2021 Favorites

Usually, I recap my favorite books and movies of the year in a Top Ten format, and this year I would do that too…if I had really tracked things better. My Goodreads shelves and my reading journal don’t match up exactly, and honestly, I haven’t felt like going in and updating them to match. *nervous laughter* Either way, I’m a couple titles shy of making my reading goal of books this year. But I’m okay with that, though it does feel a little weird since it’s been a few years since I didn’t meet my yearly reading goal.

I also didn’t track movies I watched this year (I completely forgot to do this, actually); I do know that I watched a lot of things! So this year, instead of a top ten list, here are a few of my favorite books, movies, and shows that I read or watched in 2021, in no particular order! As usual, these are titles I read or watched for the first time this year, but some may have been released in other years.

B O O K S

The Windward King by K.T. Ivanrest

Easily my favorite read of the year. The characters are so great (Shara! Korith! Tishel!), and the world feels lived-in and totally the sort of world I’d want to go adventuring in. The plot has some really great twists, and Shara’s arc is amazing.

These War-Torn Hands by Emily Hayse

So much fun! The world feels vast, as do the stakes. I enjoyed the story and the characters, and the way the story progresses. I don’t know much beyond the basics of Arthurian legend, so I’m sure there are many nods to the legends that I didn’t catch in this retelling, but it was still super fun to read!

A Shard of Sun by Jess E. Owen

So many interesting twists happened in this installment! One thing I’ve been enjoying with this series is how the stakes in each book just keep getting higher, all while the world continues to expand around the characters and their journeys. I’m hoping to read the next book in 2022!

All the Queen’s Sons by Elizabeth Kipps

This was fun! It’s very different than most Twelve Dancing Princesses retellings, but I really enjoyed the twist and how things weren’t exactly as they always seemed.

A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell

A nonfiction read about Virginia Hall and her espionage tactics and accomplishments in World War II. I don’t think I’d ever heard of her before I came across this book in my library app, but it was really fascinating!

M O V I E S

Spider-Man: No Way Home

This movie was so fun while still being full of emotion, and I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded. And the character arcs! So many arcs for one movie and all of them were great. I am very much looking forward to watching this one again!

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

This was so much fun! I really liked how it plays with the MCU lore a bit and also opens up all kinds of new story possibilities. The characters were great, I loved all the mythology stuff, and this is easily one of my new favorites to rewatch.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Like the first Venom movie, this one is weird and a little dark and chaotic but it’s entertaining weird chaos that is really, really fun to watch. 😂 This was actually the first movie I’d seen in theaters since Spider-Man: Far From Home!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Watched this on a friend’s recommendation for a cozy movie, and it definitely is. Not without its sad moments, but overall, a very good movie when you want to watch something soft and character-focused.

Godzilla vs. Kong

Another really fun sequel that I was super excited to see! I like the lore set up in these movies, and they’re entertaining.

Mulan (2020)

This was actually a very recent watch for me, and I really enjoyed it! I like how it’s different than the animated Mulan, but how the music from the animated movie is used in some new ways in the soundtrack here. There were some other really fun nods to the animated movie too.

Cruella

Very different than what I expected but I kinda loved how over-the-top and campy it is?

T V   S H O W S

WandaVision

If I had to pick one favorite show of the year, it would be a tough call but I’d have to say it’s WandaVision. My initial expectations were on the lower side—it looked interesting from the trailers but it wasn’t the show I was most excited to watch—but it quickly became my favorite thing to fangirl over. I’m planning a rewatch soon, actually!

Loki

So this one was often different than what I expected but like WandaVision, was super fun to watch and also threw in some stellar twists. I watched every episode at least twice and had fun spending the summer fangirling over it with my mom and sister. I am eagerly awaiting that second season (and hoping for at least a cameo or two before then…).

Hawkeye

So much fun. The banter! The humor! The LARP-ing! (And yes, I have had bits of “I Could Do This All Day” stuck in my head.)

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

A bit more serious in tone than what I had expected, given the usual banter we see where Sam and Bucky are concerned, but I still liked it. I liked learning more about Sam and his family and seeing him and Bucky navigate the chaos of a post-Endgame world, though some aspects of the story felt a bit more unfinished than I would have liked. Still, there were some really interesting reveals and unexpected twists.  And Sam’s Captain America suit is sooo cool!

What If…?

While there are a couple episodes that I didn’t enjoy as much as others, this was also a really fun, twisty show that I enjoyed way more than I expected. Favorite episodes include Captain Carter, Strange Supreme, and Zombies! A few favorite character twists include Captain Carter, T’Challa Star-Lord, and Jotun Loki!

What were some of your favorite books, movies, and shows from this year?