WeView

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This is a memoir about a girl growing up in a fundamental Mormon home, where her parents didn't believe in education or medicine/doctors, but she ends up making her way to college and getting a PhD. The book draws some obvious parallels to The Glass Castle, since in a lot of ways their parents were similar, although Tara's parents were much more religious. Tara has lots of stories about near-fatal injuries that she and her family members incurred, resulting in life-long harm because they weren't treated properly, plus the emotional abuse from her parents and physical abuse from a brother. It's... pretty bleak. But still so gripping, especially as Tara somehow finds the wherewithal to escape and get an education. She tells the stories in a fairly detached voice, admitting when her memories aren't completely clear. Even as she gets out from under her parents' thumb, the journey of healing from the trauma is long and fasci...

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) Everyone knows this movie is amazing, so you aren't gonna find any hot takes here. The Joker is obviously incredible, and every time he is on screen you can't take your eyes off him. The thing that surprised me on rewatch was that the movie is still just as good as I remember, and basically every single scene I was like, oh ya, I love this scene. Just feels perfectly put together, and maintains its energy the whole time. I do think the ending is kind of weak, and does that bit from the first movie where a character monologues on what it means to be a hero or whatever. I know they think the heart of the movie is the Harvey Dent dilemma, but it really feels like we need more of a Joker conclusion. Maybe more was planned for the third movie, who knows. Also, the whole fight scene to get to the Joker while the two ships are rigged to explode is way too complicated. We don't need Batman to be fighting the Joker, Joker goonies, and the confuse...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This was another classic Overdrive download that I was somewhat interested in, but far less so when I realized it was another mammoth 35 hour audiobook. I was just interested enough after going through the first few hours to renew it when I ran out of time, but I'm really happy I did. The book was probably too long, but my goodness the guy did so much and made such an impact on American pop culture that you really can't do his life justice if told quickly. I ended up spending my lunches watching old Mickey Mouse cartoons to better understand the context and grew to love the style and it kinda made me nostalgic for a time way before mine. I was also super intrigued by what an innovator Walt was, always trying new things and pushing the limits of cinema forward. This, as well as his obsession with perfection and quality above a desire for money and stability reminded me a lot of Steve Jobs, both guys who changed their fields. Then like Stev...

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) Everyone in the family loved this movie! It was fun and action-packed, charming, and lovely to look at. I adored everything about it. Millie was great. My only complaints are that I think Henry Cavill was a dumb choice for Sherlock (Whyyy do we need a handsome brawny Sherlock??), and while I'm not an expert in historical dress, the costumes and hairstyles struck me as pretty anachronistic (though gorgeous).

