shreya's goofy little site.
here are basically all of my favorites of pretty much any random thing i think about enough to form relatively strong opinions about. this is an unranked and fairly loosely categorized collection. i'm recording favorite books in the books tab so head on over there. in addition to lists of things of a particular category that i really like, i will also sometimes just collect Strong Opinions i have about something here. so. enjoy.
analog activites
this is sort of a super-level catch-call category of activities that i could do digitally, but find i enjoy doing in an analog fashion. these are activities that are optimized, mechanized, automated, that i've enjoyed doing in the slower and hand-made form.
- listening to public radio — as an analog alternative to discovering new music, without algorithms, through recommendations by people
- knitting - as an analog alternative to buying machine-made clothes off the shelf
- writing down my daily to-do list with a fountain pen on a piece of paper - as an analog alternative to keeping a note on my phone (though i do keep a note on my phone sometimes; i find that the fountain pen on paper method works so much better for me)
fountain pens
i've gotten quite obsessed with fountain pens over the past couple years, but this hobby---like many others---is rather expensive so i've restrained myself in terms of purchases. my all-time favorite fountain pen is the pilot kakuno (EF nib) (madoromi series, pink color). it's the best pen i've used---the nib is smooth, the extra-fine nib is exactly the size i like, the madoromi series' pink color is so lovely, and the pen is very cheap but still extremely high quality. i learned that japanese children often get this pen as a gift growing up and i'm envious and will immediately be establishing that as a tradition for any children in my life.
aside from the kakuno, i have tried the TWSBI ECO in the EF and F nibs, which i also really like. the TWBSI ECO nibs are not nearly as fine as the kakuno, though i like the aesthetic of the pens a lot more, and the ink capacity is wonderful. i also much prefer the colorways---i have three colorways: matcha (my favorite); saffron; and rose gold (which is sadly lost somewhere in my parents' house).
i also have the kaweco sport but haven't used it enough to form an opinion. other pens i'd like to try soon are the pilot prera and the pilot vanishing point (my dream pen omg).
movies
i enjoy watching movies! i tend towards certain genres, which i will list below:
romance
- When Harry Met Sally (1989) dir. Nora Ephron --- my absolute favorite rom-com, the platonic ideal of a rom-com in my opinion, endless rewatchability
- Pride and Prejudice (2005) dir. Joe Wright
- Austenland (2013) dir. Jerusha Hess
tv shows
i also love tv shows. here are some of my favorites:
drama/romance, often from the early to mid 2000s
- Grey's Anatomy --- seasons 2 and 5 are my favorites, and seasons 1-9, maybe 10 are excellent tv all around (with some weaker points. i will rewatch this show forever i fear
- Gilmore Girls --- seasons 2 and 3 are my favorites
sci-fi
- Andor - the best television i've watched
contemporary drama, more character-focused, romantic subplots but not romance-centric
- We Are Lady Parts - extremely underrated
podcasts, etc.
- The Dig's series on constitutionalism and US history
- Guerrila History episode on Fred Hampton
video games
i wouldn't call myself a gamer per se though i do enjoy the occasional video game -- especially a good cozy game! here are some that i've enjoyed:
- balatro - if only i was better at this game...i'm putting in my hours at balatro university
- tiny bookshop
- discounty - though i will say i got disappointed a bit towards the end of the game
- unpacking
- is this seat taken?
- mini motorways
- a little to the left
- garden story
- animal crossing: new horizons
fanfiction
i'm exposing myself as a lover of fanfiction and i can no longer share this website with anyone i know. some fics that i really loved---these are the truly top tier ones, i feel:
- the disappearances of draco malfoy by speechwriter
- draco malfoy and the mortifying ordeal of falling in love by isthisselfcare
- lionheart by greenteacup
- bathing in roses by celestie
knitting
i learned how to knit in january 2025 and i am simply obsessed. safe to say that i will be knitting for the rest of my life, and will have to lug around boxes of yarn everytime i move. no regrets! my strongest knitting opinion i have developed so far is that socks are the ideal knit. they're so portable, they're great gifts, they keep you interested because no singular section takes too long, they're the perfect test bed to learn new techniques (like knitting in the round, cables, colorwork, etc), and when you're done with them, you have a pair of socks to keep your perpetually cold feet warm. what more could you want???