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⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This season picks up where the last left off. Basically every episode is ridiculous and hilarious. I laughed a ton, and I would probably rank this show up there with anything, including The Office. It took us much longer to watch this, maybe just because episodic tv shows never leave me wanting to watch more. But any time I watched I laughed. Lots of great episodes towards the end, and I loved the arc of Chang and the Dean. The heist episode was incredible.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I have been playing this game consistently since 2016, and probably will keep playing for many years to come, so I thought now would be a good time to review since it is now free to play! If you are not aware, this is a soccer game, but you control a rocket powered car that can leap into the air and fly around, all in attempt to score in the other team's net. The learning curve for this one is pretty steep, but when you play online you are always matched against people around your skill level, which keeps it fun. Similar to chess, the progression can be frustrating, like when you hit your highest rating ever but then lose ten games straight and are lower than you have been for months. But some of my most satisfying video game moments have come from this game. Whether it is hitting a shot you have been practicing, dribbling or faking opponents, making a super clutch save in overtime, this game has given me adrenaline rushes like no other. It is...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) Boy oh boy is this game a treat. I played it back in the day, but I think I beat it so quickly I didn't appreciate it. All the known Mario mechanics are here, but it goes up a level with its world design. Tons of really quirky and unique planets, with lots of gravity mechanics that makes platforming on every side of these planets unique. It takes the best things from the previous Mario games and crams them into one package. My only complaint is that the game is a touch too easy. It is fun progressing really quickly, and there are a couple more difficult challenges, but even those only took 2 or 3 tries. I don't want to be frustrated, but I want to be more satisfied when I beat a boss or scale a difficult platforming challenge. Another real delight in this game is the music! Beautiful symphonic score, I could listen to it all day. And as you collect stars the overworld grows, and the overworld theme becomes more and more full. Really...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) I read this book for one of my classes but was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. It was a quick read with a powerful message. The book is about a man in an African village who lives his life by his strength and his anger. It is richly African but talks about the universal qualities among all people. The story is split into two parts: before the white man came and after. Pretty tragic to read from an African perspective what the white man did to them in the name of Christ, but also reminded me that going forward we have to be careful in the way we contextualize the gospel. A fascinating, cultural read about life, power, and tragedy.

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) Okayyyy 😭 as I was watching this season I wasn’t sure if I could call it a perfect 10 but that ending really solidified it. Wow, what a fantastic season. This show has way too many great characters and character relationships, I just can’t pick who is my favourite. The Dustin and Suzie bit obviously, but also Erica and Robin. I was honestly kind of annoyed with Hopper, and also his and Joyce’s relationship but I was able to overlook it. I think my favourite scenes in this season were when El was kicking absolute ass in every scene she was in. Her power development was awesome. Im not gonna watch the trailer for season 4 because I want to be surprised, wish me luck avoiding spoilers!

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) I've had this book kicking around for a while and just never got around to reading it. I needed a book to take on vacation so grabbed it as I packed. I always enjoy reading books set in different countries and learning about different cultures, though this was more from the perspective of Americans living in/visiting Japan rather than from Japanese people themselves. A little bit of mystery, romance, and humour. Enjoyed it overall, just a few too many coincidences for my liking.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) A charming story written by a local author and narrated by a good friend of mine. Just a nice, enjoyable listen with lots of excellent Jane Austen references and some humour and romance.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) I LOVE getting more disabled protagonists, and I think it's so great that kids are going to start seeing more disabled characters in their books. The protagonist of this book is Libby, who has Turner syndrome, which means she only has one X chromosome. She has a few physical abnormalities, and some learning disabilities, but otherwise she's just a great 12-year-old kid who loves science! Her older sister is pregnant, and Libby is stressed about making sure the baby is okay. So she makes a deal with the universe that if she can win a contest writing about her favourite unknown female scientist, then that will mean her whole family will be okay. There's nothing action-packed about this book, but I still found it so compelling that I stayed up late to finish it! Even though it's even geared towards the 10-12 aged kids set. The book covers at least half a year, and Libby is struggling with making friends, trying to get grownups to ...