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Sherlock Holmes and Millie Bobby Brown, woohoo! I went into this movie knowing only those two things, but it was super fun! The actual mystery part isn't that complicated, so I wouldn't really call it a detective movie. Also, I was not convinced that Enola is as good of a detective as Sherlock. But who cares! The characters were fun, Millie was a treat, and the costumes were so awesome.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This book is a dystopian novel set in a northern reservation, featuring almost all Anishinaabe characters. One day the power just goes out, followed by the Internet and phone lines, and because the reserve is so isolated, they have no idea what's going on. The town leaders start rationing oil and food, but unrest increases, plus a strange white man arrives saying he can help, but he's making a lot of people uncomfortable. Luckily some of the people living there have still kept some of the old ways, and are able to hunt and build fires to help them, but the winter is long... I really enjoyed this book. It shows the realities of reservation life in the far north, which isn't even their ancestral land, but the land the white people pushed them onto. It shows both how they are more capable than most at surviving off the grid, but also how we all become dependent on technology and modern conveniences. It's a haunting post-apocolypti...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This is an epic YA fantasy by a Japanese author, which I was very excited about because it's rare to find fantasy in translation, especially YA. Other than it being inspired by Japanese culture and history instead of being Euro-centric, it didn't really feel "foreign" to me at all, which was a surprise. The main character is Elin, who is like 10 at the beginning. Her mother is a beast doctor, but she gets executed for failing to protect the ruler's beasts, and Elin has to run away. She eventually pursues becoming a beast doctor as well and forms a special bond with one of the royal beasts, which gets her involved in political plots and such. The book spans about ten years and is pretty long, but it kept my interest the whole time. It gets a little exposition-y a times and the ending was kind of abrupt, but I found it really enjoyable.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) This movie was awesome. Although this is a classic, I knew very little about the plot of this going in. I thought it was so topical and relevant to today, and had a lot to say about the social experiment. Jim Carrey was awesome in this and I’ll be thinking about it a lot.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) The final final final book in my Asimov journey. This one is another standalone, but with definite connections to his over-arching universe. And what a finale it was. I owe so much to the random Reddit user who recommended the book order I took through Asimov. Foundation and a lot of his other works are about humanity as a whole, and how mankind evolves over centuries. This book is about a group of people called Eternals who live outside of time and who work to keep humankind on the right path. They perform slight changes in time (they can enter at specific moments and do stuff) that will keep mankind on its optimal path. For example, they do tons of computations, realize that if a person drinks decaf coffee instead of coffee one night then a war will be avoided, so they enter time and make it happen. Really cool stuff. Asimov is always thorough, and he attacks the paradoxes of time travel and changing reality head on. I can't say I understand i...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) I thought this documentary was really thought-provoking. Of course I already knew that social media was mining me for information and that we're all being manipulated by the algorithms, but I don't think I'd ever really sat with the consequences before. I think I'm actually going to change some of my behaviours online because of this documentary. I'm still thinking about it. Some parts were a little over-dramatic, and I'm not sure I was 100% on board with the "reenactment" parts, but overall it was informative and stirring. I wish more older folks would watch it!

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) I've been interesting in foraging forever, and I finally decided to take a pile of books out of the library on the subject. This is one I read (almost) cover-to-cover. This book is unique in that it doesn't cover an overwhelming number of plants -- it's not an extensive reference book. Instead, the author focuses on a few dozen plants, and spends several pages on each one, diving deep into it, helping you really get to know it. I really enjoyed and appreciated the long, autobiographical intro, and his exploration of what it means to describe a food as "toxic," and how our culture is so afraid of non-cultivated plants. I definitely wouldn't want this to be the only foraging book in my personal library, but it's definitely a nice one to have in the collection.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) Oof, this one was hard to watch. So emotional and heart wrenching. I actually felt sick to my stomach at times, just imagining myself as a parent of a kid with drug addictions. Incredible acting (too incredible, actually. I felt like bawling the whole time). One thing I didn't like was how it kept skipping between past and present and I never knew which timeline we were watching. This movie is going to stay with me for a long time.

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Benjamin) Would a comic special on Netflix be a movie or TV show? This was pretty decently good.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) Jess said when talking about our favourite Christopher Nolan movies that she would be interested in watching the Batman movies again, so I did not hesitate in making that happen. I kind of just wanted to watch the second one, but she wanted to watch all three, so in the words of the Joker, "Aaannd.. Here... We........ Go". The first hour of this first movie is awesome. Getting the Batman origins, flashbacks of what drove him into exile cut between with training montages, is pretty sweet. Liam Neeson is great at using corny lines about justice to fire up Bruce and myself. This first bit is just really exciting, and it's a shame that once he settles back in Gotham the movie kind of loses steam. The villain is an odd choice for the first movie, and a bit on the nose (Bruce needs to face his fears and become the bat, bad guy has a spray that makes you see your fears). It comes full circle with his training, so it makes sense, I just don...

