2021 Favorites

 My Three Favorite Books I Read in 2021

Favorite "new to me" books I read this year.

3. The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, Mariana Zapata
 As many books as I read in a year, I still don't come across many that I would consider "un-put-down-able." This one definitely qualifies. I stayed up way too late immersed in this sweet, warm blanket of a romance leaving me heart-eyed and daydreaming of a gruff and caring Aiden of my own. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, and it doesn't feature the most beautiful writing I've ever experienced. It does, however, constantly invoke a slow, dopey grin at the push-pull of Aiden and Vanessa's love/hate relationship, and sometimes that's all we're looking for in our comfort books.

“You haven’t left me when I needed you. Why wouldn’t I do the same for you?” 

2. More Than Maybe, Erin Hahn
I literally read a dozen books last year before I made it to a five-star read: "More Than Maybe." And I fell hard and fast for this sweet gem! An intelligent and passionate female lead? Check. A dashing yet uncertain (and British!) male lead? Check! Erin Hahn truly has a gift for romance writing—her descriptions of the thoughts you have when you have a crush on someone... like, GET OUT OF MY BRAIN! This was fun and lovely and tinged with sadness—I cried my way through the end. And even though I'm not much of a popular music fan, I still found myself admiring and respecting Luke and Vada's zeal for it. "More Than Maybe" is a book that feels alive with passion and anticipation, and Hahn really seems excited to be telling this story. It's absolutely fantastic and I can't wait to read it again.

"We want to be moved and changed and knocked over and pieced back together. We want to swoon and taste and cry and scream to the sky, yes, Yes, this."  

1. Better Than the Movies, Lynn Painter
Oh my heart! It's pretty rare that you read a book that feels like it was written just. For. YOU. But that was "Better Than the Movies" for me! A high school-set rom com? With an enemies-to-lovers story? And endless film and song references? Sign me UP! This is the kind of book that I found myself truly losing myself in. I would listen to it in my car, and then arrive somewhere and then just sit in the front seat staring out at the middle distance and smiling as I listened to Liz and Wes banter their way to their happily-ever-after. I love this book. I want to listen to it a hundred more times. If you love a sweet young adult rom com as much as I do, you owe it to yourself to hunt down a copy of "Better Than the Movies."

“She. Isn’t. You. When I see her, I don’t feel like I have to talk to her or mess up her hair or do something – anything – to get her to swing that gaze on me.”

Honorable Mention

The Bookshop on the Corner, Jenny Colgan (This will make you want to move to Scotland and fall in love with a farmer.)
Frankly in Love, David Yoon (I couldn't read this one fast enough!)
Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, Erik Larson (Our research king strikes again!)
The Love Hypothesis, Ali Hazelwood (Ridiculous and cliche and SO MUCH FUN.)
Well Met, Jen DeLuca (I'm in love with Simon Graham and I don't care who knows it!)
The Cheat Sheet, Sarah Adams (So, so cute! I had a lot of fun reading this one.)
New Morning Mercies, Paul David Trip (Precious and holy, full of reminders of the gift of grace.)
If I Never Met You, Mhairi McFarlane (What an author! Can't wait to read more by Mhairi McFarlane.)
Wallflower, Cookie O'Gorman (A book as sweet as the author's name!)
The Tourist Attraction, Sarah Morgenthaler (Absolutely delightful. Alaska, here I come!)
A Very Punchable Face, Colin Jost (Super entertaining. I laughed out loud multiple times!)
Don't You Forget About Me, Mhairi McFarlane (The final "declaration of love" speech was one of the best I've ever read!)

I ended up reading about 77 books, and I feel like you can sense a theme as to the category most of them fell into! If you're interested, you can view my full list here.

 My Three Favorite Movies of 2021

Runner-Up: Even though it feels like I hear a lot of people talking about "The Mitchells vs. the Machines," I still find myself thinking, "Why aren't more people talking about 'The Mitchells vs. the Machines?'" It is the most hilarious, most creative film of the year, and you owe it to yourself to check it out as soon as possible! You will laugh out loud and probably cry (I certainly did!), and I really can't imagine anyone not enjoying it.

3. Kid Detective
I don't think I could describe this movie any better than Kevin Smith did on his podcast when he said, "What if 'Brick' was funny?" And I don't mean funny like "parody" funny or "silly" funny, I just mean layered, deadpan, noir humor embedded into the DNA of this script and all of the performances. It's definitely got a "Veronica Mars" flair, but also a dash of something Jason Reitman-y and maybe Edgar Wright-y. If any of those references piqued your interest, then I cannot encourage you enough to check it out. Adam Brody is perfect as a private detective trying to live up to his former glory days as a young Encyclopedia Brown-type who gets served up an intriguing and twisty case. I promise you will not see the ending coming in any way, shape, or form. Please watch this movie—it's amazing.

2. Tick, Tick... Boom!
If you're envisioning a dry or hard-to-follow or rote, uninspired movie musical whenever you hear about "Tick, Tick... Boom," you need to take a giant eraser to your brain and replace those misconceptions with the reality of this vibrant, sparkling film full of swirling songs, breathless storytelling, and performances that will make your hair stand on end. The entire film, to borrow a phrase, "crackles and pops with incendiary wit." Andrew Garfield is a musical revelation and he infuses every frame with the jittery time-is-running-out creative spark that the real-life Jonathan Larson exuded every day of his too-short life. Garfield dances, sings, smiles, and cries out in such desperation that it's hard to believe the Oscar doesn't already have his name engraved on it. He takes viewers on such a personal, complete journey of emotions that by the time he's raw and pouring out his heart on a stage in Central Park wailing "Why?", our hearts are raw and yearning right along with him. "Tick, Tick... Boom" is an incredible piece of art, and you owe it to your heart, your soul, and your ears to check it out.