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Jess Dyck) I know this movie isn’t AMAZING, but it’s a (version of a) classic for a reason. Lily James makes just about the loveliest Cinderella ever, and I think this movie is just so well cast! Sometimes it just feels good to watch two beautiful people dance in amazing costumes and fall in love! It’s very much for kids (aka some real childish humour) but after a long work week this was EXACTLY what the doctor ordered for my sad Friday night in to make me smile, cry a little, and have a little faith in love to conquer all. Plus, it’s cheesy, but “Have Courage and Be Kind” is a pretty great motto to live life by.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) The final book in the series, I found this one a bit long, and was ready to be done with the series about half way through this one. That said, the ending was quite moving, and like the books before it is beautifully written. I think my frustration with the characters and their relationship kind of boiled over, and I was ready to be finished. It's hard to say anything 4 books in without spoiling things, but this follows the girls from around ages 30 to 65 or so. The time range is way larger than the previous books, and I found it harder to relate to them this time around, maybe because I haven't hit those stages of life yet. I am not a parent, but I a feel comfortable saying they are not good parents, and seeing them repeat the mistakes of their own parents was discouraging . I'm certain the point of these books is not some cautionary tale, and the cyclical trauma and mistakes is a huge part of the story that is being told. It's more...

⭐ 6.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) If you really loved the original Cinderella but wanted a 2 hour version with an origin story about her parents and a deep-dive how she got (and embraced) the name "Cinderella", then this movie is for you. Can't say I remember much about the original, but I do know that there is some singing, and a mouse that calls her "Cinderellie", and I really missed both these things. Actually though, I didn't think this movie was terrible. More about the relationship she had with her parents makes the evil new family much more heartbreaking. And Cate Blanchett is a pretty great evil step mom, though distractingly too good looking. Speaking of distractingly good looking, boy oh boy does Robb Stark clean up nice! I felt like asking Jess to close her eyes and her ears, he is just so gosh darn charming. Anyways, I have been losing sleep over the score for this one, and giving it the same score as "The Dark Knight Rises" feels...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Benjamin) This show made me laugh out loud alot throughout the season. There were alot of awkward moments with the boss, Shannon, which i came to almost look forward too because they were painfully awkward and funny. The show takes a serious turn at the end of this season so i'm kind of waiting to see what will happen next! Kimchee, Terrance and Mr. Kim were a few more of my favorites.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Will) You're a steambot (steam robot) named Rusty who's given the deed to a mine out west by a somewhat mysterious uncle when he passes. The game consists of you exploring the mine, and the deeper you go the more is revealed about the world, your uncle, and other mysteries you're chasing. I loved pretty much everything about this game. The art was great The game mechanics were pretty clever, and while not revolutionary or anything it worked really well The difficulty level was enough to keep me interested, but there weren't any parts that I had to try over and over again (looking at you Ori) For some reason I love any game that is based around mining It's relatively short, so I don't have to dedicate my entire life to it to be good. I tend to play through games pretty slowly and carefully, and I finished this one in 7 hours. I paid $3 for this on the Switch (it's on sale right now, and it's not new), so you can't go wr...

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This book is getting a lot of praise and award nominations this year, and I can see why. The main part of the story is about twin sisters, Desiree and Stella, who both live in a small town full of people descended from the children of slaves and their white masters, so that everyone in the town is very light-skinned, but are still considered "coloured" and so are treated as such. Just the idea of this town itself was enough to intrigue me. The twin girls run away as teenagers, and while Desiree rebels by marrying the darkest man she can find, Stella ends up deciding to pass as white, and as a result totally abandons her family and background in order to keep her secret. The book first follows Desiree for quite a few years after Stella leaves as she deals with an abusive husband and eventually goes back to her hometown with her very dark daughter, who gets terribly bullied. All the while she pines for her twin and searches for her. We...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Body Talk is an anthology of essays that all discuss our "radical bodies". They were written by a wide variety of people with different issues, genders, sexualities, etc. The essays address fatphobia, disabilities, queerness, toxic masculinity, and more. I loved how diverse it was. The book is geared towards the YA crowd, so they were all easy to read and short, but almost all of them landed for me. It was great to learn about all of these different perspectives and issues, and I feel like I learned a lot. It was my first time reading an anthology like this, but it was a good experience!