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) This movie was fine, and connecting the romance to the old people is a nice touch. Makes me feel a bit more connected to the characters, and invested in the story that is being told by the old man. The classic romance movie beats are all here. Young love, disapproving parents, guy goes to war, lady falls for some other guy while he is gone that her parents actually like, guy comes back and lady has to choose. But my goodness, what a choice. I asked Jess who she would choose between James Marsden and Ryan Gosling and she could hardly decide. Heck, I don't know who I would choose! But ya, the choice. This movie glorifies a woman who cheats on her fiance, and (spoiler, but come on, we know it's gonna happen), ultimately chooses the guy who is not her fiance! I feel that this never holds up well (cough Pam cough), and on rewatch I find myself disliking the conflicted woman instead of cheering for the true love. So ya, cheating on your part...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) With the recent passing of RBG, I thought it fitting to watch the movie based on her life. The movie starts with her in law school at Harvard, trying to juggle a sick husband, a child, and misogyny all while becoming a lawyer. It then has a few time jumps to after she graduates, attempting to get into a law firm, to her settling as a professor, to 1970 where the time stays. I knew very little about her before watching, but I know she was a powerhouse in law. I really can’t identify with her too much because I am a male but it’s kind of sad to still see so much gender discrimination even after all her hard work. It was a really powerful movie, and it inspired me to go out and make my mark on the world. Has me thinking lots about the legacy I will leave.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) This is my favourite movie of all time, but I haven’t seen it in a while and never reviewed it. Im surprised that this is my favourite movie cause it’s not that happy, but damn this movie makes me feel a lot and I think that’s the key. At one point during this re-watch I openly wept and my friends had to console me. This movie has a lot to say about family relationship, life, death, forgiveness, redemption, class, and dreams; it’s so inspiring. Please go watch this, and don’t let my crying turn you away. This movie is incredible.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This was a really delightful read, the third in the series about London women moving to a small Scottish town. (It's not necessary to read the first two first, but those characters do appear.) Lissie is a nurse who had a traumatic experience with a patient, which leads to her swapping locations and roles with a Scottish man from a small town. They both have lots of new experiences as they're suddenly thrown into new worlds, and they get to know each other through email as they discuss their jobs. It's a romance, but the focus is more on personal growth, and how a change of scenery can give you new insight. The Scottish town sounds so lovely, and maybe made me feel a little heartbroken over our lost UK trip...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This is not a short book, but I read it in just two days because I couldn't stop. It's a sequel, so there's no exposition needed, and just jump right into the action. And then it just doesn't stop. There are a few different missions, but it's all going towards taking down the big baddies of Ketterdam. I was very happy that we got to hear more from some of the groupmates that got shafted last book, and learn more of their backstory. I became very fond of Kaz's crew, and discovering that there are memes and tiktoks out there about them has just helped me embrace my love of them. There's not really anything particularly new or unique in this duology, it's just a really well-done and really fun YA fantasy.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This is a cool heist story set in the Grishaverse, where there are people called the Grisha who have powers and are hunted or taken advantage of by many. We follow a bunch of teens who are from the dark part of town, thieves and gamblers and the like. Kaz is the leader of a little group, and he assembles a team to perform a heist to get a scientist who knows how to make a dangerous drug out of a heavily foritified city. I love a ragtag group of people trying to work together! We got the POV from 5 out of 6 of the groupmates (Wylan got the short end of the stick for sure), and they all have their own strengths and weaknesses and desires and fears. Some were less developed than others, but they were all pretty loveable. The story was fast-paced and absorbing as they have to face obstacle after obstacle, but they're all so wily and skilled you always know they'll have another trick up their sleeves. There's quite a bit of killing, and...

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) This movie was so, so good. Moving, funny, beautiful... I just loved it. Based on a true story, it's about a quadrapelegic billionaire who hires an ex-con as his carer. They develop a friendship that's so wonderful and we get to see them both grow and become better people because of each other. Amazing cast and acting. You will not regret watching this one.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Anita) This trilogy was really what I needed right now. I loved getting lost in a world so different from our own. But again - the parallels between Black Lives Matter protests were intense. This book was cool because it focused a lot more on minor characters and them figuring their own stuff out. It was good. I was also absolutely not expecting the ending and unfortunately found it slightly disappointing. He definitely could have written these books with 75% fewer detailed battles and I would have enjoyed it more but whatever, I'll take it to get the awesome characters and their development and cool magic system.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) Absolutely phenomenal (If you're into ancient history, which I am.) I bought this Audible exclusive from the Great Courses on Joe's recommendation, and I did not regret it. (It's more of a recorded lecture series, but WeView does not have a category for that.) "The other side of history" refers to the side history that never got recorded: the stories of vast majority of humans who were poor, disabled, enslaved, and oppressed. Garland goes to great lengths to uncover these stories via archaeological study, to try to understand what life was like for ordinary people. He starts in the paleolithic era, and goes through ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Persia, Rome, and medieval England. He tries to put you in the shoes of a Greek slave, a beggar in Ancient Roman, a medieval monk besieged by Vikings. There are 48 lectures in all, so it covers A LOT. It was often hard to listen to, honestly, because history is BRUTAL. Human...

