Here’s my 2021 list of books I’ve read and movies I’ve watched, with my rating of how much I liked it in parentheses (out of 10).
To see other years’ lists, click on the “List Love” menu in the top navigation.
Books
- Destinations are Fake by Jorg Schlagheck (6)
- Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik (8)
- What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism by Dan Rather (9)
- The Nakano Thrift Shop: A Novel by Hiromi Kawakami (8.5)
- Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness by Ben Watt (8.5)
- Let All the Children Boogie by Sam J. Miller (8)
- The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo (8.5)
- When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo (8.5)
- The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa (9)
- Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (9.5)
- Earthlings by Sayaka Murata (7.5)
- Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata (8.5)
- Naked at the Albert Hall: The Inside Story of Singing by Tracey Thorn (8)
- Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner (7)
- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (9)
- Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder (8)
- Days of Distraction: A Novel by Alexandra Chang (9.5)
- The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (9)
- A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro (8.5)
- Tomie: Complete Deluxe Edition by Junji Ito (7)
- Quit Like a Millionaire: No Gimmicks, Luck, or Trust Fund Required by Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung (7.5)
- Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong (7)
- When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro (8)
- Everything I Never Told You: A Novel by Celeste Ng (9)
- At the End of the Matinee by Keiichiro Hirano (10) 😭
- Interior Chinatown: A Novel by Charles Yu (8)
- Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (8.5)
- See my current reading list at GoodReads, or my 2021 Year in Books.
Movies and Dorama
- Painted Skin: The Resurrection / 畫皮II (7)
- Minari / 미나리 (7.5)
- Ie Uru Onna / 家売るオンナ (7)
- Cold Case 2 / コールドケース2 ~真実の扉~ (9)
- Ie Uru Onna no Gyakushu / 家売るオンナの逆襲 (7)
- Familiar Wife / 知ってるワイフ (8.5) 😭
- My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday / ぼくは明日、昨日のきみとデートする (8) 😭
- Dragon Zakura / ドラゴン桜 (2005) (8)
- My Spy (6)
- Tigertail (8)
- Crying Out Love in the Center of the World / 世界の中心で、愛をさけぶ (9) 😭
- Millennium Actress / 千年女優 (9)
- The Claudia Kishi Club (8)
- The Peanut Butter Falcon (8)
- Shaun of the Dead (7.5)
- Nomadland (7.5)
- Raya and the Last Dragon (8)
- Rikokatsu / リコカツ (7)
- Luca (7)
- Tenshi ni Request wo: Jinsei Saigo no Negai / 天使にリクエストを〜人生最後の願い〜 (8) 😭
- The Mysterious Benedict Society (7)
- Chef wa Meitantei / シェフは名探偵 (8)
- A Scene at the Sea / あの夏、いちばん静かな海。(7)
- A Better Life: An Exploration of Joy & Meaning in a World Without God (7.5)
- The Approach of Autumn / 秋立ちぬ (7)
- An Autumn Afternoon / 秋刀魚の味 (9)
- At the End of the Matinee/ マチネの終わりに (7)
- Togo (8.5)
- Picture Bride (8)
- Zhu Bajie: The Spring Years 2021 (8)
- Dreamy Eyes (7.5)
- Us and Them / 后来的我们 (8)
- Becoming Cousteau (7)
- Cowboy Bebop (7.5)
- Black Widow (8)
- Jungle Cruise (6.5)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (8)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (8)
- Hawkeye S1 (8)
- The Green Knight (6)
- Encanto (8)