Best of 2021
Tracking What Media I Consume
In 2020, I started tracking all shows/movies/books/games I consume in a simple text file.
I rate everything using a rough 5-star scale. For the scale, I value “entertainment” and how well it captures my attention over “quality”. For example, if a movie is entertaining enough that I fully focus on the movie without browsing the web on a second screen, I might rate it 5 stars even when the movie is not perfect. As a result, I consciously “overrate” some media but I use more of the scale. The scale is rough in that it uses just five stars, I have not fully defined what each rating means. This focus on my attention might not be entirely fair to all movies: I’ll underrate some and overrate others.
Rough idea:
Games 2021
1 ... ★★★★★
2 ... ★★★★
...
Books – Fiction 2021
1 ... ★★★★★
2 ... ★★★★
...
Books – Non-fiction 2021
1 ... ★★★★★
2 ... ★★★★
...
Movies 2021
1 ... ★★★★★
2 ... ★★★★
...
TV 2021
1 ... ★★★★★
2 ... ★★★★
...Note: not everything I consumed in 2021 was released in 2021. I will include older content in my best-of lists when I consumed it in 2021.
Best Games 2021
I played 8 games with most of my time going into online multiplayer.
- Call of Duty: Warzone ★★★★★
- Spider-Man Miles Morales ★★★★★
- Halo: Infinite ★★★★★
After a year of Warzone (150+ hours), I got into Halo multiplayer again. A classic arena shooter with high time-to-kill was really refreshing. I didn’t much care about Halo’s single-player campaign (didn’t finish it), but the multi-player feels great (even if it’s still lacking content).
Best Books 2021 – Fiction
I wanted to continue reading some books for entertainment. I went looking for series of sci-fi books. I read 8 books: 3 x Red Rising, 3 x Star Wars, 1 x Halo, and Six of Crows.
Favorite books I read: Red Rising 1–3.
Best Books 2021 – Non-fiction
I read 10 non-fiction books this year. About Kotlin, micro-frontends, sofware architecture, and more.
- Vorgehensmuster in der Softwarearchitektur ★★★★★
- Micro Frontends in Action ★★★★★
- Sooner Safer Happier ★★★★
- Staff Engineer ★★★★
- An Elegant Puzzle: Systems of Engineering Management ★★★★
I think it’s actually a tie between “Vorgehensmuster in der Softwarearchitektur” and “Micro Frontends in Action”. Both were immediately useful at work and I keep going back to them.
Best Movies 2021
I watched 75 movies this year.
Some of my favorites (don’t judge me):
- Dune ★★★★★
- Shang-Chi ★★★★★
- Justice League – Snyder Cut ★★★★★
Big-budget superhero stuff is fun :) Letting the director do a 4-hour cut of the movie to improve on the first version? Hell yeah!
Best Shows 2021
My favorites this year
- Only Murders in the Building S1 ★★★★★
- Maid S1 ★★★★★
- Hawkeye S1 ★★★★★
- Shadow and Bone S1 ★★★★★
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier ★★★★★
- The White Lotus S1 ★★★★
- Big Shot S1 ★★★★
- Superman and Lois S1 ★★★★
- Cobra Kai S3 ★★★★
- Alice in Borderland S1 ★★★★
The Raw Data
It’s best you stop reading here (or don’t judge me).
