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⭐ 5.5/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) All the blood and killing.

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by The_John) I think she has come a long way with her lyrics from past albums; they were a high point compared to usually being a weakness for me. However, I didn't find the music complex enough to keep going back to it. The music is pretty, and there are a few really good tracks, but overall I got bored and feel like this would instead be a good passive listening album for the background. Still my favourite female vocalist though.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Anita) This book was surprising and sad and refreshing. The premise (a magic phone with which she calls 15 years in the past!) was random but all the incredible insights into love were so heartwarming and surprising. I've really enjoyed Rowell's previous books so I figured I'd enjoy this one too and was not disappointed. It was both light and beautiful, and heavy and sad. Lovely.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) What’s better than a Taylor Swift album? A surprise Taylor album during a pandemic! I will always be a Taylor fan so obviously I’m biased but this album is a masterpiece. A lot of people are saying it’s her best yet. Lyrically and melody wise I think this album is unmatched. A strong contender for AOTY methinks. This album feels like magic, a warm sweater, and wandering through the woods while it lightly drizzles all at the same time. Each song tells it’s own complex story and yet they all feel interconnected. This is Swift truly showing her song writing prowess. While there are no bangers that will define this era as they have in the past, this album is full of timeless songs that will be played for years to come. Cardigan, The 1, Invisible String, and Seven are some of my favourites, but Exile ft. Bon Iver takes the crown. It’s so incredibly beautiful.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) First off I should clarify that I didn't mean to buy this book, but audible recommended it to me after I finished both Sapiens and Guns, Germs and Steel and I accidentally bought it when reading the description... Both those books were pretty game changing for me, but I wasn't super interested in American history and was daunted by starting an absolutely massive book about it. But being the good Mennonite I am, I wasn't going to let this thing I paid for gather dust. Seeing as America is in every headline right now, I finally decided to go for it. This book is incredibly leftist and Marxist leaning, and while I blasted Sapiens for its unabashed bias, Zinn makes clear from the very first chapter what perspective he is telling this book from and for what reason (basically because the history books to this point have all been biased the other way). While I wish he provided a little more balance at times, I still felt rather compelled by ...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) The main reason why I decided to read this book was because it's written by an Aboriginal Australian duo, and that was a first for me. But I really enjoyed it! Beth is a ghost who is sticking around to help her dad start living again. He's a detective, and she helps with a case about a fire, and they slowly start to realize there may have been a murder as well. A witness starts to tell them a story about monsters and other dimensions, and they need to figure out what's real. So it's a mystery, but with strong paranormal and fantastical elements. I listened to it on audiobook (amazing accent!), and it was a quick, engrossing listen. It was a compelling story about moving on, grief, the treatment of Aboriginal women in Australia, and intergenerational trauma and strength. Very cool elements of Aboriginal belief mixed in as well. But trigger warnings for child death, abuse, and grief.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) I didn't like Moreno-Garcia's last book that much, but I'm glad I gave her this second try. This is very much a gothic novel, but set in Mexico, which gives it a different spin. It's creepy and sometimes unsettling, but never scary or horror-ish. Noemi's recently-married cousin sends her a really alarming and weird letter from her new home, so she goes to check out what's going on. Noemi finds herself in a big, spooky house where nobody will tell her anything, and her cousin keeps talking about ghosts in the walls and people trying to poison her, and Noemi can tell there's something off about the family that lives there. It gave me strong Rebecca vibes, which is a book I love, so I was really into this. It was fast-paced, and the setting was really atmospheric. If you can handle Stranger Things, you will be fine with this.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This is a ridiculous Will Ferrell movie, although a lot more PG than a lot of his recent movies. It's about two people from Iceland who desperately want to win Eurovision, and somehow end up competing at finals, even though they're a huge mess. I've never been huge into Eurovision, but I did recognize a couple fun cameos by past contestants. It's dumb and light-hearted, and got a few really big laughs out of me. And the songs are legit super catchy, and the last one was really beautiful. Dan Stevens with a horrible Russian accent might have been the stand-out performance for me.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I really appreciate how the movie grows unique layers and builds up intensity starting from book 1. By the end you realize the plot of the third book/movie has nothing to do with the conflict in the first, yet it's a good thing. The first movie starts with her wanting to save Prim, yet when she fails to do so in the third movie, you don't think everything was for nothing. These movies have a lot to say, especially considering they are YA, and I think it handles them surprisingly well. However, I do think Katniss's decisions at the end are so horrendous and out of character that it kinda leaves a bad taste in your mouth. I also dislike the ending in terms of wrapping the trilogy up as if it were a romance when the romance was probably the weakest aspect of the movies. Still, amazing trilogy that brought me back, and I'm glad Jess forced me to revisit them.

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I really don't have much to say about this one. Most of the exciting stuff happens in part 2, but this one is still pretty good. Probably a lot better if you haven't watched or read them before.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Benjamin) This is the final and fourth book from the rift war saga and i loved reading almost every minute of it! It's pretty much exciting entirely throughout the series, the characters grow on you and there's magic involved! I would of liked to read more about their magic actually, so i was a bit disappointed.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) I’ve just been reading way too many good books lately. This was a re-read for me, but man oh man, I think I could appreciate it even more now. I had a lot of sweaty palms and heart palpitations as I was reading this, so I think that’s a sign of good writing. The story is set against the backdrop of the war in Afghanistan, and the characters stories’ are tossed and turned by the rising tension. The book is told from two perspectives, and it shared the hardships women face in Afghanistan. Not only that, but also the struggles of war, the struggles of an abusive husband, and the increasing terror of a nation at war. This book can bring a grown man to his knees, and I shed more than a few tears over it. Please read it **SPOILERS** I was absolutely heartbroken when Mariam and Laila finally become friends and then Mariam holds baby Aziza for the first time, and Mariam finally feels love. Or when Mariam finally kills that bastard Rasheed, ugh I was so h...