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Watching this was a little overdue for me considering the fondness Bean's has for it. I really like Clint Eastwood movies. I'm not sure he's a artistic genius necessarily, but each of his movies have a little of what a want. They're pretty simple in terms of narrative, but usually are gritty and go straight for the jugular for emotional experience. This one is a true gut punch and had me thinking hard about the difficult questions it asks. This is a clear 2 act movie, one act being a sports movie, and the other a drama. I liked the sports movie aspect pretty well, and it did a nice job mostly avoiding the cliches. I kinda wish the main character had a little more to overcome, but I suppose that would have indeed just made it more cliched. The drama was also mostly good. It feel like it tried a little too hard to balance too many different threads, each one having to pay off at some point, but in the end it really only came down to...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I've always found Tim Burton a little too weird and abstract for my taste, but I thought this movie was awesome. I really liked the animation style here, and the movie was pretty light and funny rather than spooky like I was expecting. I'm sure I would have liked it even as a kid - it's a movie about a dog so what could be better? I thought the ending had the potential to pack a lot of emotional punch but they never went that route, which was a little disappointing for me. Otherwise I thought this was really the only Halloween movie I'd like to come back to in the future.

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) I really enjoyed the first season of this series. The three main characters are moms in their 30s and 40s, one of which being a POC (shout out to Donna from Parks and Rec), and they end up involved in some shady business to support their families. By the third season I was just tired of things going wrong and them never being able to get ahead. It felt like they kept dragging things out, and it's still not resolved! Maybe a break from the series will make me want to watch the next season when it comes out.

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) Unique idea and lots of fun, unpredictable action. The characters grew on me throughout the seasons. But it was just so freaking weird. Like, just random super strange things show up. I wanted to like it more but it just didn't hit the spot for me. I'll still watch subsequent seasons though!

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This book is subtitled "how earth's history shaped human history" and it's one of these big picture history books about why history unfolded the way it did. I love these types of books and was really looking forward to this one when I heard him say on a podcast he wrote it in part in response to popular books that lack academic integrity such as Sapiens, which I had the same gripes with. The problem is that less sensational books like this one are also not half as interesting. This one places more of a focus on geology and geography than human decisions. While plate tectonics and limestone locations and coal deposits are probably very important, it just wasn't that fun to read about. There was some great and interesting stuff here to be sure, including a full chapter on my favorite tyrant Genghis Khan, but it took a lot of hours of mundane stuff to get there. This is a good book, but not one I enjoyed or could recommend to t...

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Mathew) What. a. ride. Like all media made by Sacha Baron Cohen, one really needs to have a good understanding of who he is and what he's trying to accomplish with his work, and Borat 2 is no exception. There will be moments where you will straight up not be having a good time, but they are almost always important to moving the story forward. This movie is equal parts offensive, American political commentary, and heartwarming father/daughter tale. This moviefilm, in typical Baron Cohen fashion, often exposes the ugly and honest side of American culture, sometimes even the horrific parts of important elected officials. Jill made the good point that she hopes film and media like this scares these people, especially the high profile ones. There's no room for bigotry and hate in the world, and exposing people the way Sacha Baron Cohen sneakily (yet honestly) does, both as Borat and as many of his other personas, denies the certainty of a safe space f...

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I bought this game because it was super cheap on sale (it still is!!) and I've heard the sequel is really great. I had pretty low expectations so the game really exceeded them. It's an indie game where you play as this cute little robot miner in the old west, and the whole game has you digging deeper in the mine to find some secret. It has this fun loop where you get gems along the way, return to the surface, buy upgrades, and go back down where you can dig even faster and deeper. It's pretty addictive. It felt a bit like a phone game in that way with really quick rewards and sense of progress, but the game is only 5 hours long so it can't ruin your life. It's got a cool system, fun puzzles, platforming, and even one decent boss fight. If you're looking for a cute, cheap, simple yet rewarding game, this one has my stamp of approval. I'm really looking forward to the sequel.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Anita) This book was intense and crazy gory. I would *not* watch this movie. But I loved the further character development and all the suspense about what's going to happen! I did not appreciate the cliffhanger that it ended with. 😤 A few interesting twists to keep me interested and I'm happy to wait for the final book!

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Anita) (all the seasons 😬) I'm super shocked by how much I loved this show. It's what I needed to distract me from the world every evening for a bit while waiting for Thomas to fall asleep. It took awhile to get into it and I really didn't like any of the characters right away but wow did that change. By the end, I was in tears during every happy moment and just so invested!

