My Favorite Things: 2021 edition
I've neglected this blog so long, but am hoping to get back to it and despite all the horror of the last year, I still think it's worth talking about things we love. Like books and coffee, for instance.
So, without further ado...
Books:
I was able to read more in 2021 than 2020, though not as much as I would have liked.
-Malice, Heather Walter - This reimagining of the Maleficent tale was lush, dense, and richly-conceived. It got me back into reading fiction again, which I appreciated.
-The BadAss books, Jen Sincero - I read lots of self-help books this year; I found them very useful.
-Atomic Habits, James Clear
-Saint Death's Daughter, C.S.E. Cooney - Not yet available to the public. I was offered an ARC and thoroughly loved this lush necromantic tale of a world filled with magic, desire, and family obligations. I cannot wait for another installment--I truly hope there will be one! Please preorder this one!!
-Scales and Sensibility, Stephanie Burgis - Many years ago, I saw a draft of this and loved it. I am so very glad Steph decided to put this out on her own. It was a captivating often hilarious romcom. Highly recommend!
Middle Grade:
Although I'm probably biased because I was a publicist for Tachyon for a bit this year, two books I really enjoyed were:
-Jillian vs. Parasite Planet, Nicole Kornher-Stace
-Arch of Bone, Jane Yolen
-Ginger Pye, Eleanor Estes
-The Witch Family, Eleanor Estes
-The Redwall series, Brian Jacques
At this point, my children are reading so many books on their own that we aren't reading together as much. Which is as it should be ultimately, but I know I'll miss bedtime stories when they're over.
*Sadly this year, I forgot to keep track of all the short stories and novellas I read. Mea culpa.
TV:
I kept up my watching of K- and C-dramas. They consistently make me happy as no other form of TV does. Many of them I've watched several times.
C-dramas:
-Word of Honor
-Eternal Love
-Duoluo Continent
K-dramas:
-Doom at Your Service: I loved this with a burning love I could not explain. The vision of deity and humanity were just so poignant. The idea that at the base of fear is the need for love...aaaaah.
-The King's Affection: Absolutely riveted by this Joseon dynasty gender-swapped palace intrigue. Devoured it.
-Vincenzo - Weird, violent, but funny, too.
Also watched:
-Hawkeye: Very much enjoyed the repartee between Kate and Clint.
Movies:
-Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: I specifically signed up for Disney+ again just to see this movie and I was not disappointed. I had watched Simu Liu win this role by putting his desire out into the Universe on Twitter, so it was fun to see it come to fruition.
-Red Notice - Had absolutely no expectations of this heist/buddy comedy and came away delightfully surprised at how fun it was.
Theatrical Releases
This was the first year I returned to the theater, though I only saw two movies there.
-Dune - Of course.
-Spiderman: No Way Home - I honestly was surprised that this movie managed to choke me up in a few spots. The multiverse concept also yielded some truly hilarious moments.
I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting, and there are so many books I wanted to read that I haven't yet gotten to. More soon!