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) After reading some heavy books in quarantine I wanted to take my mind off by reading some teen dystopian fiction. This one is about a young girl, prodigy of the Republic who falls in love with poor, famous criminal boy - oh and he killed her brother! As their lives are intertwined they both realize something more sinister is going on, and they need to work together to stop it. It was okay. They definitely don’t act like teens and make decisions that are way above their emotional and intellectual capabilities. Also their physical abilities are too unrealistic. It was a fine, shorter read that still drew me in and was fast paced enough to keep me reading. At the end it was too predictable. I don’t think I’ll be reading the rest of the series.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) I cannot express the newfound love and admiration that I feel towards Martin Luther King Jr. If ever there was a man of integrity, this was him. He has challenged me not only in my views of activism, but also in my Christian views and how I will choose to live my life. I truly feel emotional and connected to him, and I know I owe him a great debt for all that he has done. I can’t believe he was gone so soon. A few remarks I have: He constantly said that he believed the greatest threat wasn’t racism or the KKK, but that the greatest threat was the white moderate. I was rocked when I read that, and had to take a good, long hard look at myself. This was also such a great man of vision and persistency. He was so creative in his nonviolent attempts at making the world a better place. He fought such a good fight in his life. I was also so challenged and enamoured by his theology and his stand for truth and love; I find that part of him is often overlo...

⭐ 5.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) A pretty cool movie that has live action mixed with animation, which I'm sure was groundbreaking at the time, and looks pretty impressive today. But most of the humour in this movie comes from the slapstick violence, and it was pretty exhausting. There were some clever jokes that made me laugh, but the biggest knock on this movie is how pervy it is. Jessica Rabbit is so shamelessly proportioned, it is pretty ridiculous. And having grown real life men in the movie ogling an animated female just feels wrong. This isn't one of those, "oh kids won't notice" things. The suggestive hints are far from subtle, and very uncomfortable. Glad I watched this, seems like an important film that probably changed what people thought was possible. The intro in particular was amazing, and how they introduce this crossover world. I wanted to like it more.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) "Musical theater," "rap," "US history" -- none of these words are particularly alluring to me. And before it became available as a recorded performance, I didn't have the motivation to track down and listen to a 2+ hour audio version, which I was told I wouldn't fully understand or appreciate before the third listen. Who has that much uninterrupted quiet time? Not this girl! So I was very happy when I was finally able to watch it on Disney+ (on a borrowed account, of course). I had to watch it in three parts, as my life demands, so I know I didn't experience it in ideal circumstances. I was still moved by the story, though. Immediately after the credits started rolling, I went back and rewatched the very first number, and already everything made so much more sense and I could more fully appreciate what an impressive piece of art this show it. The songs swirled in my head over the next days/nights, and ...

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) I don't know if quarantine had something to do with this, but I found this season just awoke so much undefined LONGING in me. For what? I'm not entirely sure. . . Community, relationships, adventure, nature, freedom, dreams. I don't know. But I YEARNED for it. Anyway, it was a gorgeous season. By now I've been able to completely let go of any expectations that the show will adhere to its original source material, and just enjoy it for what it is: a brand new story only very loosely inspired by Montgomery's novel. It's fine that the writers made up completely new characters and plotlines. I guess I get why they wanted to add Black and Indigenous and gay characters, even though they are nowhere to be seen in the original text. They're great, even if a little unbelievable. And all the added drama? Sure. It's fun to watch. As with the first two seasons, I struggled a bit with the completely unrealistic idea that the...

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) I loved reading The Godfather so much I thought I would read the book that inspired another great movie - No Country for Old Men. But as I read more about McCarthy, everyone was saying that Blood Meridian was not only his masterpiece, but an American classic. So I had to start with this, right? I found this book incredibly difficult to read. Not because of the content, which I will get to, but because of his writing style. Run on sentences with little punctuation, almost no named characters, no use of quotes or saying who said what line. This was effective at times, but if there were more than two people in a scene it was so hard to follow. I would have to read paragraphs multiple times just to know what was happening. Then there is the content. A young man named "the kid" (not even capitalized) is on the run in 1849, joins the Glanton gang (based on a real group, which is terrifying) who was commissioned to kill natives at $100 a s...

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) I already knew I loved Hank Green, but this book really cemented it for me. I think he's a good author, but I can also just tell from his books that he's a good person, and I wish he was my friend. This is a sequel, so I don't want to give any spoilers, because I think everyone would love the first book. But there are aliens, virtual reality, conspiracy theorists, and more. It's a bit of a slow start, but then the reveals start coming hard and fast, and it's a pretty wild ride. This book contains a lot of social commentary, about power, wealth, social media, virtual reality, and just humanity in general. It really digs into WHY we're worth saving, and I love that Green believes that we are. I think this book contains a lot of really great insight into society today, while also just being a really fun time/

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Anita) This book was an interesting quick overview of influential Black people in the US's history. I learned some really unique behind the scenes tidbits about names I'd heard of but didn't know much about. That being said, he strays farrrr into conspiracy theory land (or it at least seems like it) so I had a bit of a tough time separating fact from fiction. Still cool though for the history from the perspective of a comedian who was apparently friends with all the social justice giants!

