While the outside world of 2021 was incredibly stressful and tumultuous, my indoor world of books, movies, and tv shows was a pretty great one. If there’s one thing the pandemic has been good for, it’s let me check out some of the coolest stories I’ve ever read or watched. Here are my favorites and some honorable mentions from the year!
BOOKS
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
2021 was the *year* of Leigh Bardugo. I read all of the Grishaverse novels to prepare for the release of Shadow and Bone, the live-action Netflix adaptation (more on that below) and Leigh’s most recent additions to this world were excellent. Just a quick heads up though, it is best to read both the Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows series before diving into King of Scars as they provide a lot of important context for both plot and characters. It’s worth it, I swear.
King of Scars picks up three years after the Ravkan Civil War and follows the three perspectives of returning characters - Nikolai, the charming and clever young king of Ravka who is literally battling his inner demons while frantically figuring out how to save his shattered country; Zoya, one of Nikolai’s most trusted advisors and closest friends who is one of the most powerful Grisha but also one of the most guarded; and Nina, a Grisha undercover in enemy territory trying to find closure for a personal loss while doing her part for Ravka.
I’m (ironically) a big fan of books like this one that leans heavily on politics - high stakes negotiations, endless angles and threats to consider, crafty characters just trying to stay one step ahead of impending doom. With an endearing ensemble of characters, the shenanigans, plots, and interpersonal dynamics are numerous and all highly entertaining.
The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
Never did I think I would so strongly empathize with a character that calls itself “Murderbot.” Clearly I was wrong.
In a spacefaring world, security androids, commonly referred to as SecUnits, are loaned out by the Company to accompany exploration and science missions. The series’ installments follow the perspective of one SecUnit, the self-named Murderbot, that has disabled its governor module and just wants to watch its favorite tv shows instead of baby-sitting humans. As much as Murderbot tries to remain aloof and keep out of messy human predicaments, it finds itself growing attached to its human charges, much to its own horror.
Murderbot’s socially awkward nature and deadpan humor makes for a surprisingly endearing main character with fun character development. Seeing it go from disdainfully engaging with humans to caring deeply about a few of them was satisfying and charming. The sci-fi worldbuilding felt surprisingly light, giving space to imagine the various settings and situations with much more leeway. There is a light thread and a couple recurring characters connecting the novellas (and particularly the book #5 novel) but they can all be read as standalones. But if you’re like me, then I’m sure the humor and Murderbot’s character arc will have you devouring the whole series and demanding more.
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
As a city girl, the concept of this book is everything I didn’t know I needed. In this world, cities can become living entities, embodied by human avatars. New York City is the latest to reach this stage, but its birth is unusual - instead of just one avatar manifesting, five more also emerge - one for each borough. The five boroughs must unite, save the primary avatar, and defeat the eldritch being that threatens this universe.
I love the way urban elements of New York City are incorporated into the very core of the story, defining the characters, the setting, and the plot. Pedestrians on the street, transit systems, art, and history vividly set the scene while threats to the avatars come in the forms of bureaucracy, bigotry, and financial hardships. The themes of belonging and identity - figuring out who you are in terms of what you value and how you fit into your community - resonant strongly throughout.
Besides the amazing concept, I have to shout out some of my other favorite details, like the way real events and other cities are incorporated into the story - New Orleans and Port-au-Prince could’ve been among the living cities if they hadn’t been killed at birth, which was explained as the natural disasters that devastated them. Also, I was overjoyed with the diversity in this cast of characters with so many women of color and how grounded and unique each of them felt.
I’m going to have to read all of N.K. Jemisin’s stuff now and I’m very excited about it. I could totally be the avatar for San Francisco. I’m ready, bring it on.
Honorable Mentions: The Aurora Cycle series by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, The People We Meet on Vacation and Beach Read by Emily Henry, Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
TV SHOWS
Maid
This miniseries on Netflix got loads of praise and all were justly deserved. Maid follows Alex, a young woman with a two-year-old daughter Maddie who is trying to escape her abusive boyfriend Sean, and make it on her own after she manages to secure a job as a maid cleaning other people’s homes. She’s been isolated for most of her life, making it all the more difficult to navigate the social welfare system and all of its bureaucratic nightmares.
There is no shortage of issues - in addition to trying to find (and keep) regular work, childcare, and housing for herself and her daughter, Alex is also looking out for her mother who is undiagnosed bipolar and working through her own trauma. When things go wrong time and time again, it feels like we’re hitting rock bottom with Alex all over again.
