Top Five Q&A With Shamontiel
Every New Year's Eve, my answers will be revisited to see what changes. (Current date: December 31, 2025)
"Top Five Recent Discoveries" will be updated randomly whenever something interesting happens.
As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn a percentage for referral links, but I created this page 99% for fun.
"Top Five Recent Discoveries" will be updated randomly whenever something interesting happens.
As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn a percentage for referral links, but I created this page 99% for fun.
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TOP FIVE RECENT DISCOVERIES
(Last Update: January 3, 2026)
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TOP FIVE FAVORITE BOOKS
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1. I really should have owned an Edward Tools Harden Pro Non Contact Voltage Detector before I replaced my last two light switches. With help from my prior maintenance guy and YouTube tutorials, I'm pretty proud of myself for replacing a third light switch five years after the last one (and completely forgetting everything I did the last time).
2. I may have never read "Finding My Way: A Memoir" if I didn't learn how funny Malala Yousafzai was on Trevor Noah's "What Now?" podcast, along with her slick comments to Hasan Minhaj (who deserved all that smoke). 3. Netflix not renewing "The Residence" is as illogical as not renewing Jon Bernthal's "The Punisher." Both were incredible shows. The first seven episodes of "The Residence" were far better than the eighth one when the mystery was solved though. Too many "what if" scenarios. The second season of "The Punisher" with the annoying side-kick lady could've been left on the shelf. Yolonda Ross was a much more entertaining "partner in crime" with Bernthal on "American Gigolo." 4. No knock to the rest of the cast, but Shaunette Renée Wilson and Malcolm-Jamal Warner made "The Resident" that much better. When she left, the show was boring. Not even Morris Chestnut could save it. 5. I could spend my entire day playing "Crossword Master." |
1. "The Autobiography of Malcolm X"
2. "Whiskey Road" by Karen Siplin 3. "The Conversation: How Men and Women Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships" by Hill Harper 4. "Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America" by Michael Harriot 5. "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah TOP FIVE FAVORITE HOLIDAYS
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TOP FIVE FAVORITE MOVIES
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TOP FIVE FAVORITE SHOWS TO BINGE-WATCH
1. Luther
2. Golden Girls 3. The Wire 4. Living Single 5. House (Honorable mention to "The New Adventures of Old Christine.") |
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TOP FIVE FAVORITE SCENTS
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TOP FIVE FAVORITE RESTAURANTS
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1. Bath & Body Works Hot Cocoa & Cream
2. Bath & Body Works Rose Water & Ivy 3. Mariah Carey Dreams Perfume 4. Freshly mowed grass 5. My grandfather's garage (combination of musk cologne, new cars and furniture polish) |
1. Chi Tung
2. Pride Sushi & Thai 3. Sarpino's Pizzeria 4. Quench! (and any other restaurant Quentin Love opens) 5. Hunan Restaurant |
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TOP FIVE FAVORITE ALBUMS (NO SKIPS)
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TOP FIVE FAVORITE POP SONGS RIGHT NOW
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1. "Lemonade" by Beyonce
2. "Perfectly Imperfect" by Elle Varner 3. "Aijuswanaseing" by Musiq Soulchild 4. "Evolve" by Imagine Dragons 5. "Renaissance" by Beyonce |
1. "Green Light" by John Legend featuring Andre 3000
2. "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons 3. "Bad Liar" by Selena Gomez 4. "Levii's Jeans" by Beyonce featuring Post Malone 5. "Got To Give It Up" by Marvin Gaye |
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TOP FIVE FAVORITE COUNTRY SONGS RIGHT NOW
1. "Daddy Lessons" by Beyonce
2. "March March" by The Chicks 3. "Texas Hold 'Em" by Beyonce 4. "Sure Be Cool If You Did" by Blake Shelton 5. "Southern Man" by Cecily Wilborn |
TOP FIVE FAVORITE ROCK N' ROLL SONGS RIGHT NOW
