This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Notre Dame chapter.

1. Movies

2015 is the year of the sequel. And (hopefully) not of the the epic disappointment variety. The long awaited sequels to both Avatar and Finding Nemo are coming to a theatre near you. Not to mention the long awaited new installments of Star Wars and James Bond. It’s also another year of post-apocalyptic thrillers, with new installments of the Divergent and Maze Runner series set for release as well as the final Hunger Games movie (sigh #Peeta4Eva). I’m most excited about the Jurassic Park reboot. I’m not normally for stressful “thrillers” but the original Dinosaur epic was one of my favorite movies as a kid.

For those of you who aren’t fans of shaky cam and extreme use of CGI, the Magic Mike sequel hits theatres this year as well as the newest movie adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ (an ND alum!) novel The Longest Ride which stars Clint Eastwood’s painfully attractive son.

2. Music

Kanye West has already released two new songs this year from his “prolific” collaboration with Paul McCartney (Yes, the Beatle). Yeezy hasn’t named the album or decided on its release date, but if “Only One” and their collaboration with Rihanna, “FourFiveSeconds“ (also known as my personal anthem) are any indication, this may be the musical marriage no one knew they needed.

Your 11 year old self should be freaking out right now because 2015 is apparently going to be the return of the pop-princess-that-almost-was, JoJo. Aside from a few TV appearences and her own social media pages, JoJo basically fell off the radar after most of us got to middle school but with a newly signed record deal under her belt, we can now eagerly await the return of the queen who brought us classics like “Leave (Get Out)”.

No matter how you feel about the Seattle rhymer, his raps, that instagram apology, his politics etc. 2015 will probably prove to be a pivotal year for the Shark Face Gang. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s sophomore album has to prove that the two weren’t just one hit wonders with their debut hit The Heist. Will the two dominate the charts again or are they destined to perform songs about Thrift Shopping at ‘Where Are They Now’ shows? 2015 will tell.

An example of someone who slayed his sophomore album, making a classic that made him the darling of music media as well as his hordes of fans, Kendrick Lamar’s highly anticipated 3rd studio album is set for release this year. Get hype, ’nuff said.

3. Books

Literary legend Harper Lee, author of the seminal classic To Kill A Mockingbird, is said to be releasing a sequel to her masterpiece about a grown Scout and her aging BAMF of a father, Atticus Finch. Many argue that Lee couldn’t match the artistry and ressonance of her first novel, especially with a sequel. Honestly, I’d read Harper Lee’s grocery lists so she’s guaranteed at least one reader.

Before his death, sportscaster Stewart Scott wrote a memoir, Every Day I Fight. It chronicled his life as well as his very public fight against cancer. Scott faced his diagnosis with unbridled determination, his memoir should prove to be an inspiring examination of that battle.

Sarah Gerard is something of a darling in the literary world. Early reviews of her novel Binary Star have mostly been frantically affectionate confirmations of that. Binary Star follows a woman grappling with an eating disorder and her road trip with an alcoholic boyfriend.

The author of the critically acclaimed Never Let Me Go, whose underrated 2010 movie adaptation stars Andrew Garfield, is back with his first novel since his 2005 hit. Little is known about the plot from the book aside from: “lost memories, love, revenge and war.” Sign me up.

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Why 2015 Promises To Be A Pretty Entertaining Year

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