The performances and cinematography convey this deep sense of empathy and how relentless life can be when the problems keep rolling in and every small win feels like a major victory. The subtle spotlights on the imperfect welfare system and the issues with the “picking yourself up by your own bootstraps” ideology are well done and not in your face. I was able to sympathize with almost every character at some point and I love how clearly Alex’s interactions with all of them, regardless of how short a time, impacted her for better or worse. Whether they’re people who are with us our whole lives or for a fleeting instant, those relationships and what we take from them can change everything.
I also just really want to shout out Episode 2. The minute the older woman at the domestic violence shelter walked out to greet Alex, I just started sobbing. It wasn’t a chaotic, cold introduction to the shelter but instead, the music in the background was soft as the kind, older Black woman gently greeted Alex and showed her around her temporary living space in the aftermath of such chaos and trauma. It was, in every way, portrayed to be a safe space, a shelter in every sense. A lot of my favorite scenes occurred at the shelter and this was just one among many excellent details about this show.
Shadow and Bone
Again, it was truly the year of Leigh Bardugo and the Grishaverse. The first season of Shadow and Bone follows the characters and storyline of the first book of the Shadow and Bone book series but it also incorporates the characters of the Six of Crows novels. Trust me, it’s not as complicated as it sounds, and you can totally watch this fantasy series without having read the books. However, a large part of my excitement about the show came from already knowing the universe and characters and seeing it all come to life.
Ravka is the primary haven for the Grisha, people who are able to control the body, elements, and materials, but the country is crumbling - war on two sides has drained its resources, and the Fold, a sea of darkness home to terrible monsters, has separated Ravka from much-needed support. Best friends since their days in the orphanage, Alina and Mal are regular soldiers in Ravka’s First Army. Both regular humans and Grisha are enlisted to fight for their country; the Grisha specifically make up the Second Army, led by the Darkling, the only magic user who can control darkness. When it is revealed that Alina is a Sun Summoner, a rare Grisha with the ability to control light and the hoped-for savior with the power to destroy the Fold and end the war, she immediately becomes the most important person in the world.
Meanwhile, word of the Sun Summoner has arrived in Ketterdam, a major trading hub of the island nation Kerch. Kaz, the leader of a criminal gang called The Crows, hatches a plan to smuggle himself and his crew Jesper and Inej across the Fold and into Ravka in order to kidnap Alina for a large bounty. While it sounds impossible, The Crows are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
These two sets of characters I cannot speak highly enough about the amazing cast - all of them were perfect for their roles and their love for both each other and the source material shines through in their performances. The attention to detail in everything from sets and costumes and props was so cool (they created a whole written language!) and it resulted in an excellent adaptation. I am very, very impatiently awaiting any news regarding season two.
Anne with an E
This adaptation of Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery is something that I definitely would have loved when I was younger and I’m so glad I finally sat down to watch it! Like the books, it follows the adventures of Anne Shirley, a high-spirited and bright young orphan, as she adjusts to a new life in Green Gables, the home of unmarried siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. Despite her humble beginnings and naivete, Anne is determined to prove she can be more than what meets the eye.
Anne’s curiosity and imagination often get her into trouble, and her horrible experiences from her time at the orphanage make her reluctant to let people push her around, but they are also the foundation of who she is - a creative, determined, and earnestly kind individual with a firm sense of right and wrong. The emotions that Anne experiences feel real and larger than life, a testament to the show’s excellent writing and acting. Besides, what would a teen coming-of-age story be without hindrances that feel like they’re the end of the world? Seeing Anne grow from a headstrong and insecure girl into a confident young woman is immensely satisfying - the lessons that she learns stay with her as she grows out of certain habits and into better ones, flourishing under the love of her friends and family.
Anne’s character arc is one thing, but Anne herself brings so much life and energy to Green Gables - Matthew and Marilla are just as changed by Anne’s love as she is by theirs. And we see her also touch the lives of the whole community, encouraging change for the better. There are so many great characters and character-driven arcs which are often underscored by a “modern issue” like consent, education for women, freedom of the press, or racism, to name a few. This show really, really had it all.
Like most other fans of the show, I’m also sorely disappointed that it wasn’t renewed for at least one more season to wrap up some of the plotlines from the end of season three which were some of the series’ most powerful, like the one about the indigenous residential schools. But also, there was kind of a huge Anne-and-Gilbert moment at the very end of the last episode, and I am in desperate need of more of them. If you’re in need of a fresh coming-of-age protagonist to root for, I would highly recommend giving Anne a chance.
