The Best Books I Read in 2021 . . . (and Other Goodies)

My top Books, Podcasts, Movies, Shows, Documentaries, and my Favorite Days of 2021

Spotify’s “Year Wrapped” detonates the internet

I look forward to December for one reason. Your. Year. Wrapped. I love the way Spotify has taken your data and simplified it and packaged it in a way that’s interesting for you. Actually interesting.

Will Netflix / Amazon / Apple / Goodreads / YouTube take a lesson?

Here come my top Books, Podcasts, Movies, Shows, Documentaries, and Favorite Days of 2021 year.

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Books

1. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig

   

Usually I struggle to rate the books that fall in my top five, but ZAMM was far and away my favorite book this year. In it, Robert Pirsig, a retired college professor, trudges through his dark, volatile, mentally unstable past while riding a Honda Super Hawk across the Western USA with his young son, Chris. It’s non-fiction but reads like fiction. It’s philosophical but speaks to the masses. It’s absolutely stunningly gorgeously brilliantly written and my copy has so many markings the text is barely legible. It’s worth reading—or rereading (Amazon Link).

2. Dune by Frank Herbert

Dune! Dune! Dune! You probably heard the buzz this year because of the movie and its star-spangled cast. It’s a deep Sci-Fi novel with fictional species and languages and heavy political undertones. I expected it to have some trouble following the audiobook but I never once found it overwhelming and ended up learning barrels about craft from Herbert. Dune is to Star Wars what Game of Thrones is to Lord of the Rings. Darker. More Political. More intense. Good luck. ( Amazon Link, Audible Link)

3. The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli

   

Carlo Rovelli is a treasure. In the modern age, understanding and being able to read science is crucially important. I’m always reading some kind of neuro or physical science and it is unendingly impressive when a scientist who has enough knowledge to make me feel like a kindergartener is able to convey that knowledge in a manner I can grasp—and maybe even fold into my own writing. Here’s a taste: you set two analog watches at the exact same moment. You leave watch X at your house and bring watch Y with you to the Rockies. You return. Watch Y has passed more time than watch X . . . because time literally moves faster in the mountains than at sea level 🤯 . (Amazon, Audible)

4. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari

   

Yuval Noah Harari has been colonizing my mind since college. I’m well aware. This mensch has a special way of spinning webs so vast and so fine that you don’t notice it, until you can’t move. Can’t pick up any other book. I appreciate his first two books (Sapiens and Homo Deus) more than this one, yet 21 Lessons still made my top five. I’ve tried to find writers who challenge him and believe his views to be wrong, when I do (which is rare) the critic comes across like Scott Burrel whining about Michael Jordan’s playing time. This Israeli is the best non-fiction writer of the 21st century (Amazon, Audible).

5. Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

Jocko Willink wasn’t just a Navy seal, he was a leader of Navy seals. The man is stone cold and challenging and understands the nuances of life in a way that makes his lessons realistic and reachable. Jocko is not like David Goggins. Jocko is human. Extreme ownership means taking complete responsibility: if my tire catches a nail, if traffic has me late, if my dog gets sick—it’s always my fault. This book has directly influenced my behavior more than any other on the list this year. If you want to lead, it’s your read. (Amazon, Audible)

Honorable mentions = The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin and The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene.

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Podcasts

• Novelist and Professor George Saunders + Dan Harris on 10% Happier

• “Ecomodernist” Author Michael Shellenberger with Joe Rogan

• Lance Armstrong with Dr. Peter Attia on The Drive

• World Champ Martial Artist Georges St-Pierre with Lex Fridman

• Neuroscientist Moran Cerf with Tom Bilyeu on Impact Theory

• Prof Jordan Peterson with Aubrey Marcus

• Investor Balaji Srinivasan with Tim Ferriss

• Politician Andrew Yang with Sam Harris on Making Sense

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Movies

1. Molly’s Game — Aaron Sorkin

Based on a true story about an Olympic skier turned high-stakes poker organizer

2. Vuelven (Tigers Are Not Afraid) — Issa López

Think Pan’s Labyrinth meets Stranger Things

3. Dolor y Gloria (Pain and Glory) — Pedro Almodóvar

Almodóvar is the Tarantino of Spanish film

4. Dances with Wolves — Kevin Costner

A disillusioned Union Army lieutenant rediscovers himself in the far reaches of the American frontier

5. The Dig — Simon Stone

An excavator and his team discover an important ship from the Dark Ages

6. Soul — Peter Doctor, Kemp Powers

7. The Hunt for Wilder People — Taika Waititi

A boy and his father become the subjects of a manhunt after being stranded in the New Zealand wilderness. (I hadn’t laughed this much in a long time)

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Shows

1. Peaky Blinders

There is God and there are the Peaky Blinders . . .