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) It has been a few years since watching this last. It truly is the second greatest summer movie of all time (next to Recess: School's Out, of course). I remember watching it and thinking it was the perfect blockbuster because it's scary, thrilling and has a great sense of adventure, but the movie really goes beyond all that. There are some interesting politics involved (interesting in the days of COVID!) and has some great complex characters. Quint steals the show in a way I totally forgot about. The scene inside the boat at night felt like a truly great cinematic moment. This movie is also a little more bloody than I remembered, but it's still not a ton. If you are okay with that and haven't seen this movie yet, you must while it's still summer!

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) This book was lovely and charming and heartwarming, just as Becky and Maggie promised it would be. I mean, I wouldn't want to read it every day like Becky, but it was sweet. The kids are just so lovable and now I want to move onto a cute little island.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) This album has been a long time coming. 14 years since they last put out music as a group! After 9 kids and 5 divorces between the 3 of them, they decided to release a new album. Ive always really loved them, and this album is great. They definitely haven’t lost their outspoken attitudes that got them kicked out of Nashville, they were talking shit about presidents way before it was cool! They really seem to centre on the lead singer’s nasty relationship and divorce with her now ex-husband. Some really good quips and zingers come out that I’ve come to expect and love about this group. They explore motherhood, relationships, and activism in these new songs. While this album is definitely more pop leaning, they’re still the same country gals picking the banjo and belting their own tune. Sleep at Night, March March, and Gaslighter shine on the album, but Everybody Loves You takes the cake. I’m so glad they’ve put out new music!!

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Anita) Oh my goodness. So far each episode has just been parts of a talk from their 2018 gathering with a bit of commentary from Sarah Bessey and Jeff Chu. I thought this would mean it was kind of lame because I'd heard all these talks already but I was *wrong*. Each one of these episodes is so relevant today and I want to share every single one on Facebook. I've teared up through all of them and just feel so uplifted listening to them. These people give me so much hope! Jeff has got to be the kindest human being in the world.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Anita) This podcast is only a few episodes in but I can already tell it's a new favourite. The host, Brandi Miller, discusses the ways we need to reclaim our theology from different tenets of white supremacy. It has been so eye-opening and life-giving to me so far and I can't wait to hear more. I love learning more about things I know a bit about already (how bad individualism can be in a faith context) but going more in depth and hearing other perspectives.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Anita) This is a podcast by Malcolm Gladwell discussing some alternate takes on random topics. He's a really good host because he gets so into it and his interest is infectious. I keep waiting for him to tackle covid related things but nothing yet.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Anita) I heard about this podcast on Malcolm Gladwell's podcast and am so glad I did! The host is a historian who is trying to answer the question "who killed truth" this season by going through 10 different events in history and discussing what bearing they had on how truth is perceived or achieved. Just a super interesting podcast for someone that loves history as much as I do. The actors reading things are occasionally cheesy but I can forgive a lot when the topic is as interesting as this one!

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Anita) This is a podcast about a missionary that goes to Africa for many years and is now being sued by two African mothers who claim she was indirectly responsible for their childrens' deaths. It was hard to listen to sometimes but was good for really taking another look at overseas missions. I appreciated how they didn't come to a nice, tidy conclusion and I thought they treated the story with dignity. I'll be thinking about this one for a long time.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Anita) A Canadian politics podcast! Literally what could be better! Haha but seriously.. they started this podcast just before the election to cover it and I loved learning more from behind the scenes. But then they brought it back after to just talk about random news stories and I love it all. The hosts are a CBC reporter and a Buzzfeed News curater. My favourite episode was probably the one called "Who feels served and protected" on racism in the police force in Canada. Elamin Abdelmahmoud is one of my favourite humans and his takes are wonderful. My only dislike is that the CBC reporter (Rosemary Barton) very obviously has a huge crush on Trudeau so she's cringey sometimes. But I think she's getting better.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Anita) I loved how much I learned about trees in this book! It was unexpected and very wonderful. The actual stuff about her life was also fascinating. I didn't realize how much the science world sucked, so that was also a teaching moment for me. Overall, a really unique memoir I thought!

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Anita) I really enjoyed this book! I thought the magic system was really neat and well explained (eventually). Reading about the (very relevant) revolution in another world was also fascinating. I also really liked the main characters a lot and it was interesting to see their progression throughout the book. ** Spoiler** My only qualm is that I definitely knew what he was LONG before the characters did.

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) This book is by a Mennonite woman pastor (gasp!). She sounds incredible, and I really want to meet her. I got major RHE vibes which also made me cry throughout the book a lot - but the writing is also beautiful and really connects with you. There were some really great stories in this book. She does the thing where she starts off with a bible story, then tells a personal story and finishes with some profound truth that incorporates both stories. She really did help me see God in the Old Testament. Here is an excerpt that I though fits well to describe it: “When Christians read the Old Testament, we do so because an act of grace has found its way to us: God calling us a friend when once we were far from God. The gift of the Old Testament is that it tells us this story over and over again. Once when we were far away God came for us, and loved us, and showed us the way to be free.”