Honorable Mentions: Peaky Blinders, Star Wars Visions, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Amphibia, Only Murders in the Building, Russian Doll, On My Block, Arcane
MOVIES
The Harder They Fall
Who doesn’t love a good cowboy movie? When Nat Love was a boy, he watched Rufus Buck murder his family in cold blood and years later is set on seeking revenge. Newly freed from the custody of the US army and back at the head of his gang, Buck is preparing to take back and cement his empire in the lawless west. Not about to let that stand, Love gathers his own crew of sharpshooters and fighters to finish his vendetta once and for all.
The Harder They Fall was such a fun and fresh take on the cowboy movie genre with an outstanding, all-star cast, fun cinematography callbacks to western films, crazy shootouts (shoutout to that one colorful fight scene at the end that blew me away), epic wide shots, and an excellent soundtrack. It was really cool to see cowboy history be reclaimed by Black storytellers in this way, with a cast of characters that all carry the larger-than-life swagger of the most iconic action heroes. It gets bonus points for being able to pass the Bechdel test and the fact that many of the characters were inspired, at least in name, by real black cowboys from the late 1800s. If you’re looking for a good action movie and don’t mind a hearty dose of brutal violence, consider adding this to your Netflix watchlist.
Minari
Minari was nominated for 6 Oscars and is deserving of all of them. The slice-of-life drama film follows a Korean American family after they move from California to middle-of-nowhere Arkansas to pursue father Jacob’s “American dream” of starting a successful farm growing Korean vegetables for a market in Dallas. But Jacob’s wife Monica doesn’t share his passion for farming and is skeptical of this new lifestyle and what it will take to make the farm work. She misses having a community of other Koreans and is worried about their son David who has heart issues. Eventually, Monica’s grandmother Soon-ja arrives from South Korea to help look after the children, bringing sharp wit and wisdom to a family that is struggling to stay afloat.
This is an American film, through and through. It tells a story about the American dream that just so happens to focus on a Korean family, inspired by director Lee Isaac Chung’s real-life experiences. It wrestles with American values and ideals, what it means to make it in America, and what an American family looks like. The performances of this cast are phenomenal - Steven Yeun and Han Ye-ri’s portrayal of a crumbling marriage, Alan Kim as David and the simplicity of childhood, and of course Yuh-Jung Youn as Soon-ja. The dynamic between David and Soon-ja is my favorite - he’s wary of her because she doesn’t live up to his expectations of what a grandmother should be, but that doesn’t stop her from finding new ways to connect with him.
Minari is representation for Koreans, for Asians, for immigrants, for anyone who has felt like an outsider, for anyone who has been impacted by their families’ sacrifice of everything for a new start. It’s beautiful and touching in its intimacy and simplicity. Definitely a must watch.
Minari is representation for Koreans, for Asians, for immigrants, for anyone who has felt like an outsider, for anyone who has been impacted by their families’ sacrifice of everything for a new start. It’s beautiful and touching in its intimacy and simplicity. Definitely a must watch.
Passing
I read Nella Larsen’s original novel in an American literature class, and was very excited to check out Netflix’s new adaptation. The movie takes place in 1920s Harlem and focuses on the perspective of Irene, a young Black woman as she rekindles a friendship with Clare, a childhood acquaintance. The two are fascinated by each other’s lives - even though Clare is also African American, she is light-skinned enough to “pass” for white and has even married a white man who doesn’t know she’s Black. Clare reveals she misses the Black community, which Irene is much closer to. The two begin to spend more time together, but their relationship is delicate and complex, full of unsaid things and underscored with a complicated mix of envy and fondness.
This film is shot so gorgeously; it’s a feast for the eyes! The decision to film in black and white was a perfect visual complement to the narrative exploration of racial passing. The attention to sound and its utilization, the performances by Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga, the execution of that intentionally ambiguous ending. There’s so many layers to unpack and things to ponder about the characters and ourselves, too.
As Irene asks, “We’re all of us passing for something or other. Aren’t we?”
Honorable Mentions: Nomadland, Concrete Cowboy, Raya and the Last Dragon, In the Heights, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Luca, tick, tick… Boom!
There were so many great productions this year and I was so happy I even got to see some movies in theaters again. As 2021 comes to a close and things are shutting down in the U.S. again, I’m still looking forward to 2022 and all of its potential. There were some big milestones for diversity and representation across media titles and I hope to see even more stories coming from minority creators in the coming year. There is some really exciting stuff slated for release next year - I’m particularly excited to get my hands on copies of Gallant by V.E. Schwab and How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu and to watch Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse and Turning Red, hopefully in theaters. But for now, I’m calling it a wrap on 2021. See you in 2022!