Games 2021
★★★★★ Gets me hooked; I play it frequently; also during the week; I choose it over TV
★★★★ Good to great game that does not get me hooked; might not value my time enough
★★★
★★
★
1 Control ★★★
2 Call of Duty: Warzone ★★★★★
3 Star Wars Squadrons (Single Player) ★★★
4 Hitman 3 ★★★★
5 Spider-Man Miles Morales ★★★★★
6 Psychonauts 2 ★★★★
7 Forza Horizon 5 ★★★★★
8 Halo Infinite ★★★★★
Books – Fiction 2021
★★★★★ Unputdownable
★★★★
★★★
★★
★
1 Halo: The Flood ★★
2 Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron ★★★★
3 Star Wars: Shadow Fall ★★★
4 Red Rising 1 ★★★★
5 Red Rising 2 ★★★★★
6 Red Rising 3 ★★★★★
7 Star Wars: Victory's Price ★★★★
8 Six of Crows ★★★★
Books – Non-fiction 2021
★★★★★ Immediately helps me improve at my job
★★★★ Leaves me with new, skills/insights; does not drag
★★★
★★
★
1 Micro Frontends in Action ★★★★★
2 Kotlin in Action ★★★★
3 Forever Employable ★★★
4 Vorgehensmuster in der Softwarearchitektur ★★★★★
5 Make Time ★★★★
6 Good Talk ★★★
7 Working Out Loud ★★★★
8 Staff Engineer ★★★★
9 An Elegant Puzzle: Systems of Engineering Management ★★★★
10 Sooner Safer Happier ★★★★
Movies 2021
★★★★★ Engrossing
★★★★ Good to great movie
★★★ Doesn't fully capture my attention; doing something else on the second screen
★★
★
1 Solo ★★★★
2 Constantine ★★★★
3 Tenet ★★★★
4 Yes, God, Yes ★★★
5 The Little Things ★★★
6 Fighting With Family ★★★
7 To All the Boys 3 ★★★
8 Eigth Grade ★★★
9 News of the World ★★★
10 The Map of Tiny Perfect Things ★★★★
11 Fury ★★★
12 Moxie ★★★
13 Justice League – Snyder Cut ★★★★★
14 Bad Trip ★★
15 Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar ★★
16 Godzilla vs. Kong ★★★
17 Promising You Woman ★★★
18 The Dig ★★
19 The Intern ★★★★
20 Guns Akimbo ★★★
21 Love and Monsters ★★★★
22 Mortal Kombat ★★★
23 Fifth Element ★★★
24 The First Time ★★★
25 The Mitchells vs. The Machines ★★★
26 Concrete Cowboy ★★★
27 Gone in 60 Seconds ★★★
28 Army of the Dead ★★
29 Wrath of Man ★★★
30 Flashback ★★
31 Plan B ★★★★
32 Boss Level ★★★★
33 Jojo Rabbit ★★★★
34 22 Jump Street ★★★
35 The Tomorrow War ★★★★
36 Fear Steet 1994 ★★★
37 Fear Street 1978 ★★★
38 Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard ★★★
39 F9: The Saga ★★★
40 Batman: The Long Halloween Part 1 ★★★
41 Jolt ★★★
42 Batman: The Long Halloween Part 2 ★★★
43 The Green Knight ★
44 The Protege ★★★
45 Charming the Hearts of Men ★★★
46 Stillwater ★★★
47 The Paper Tigers ★★★
48 Blood Red Sky ★★
49 Riders of Justice ★★★
50 12 Mighty Orphans ★★★
51 Black Widow ★★★★
52 Afterlife of the Party ★★
53 The Swordsman ★★★★
54 Kate ★★★★
55 My Salinger Year ★★★★
56 Free Guy ★★★★
57 No Time to Die ★★★★
58 The Kid Detective ★★★★
59 The Suicide Squad ★★★★
60 Copshop ★★
61 Dune ★★★★★
62 Army of Thieves ★★