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) We watched this movie in the drive-in which is absolutely the best way to watch it. I loved this movie when I first watched it and I thought I had all the songs memorized. Problem is, I only had a few memorized because in truth there are a lot of forgettable songs in this movie. Moreover, there are a ton of boring, dragging parts in this movie that I totally forgot existed too. Also the story is pretty much garbage. I feel like I root for the male protagonist in romance movies so seldom because usually they are just terrible to women? Like why do you like him Sandy, tell me?! But! The good songs are amazing! And there are some amazing parts otherwise! Summer Nights, You're the One That I Want, Grease Lightning! Masterpieces! I also thought John Travolta's cronies were hilarious, though disgusting. I also love the 50s setting. This movie is pretty bad but man I love it. The ultimate good bad movie.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I don't remember this being my favourite season the first time around, but holy moly what a masterpiece. They completely embrace the sci fi side of the show, and if you don't want to know what that means you should stop reading now. It's always been a show with multiple timelines, and I think the flashbacks are a great storytelling device for the show. So now that there is full on time travel and we flash between timelines it felt really natural for the show, and an excellent way to see the island at different times. This also allows my boy Daniel Faraday to shine. We get a break from Jack and Kate trying to be heroes and get to see everyone else trying to figure out what their lives are going to be on and off the island and it's a real breath of fresh air. We also get tons of answers in the last few episodes, and a glimpse of what is to come in the final season. This really feels like Lost at its best to me. The training wheels are...

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This was essentially The Westing Game but for adults, which is totally my jam. A billionaire dies, and in his will he has explained that he has created a game, and whoever wants to play has to follow his clues, and the winners win part of his inheritance. Tuesday is a woman who has always been into spooky stuff, and she forms a team with a ragtag bunch of people. This is a mystery book, but the kind where the tone is really light and funny. There is a hint of the paranormal, since Tuesday hears the voice of her friend who disappeared, but she's not sure if it's just her having a psychotic break. So it's not really spooky or scary. It's just a bunch of fun! Tuesday is really independent and a bit reclusive, but learns to get close with others. It's a theme I always love, and it really stresses the importance and of platonic friendships. I loved everything about this book.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) The second book I've read this month about a gamer who's a person of colour, but library holds sometimes decide your fate for you. In this book, Kiera has created a game called SLAY that is only for Black players around the world, which is a way for them to be in a place free from racism and celebrate Black excellence in all its forms. Nobody knows she's the creator, but things start getting wild when a player is killed in real life over the game. Obviously this book has a lot to do with video games, but it also examines what it means to be Black in a super interesting way. So even though I don't play MMORPGs myself, I still thought it was super well done, and other non-fans of video games would still enjoy it. The book also stresses how not all Black people have the same experiences or opinions. Kiera has discussions and arguments with her sister, her parents, and her boyfriend, all Black, who disagree with her about their ob...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) A short, sweet book that examines the question, "WHY DID I DO THAT?" (Don't we all struggle with that question?). Our good friend Science Mike dives into the psychology of why we do what we do, even when we know better and want to do better. He uses stories from his own life -- the tragedies, the victories, the ongoing struggles -- and combines them with brain research to help give us the tools to examine our own impulses and emotions. He explicitly says it's not a self-help book, though, so I guess it's no wonder I still don't know how to get myself to do what I want to do, unfortunately. I especially appreciated learning about his experience learning that he's autistic, which happened right in the middle of his writing this book on self-knowledge. Good stuff! Gave me lots to think about.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) The series does a nice job building things up and not following any formula. This movie has maybe a few more significant plot holes than the first, but you can overlook them because this movie is just so darn exciting. But seriously Katnip what are you thinking? Peeta is not only a perfect human but is better looking than Gale anyways! It's no contest! Peeta deserves better for real.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) What a concept, right? I adore the books, and the movies aren't far off. I think they did an awesome job creating an atmosphere in the districts and then seeing the action in the arena makes you sick to your stomach, as it should. It reminds me of reading A Modest Proposal in high school and anything that reminds me of high school English gets a high grade in my book. This movie isn't perfect, but it's really entertaining and has the social commentary you need when you're 17. I kinda feel like Ceasar Flickerman might be the most interesting character? Somehow I feel he perfectly captures the spirit of the capital in a way no other character does, and in a way that makes you get it. The actor conveys this guy who is always optimistic but in a twisted way, who is indulgent and displays false sympothy... I can't wait to hand Mr Greenham my paper on him!

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Jess Dyck) Ever since I watched the first episode of this show I knew it was a 10. Tim stole my line but I did describe this show to him as Queer Eye but for weddings. I haven’t watched anything SO feel good maybe ever and every episode brought me to tears at least once. The couples are all so unbelievably deserving, and each wedding represented a new start for each of them. The weddings are beautiful yes, but the show really isn’t about the weddings. It’s about growth, overcoming adversity, and how true love conquers all. I’m cheesy I know, but somehow this show doesn’t feel cheesy. It’s very raw and real with fun moments and joy sprinkled in! It’s the best thing I’ve watched in a long time. I am relentlessly recommending it to everyone, and EVERY person (k every woman 🙄) I’ve recommended it to so far has been equally as obsessed. go watch it

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I've never been the biggest fan of comedy tv outside of passive viewing, so for me I was determined to give this a 7 at best. At the start, I felt a 7 was all it was worth - it was funny sometimes, but I wasn't attached to any character and certainly wasn't engaged with the plot. But as the season went on and the characters grow into themselves, the show not only got a lot funnier but I was starting to like a few characters and their stories. I will say though that the main character is still mostly unlikeable. The Barney Stinson is never supposed to be the lead guy. However, directly contradicting my previous point, Pearce follows in a long line of terrible people that I will call my favorite character, along with Todd Packer, Senator Jam, The Vulture, etc... But seriously Pearce kills me. The episode where they watch bad movies is maybe my favorite, besides the paint ball episode of course.

