July is almost here, meaning that we’ve almost reached the halfway point of the year. A good time, then, to press pause on all the entertainment whizzing towards us week by week and instead look back at the best culture of the year so far. The Guardian’s arts desk have their own definitive lists for TV shows, films, albums, games and podcasts, and I’ve also picked five of my favourite TV shows, albums, films and podcasts of 2023, along with some honourable mentions. Read on for these, plus the best fiction and nonfiction releases according to books commissioning editor Lucy...