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2021 book, movie and music recap
Dec. 31st, 2021 09:52 am2021 has been all about reading. With restrictions tightening and easing, spiking anxiety, and general discontent/exhaustion hounding me, I spent a lot of time curled up with a book. I reread some favorite series but also read a lot of new things, including things for the book club.
This was my first year belonging to a book club; I've never liked the idea of being forced to read a specific book in order to discuss it. This book club (run by one of my former interns) decided to do a year of themes rather than of specific books: a book you were gifted, a book that won an award this year, a book by an Indigenous author, etc. This is the kind of thing I can appreciate - it forces me to read new things, to tackle some of the older books on my TBR shelves, etc. It was fun and I was able to complete 11/12 months. I'll be doing it again in 2022.
2021 READING RECAP
132 books total
119 fiction
13 non-fiction
8 manga/graphic novels
2 in French
35 by POC and/or LGBTQI2A+ authors
TBR shelves: 94 total (62 fiction, 31 non-fiction) - I may just give up trying to whittle these down, after a full year of trying really hard, I was only able to bring the total down by 5 books... It's a never-ending cycle, I read one and buy 3 more...
This year's favorites were, in no particular order:
* Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas - This book made me happy. It was diverse without being forced, it was full of traditions and feelings and ghosts and identity, and it's one of the books I may have hugged when it was over.
* Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal - A modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan, this could have gone very wrong, but it managed to walk the tight-rope of tying itself into the original book and being it's own original thing. I loved the setting, the characters, and the modernity of it. I picked it up entirely on a whim and was very pleasantly surprised.
* Agrippina: The Most Extraordinary Woman of the Ancient World by Emma Southon - I have never in my life devoured a biography that quickly, especially not a historical one. The author is snarky and intersperses her comments and commentary liberally throughout, which could get annoying but it's done so well and routinely made me laugh out loud. Who's to say that ancient history should be dry and dull? This read more like a story told by a particularly funny friend, who is nevertheless an academic. The facts were well-researched and she definitely got me thinking about things that I had only glossed over before, so bravo.
* Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline - This book gave me the chills, in a good way. It was haunting and human and the ending was just perfect. This one was worth all the hype.
* Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor - I'm always wary when I pick up a book by Nnedi Okorafor: while I was absolutely blown away by "Who Fears Death", I've been disappointed by several of her other books. It's all a little hit and miss for me, even while I can't help but admire her originality and style. "Remote Control" hit all the right buttons for me.
MOVIES 2021
I haven't set foot in a movie theatre in over two years (and that's sad). However, I was able to see a few more movies this year, making an effort to catch up on things. The highlights include:
* Love Hard (2021) - This cute little holiday rom-com was exactly what I needed, turning the trope on its side and giving me something I will rewatch seasonally. It didn't hurt to have Luke MacFarlane playing the potential love interest either.
* The Old Guard (2020) - just an absolutely great action movie with a touch of paranormal.
* Professor Marsten & the Wonder Women (2017) - this is a gem of a movie, about the creator of Wonder Woman. The way the character's lifestyle and influences were portrayed was just lovely, it's refreshing to see polyamory and kink brought to the fore as a lifestyle, rather than a judgement.
* SAS: Red Notice (2021) - I actually watched this movie sitting in the dentist chair, having a crown put in. It was recommended by the dental technician and I was completely riveted for the whole thing. It was just a really good action movie, and I was thrilled to see Hannah John-Kamen being given more roles after Killjoys.
SHOWS & EXHIBITS 2021
Not much happening here, needless to say. I haven't been to a museum or concert in a very long time, and many bands have moved away from virtual concerts.
- Bears of Legend recorded and presented a concert for their "Good Morning Motherland" album in a natural amphitheatre in the wilds of Quebec, which was good except for the nearly drunken camera work.
MUSIC 2021
This year I started tracking new music and added 428 new songs to my music rotation. I also kept up with #wednesdayweeklysoundtrack, adding tracks that spoke to me or that I wanted to share. It's building up quite the playlist and several people have told me they enjoy it, which gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling.