⭐ 6.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) Meh. Not as funny as I'd hoped for. Pretty cheesy one-liners and I kept thinking "dude, stop talking, people are trying to kill you!". Not bad if you don't think too hard about it.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I really enjoyed this followup to My Brilliant Friend, following a couple years in the "Youth" of the 2 girls. I found this one a bit harder to read, since as they get older they are exposed to more suffering. They both have dreams of leaving the rough neighbourhood they grew up in, but continual backsliding makes it a bit frustrating, and it feels like they can't make progress. I found this one just as relatable as the first was, again in ways I would not have anticipated. As the narrator describes her time in high school and university she constantly struggles with imposter's syndrome, something I deal with. While I can't relate to the financial and relational struggles, she is a protagonist I can't help but empathize with, and rooting for her is what keeps me flying through these book. I don't know much about the art of writing, but I find the way these books are written to be quite beautiful. I am pretty sure it is ...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I joined a Christian fellowship group at my work, and I watched this for a discussion on the movie we were having. It's a documentary about the Word of Faith movement, aka prosperity gospel, and how prevalent it is. The doc was almost 3 hours long, so I watched it over a couple sessions, but in general I was impressed. Tons of interviews from tons of different pastors, laying out what these people believe, why they believe it, and why they are wrong. Some of the most powerful moments are when they take footage of something one of these preachers says, and immediately show a Bible verse contradicting what they say. It made me pretty angry, watching how these con-men use people. The testimony of Benny Hinn's nephew throughout is pretty powerful, showing how he was indoctrinated into that kind of church and how he got out. The doc surprised me with a pretty big gut punch of an ending, and I left it feeling pretty emotional. Overall, a well made...

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This is that new Netflix documtary about the dangers of social media. It's not bad, though I feel I didn't learn a lot. Yeah I know, social media makes kids depressed and they are using my information to sell stuff to me. I think the last third of the documentary where they discuss diverging worldviews and continuing bipartisanship was a little more insightful for me. But the whole thing tries a little too hard and is a little dramatic. Kinda felt like I was watching some sensational conspiracy movie which is what they are arguing against. I've worked with teenagers and have some teenage in-laws, so this stuff does legit scare me, and so I'm glad there is an accessible and engaging documentary about it. There are probably better ones out there, but this one is just okay.