2. Ted Lasso

Rebecca: “It’s fine, the article won’t run. I’m friends with the owner of ‘The Sun’”
Ted (astounded): “You’re friends with God??”

3. Dave

Centers on a delusional man (played by ‘Lil Dicky’ aka Dave Byrd) who is convinced that he's the best rapper of all time

4. Lupin (French)

Retells the classic French novel in modern Paris. Arsène Lupin is a world-famous ‘gentleman thief’ and master of disguise

5. Money Heist (Casa de Papel)

Eight thieves take the Royal Mint of Spain hostage while their mastermind manipulates the police to carry out his greater plan

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Documentaries

1. Tiger

Two-part documentary highlighting the rise and fall of golfer, Tiger Woods

2. My Octopus Teacher

A South African filmmaker befriends an octopus living in a kelp forest

3. Quincy

An intimate look at the extraordinary life of Quincy Jones, a music industry icon and winner of 27 Grammys

4. Hemingway

Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s three-part documentary examining the work and turbulent life of novelist Ernest Hemingway

5. Kedi 

An entertaining view into Istanbul’s hundreds of thousands of cats who have roamed the city freely for thousands of years

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My Best Days of the Year

This one is self-indulgent, but it’s a wonderful activity.

February 16th — The Texas “Snowpacolypse”

Many of you will have heard about or experienced the mass freeze which left much of Texas without electricity and hot water for days. Here’s the blog about why I loved the experience.

April 4th — Meeting my nephew for the first time

Because of the pandemic, I wasn’t able to meet my nephew (COOP!) until he was 9 months old. This trip back to Rhode Island was also the first time I’d seen my parents without having to wear a mask and treating each other like we were radioactive.

May 8th — Solo trip to Port Aransas // finish climax of my second book

I took a gorgeous Airbnb near the beach and committed to finishing the climax for book two there. Apparently, I listened to John Williams’ Duel of the Fates (Star Wars) enough times in two days to make it my top song of the year on Spotify.

Three-hour bursts of writing punctuated by a jog on the beach. Bliss.

June 13th — Brother’s first time in Austin

One of my older brothers has traveled all over the world and the USA playing ball, but he had never been to Austin. The day he came was one of those 100 degree burners, and I took him to Lake Austin for paddleboarding. We went so far down that the paddle home was two hours. Two hours. Two hours of of me complaining, getting sun-burnt, and instigating a classic brotherly fight. But it all ended up making our night out on Rainey Street more fun and memorable.

Here’s a hint how it ended: 2am+pizza+scooter+blood+nurses

August 13th — The Jerusalem Debacle

Another memorable fiasco. My bloodied friend might disagree, but this was an incredible day. Here’s why I’m including it on the list

August 26th — Exploring Old Akko

This old Sea-front Crusader’s town is vibrantly painted and quiet and smells like the sea. I spent all day wandering Akko’s winding streets, listening to the call to prayer, running my hand on the smooth limestone of the city’s Arab-inspired architecture. Paralyzingly beautiful.

November 25th — Thanksgiving lives!

As family of Jews who A) don’t celebrate Christmas and B) absolutely lives to eat, Thanksgiving is a meaningful day for the Streich’s. After missing it in 2020, getting the clan together again for football and food was a much-needed return to tradition.

December 9th — Brothers Trip to Colorado

My oldest brother and I flew to Colorado Springs where our middle brother lives. In the morning I climbed three thousand steps from 7,000 feet to 9,000 feet on the Manitou Incline Trail, at which point the softest deer in Colorado walked right up to me like it was a petting zoo. We rounded out the afternoon with a second gorgeous, golden hike in Ute Valley.

I’d deliberately saved watching DUNE so that we three could watch it, and that’s how we spent the evening—after, of course, I set off the smoke alarm right as were sitting down with sushi and sweet potatoes and half-burnt butternut squash. Far cry from the dumbest thing I’ve done when we get together. Chalk it up as a win.

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So how about you?

Your 2021 In Review

Comment your top movie, show, book, podcast, or day of the year. Maybe someone else will have the same one.

Here’s how I made mine

• TV / Film: Take a look through your “Watch again” on streaming services

• Books: Poke around your bookshelf or audible

• Days: Scroll through your photos for the year

If you want to fill out a full list, here’s a doc I made so you could create your own 2021 In Review. Just copy and paste.

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And now the list for 2022 begins . . . I’d love to hear your suggestions

What were your tops this year? What should I read/stream?

If it makes my list for 2022, I’ll shout you out and gift ya a free subscription for life.

And as always, if you enjoyed this post, please pass it along to any friends who might enjoy. . . or disagree

Take care and happy new year, friends ✌️🎊

—Jeremy

Find me on the interwebs