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Jess Dyck) Since shifting my workouts to home, I've been pounding my way through fluffy Netflix reality competitions, and Tim told me I need to be rating them all. So here I am trying to catch up. This one stands out to me, because I got hooked pretty fast and watched like 4 straight and ended up working out for 3 hours one day, it was that fun. It's just a unique concept, was SO beautiful, and the floral creations were unlike anything I'd ever seen. I got attached to the hilariously eccentric and fun characters that were competing to win this floral art competition. The stuff they created was honestly mind-blowing. Excepting a VERY VERY annoying pair of female florists from like Wyoming or something, this watch was an entirely enjoyable, light-hearted experience. An excellent background fluff show to be enjoyed.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Jess Dyck) Honestly, Queer Eye is hard to give anything less than 10/10 for me, but this season just wasn't QUITE as magical as the ones that came before. The first episode was heart-warming, I love these boys with my whole heart, and whenever I just needed a feel-good sappy happy I've-had-a-hard-day-and-want-joy-in-my-life show, this does it for me. Just some wholesome, exuberant, heart-warming, life-altering internal makeover fun!

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Jess Dyck) Ok, on the rewatch, I'll admit, this is truly not as good as I fondly remember it being when I watched it with my girlfriends during undergrad. No one is really all that funny, excepting Schmidt who I will love forever. But that being said, the show hasn't developed them into the characters I know and love yet, most of the humour revolves around sex which just isn't that funny to me, and I forgot how insufferable Nadia and the whole Cece/model stupidity tropes are. Regardless, I still love Jess, I think Schmidt is super funny, and even Nick has a soft spot in my heart. I am determined to stick this show out because I swear it got better. Hopefully I'm not wrong and I'm not putting Tim through this for nothing :)

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Jess Dyck) Still a good season, but I didn't like it as much as I've enjoyed the past few. SPOILERS obviously but I missed the simplicity of just living on the island. The characters I think suck and are stupid cough JACK cough KATE cough UGH I CAN'T WATCH THEM ANYMORE are still very stupid. Not enough Sayid, but lots of Ben, who I find incredibly fascinating. Plus this season ends on pretty much the craziest cliff hanger ever and I have SO MANY QUESTIONS. Lost has truly left the realm of here's a bunch of folks stranded on an island and entered crazy sci-fi magic town, which is a lot of transformation to take as a viewer without kinda reminiscing on how simple things used to be. Sigh. Still great.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) I can know that this book was great while also acknowledging that it was not for me. It's pretty hard sci-fi, with great world-building, and mostly revolving around politics, which is where it lost me. But I'm trying to read all of the Hugo nominees, and I had no problem getting through it on audio. Mahit is sent to be an ambassador from a small satellite colony to the big Teixcalaanli Empire after her predecessor winds up dead, and she needs to figure out what happened to him, and also deal with a lot of unrest. The dedication was to anyone who has ever "fallen in love with a culture that was devouring their own", and that was something I really appreciated about this book. Mahit absolutely loves Teixcalaanli culture, and desperately wants to understand and be a part of it all. But they're the universe super-power, and the center of all culture, and they look down on anyone who is from somewhere else. It's only once ...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This middle-grade book skews even younger than I usually read, as Bat is only in grade 3. But it's real cute. Bat is on the autism spectrum and is obsessed with animals, and is super psyched when his vet mom brings home a baby skunk. The book is mostly about Bat trying to convince his mom he's the best caretaker for the skunk, but it's also about him making his first friend and growing in other ways. Short and sweet.

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) It's Saturday night, and you are at the home of your parents-in-law. Your wife says "let's watch Say I Do, a new Netflix show that's like Queer Eye only they do weddings", and her 2 sisters say "that sounds amazing". But your father-in-law says, "that's boring, I want to watch the new action movie on Netflix starring Charlize Theron. Tim, are you with me?" And that's how you end up in the man cave of your father-in-law watching The Old Guard. I was pretty resistant and only watched it because it was the lesser of two evils. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by how not terrible it was. It was way more sci-fi/comic-booky than I anticipated, basically a little group of people with the same super powers as Wolverine that have been alive for a long time fighting in tons of wars and experiencing the pain of everyone they love dying. There are lots of pretty good actions scenes, and these fo...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This is, of course, the prequel to The Hunger Games, and the story of Coriolanus Snow, which I'm not sure anyone asked for. I feel like she could have chosen so many other more interesting characters to give us their backstory. Mags? Effie? But instead we got the big baddie. Sigh. I had a LOT of thoughts about this book as I was reading it. Snow is 18, from a wealthy family that is newly dirt poor, and during the 10th Hunger Games, he gets chosen to be a mentor to one of the tributes. He's hopeful that if he does well, he'll get a scholarship, so he does whatever it takes to get his tribute, Lucy Gray, to win. This is 65 years before Katniss's time, so the technology is less developed, and the Capitol is still recovering from the war. There's a lot less glitz and glam, and the Games themselves are way more basic. In fact, Snow is the one coming up with ideas to make them more interesting. One complaint that I had is that th...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) A collection of funny, self-deprecating essays written by a poor, fat, chronically ill, bisexual Black woman. Irby is something else. I appreciate her startling honesty. She writes humourously about aging (she's 40 at the writing of this book), life with stepkids, and how she became a writer (she even helped write a Netflix show!) in spite of hating to do anything. The only thing that bothered me about this book was hearing about how she achieved all of my dreams without ever even wanting to or putting much effort into it. I kind of wish I would have read some of her earlier works before going into this one. I've put her first book on hold at the library.