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I watched this show pretty passively, mostly while I folded laundry and stuff. I really wish something like this was available when I was a kid because I would have loved it. The universe is awesome and creative, and the art design really brings it all to life. It has those strong Avatar similarities, but that's obviously a tough show to live up to. This show was great for passive viewing, but it's still a kids show and I'm not a kid. Still, I'm looking forward to future seasons and curious to see if they can develop characters like in Avatar, because I also wasn't crazy about that first season.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Will) This is the second book in the Founders Trilogy , and the cover art is just as awesome as the first one. This was an excellent follow-up to Foundryside - it was super fast-paced, and seriously intense throughout. Foundryside was a little dark, but this sequel turned that up several notches, which contributed to how intense it felt at times. It also got pretty... gruesome.. even for me, though it never really felt gratuitous or out of place. There's also an ongoing exploration here of class warfare and how it's affected by technological innovation and good ol' unfettered capitalism. Here's an interesting quote from one of the baddies for a little teaser of this: " Every innovation—technological, sociological, or otherwise—begins as a crusade, organizes itself into a practical business, and then, over time, degrades into common exploitation. This is simply the life cycle of how human ingenuity manifests in the material world. Wha...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) Loved this movie for all of the reasons everyone mentioned. Kind of dumb, but I laughed a lot. Loved the inclusion of the grandpa and his partner.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) A sweet movie about Mr Rogers. He's just the best person ever (if only he spoke about 3x faster). I was surprised to find that the movie actually focussed more on the story of Lloyd and the friendship he developed with Mr Rogers, and was actually a little disappointed. I wanted to know more about Mr Rogers himself, like a biographical movie. I thought it was cute how they used his little toy town to start new scenes.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) I have to admit that I didn't *love* this movie at first. Shockingly, I've never read the book, and initially got confused about which sister was which and I wasn't always clear which timeline each scene was in since the characters looked exactly nthe same 7 years later. I enjoyed the second half a lot more, and really loved the ending despite the heartbreaking tragedy. A beautiful story about family and sisterhood. Made me wish Natalie had at least one sister. But preferably one that doesn't burn her stories, go on her trip to Europe, marry her boyfriend, or die.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Like Tim, I also sunk about 100 hours into this game but... let's just say I didn't start last year. My gripes were numerous, and I feel pretty significant. The movement is straight up awful outside of combat, and riding your horse is a nightmare. It felt ridiculous, but most of the time I just sprinted on foot across massive landscapes to avoid riding my horse. Visually, I thought this game was pretty dated for a game that's only 5 years old, cuz it kinda looks like a PS3 game. Also, I played on hard, but even still I never really felt challenged, and while the game gives you a million little things to incorporate into a fight, I never felt the need to explore doing anything more than dodge and hack. I wish the game would have forced me to diversify the way I fight a little bit. There were also a few bugs, but I really can't judge a game this big for not sorting all those out. With all that said, this game is incredible. For me, ...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) Finally finished this saga! I really loved this final season, and was satisfied with how they wrapped it up. Again, this season deals with the consequences of the past season and what retributions our character’s major decisions have on the world. This season also had a lot to say about mental health, and I really appreciated Korra’s struggle. They didn’t just end it within a few episodes but had an ongoing battle happening in her head that very much affected her life. *SPOILER* we also meet Toph in this season and it was so good! She was my favourite in the original so it was super cool to see her be an older lady continuing to help out the avatar. I loved this show a lot and hate that it gets a bad rep. WE STAN OUR GAY AVATAR!

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) So after seeing that there was quite a bit of controversy around the film, of course I had to watch it. (The Boy was up at 3am and I needed something to watch while I sat up with him). If you're not already aware, it's a French film about a young Black Muslim girl joining a small clique of friends, bent on participating in a (sexualized) dance competition. It deals with the religious oppression she deals with at home, and juxtaposes it against the sexual oppression she experiences in her social life. The main argument I've see people make is that it “normalizes the sexualization of young girls.” But personally, I can't see how anyone who has seen the film could think that. I saw it as a poignant critique of today's sexualization of young girls. The film portrays it as extremely harmful and degrading. The story is told through the eyes of a naive eleven-year-old girl who is starved for connection, and tries to find it in a ...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) Loved this movie! I always love murder mysteries and this one had some great twists, a fabulous cast, and good humour. Definitely recommend.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) I really enjoy Munoz Ryan's writing style, and that she writes Latinx literature for kids. This book is about Max, who just really wants to make the region's soccer team. He finds out more about his mom who disappeared, and his family's past as keepers of a safe house. He ends up taking on the responsibility of leading a little girl to safety himself. There are a few elements of magical realism in this, and traditional Mexican stories are woven into the book as well. I love Max's dad and grandpa, and the example of people harbouring fugitives and doing the right thing in a way that reminded me of the underground railroad, but in a whole new setting.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Lindsay Ellis wrote a book! I'm a big fan, although I was surprised when I found out she was writing sci-fi, and her voice in this book is nothing like her video essays. Not a complaint, just a surprise. Our main character is Cora, and her father is a famous whistleblower who revealed an alien scandal in the past. Now more weird things are going on and Cora gets kidnapped by a newly-arrived alien, only to find out there have been aliens in the US for a while. She becomes the alien's "interpreter" and gets tossed into the middle of all these sides trying to get what they want. I really liked the idea of this book. It's pretty fast-paced, and the alien-human relationship was really interesting. It didn't really grab me like Hank Green's book did, though, and didn't leave me with many lasting impressions other than "pretty cool!" Worth the read, though, especially for fans of sci-fi and first contact st...

