elegantly written classic, John Maeda presents his 10 laws to balance simplicity and complexity in business, technology and design.
Day 8: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow – Gabrielle Zevin
Recommended by: Jenny
Category: Book
I devoured this book. I couldn’t put it down! It’s a beautifully written story of friendship and connection across decades, and all the good and bad that comes with that. Although it’s a love story, it’s not a love story in a romantic sense. The story revolves around video games - playing video games, creating video games and navigating life through video games. Plus when the lead characters reconnect as adults, this part of the story takes place in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1996, a place and time close to my heart since I lived there in 1996/97. This book resonated with me in so many ways, none of which I expected when I picked it up - I just loved it!
Day 9: Bluey
Recommended by: Dan
Category: TV show
There is nothing on TV quite like Bluey. While the show is predominately designed to entertain children for 5 - 10 minutes this is a show that everybody should watch at least once. As an uncle to two nieces, the show perfectly demonstrates the trials and tribulations of every parent, pibling (parent-siblings) and grandparent and it does it all while being entertaining for kids and thought-provoking for adults. Don't hesitate to watch this over the Christmas period, especially with the kids that you know and love. Here are a couple of my favourite episodes to get you hooked as a fan of Bluey:
Grannies (S01E28)
Housework (S03E13)
Faceytalk (S03E24
Camping (S01E43)
Bumpy and the Wise Old Wolfhound (S01E32)
Day 10: Four Thousand Weeks – Oliver Burkeman
Recommended by: Colin
Category: Book
Something to read as you contemplate your plans for the New Year and beyond.
"The real measure of any time management technique is whether or not it helps you neglect the right things"
This pragmatic exploration of finititude, time management and getting things done had me hooked from the start. Despite the connotations of the title, I found it to be an uplifting reframing of the way I perceive time and the modern obsession with productivity and "getting things done"
Day 11: Past Lives
Recommended by: Jenny
Category: Film
This is a beautiful film about Korean childhood friends who part ways when Nora emigrates to North America at 12 years old. They stay in touch but go long periods without contact before reconnecting as adults 20 years later in New York. Nora is by now fully integrated into the American way of life, whereas Hae Sung has continued living in Seoul. It’s a simple, slow-moving and beautifully shot film that explores friendship, love, destiny and identity. I loved this film!
Day 12: The Nightmare Before Christmas
Recommended by: Dan
Category: Film
While parts of the internet have already released Jack Skellington upon Halloween I have been patiently waiting for December before allowing him to don his iconic Santa outfit and terrorise the world with his "idea" of Christmas! Memorable songs, fabulous stop-motion animation and a wonderful cast of characters - this movie is an absolute favourite of mine and required viewing during the festive period. Oh! And if it wasn't obvious from the start this is indeed a Christmas movie!
"There's children throwing snowballs instead of throwing heads
They're busy building toys and absolutely no one's dead
There's frost on every window, oh, I can't believe my eyes
And in my bones I feel the warmth that's coming from inside"
What's This? (From The Nightmare Before Christmas) - Danny Elfman
Thank you for joining us for Monogram Unwrapped and discovering the things that brought us joy this year. We hope you've found some inspiration for your own downtime or some last-minute gift shopping! Feel free to share your recommendations with us on social media—we’d love to know what you've enjoyed this year, and maybe we can add it to our list for next year!
From all of us at Monogram, we wish you a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy new year.