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) The only reason this is not a perfect 10 is because the season is pretty short and has a bit of an abrupt ending. But this season is incredible. I had fond memories of it, but on the rewatch I was reminded just how intense the first three episodes are, and the way it builds Walt as a character is perfect. You feel so so bad for him and his family, it's the perfect foundation for an anti-hero. Perfect is the word I keep wanting to use, because I wouldn't change a thing. The family dynamics are great. Jessie provides a bunch of laughs. The bad guy drug dealers are distinct and terrifying in their own ways. Every choice is is spot on, and even the objects they use are iconic. That Pontiac Aztec is exactly what someone like Walt would drive. If you have seen this season and I say bike lock and bath tub you are instantly reminded of how it felt to watch it. An RV to cook drugs, ingenious but I had never thought of that before. The plot i...

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) I had no idea how fascinating I would find this book about my own culture, or how cool it would be to see words and references to things I grew up with in a book. The author is from Manitoba but has largely stepped away from his Mennonite roots as a journalist living in Hong Kong. The book is about his months-long trip he took from Manitoba to Argentina by motorcycle, visiting different Mennonite colonies along the way. In each one he learns about why Mennonites decided to move there and meets different people to talk about their lives and discover interesting stories. I found this book deeply interesting. It gave me a much better understanding of the migrations of Mennonites, and gave me the opportunity to rediscover my Mennonite identity along with the author. I don't think about the fact that I'm a Mennonite all that often, but reading this book it was interesting to note how parts of Mennonite culture are very present in my parent...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I was very happy to see this come out on the Switch, since I never had a gamecube as a kid. Though not the best Mario game, it was very charming, and would have been a really awesome followup to Super Mario 64 if I had played it when it came out. The familiar and perfect 3D controls are all here, but now Mario has a water jet pack, which unlocks a ton of movement. It feels like the birth of Super Mario Odyssey in some ways, since there is so much freedom to traverse levels in whatever way you want. I really loved this world too. Most Mario games have pretty disjoint levels, all forcing you to exercise a different part of Mario's moves but thematically pretty different. In this one it always feels like you are on a tropical island. Even as you jump between worlds you can see the previous levels in the distance over the ocean, so it creates a pretty neat little world, not something I expected from a Mario game. There were some incredibly fru...

⭐ 5.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) Slightly better than last season, maybe this lovable bunch of misfits is growing on me. I still think almost every episodes setup is not funny, and every single one is somehow about sex. I thought this was something the show would outgrow, but nope. I was pleasantly surprised when Coach came back, and I think he is easily the best character. The best actor of the group, the funniest, all that. He seems to be a part of the crew now, and he is a very welcome addition. I don't really look forward to watching this, and I think think every person in the group is really stupid and reacts to every situation in the worst way possible. I do think there are some hilarious lines, and some of the character ticks are funny. But it's just not consistently funny like The Office or Community.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I'm not sure I've seen a Shirley Temple movie before this, but boy she really is charmer like they say. I really loved the classic premise here. Shirley comes into contact with lots of grumpy, cynical people but her innocence and adorableness eventually breaks through and wins them over. This is just a nice movie set in an idyllic area with lots of wholesomeness all around, and promotes old fashion American values like saying your prayers and being a good little girl. I really can't say why exactly I liked it more than something like E.T., but it was just so easy to root for cute little Shirley Temple.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) An incredible follow up to season 1! So many great characters and developments, but rip Bob, he deserved better 😭 It was great to get a look into 11’s past and see her develop her powers. Dustin and Steve were amazing, and Joyce and Hopper are such great parents just trying their best. It did feel a bit recycled? Think they focused more on character development which is fine, and I still loved it. Can not wait to start season 3!

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This is a movie about two people being forced to relive the same day over and over (so, Groundhog Day), and it's not a new concept, but with a really new flavour. It's technically a rom-com, I guess, and most scenes are so colourful and bright, but there's an interesting dark undercurrent. It's made by Andy Samberg and his pals, so the humour is great, but it's a lot more mature than other stuff they've done as well. An interesting and enjoyable watch.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) I'm both sad to see this show go and glad they didn't drag it on for any longer, because anything this high-concept can't go on for too many seasons. This season maybe wasn't as cohesive as previous ones, but I still found it creative and hilarious, and obviously that last episode was very emotional. I thought the last few episodes were pitch-perfect.