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Will) I had to post the cover art because, well, it's awesome, and I awarded the book half a star just for that. This was one of my favorite books of 2019, but I had to re-read it to refresh my memory because the sequel came out recently (it's a trilogy). Foundryside is a sci-fi/fantasy I guess, but in a really fresh setting that avoids most of the standard fantasy feel. It's fast-paced, there were multiple genuinely interesting characters, an intriguing world (and history) that is slowly revealed, and it's just genuinely a lot of fun. I won't even try to summarize the plot though - just read the amazon listing.

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) This season focuses on the repercussions of the Avatar’s past actions. I thought it was great that they continued on with the story instead of glossing over the huge shift in the world Korra created. This season had a lot of growth and some real good baddies. There was a lot at stake and the ending was perfect. We see Korra step into the Avatar role like never before and a lot of decisions and sacrifices are made. Again, the evolution of bending is so cool to see, and I love the legacy of Team Avatar from ATLA being included; there are some great, main characters that are descendants of the gaang who contribute greatly to the story. The last 3 episodes had me on the edge of my seat, and I got super emotional with the ending. I thought they did a really great job with ongoing consequences of the battles our characters face. Cannot wait to see how it ends and how our queen Korra bounces back!

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) I listened to this book because I know the author (her husband was my professor a couple of times at U of W, and he's great), and my good friend Dayna Cornwall did the narration for the audiobook! (Her narration was flawless, BTW). It's a charming little novel set in Edmonton in the mid 1990's. The protagonist/narrator, Molly, is writing of her experiences navigating love while going through her final years of university and working summers at a shoe store at the Mall. She's the daughter of two academics, she's obsessed with Jane Austen, and aspires to be a novelist, but struggles to be inspired in her mundane life in a gritty city. There's a little bit of romance and humour. A sweet, lighthearted read from a local author.