1. "Come Together" by The Beatles
2. "Rock On" by David Essex 3. "Beautiful Things" by Benson Boone 4. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve 5. "Believer" by Imagine Dragons |
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TOP FIVE FAVORITE HIP-HOP SONGS RIGHT NOW
1. "Dig a Hole" by Jay Z
2. "Ouchies" by Doja Cat 3. "Problem" by Domani 4. "HISS" by Meg Thee Stallion 5. "Enough (Acapella)" by Cardi B. |
TOP FIVE FAVORITE SOLO ARTISTS
1. Marvin Gaye
2. Missy Elliott 3. Al Green 4. Beyonce 5. Jay Z and Nas (I didn't choose sides when they were beefing, and I will not choose between them now.) |
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TOP FIVE FAVORITE R&B GROUP SONGS RIGHT NOW
1. "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" by The Temptations
2. "My Body" by LSG 3. "Full Of Smoke" by Christion 4. "Before I Let Go" by Maze 5. "Thinking Of You" by Tony! Toni! Toné! |
TOP FIVE FAVORITE R&B SONGS RIGHT NOW
1. "I'm Only Human" by Luther Vandross
2. "Cruisin" by Smokey Robinson (heavily tied with D'Angelo's cover) 3. "How Come U Don't Call" cover by Alicia Keys 4. "Pretty Wings" by Maxwell 5. "The Point Of It All" by Anthony Hamilton |
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TOP FIVE FAVORITE ACTORS
1. Laurence Fishburne
2. Chadwick Boseman 3. Malcolm-Jamal Warner 4. Daniel Kaluuya 5. Michael B. Jordan |
TOP FIVE FAVORITE ACTRESSES
1. Regina Hall
2. Lupita Nyong'o 3. Angela Bassett 4. Loretta Devine 5. Uzo Aduba |
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TOP FIVE FAVORITE FUNNY MEN (COMEDIANS)
1. Chris Rock
2. Kevin Hart 3. Josh Johnson 4. Sinbad 5. Trevor Noah (Honorable mention to Jamie Foxx) |
TOP FIVE FAVORITE FUNNY WOMEN (COMEDIANS)
1. Wanda Sykes
2. Robin Thede 3. Regina Hall 4. Julia Louis-Dreyfus 5. Michaela Coel (Honorable mention to Ziwe Fumudoh and Mindy Kaling) |
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TOP FIVE FAVORITE COMFORT FOODS
1. Air-popped popcorn with nutritional yeast
2. Vegan Hot Chocolate (GoodMallow Vegan Marshmallows and Dark Chocolate Premium Hot Cocoa Mix) 3. Sea Salt n' Vinegar Chips 4. McDonald's Double Filet o' Fish 5. Harold's fries with lots of mild sauce and fried mushrooms |
TOP FIVE FAVORITE FOODS
1. Nard Dog Cooks vegan rolls
2. Vegan Grilled Cheese (JUST Egg, Field Roast Creamy Original Slice, Tofurky Hickory Smoked Slices or McCormick Bac'N Pieces) 3. Lentils (with plenty of red pepper, black pepper, minced garlic) 4. Black eyed peas (mainly my mother's on New Year's Day) 5. California spicy maki rolls |
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TOP FIVE FAVORITE PODCASTS
1. "Pivot Podcast" hosted by Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor
2. Trevor Noah's "What Now?" as a solo host and with co-host Eugene Khoza 3. "We Don't Always Agree" hosted by Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Bathe 4. "Not My Best Moment" hosted by KevOnStage 5. "Bronzeville" (Ensemble cast including voices from Larenz Tate, Tika Sumpter and Laurence Fishburne) Honorable Mention: "Not All Hood" (It's not the same without co-host Malcolm-Jamal Warner so I stopped watching, but all respect due to Candace Kelley for keeping it going.) |
TOP FIVE FAVORITE PIECES OF APPAREL
1. Franklin Peanuts sweatshirt
2. "Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want To Come" hoodie (featured above) 3. JLo jeans (I joined Poshmark solely to hoard more pairs of these jeans once I found out that she was ending her jeans line. Sonoma Goods for Life and JLo jeans answer every waist-to-hip problem I ever needed.) 4. Skechers Women's Breathe Easy Fortune Knit shoes (I hate shoelaces. I have bought this specific shoe three times in black, light grey and dark grey, beige, and navy blue. These are so comfortable to walk in, especially if I'm on a multi-hour dog walk.) 5. "Black Girls Rock" black and purple hoodie |
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TOP FIVE FAVORITE WAYS TO RELAX
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TOP FIVE FAVORITE PARTS OF MY JOB
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1. No matter how busy I am, I schedule 10 minutes for daily meditation. If I somehow cannot do it in the morning, I listen to walking meditation while I travel.