⭐ 4.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I have never seen Friends, but this is probably just a friends knock-off, right? Bunch of young good looking people move in together, and their zany personalities cause tension. Lots of will-they-won't-they, and everyone learning way too much about the people they are living with. For the most part this show is just not funny. There were a couple lines that had me laugh out loud, but the situations it puts the characters in are just not that funny or original. It also tries to use flashbacks once an episode for an easy laugh (someone references something silly that once happened, and then you see it really quickly). They are very poorly used and never funny. I do think some of the characters have potential, and when it went beyond "oh he's the self-obsessed guy" or "oh she's the hot girl all the guys drool over" it was a better show. But these characters are all super weird and really stupid. The lead is cute a...

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) I watched this movie for the first time last summer, and have been thinking about it a lot during this current period of protests. It is probably incredibly cliche to say it, but this 1989 movie from Spike Lee feels made for right now. It takes place during one hot summer day in a neighbourhood in Brooklyn. You get glimpses into many different groups of people, and as the day goes on and gets hotter, the tensions between groups escalates. The violence that it sparks is shocking, and leaves you feeling pretty conflicted. This movie looks incredible too, with really distinct settings all in one block/neighbourhood, and good use of colour and lighting to convey the scorching hot atmosphere of the movie. As a worn out video game joke would say, it really makes you feel like you are on a hot street in Brooklyn with racial tensions boiling over. I think some of the acting is a bit over the top, and as Jess mentioned there is lots of screaming and pr...

⭐ 6.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Jess and I both picked one movie this weekend, and between this and Hateful Eight I'll let you guess which one was not my choice. Yet Jess was the one to fall asleep so I somehow ended up watching the last 40 minutes of You've Got Mail by myself... Anyways, I actually thought the start of this movie was really engaging and maybe even somewhat unique for a 90s romcom. It had my full attention and I was really wondering how Tom Hanks was going to redeem himself and make himself worthy of Meg Ryan's love. But (spoiler) he never does that, and she falls in love with him anyways, and so I thought this movie was stupid. Maybe if I was in some psychology class I could write a paper on how people are attracted to rich, powerful people who treat them poorly, but I KNOW that this movie wasn't going for that. So in the end this was a romcom with potential that didn't capitalize!!

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Since playing Red Dead I've been in love with the Western genre and I had been looking forward to watching this one. I loved the premise here. It's a classic, "there's been a murder and someone in here done it," similar to Orient Express and Knives Out, and I love the Western backdrop. There were great moments to be sure, but this movie was a little too slow throughout for my taste and had a little too much of the classic Tarantino-style violence at the end.

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Will) Loved this ending to the trilogy. There are a couple of huge twists and reveals that link right back to book one Many things that were just hinted at in earlier books make sense now The ending manages to be fresh and avoid so many common fantasy tropes I've read the Stormlight Archive series, and in this third book he finally ties this Mistborn series into the same universe. There's no cliffhanger here, so you don't have to go read anything else, but if you want more of the universe there's plenty there. I'm not sure what more you could want in a fantasy story. Docked half a star because I didn't find the Spook character arc as compelling as some of the others.

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Jess Dyck) I don’t think you could pick a better movie to watch amidst the current cultural moment. This movie is incredibly good and is extremely unsettling to watch. I struggled listening to characters basically yell all the dialogue for 2 straight hours. The movie is so full of anger, and I found it pretty hard to root for anyone at all (except maybe Sal). But again, despite the fact that it was a rather exhausting watch that has left my head spinning and my heart confused, it feels like watching this movie is literally the right thing to do right now. (Too on the nose?) I’m honestly angry and I have more questions than I have answers after watching this film, and I guess that’s a mark of good art. I don’t know whether I should feel guilty that I cried and felt the most sympathy for the white man in this story. It’s interesting to examine my own biases as a viewer and noticing who I most naturally empathize with. I just don’t believe violence and riot...

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I know I know, this score is too low for the Broadway hit of our generation. But that's the problem. I'm sure if I had seen this live it would have been super moving and amazing, 10/10. But I already lack an appreciation for song and dance, so seeing it on a TV screen is just not very moving for me. The songs are great, and I think if I had listened to the soundtrack before I would have been able to follow it better. A story about the founding fathers told through rap is obviously genius, but rap music is a bit too quick for me to grasp a story with. Maybe I'm just a square. The king steals the show, obviously, and maybe it just means I was looking for more humour. I don't know. I just expected to be blown away, and I really didn't feel much of anything. Something about rating this lower than my recent review of a Star Wars cartoon feels wrong, and I have done a lot of soul searching since watching, feels like something is wrong ...

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Jess Dyck) WOW. Honestly watching this just made me all the more excited to see it on stage one day. The singers are SO talented, Phillipa has the most angelic voice and she makes perfect pitch and a strong, clear belt look so so easy. All the singers were stunning together. The tunes are catchy, and I’ve been walking around all day today repeating the few lines I remember aka “Angelica. Eliza. And Peggy.” And “I’m not throwing away my shot”. And “LAFAYETTE”. And “I will kill your friends and family...to remind you of my love” (I hope you sung all those lines in your head). Similarly to Joe, I managed to avoid this entire soundtrack excepting Dear Baby Yoda, in hopes of getting maximum show impact when I would one day see it (I had tickets to see it in Toronto this past May 🤷🏻‍♀️) I do think I would have enjoyed it even more if I’d listened to the soundtrack before, because the dialogue raps occasionally moved so fast I couldn’t catch it all. Only lose...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) It just gets better and better. The storylines seems to be getting darker as the series progresses, and it's great. I don't need to see any more Jar Jar missions thank you very much (although the one in this season isn't too bad). This season started slow for me with a long arc about an attack on Mon Cala. Much like video games, under water episodes/levels suck. But it has some awesome multi-episode arcs, including: One where there is a Jedi commander that shows no remorse for having clones killed in battle, and how the clones react to this. One where Anakin and Obi-Wan and Ahsoka are enslaved. One where Obi-Wan fakes his death and goes under cover as a bounty hunter to uncover a plot against the Chancellor. The Nightsisters vs the Separatists! Like the seasons before these all serve as incredible expansions of the Star Wars universe, and we get to know more about characters we already love. Seeing battles that don't include a Republ...