⭐ 5.5/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) Guys, I love kids' movies. But I did not love this one. It was so obviously geared to children, I did not feel like the target audience at all. It was just painfully cheesy. But like others said, there were a couple of surprising laughs, so it gets an extra half-star for that.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Jess recommended this book to me and said it was one of her favorite novels that she was made to read in high school English class. High school level novels are always my favorite. They offer a little depth, and make you feel smart when you understand the depth. I was just itching to write 5-6 pages on how progress for this quaint 1960s rural Alabama town hindered the idyllic setting in which the magic in this book was made possible. Anyways, this book is a long, meandering year-in-the-life look into a young southern boy's experience in his small town, as well as a bit of a tacked on murder mystery. I usually don't enjoy episodic stories that are light on plot, but reading this book all summer almost felt like comfort food by the end. The author is really descriptive, almost to the point of over-writing, but I enjoyed the old yokel-y metaphors, similar to how Klay describes everything in Xiaolin Showdown. It's endearing, especially fr...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) Given the time and space we are living in, I thought it appropriate to read a book about the book of Revelation. I would say Kraybill’s thesis is that Revelation is a book of worship that leads and shapes who we live for. Our allegiance is decided when we choose to worship the Lamb or the empire, and that will shape our lives and the world. It was a really insightful and concise book; not too dry but academic enough with a lot of citations so you know this guy is the real deal. He cleared up a lot of my questions about Rev, like the mark of the beast, the wild descriptions of beasts, heaven, and the throne room of God. He also makes it clear that it’s easy for middle class christians to see Rev as a prophetic, futuristic apocalypse as opposed to a future hope because we have never been the marginalized, and have always held some degree of power. I would recommend this for everyone wanting a better grasp of the book of Revelation, in response to bo...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) A Canada Reads pick a few years ago, it's a dystopian novel with all Indigenous main characters. In the fairly near future, Canadians have destroyed themselves during the Water Wars, and now there's a sickness going around where everyone but the Indigenous have lost the ability to dream. As a result, these people are getting hunted for testing and cures, and so they're constantly on the run. Our main character is Frenchie, whose family has all been taken, but he has found a new found family. Most of the time they're just on the run from recruiters, trying to figure out who to trust. I thought the idea was super cool. There's a lot of reflection on generational trauma, and what has been taken from these people. The elderly are highly valued because they still have some knowledge of the old ways. But societally, Indigenous people have lost all value except as commodities, and they lost their personhood again so quickly. But t...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This is a book set in an alternative near-future Taipei, and I LOVED the setting, obviously. Since I've been there and could recognize the place names, that made it extra fun. Jason Zhou is a Mei, one of the have-nots, who is stuck breathing the heavily polluted air, while the Yous can afford fancy suits that protect them. The class divide is super wide, and the Meis are dying early, but the government doesn't seem to care. Jason and his friends decide to infiltrate the You world and take down the corrupt Jin Corporation. Jason poses as a You and gets close to Jin's daughter, which of course means Feelings happen. This book is action-packed and fast-paced, like an action movie. It was very entertaining, but still had some things to say about inequality and environmentalism. They just weren't especially new things to say. But I'd definitely still recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, sci-fi read with a setting you don...

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) I got back into this show because tiktok kept showing me some really cool scenes of it and now I have to finish it. I do think it’s a cool extension of the ATLA world, and the characters are really interesting. They’ve evolved the bending in a new, interesting and logical way so that it’s still exciting but also makes sense. The tone of this show is also really dark. In and of itself I don’t mind but when I compare it to the original it makes it hard to watch it as a fun passing of time because it gets so heavy sometimes. Korra gets a TON of flack for not being a good avatar, and while I do have my qualms with her I’m really starting to see her mature and take a more level headed approach to her position. This season is regarded as the worst of the 4 so I know it gets better from here. I kind of trudged through the season but look forward to the next one!

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) I love Louise Penny. Her mysteries are always flawlessly executed, and her writing is elegant and engaging. I love Inspector Gamache, and Jean-Guy, and Ruth, and the charming villagers of Three Pines. But I am getting SO TIRED of the fact that every murder has to happen in or near Three Pines, or involve a Three Pines resident. Like, how is there anyone left in this god-forsaken village? Why isn't everyone CONSTANTLY talking about how cursed their village is? Every resident can probably name at least five people they personally know who have been murdered, turned out to be a murderer, or was at least suspected of murder. This is murder number TEN that involves Three Pines!! What is happening? Whyyyyy must Penny set every single murder here? Gamache is/was the chief inspector of an entire province, why can't she set it somewhere far away from Three Pines, and be completely unrelated to the village? Phew, Okay. This novel as a standalone...

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) I started playing this game about a year and a half ago, and I have loved every second of it. For the couple hours I play a week I am totally transported to a different world, and even though the play-through has been slow it has allowed me to really soak up all this game has to offer. The main reason I love this game is the world it creates. I can't imagine how long it took to record all the voice work alone. With well over 100 unique character encounters and different storylines depending on the options you choose this game is very immersive. The amount of lore embedded in this world that I didn't get close to is impressive in itself. The scenery is beautiful to look at, and the music really ties it all together. The monsters, the people, it's all great. I also really enjoyed the combat. It took a while for me to get the hang of it, since I didn't play often enough for muscle memory to kick in, but I really enjoyed how challenging...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) I walked into this movie knowing that it was gonna be super different than the original and therefore could appreciate this as a stand alone film. It was so good y’all! I really, really liked it. The fighting scenes were super great with some cool special effects. It was neat to see the cultural representation and the landscapes were actually breathtaking. The cast was also fully Asian (I think they were all or mostly Chinese but I’m not sure) and it was cool to see that taking place more in big Hollywood films. It was also incredibly touching because the father was so proud to have a daughter instead of sons. I approve of this remake!

