Best of 2021
The blog was originally published on December 31, 2021.
See ya 2021! Not a groundbreaking year in any sense for me, mostly due to the fact that this year was entirely lived during a global pandemic. *sighs* But you don’t need me to remind you of that. I’m very thankful to be heading into the new year happy and healthy. Here’s a semi-short list of some of my favorite things from 2021.
Movies/TV Shows
WandaVision (2021)
Started the year off strong with the MCU’s first TV show. Each episode was just as confusing as it was amazing. I’m pretty sure the entire world was watching WandaVision every Friday night for the first two months of 2021. Anxiously awaiting the next Doctor Strange movie to see Wanda in full Scarlet Witch mode.
Shadow and Bone (2021)
Welcome to the Grishaverse. This show does not disappoint. It has magic, heists, love stories, scary creatures, elaborate costumes, and pretty much everything else there is to love about high fantasy worlds. Also, the score is stunning and has some killer string moments, especially “Royal Archives Heist.”
Dune (2021)
Incredible. I’m off to read the book now because I don’t want to wait until 2023 to find out what happens next.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Rounding out this category is none other than Spider-Man: No Way Home. Believe all the hype you hear, because it’s all true. When _____ and _____ show up! I watched the last half of the movie in shock and kept thinking, I can’t believe this is really happening. It was the best Spider-Man movie and I can’t wait to see it again.
Music/Podcasts
You Signed Up For This (album) – Maisie Peters
By far one of my favorite albums of 2021. You Signed Up For This was on repeat all fall. If you’re not familiar with Maisie Peters, she’s a British singer-songwriter who has worked with artists such as Ed Sheeran. Her songs are full of beautiful melodies and lyrics that encapsulate all sorts of emotions. My favorite tracks are “Brooklyn,” “Talking To Strangers,” and “Boy.”
11:11 (single) – Ben Barnes
Ben Barnes (aka Prince Caspian, aka The Darkling) can sing?! You bet he can. I was shocked along with everyone else when he started releasing music this year, but I am so glad he did. Ben’s voice is warm and lush and his songs are joyous and happy. “11:11” is one of my favorite songs from 2021, and will continue to grace my playlists for many years to come.
“The Community Library Podcast” (Hosted by Angourie Rice)
You might know Angourie from Spider-Man or Mare of Easttown, but you probably didn’t know that she is the host and creator of the best book podcast ever. The Community Library Podcast has quickly become my favorite podcast probably ever. One of my favorite things to do this year was take long walks and listen to new episodes. If you’re an avid reader or just enjoy podcasts, I would highly recommend this one. A couple of my favorite episodes are, “2.1 Working on Film Adaptations of Books” and “1.9 What Taylor Swift and Robert Browning Have in Common”, but they are all fantastic.
“The Happy Pear Podcast” (Hosted by David and Stephen Flynn)
My favorite chefs and life enthusiasts started a podcast this year! David and Stephen Flynn are twin brothers who own a veg shop in Ireland. They are also authors and vegan chefs. Their podcast is simple and wonderful. They have different guests on each episode and cover a variety of topics including health, wellness, fitness, and lifestyle. 10/10 would recommend listening to these lads, and while you’re at it, try cooking some of their recipes!
BOOKS
Ruin and Rising (Shadow and Bone trilogy), Leigh Bardugo
Ruin and Rising is the third book in the Shadow and Bone trilogy. I read the trilogy after watching the show. The trilogy follows the story of Alina Starkov, who quickly became one of my favorite heroines. I picked Ruin and Rising as my favorite from this trilogy because of the shocking plot twist at the end (one of the best plot twists I’ve encountered). No spoilers here, don’t worry, but read it to find out what I’m talking about!
Daisy Jones & The Six, Taylor Jenkins Reid
Very rarely do I find a book centrally based around music that I enjoy. Usually it’s over-dramatized or details are just wrong, but Daisy Jones & The Six is just the opposite. Now, I’ve never been in a 1970s pop band, but this book was so raw and real I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait for it to be turned into a TV show. Sam Claflin will be playing Billy Dunne, if that’s not perfect casting, I don’t know what is.
The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking trilogy), Patrick Ness
I first became familiar with these books when it was announced that Tom Holland would star as the main character, Todd Hewitt, in a movie adaptation of Chaos Walking. The Chaos Walking trilogy takes place in the future on a planet called New World where there are no women (or are there?) and everyone’s thoughts can be heard, a phenomenon know as “the Noise”, and therefore are no secrets (or are there?). Todd meets Viola, who has crash landed on New World, and together they set off on an adventure to discover the truth about the world that they live in. This is a standard sci-fi young adult adventure book and it’s so great. I blew through all three books and couldn’t put them down. I liked the movie adaptation, but they changed the ending, after I assume they decided to not turn the other books into films, but it was still a very fun watch!
101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think, Brianne Weist
My favorite non-fiction read of 2021. If I could show you my copy of this book you would see how many pages are annotated and marked up. I recommend this book to anyone who’s trying to figure out life right now. It felt like I was sitting and talking to a friend every time I sat down and read this book.