2. Although I found it boring when I was a kid, as a homeowner, I love watching DIY videos. I could turn on DIY Creators and watch it the entire day to enjoy the before-and-after. 3. If I'm in a bad mood or a complicated situation, I sift through videos from Dr. Tracey Marks to see if she discusses a resolution. 4. No matter what stressful or frustrating moment is going on in my life, my favorite investment (Junee) needs to be walked. She will also flop in my lap or stand up on two legs against my desk if the energy is off -- and stare in my face until I return her gaze. Dog couch nap? Instant body pillow. 5. Weight training and dance fitness is way more enjoyable than traditional aerobics. I've taken just about every kind of hip-hop dance class that's offered locally. I like learning choreography the most. |
1. I learn so much valuable (and pointless) information while fact-checking. Although investigating insurance benefits (life, pets, health, home, riders) makes me paranoid about mortality, I respect the financial education.
2. I have had the opportunity to edit some incredible books and learn Black history I missed out on in school. 3. The only thing cooler than being an unapologetic activist is finding out your boss was too. 4. Listen to readers. At my first news job, it was a reader who told me about Twitter, which I stayed on from 2008 until 2024. "News tips" come in many packages, and that one phone call tripled the newspaper's online audience in that first year. 5. Even if it's not your favorite topic, be receptive to learning something new. You may find that you enjoy reading, researching and writing about something you thought would be a total bore. |
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TOP FIVE RANDOM DIE-ON-A-HILL STANCES
1. "Friends With Benefits" is a far better movie than "No Strings Attached," but HUGO's "99 Problems" gives NSA the best scene.
2. If you cannot get through 24 hours without saying "nigga," I don't want to hang with you. In high school, I used to defend the word. As a grown woman, it sounds wild to me to hear Black folks proudly stand on slave terminology. No, "we" didn't "re-define it." And if you are not Black and saying it, you are overdue for a punch in the mouth. 3. If you cannot handle your liquor, don't drink. Sloppy drunks, racist drunks and angry drunks are all people I keep my distance from. 4. If you're upset with Trump but not the people who voted for Trump in 2016, 2020 and/or 2024, you are part of the problem that created the horrendous behavior of this pathetic presidency. 5. Never sign any document if your eyes are dilated or you cannot read or understand the words. If an optometrist or the staff make this an ultimatum, cancel the vision appointment and reschedule elsewhere. The same rules apply for hiring an attorney or an employment contract. Do not sign anything you do not comprehend, and ask all the questions you need ahead of time. |
TOP FIVE FAVORITE MEMORIES EVER
1. Although I wasn't great at balancing during paddleboard yoga, repeatedly falling into Oahu water was the best proof of how solid my swimming game is!
2. I always assumed I would never be content in a quiet city or smaller town, but the peace and quiet in Maui made me never want to leave. If anybody would've offered me a job, I'd have stayed in Hawaii. Permanently. 3. Going to Washington D.C. during the Obama presidential term was an amazing way to celebrate Black history and travel around the city. I loved everything from mastering the Metrorail, sightseeing and group breakfasts on Amtrak, to strolling around on Pennsylvania Avenue. 4. My grandfather and I did not care about creating a scene while we argued over who got the bigger half of the almond cookie in Chi Tung. We consistently had this debate with an odd number of cookies in the bag but (illogically) never wanted to order two bags. I'm sure we looked nuts to onlookers. 5. The look of glee on my great great aunt's face will forever stay with me. She said via phone that she was lonely in Michigan. As much as I loathe the state after living with Yoopers for two years, I stopped at a polling station to vote in a local election (in Chicago), bought sunflower seeds and kept on driving until I was in front of her apartment door in Grand Rapids. Good times! |