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) This book was originally a short story by Asimov, and then him and Robert Silverberg turned it into a novel. Not sure how much to attribute to Asimov and how much to Silverberg, but I loved it, and it felt very fresh compared to a majority of the other Asimov I have read. In most of his books, an apocalyptic world changing event is coming, people talk about it, travel through space, and solve the problem. In this one the apocalypse comes and it explores what happens to the people who saw it coming and the people who denied it would happen. Specifically, it takes place on a world with 6 suns, so it never sees darkness. But an eclipse is coming, and a population that has never not had light will be trapped in darkness and everyone will go crazy, burning everything in sight in the desire for light. The concept was cool, and I got excited when I realized the event was actually going to happen. The characters we see it through - cultists who predict it, ...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Benjamin) I was introduced to this movie from listening to Brene Brown interviewing Judd Apatow. I understand alot of the lines written for this script were based on true experiences, and i think i could really feel that in the story. As well as allowing the actors to improv. The characters played were totally believable and funny. Loved Pete Davidson and Marisa Tomei. I cried laughing when i saw what Bill Burr's character allowed Pete Davidson's character to tattoo on his back.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) I watched this reboot of the classic Ann M Martin series with Lydia and it was quite a treat! They did a great job making the story fresh and relevant for a new audience. I loved the casting choices. The acting was maybe not top-tier, but the actors are *actual* young teens, so I'm happy to give them space to grow as actors. The series was heartwarming and made me feel emotional and nostalgic. Lydia enjoyed it, too. I'm so happy Netflix is providing quality, inspiring, reverent representation for young girls, a group that is often not afforded much respect in media.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) This show really is the perfect drama. It has a great story with incredibly complex characters and a few good subplots that conglomerate into a very emotional ending. I was not expecting it to hit me so hard in the end as I had already read the book and knew what was gonna happen. Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon are both lights out in this one. They create such palpable tension that it’s hard not to feel uncomfortable. As with the book, they also really make you feel for every character they introduce. I watched it with a friend and I would constantly ask who’s side we were on and it was very difficult to answer every time. They stayed mostly true to the book which was nice to see!

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) The series comes to an emotional end, and I am sad to see it go. It's a shame that the first couple episodes of this season are duds, but the haters are all wrong and I will stand by the finale. It's really hard to get into details here, since it is 6 seasons into a pretty complicated show, but I thought it answered all my questions, and gave a satisfying conclusions for the things that really mattered in the show - the characters. Love them or hate them, Lost has always been about the people on the island, not the mysteries of the island itself. We spend so much time in flashbacks that I think it is impossible to argue otherwise, and the ending really hammers home that their relationships with each other is what the show was all about. Ending a TV show is very hard, as we have seen countless times, and I think this show did a pretty great job. Jess and I were both very emotional throughout the last couple episodes, and I am going to mis...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) Before y’all judge me for going to the theatres, know that I watched it on the island that has 5 cases and the same population as Leamington. I felt safe. I didn’t really get what was going on most of the movie if I’m being honest. There were moments of clarity where I connected a few dots and it felt really good. But like Tim said, they didn’t do a great job explaining it and I’m kind of dumb. The main character was phenomenal, I thought. And RPat was also great and quirky. All this to say, I still enjoyed it. It made me think a lot, and the music was intense and jarring. Each scene was action packed and started off with a bang, there felt like no transition between scenes. I'll definitely be watching this again, just with subtitles next time!

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) We re-watched all of Stranger Things recently, and this movie filled in that hole in my heart after we finished. I do love a kids-only ensemble cast! But I really enjoyed this movie just on its own merit as well. A bunch of weird kids accidentally witness a huge train crash and can tell that obviously something suspicious is going on. There's action and aliens and a kid who pukes every time he's scared. Very fun!