1. West Side Story
If you're surprised by this pick, you haven't been paying attention. I've been looking forward to "West Side Story" since 2019 (its released was delayed to 2021 due to you-know-what) and proceeded to see it five times in the theater. I absolutely could not get enough! Suffice it to say, Steven Spielberg and company more than met my expectations. Rachel Zegler, David Alvarez, Ariana DeBose, Mike Faist and the entire cast burst onto screen with style and flair and soul and passion that I haven't seen on screen since... I don't know when. Justin Peck's choreography is mindblowing, and watching the Jets dance together is like watching a grown-up cast of "Newsies" roam the streets (mostly because half the Jets are literal former members of the cast of "Newsies"). "West Side Story" paints the story of Romeo and Juliet in bold, beautiful strokes, and it pushes one of my all-time favorite stage actors into the spotlight he's always deserved. As Tony's right-hand man Riff, Mike Faist grabbed the camera with both hands and wouldn't let go until... well. You know. If you haven't seen this one yet, run to the theater as soon as you can so you don't miss this incredible, heartfelt movie musical on the biggest screen possible.

Honorable Mention: Free Guy, Black Widow, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Finding 'Ohana, Last Night in Soho, Always and Forever

My Three Favorite TV Shows of 2021

Favorite shows I started watching this year:

3. Girls 5eva
Busy Philipps, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Sara Bareilles, Paula Pell, and two of Broadway's "Mean Girls" (Erika Henningsen and Ashley Park) were always going to be a winning combination. So we're not surprised this show was a WIN! Whip-smart writing, memorable songs, and countless all-star cameos add up to one intensely fun and funny show, one I am thrilled to know is getting a second season. It harnesses early-2000's nostalgia, hilarious song lyrics, and unexpectedly silly sight gags into an unstoppable joyride that will have you laughing out loud and seeking out the music to listen to on repeat.
Stream it on Peacock

2. WandaVision
By the end of episode one I was intrigued. After episode two, I was hooked. By episode three my mind was blown, I was all in, and I'd bought the t-shirt. (Sweatshirt, actually, but you get the idea. I literally bought the shirt.) "WandaVision" is the perfect bridge between Wanda's experiences in "Infinity War" and "Endgame" to her next adventures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. What's amazing is that they could have used "WandaVision" to tell a relatively straightforward story about Wanda's grief and introduce a new adversary for her. Instead, they placed the characters and elements of the show into a kaleidoscope, spun it, and held it up to the light of a television screen playing famous sitcoms from throughout television history. The result is an imaginative and affecting journey that kept me guessing the entire way.
Stream it on Disney+

1. Only Murders in the Building
I love this show. I love the opening credits, I love the cast, I love the writing, I love the cinematography, I love the jokes, I love the costumes, I love the twists, I love the cameos, I love the music, I love the references. I just love it all. A murder mystery with comedic elements? Set in New York City? Featuring tons of Broadway favorites (not to mention Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez as pitch-perfect trio of amateur detectives slash podcasters)? Sign. Me. UP. Was this made for me? I was hopeful that I'd like it, but from the moment the murder victim broke the fourth wall and looked at me and told me that he would be dead in approximately 12 minutes, I was hooked. It's brilliant and unpredictable and fascinating, and the second season just cannot come soon enough.
Stream it on Hulu

Honorable Mention: Schmigadoon, Loki, Reservation Dogs, One of Us is Lying

My Three Favorite Events of 2021

3. Vaccination Station
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 in March truly felt like a miracle. After I received in my first dose I sat in my car and just felt a sense of awe and thankfulness that a year into the pandemic, I had finally received protection against the worst affects of Covid. Thank you, Lord, for creating the incredibly smart researchers and doctors and systems that led to my first dose, second dose, and booster shot. All glory to God!

2. Summer Family Time + Christmas
My sister and nieces were in Texas for the entire month of June this year—thanks, home renovations! I got to soak up time with them in Houston and Tyler, and then for an entire week in Galveston when we were joined by my brother-in-law (and my parents and brother, of course). During these four weeks we went to the pool, picked blueberries, surfed in the ocean, played games, collected seashells, went on boat rides, visited the zoo, and so much more! It was amazing and my favorite and I wish I could relive it all again now.

 Christmas? You know I have a video for that!

1. Morby Madness in Virginia
My babiest cousin Dawson got married to his bride Hannah in Virginia this past November, and their wedding was lovely. What was really memorable for me, though, was seeing family members stretching from 12-year-old Lexi to my 92-year-old grandparents make the trek to the east coast to celebrate the new couple. Consistently showing up for family members is one of my favorite parts of being a Morby, and all of us coming together to dance, laugh, toast, and honor Dawson and Hannah filled my heart with enough joy to tide me into the new year. 

Honorable Mention: Really fun office shenanigans, Maddy starring as Cruella in her elementary school's production of "101 Dalmatians," Dani surprising me in Galveston for my birthday, seeing some of my articles published in Pine Cove's magazines, celebrating Ellie's 30th birthday in Austin with an amazing rom-com themed bash, and seeing my neighborhood blanketed in snow.

I feel like I can't close out any sort of summary about my year without mentioning the passing of one of my closest friends, Grandma Doris. She stepped out the door of this life and into her new body and new life with Jesus on Christmas Eve. While it still feels surreal and I'll never stop missing her, I'm also at peace knowing she was more than ready to go, and got to do it on her own terms—at home, surrounded by loved ones, and with the promise that we'll all see her again one day. I love you, Grandma.

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehn good night! I hate to go and leave this pretty sight...