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I really wanted to like this one. It was wholesome, has great performances from really young kids, has a classic John Williams score. Buuuuut I mostly found it boring. There were a few touching moments, but I felt most scenes felt a little drawn out. Maybe it's just my millennial attention span, but I found myself daydreaming for half of this one. And as good as that John Williams score is, I felt it got a little to repetitive, especially towards the end. I'm glad I watched it for it's historical significance, and obviously I really liked aspects, but overall it was a meh for me.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This is a Telltale Game - basically a choose your own adventure tv show without a whole lot of gameplay. It's definitely a unique way to tell a story and a cool way to use the video game medium and so i wanted to try it. I thought the story was pretty interesting, though I'm not entirely sure this game style is my thing. The story is set in the Fabletown universe where characters from Fables have moved to New York City and use magic to disguise themselves as human, though they struggle to adjust. The game has you play as Bigby Wolf (Big Bad Wolf) who is a hard-boiled detective, and your task is to find a murderer. I love anything in the noir genre, so I really liked getting to take the reigns as a detective and make decisions, though I've heard most of the decisions lead to the same conclusion. Either way, the decisions feel pretty impactful in the moment and it was fun piecing together the mystery. The really loved the art direction ...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) I loved watching this series and the last season was no exception. In addition to being funny, it was so heartwarming. All of the characters are just wonderful. Except Moira. She's still the worst.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) A fun watch! I never seem to tire of Sherlock movies. I actually didn't love it as much as I had expected, though. I guess I had hoped for a bit more mystery to it and I never fully understood why their mom had to leave like that and then leave again at the end. Or why Sherlock and Mycroft hadn't even visited in like 10 years.

⭐ 6.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I had not seen this movie since it was in theatres, and I remember not loving it, but I thought now that so much time has passed I could experience it without the hype that was around it at the time. It's too bad that this movie is just not good. Now there are some cool moments, like the climb out of the pit, or the broken back scene, or even the idea of an aged and beaten down batman. But for the most part I was kind of bored. The action is pretty generic, and the movie starts with an insane amount of exposition. Moving 8 years from the last film is a great idea, but they don't have a better way to tell us what has happened other than 2 cops dumping exposition on us. The best part about the last movie, the villain, is severely lacking. Bane is scary in that he is very unknown, but I am not the first to think his voice is ridiculous and impossible to understand at times. And when the true villain is revealed, they are killed in the mos...

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) This season wasn’t great. It felt really bland and plotless. Every time they introduced a sub-story line it always fell flat. They did have some interesting social commentary, and they made a spoof commercial about how we need to create more superheroes to protect our country, even though superheroes are basically terrible; very similar to the gun laws argument. It was also incredibly gory which I didn’t love. Saw a lot of heads explode. I’d be ok if they didn’t make more seasons of this.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) I’m wayyyyy behind on this show but holy crap this was incredible! I was so pleasantly surprised by how good it was. Such a great story line and so many incredible characters. Loved seeing 11’s relationship with mike grow and there were so many touching moments with her and the rest of the gang 😭 MVP goes to Hopper and Dustin! Ugh I loved this so much

⭐ 5.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) I’m not too sure why I watched this. There was so much hype around it that I couldn’t resist I guess. The film is about a young couple that goes to Sweden with friends to visit a commune and participate in the midsummer festivals. Turns out it’s a cult and people are dying. I had to watch this movie in a few different sittings because it was horrifying. It was so scary, and I couldn’t watch some of the scenes. I was also scared to go to bed for a few nights - I don’t know why I do this to myself. The movie was creative, and was supposed to reflect and be a metaphor for the directors broken relationship. I don’t recommend it, unless you like scary movies. Florence Pugh was amazing though!!

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) This was fun! It was a cool take on the Holmes story. I just started stranger things so it was weird seeing her in both roles. I was somewhat annoyed at times by her monologue but could look past it. Sad we didn’t get a shirtless Henry Cavill though :(