⭐ 3.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Yeah, this was really bad. I knew it would be by the trailers, but I owed it to my 11-year-old self to watch it. They changed too much to make fans of the book like it, but I don't understand why they made the changes, because the movie was boring and didn't really make sense. I didn't get what kind of character they were trying to make Artemis at all, and we knew nothing of the main baddie's motivation. Holly Short deserved better than this movie.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) A collection of comics, mostly either about history or classic literature. They show great insight into the things they're about, and the author knows her stuff for sure, but also the humour is super dumb, which I was all about. Usually utterly ridiculous, and so dumb you couldn't help but laugh. Most of the comics were very short, about 3 to 6 panels, so they're not in-depth jokes. If I didn't know anything about the book or historical figure the comic was about the joke usually didn't really land, but some of them got really big laughs from me. She's Canadian, so I appreciated the comics about Canadian culture. She doesn't use colour, and they mostly look like pencil sketches, usually quick and imprecise on purpose. It really worked well with her humour.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Sara and Emiliano are siblings in Juarez, a super dangerous city in Mexico. Sara is an investigative journalist whose best friend disappeared, and when she starts writing about disappeared girls, she starts getting death threats. Emiliano is trying to stay on the right path, but is in love with a rich girl from school, and feels like he has to get a bit dirty in order to be accepted by her parents. This is a book about trying to do the right thing even when it's hard or dangerous, and the stakes are high. It has elements of a mystery, since Sara is trying to find out where her friend is, and a survival story, because Emiliano's desert survival skills will become very important. Their dad is also in the States, so there are also themes of immigration, abandonment, and forgiveness. I really enjoyed this look at life in Mexico, where corruption is all around you, making helping people seem hopeless. But there's also hope in the story,...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) I don't know how they can continue making this show so funny! The perfect show to just pick up and watch anytime, since it doesn't have much of an overarching plot, and I can watch it when I'm a bit distracted and don't miss anything important. Love all of the characters.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I went into this being the only person with zero background knowledge of the play, the plot, the history etc., besides the fact that it provides the original for Dear Baby Yoda... After settling into it, realizing there really would be no normal talking, and pausing for a few wiki checks (this many 18th century politicians were black?!), I really loved it. I thought the soundtrack was incredible and unique, and I was so impressed that they wrote SO many good songs that could occupy 2.5 hours of time. That's like writing 4 normal albums, plus it has to make sense in the form of a story, plus choreography and everything else that goes into making a stage musical. It's hard to grasp what goes into a production like this, but I thought it was so darn impressive and I know I'll be going back and listening to these songs for a while. It was an interesting play to watch right now, especially with the diverse cast essentially telling a positi...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Jess Dyck) Best one yet! It felt like a great conclusion to this 3-book arc! I loved how the main character actually faded from view and had very few “leading” moments yet his influence was still all over the story. So clever. the characters are just getting better, but they all have their moments of stupidity that frustrate me as a reader aka so much braid tugging that I want to pull my own hair out too. Overall a truly great read! Bring on #4!

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) I always love books about nerd culture, even if I'm not a part of that particular fandom, and so I really enjoyed this very geeky book about video game geeks. Also it was written by a podcaster I listen to regularly, so that's always extra fun. The main characters are Divya, a fairly popular online video game streamer who's been dealing with a lot of trolls and hate comments, and Aaron, whose parents don't approve of his dream of becoming a video game writer. It's about sexism and racism, especially in the gaming community, online bullying, and toxic masculinity. Some of the messages aren't very subtle, and the target audience is definitely teens. But I liked having two brown main characters, and having a strongly feminist book written by a man. It was funny and quick, with a sweet romance, and has a great message, especially for any teens who do read this.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Brubaker is my favorite comic book writer and I have always loved how he does Batman. It has a hard-boiled, detective focus and grounds his stories in a level of realism. I really liked these comics, but it just didn't do it for me like some of his others. It was a fun, easy read, but it's not as impactful or groundbreaking as something like his Gotham Central series.

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Watched this on the same day I finished the autobiography. I thought this movie was incredible and filled in some interesting details that I didn't get from the book, such a the difficulties that must have been present with his marriage. Again, seeing the violence in screen was so infuriating (much like watching my Twitter feed these last weeks) and it makes the committment to nonviolence that much more impressive. I also appreciated the portrayal of LBJ who I know MLK had a up and down relationship with. But seeing the behind-the-scenes political maneuvering seemed pretty authentic to me and made for some of my favorite scenes. I thought David Oyelowo did an amazing job, but I think this movie goes to show just how difficult it is to capture MLK's presence and force of personality because the speeches just didn't quite do it for me the same way the originals did.