The highlights for this year were the following:
TOP 5 ALBUMS
* Screen Violence - CHVRCHES
* Churches - LP
* Without People - Donovan Woods
* Phantoms - Mariana's Trench
* Cry Forever - Amy Shark
TOP 5 SONGS
* Hallucinogenics - Matt Maeson and Lana Del Rey
* A Little Forgiveness - The Rescues
* Shaken - LP
* Jaded - ONE OK ROCK (feat. Alex Gaskarth)
* tolerate it - Taylor Swift
This was my first year belonging to a book club; I've never liked the idea of being forced to read a specific book in order to discuss it. This book club (run by one of my former interns) decided to do a year of themes rather than of specific books: a book you were gifted, a book that won an award this year, a book by an Indigenous author, etc. This is the kind of thing I can appreciate - it forces me to read new things, to tackle some of the older books on my TBR shelves, etc. It was fun and I was able to complete 11/12 months. I'll be doing it again in 2022.
2021 READING RECAP
132 books total
119 fiction
13 non-fiction
8 manga/graphic novels
2 in French
35 by POC and/or LGBTQI2A+ authors
TBR shelves: 94 total (62 fiction, 31 non-fiction) - I may just give up trying to whittle these down, after a full year of trying really hard, I was only able to bring the total down by 5 books... It's a never-ending cycle, I read one and buy 3 more...
This year's favorites were, in no particular order:
* Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas - This book made me happy. It was diverse without being forced, it was full of traditions and feelings and ghosts and identity, and it's one of the books I may have hugged when it was over.
* Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal - A modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan, this could have gone very wrong, but it managed to walk the tight-rope of tying itself into the original book and being it's own original thing. I loved the setting, the characters, and the modernity of it. I picked it up entirely on a whim and was very pleasantly surprised.
* Agrippina: The Most Extraordinary Woman of the Ancient World by Emma Southon - I have never in my life devoured a biography that quickly, especially not a historical one. The author is snarky and intersperses her comments and commentary liberally throughout, which could get annoying but it's done so well and routinely made me laugh out loud. Who's to say that ancient history should be dry and dull? This read more like a story told by a particularly funny friend, who is nevertheless an academic. The facts were well-researched and she definitely got me thinking about things that I had only glossed over before, so bravo.
* Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline - This book gave me the chills, in a good way. It was haunting and human and the ending was just perfect. This one was worth all the hype.
* Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor - I'm always wary when I pick up a book by Nnedi Okorafor: while I was absolutely blown away by "Who Fears Death", I've been disappointed by several of her other books. It's all a little hit and miss for me, even while I can't help but admire her originality and style. "Remote Control" hit all the right buttons for me.
MOVIES 2021
I haven't set foot in a movie theatre in over two years (and that's sad). However, I was able to see a few more movies this year, making an effort to catch up on things. The highlights include:
* Love Hard (2021) - This cute little holiday rom-com was exactly what I needed, turning the trope on its side and giving me something I will rewatch seasonally. It didn't hurt to have Luke MacFarlane playing the potential love interest either.
* The Old Guard (2020) - just an absolutely great action movie with a touch of paranormal.
* Professor Marsten & the Wonder Women (2017) - this is a gem of a movie, about the creator of Wonder Woman. The way the character's lifestyle and influences were portrayed was just lovely, it's refreshing to see polyamory and kink brought to the fore as a lifestyle, rather than a judgement.
* SAS: Red Notice (2021) - I actually watched this movie sitting in the dentist chair, having a crown put in. It was recommended by the dental technician and I was completely riveted for the whole thing. It was just a really good action movie, and I was thrilled to see Hannah John-Kamen being given more roles after Killjoys.
SHOWS & EXHIBITS 2021
Not much happening here, needless to say. I haven't been to a museum or concert in a very long time, and many bands have moved away from virtual concerts.
- Bears of Legend recorded and presented a concert for their "Good Morning Motherland" album in a natural amphitheatre in the wilds of Quebec, which was good except for the nearly drunken camera work.
MUSIC 2021
This year I started tracking new music and added 428 new songs to my music rotation. I also kept up with #wednesdayweeklysoundtrack, adding tracks that spoke to me or that I wanted to share. It's building up quite the playlist and several people have told me they enjoy it, which gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling.
The highlights for this year were the following:
TOP 5 ALBUMS
* Screen Violence - CHVRCHES
* Churches - LP
* Without People - Donovan Woods
* Phantoms - Mariana's Trench
* Cry Forever - Amy Shark
TOP 5 SONGS
* Hallucinogenics - Matt Maeson and Lana Del Rey
* A Little Forgiveness - The Rescues
* Shaken - LP
* Jaded - ONE OK ROCK (feat. Alex Gaskarth)
* tolerate it - Taylor Swift