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I have really struggled to find a resource that challenges me for some time. Back when I was a young(er) adult, philosophy, theology and academia in general was all-consuming for me, and I've tried to find a resource to pull me back into it. I've had some success, most notably with the Liturgist pod, but this one really scratches an itch in a way I haven't experienced for a long time. It's a pod hosted by a British Christian philosopher who hosts two experts with opposing viewpoints to debate or discuss a given topic on a weekly basis, whether philosophical, theological or many times cultural. I'd never heard of this guy previously, but the way he is able to pull big names onto his show is incredible. We're talking William Lane Craig, NT Wright, Rob Bell, Jordan Peterson, Sam Harris, Ken Hamm, Bart Ehrman, Sir Roger Penrose - and that's just from the recent ones I've seen. I know that's mostly a list of white g...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) My favorite basketball podcast went to an expensive subscription service so I was forced to look elsewhere. Enter No Dunks, who I'd followed for a few years before, and everything just felt right again. This is a pretty casual, daily basketball pod that mostly focuses on entertainment and humor value, and I love it. These guys are truly brilliant, creating great, funny content on a daily basis. It doesn't have the in-depth and high-level analysis I loved from my previous pod, but for easy listening this is the best of the best for basketball.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) Oh MAN.That final episode! I did not expect such a punch in the gut!! It was so beautiful but I cried copious tears. I thought the rest of the season was a treat. Absurdly hilarious. Just what I needed when life was hard. And the ending was . . . perfect, I think. Deep and moving and satisfying. I don't think it could have ended any other way.

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Anita) Wow, I loooved this movie! Millie Bobby Brown is amazing!! While I agree with all the previous comments about Henry Cavill not being the best choice for Sherlock, I still think he did a pretty great job. The movie was just so fun and lovely. I thought Mycroft was .

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Anita) I really enjoyed getting to know yet another world and magic system in this novel. I liked the way we see some characters appear a certain way but then as we get to know them, they're (surprise) much deeper than initially seemed. My two favourite examples being Orso and Gregor. But in all, I wasn't as endeared to most of these characters as I have been in other books. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series though because BIG THINGS ARE HAPPENING.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) Getting into the good stuff. In this season we get a closer look at Obi's relationship with Satine, as Maul uses her as bait to get to him. Really great stuff, and seeing more about Mandalorians is cool after watching the first season the The Mandalorian. There was a 4 episode dry spell in the middle of this season, clearly some mid-season filler, that was all about droids. Could not believe they used up 4 episodes on this side-quest. Aside from this, the rest was great. Seeing younglings earning their lightsabers was very cool. Mandalore, as mentioned, is awesome. The bad guys get badder, and the good guys continually discover more flaws in the Jedi order and begin to question it. The real reason this season gets a 9 was the final episode. I don't know if an animated TV show has ever made me want to cry, but man, the combination of the Star Wars music with our boy Anakin struggling against the Jedi's ways really got to me, and wi...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) These books leave me with a mess of emotions after reading every morning, but I can't put them down. The lives of our two friends continue on into the 20s and early 30s, and is it every frustrating. This book is not at all what I was expecting when I read a log line that was like, "The most realistic and authentic portrayal of female friendship". I sure hope not. Their lives are filled with sadness, and moments of joy are overshadowed by complicated emotions and eventually ruined with poor decisions. I can't say too much, since Jess is now reading these, but the continual cycle of repeated mistakes across ones lifetime, and even across generations, is very frustrating. I have been trying to dig into what I find so relatable and fascinating about this series, but I am at a loss. I have not experienced a fraction of the darkness they have, but for some reason I feel a sort of kinship. They continue to do things that leave me p...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) Oh boy was this a tough watch, but in all the best ways. A documentarian focuses her camera on her own father, trying to come to terms with his aging and eventual death. Her father is the sweetest man alive, with a love of chocolate cake and his trendy nap chair. His smile is contagious, and watching him retire and move in with his daughter is a sad but inevitable transition. But as you get to know more about him, the pit in your stomach grows as you begin to love him and and brace yourself for losing him. He talks about his wife's Alzheimer's, what it was like losing her, the burden he feels he is now placing on his daughter, and it is so easy to put yourself in his position, or at least relate him to the aging people in your own life. There are many moments of joy, and the love he has for his family is so clear. But man, growing old is the worst, and it is impossible not to cry seeing him struggle. The director does this weird thing where ...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Mathew) Katherine Ryan, one of my favourite British comedians (born and raised in Sarnia, ON!), created and starred in this miniseries, a story loosely based on the close (and often inappropriate) relationship with her young daughter as they make on their own in the world. Supporting cast knocked it out of the park, especially the actress playing her daughter.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Will) Loved this, and I'm here for the next iteration of the Holmesverse being centered on Enola with Sherlock as a supporting character. This movie was just all-around fun, and Millie Bobbie Brown was fantastic. Henry Cavill also manages to be excellent, even though I thought he was a dumb choice. Like, who has ever imagined Sherlock Holmes as one of the most attractive and muscular men in the world?? He's an intellectual - he gets completely consumed and obsessed with the problems he's trying to solve, he ain't got time for hours a day in the gym plus that flawless hair! Also I thought there were a few minor plot bits that didn't feel too convincing, but it didn't really matter - everything was just too fun.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Before Maggie made me watch this I told her kids shows really only have 7.5 potential for me. This show was pretty funny, in the same way that Adventure Time is funny because it's not necessarily for kids, and really did have those spooky vibes appropriate for the season. So it really did everything a kids show can do for me, but yeah, I'll probably never think of it again.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This is book one of the Witcher saga which I became interested in after playing the game. The universe is really cool. It's magical and has multiple races and takes pretty obvious inspiration from Tolkien. But the book reads and tells stories more like Game of Thrones, focusing on politics and having generally a pretty grim outlook on humanity. It's also a lot more mature like GoT, though not half as graphic. That's some pretty good company, though I'm not sure this book lives up to either for me. It may have just been the audiobook format that I didn't love for this one, because I feel like the book was actually really good. But I never felt connected to the characters, most ranging from a little lifeless (Geralt) to sometimes annoying (Ciri). Again, I think it's mostly the audiobook, because men trying to do the voice of a 12 year old girl is never going to work, so I'd like to continue this series with actual books....