⭐ 3.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) Yeah, I really need to stop watching movies purely based on where they are set. Like, I just wanted to see pretty Hawaii, but this movie was garbage. Such a good cast, but such a bad script. Felt disjointed and the conversation didn't seem natural, and I wasn't invested in any of the relationships. And they didn't even show that much Hawaiian scenery!

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) Ummm, this was amazing. Quirky, funny, partly set in gorgeous Iceland, and the music was phenomenal. The last song they sang together is absolutely breath taking. Some parts were pretty cheesy, but the ending was so good it boosted my rating to a 9.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) I thought they did a great job with this movie. Acting was stellar, and it was powerful and meaningful. Well worth the 4 nights it took us to get through it in half hour increments once our kids were asleep.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) My goodness, what a man and what a book. It mostly covers his career as a pastor and civil rights activist with scarce details on his life otherwise, and I want to know more about his life, but what is included is amazing. As important as his work is in terms of civil rights, I was equally as impressed with his work as a theologian and pastor, and I think that part gets underrated a bit. He's a true genius with knowledge that spans across disciplines. He's also a shining example of a Jesus following Christian where his beliefs influence every aspect of his actions even when things get dicey. His commitment to nonviolence was incredibly impressive, especially when things were getting so frustrating to read. Most times I feel like books lose a bit when experienced audibly, but this one is no doubt enhanced. You get a lot of audio from his speeches and I have a newfound obsession with hearing his all-time amazing voice. I think this is a mu...

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) The sequel to the Foundation prequel, and the last book Asimov wrote. I was a little less excited for this book than I am usually for his books, mainly because this one is about Hari Seldon building psychohistory, and you know what is going to happen. That being said, when character names you recognize start to pop up it is pretty exciting, and even though you know he won't fail the hurdles he encounters are still meaningful in that they help him grow his science and form his plan. This book also featured one of the saddest moments in Asimov's writings. In a series spanning centuries you only get attached to a few characters (some of which aren't even human), so having a couple books to read about the messiah of Asimov's world helped me feel for the character more. He is trying to stop a galactic empire from collapsing, and you can feel the weight of his burden better because of this book. The losses he experiences hit a bit harde...

⭐ 6.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I loved HQ, and Joe will never let it down that I claimed I would play it every day for the rest of my life (although I will always argue that I would if I was still on the west coast, since the timing of the games is so much better). Anyways, this podcast is an 8 part series around the rise and fall of the gameshow startup. I was pretty defensive during the whole thing, because the podcast host seems to really scoff at the whole thing. She claims to have loved the game, but talks about the company as if it was a complete failure. I will get back to that later. The stories around the rise of the company are truly fascinating. Some really cool stories I didn't know about around how it was founded and who was in charge. But these people in charge sounded terrible, and as the game lost popularity they kind of drove it in to the ground, another thing I had no idea about. One of the co-founders dies in a drug overdose, which kind of sparks the ...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) Really liked this movie on the rewatch. The dialogue is kind of snappy and fast paced in a way I usually don't like, but it kind of works with a man who is kind of a robot as the main character. And what a main character Zuckerberg makes. I realized on the rewatch that they are kind of trying to get you to empathize with him, but he never does anything redeeming or shows any hint of having a soul. His only friendship, which is kind of the core of the movie, is not really explained, and I found myself wondering how they became friends in the first place. The tone of this movie feels really dark, with eerie and foreboding music, and the Harvard campus looking pretty spooky. I think it works really well, especially with how Facebook is perceived now. Comes across as a cautionary tale about the birth of a great evil. I also really enjoyed the way it time jumps from the depositions from the law suits that happen as the company is exploding to th...

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) This is a Netflix documentary about trans representation in media, and its impact on the lives of trans people -- my Pride Month selection. A number of trans people share their stories, focusing on what they saw in the media growing up and how that shaped their lives and experiences and feelings about themselves. From what I could tell, it focuses mostly on folks who work in entertainment, including the big names like Laverne Cox and Lilly Wachowski. I thought it was very interesting and illuminating and occasionally moving -- I knew very little about the history of trans representation. It was more cinema history than anything. However, there are a couple of very brief and unexpected scenes from movies with some startlingly graphic nudity so BE AWARE.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Wow, Tolkien was a NEEEERD! Which is not surprising. This was, I believe, the first biography I've ever read, so I can't say much about how it holds up compared to other biographies. But I can say that although it wasn't a page-turner, I did find it extremely interesting, even though Tolkien's life was just teaching and writing. It was a really fascinating look into the ordinary life of a person with an extraordinary imagination. It gave me a lot of insight into his books, and knowing the way he approached his work really added to my appreciation of it. This book gives a really clear portrayal of Tolkien's strengths and faults. I thought I was interested in languages, but this man took it to a whole other level, and I like that in a person. Also, he must have been a NIGHTMARE for his publishers due to his perfectionism and constant revisions. Reading about his writing process, with all of his different transcripts and chang...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) I've been feeling sad about not being able to play baseball this year, so this book hit the spot. It's about Jill, is the first woman to ever get drafted to become a professional baseball player at the age of 18. Of course a lot of people don't make it easy for her. She faces having to move away from home, a lot of pressure, rude teammates, haters, and endless interviews. Being a pro baseball player sounds EXHAUSTING. This book is essentially just Jill struggling the first few months of her career. She practices, she moves around, she has good games and bad games. People who don't know how to play baseball would probably find this pretty confusing, and although I know how to play, I know nothing about the world of professional sports. So some of the terminology lost me, and I would've liked a bit more explanation. But I found it quite enjoyable nonetheless, especially the unique position that Jill finds herself in as she...