63 The Harder They Fall ★★★
64 Finch ★★★★
65 Shang-Chi ★★★★★
66 Jungle Cruise ★★★★
67 Venom 2 ★★★
68 Love Hard ★★★
69 Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City ★★★
70 Matrix Resurrection ★★★★
71 Red Notice ★★★
72 The Hating Game ★★
73 The Last Duel ★★★
74 Little Women ★★★
75 Love, Rosie ★★
TV 2021
★★★★★ Would binge in a few sittings; have to watch the next episode before any other shows
★★★★ Good to great show
★★★ Doesn't fully capture my attention; doing something else on the second screen
★★
★
1 Bridgerton S1 ★★★
2 Cobra Kai S3 ★★★★
3 Alice in Borderland S1 ★★★★
4 Feel Good S1 ★★★
5 Star Trek: Discovery S3 ★★★
6 The Serpent ★★★
7 Bonding S1 ★★★
8 A Discovery of Witches S2 ★★★
9 Fate: The Winx Saga ★★★★
10 Dawson’s Creek S1 ★★★
11 Bonding S2 ★★★
12 The Expanse S5 ★★★★
13 Tribes of Europa S1 ★★★
14 For Life S2 ★★★
15 Wandavision ★★★★
16 Ginny & Georgia ★★★
17 Bridge and Tunnel ★★
18 Resident Alient ★★★★
19 The Falcon and the Winter Soldier ★★★★★
20 Shadow and Bone S1 ★★★★★
21 Invincible ★★★★
22 Schitt's Creek S1 ★★★
23 Too Close (mini series) ★★
24 The Rookie S3 ★★★★
25 Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist S2 ★★★★
26 Schitt's Creek S2 ★★★
27 SEAL Team ★★★★
28 Chicago Fire ★★★★
29 Mare of Easttown ★★★
30 Lucifer S5 ★★★★
31 Grey's Anatomy S17 ★★★
32 The Resident S4 ★★★
33 The Good Doctor S4 ★★★★
34 New Amsterdam S3 ★★★★
35 Schitt's Creek S3 ★★★
36 Schitt's Creek S4 ★★★★
37 Big Shot S1 ★★★★
38 Bosch S7 ★★★★
39 Cruel Summer S1 ★★
40 Mythic Quest S2 ★★★★
41 This is Us S5 ★★★★
42 Panic S1 ★★★★
43 Schitt's Creek S5 ★★★
44 Time ★★★
45 Loki ★★★★
46 All American S3 ★★★★
47 The White Lotus S1 ★★★★
48 Walker S1 ★★
49 David Makes Man S1 ★★★
50 In the Dark S2 ★★★
51 Mr Inbetween S1 ★★★
52 Superman and Lois S1 ★★★★
53 Mr Inbetween S2 ★★★★
54 Two Weeks to Live S1 ★★★
55 Mr Inbetween S3 ★★★★
56 Blindspotting S1 ★★★
57 Run the World S1 ★★★
58 Love Life S1 ★★★★
59 Girlfriend Experience S3 ★★
60 The Good Fight S5 ★★★★
61 You're the worst S5 ★★★★
62 The Chair S1 ★★★★
63 Domina S1 ★★★★
64 The Bold Type S5 ★★★
65 The North Water S1 ★★★★
66 Brand New Cherry Flavor S1 ★★★
67 Sweet Tooth S1 ★★★
68 Motherland: Fort Salem S2 ★★★
69 The Republic of Sarah S1 ★★★
70 Des (mini series) ★★
71 Sex Education S3 ★★★★
72 Vigil (mini series) ★★★★
73 Goliath S4 ★★★
74 Chestnut Man S1 ★★★
75 Squid Game S1 ★★★
76 Only Murders in the Building S1 ★★★★★
77 You S3 ★★★★
78 My Name S1 ★★★
79 Titans S3 ★★
80 Star Girl S2 ★★★★
81 Swagger S1 ★★★★
82 The Witcher S2 ★★★★
83 Hanna S3 ★★★
84 The Great S2 ★★★★
85 Hawkeye S1 ★★★★★
86 Sex Lives of College Girls S1 ★★★★
87 Wheel of Time S1 ★★★★
88 Lucifer S6 ★★★★
89 Acapulco S1 ★★★★
90 Love Life S2 ★★★★
91 Never Have I Ever S2 ★★★★
92 Maid S1 ★★★★★