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Jess Dyck) I really loved this movie. It’s a documentary about the filmmaker processing her Father getting older and nearing the end of his life. To help them tackle death on their own terms, she stages and films his death in a variety of strange (some might say comical) ways. The reality is, that as they began filming these deaths, her Father began to present with dementia and memory loss, and we get to watch as the filmmaker loses what her Father once was. It’s quite the emotional ride, especially as someone who has spent time working closely with seniors with dementia in a variety of settings. I started crying 5 minutes in and am not sure I stopped. It’s beautiful. I felt so attached to the sweet and adorable Dick Johnson, and it was a great reminder of the way parents just want time with their kids. Love is evident and beautifully displayed here. I’ve also always been weirdly into the idea of a funeral where the person is still alive to hear the word...

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) I know this is a fan favourite for a lot of people but I thought it did not hold up well. Genius, smart, aspiring writer girl gets hired at the most prestigious fashion industry in New York City and it turns out to be a perfect fit. Plot twist! She ends up giving up all of her relationships for her job and another one bites the capitalistic slave maker dust. They keep making fun of Anne Hathaway in this film that is both ridiculous and mean. They constantly call her fat, when she’s clearly not, and then there’s the famous montage where she suddenly just knows how to dress herself so well with all these new clothes. It was still fun to watch with friends and I am a sucker for a movie that ends with the main character realizing that what she wanted and needed all along was right in front of her: her friends and boyfriend!

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Will) This is a collection of essays that are loosely tied together about Trevor Noah growing up in South Africa during and after Apartheid. I've heard quite a bit about Trevor Noah, but have somehow avoided actually reading or watching anything by him until now. This book was great though! Some of his stories are funny and light-hearted, and some are difficult to read (e.g when recounting some serious childhood trauma). All of them do a great job of portraying the unique South African culture and how it changed so much over such a short period of time.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) I watched this documentary for one of my classes but thought it was really fascinating. It follows 4 different babies from birth to their first birthday, but in 4 different locations: Mongolia, Namibia, Tokyo, and San Francisco. The unique aspect of this doc was that it had no narrative. I actually like that aspect of it because it left it open ended, there was no one assigning value to the different lifestyles, and it forced me to be more observant because someone wasn’t telling me what was going on. It was so interesting to see the vast contrasts and the startling similarities. It reminded me that humanity is at the same time so similar yet vastly different. I would say parents might enjoy this a bit more but honestly I think it’s a great case study for anyone to observe and enjoy. I do think it reminded me that I don’t ever want children.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Jess Dyck) I remember liking this more than I did on the rewatch. Batman’s voice is so cringeworthy. Rachel is wooden. The origin story lasts for like the first 40 minutes of the movie! But the action is great and the movie is thoroughly entertaining and I just love a few of the classic scenes so whole heartedly that it’s still an awesome watch.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Jess Dyck) I really loved reading this book. I know it sounds silly but I really romanticize Italy after our travels there. I liked recognizing names and sights and feeling like I could see it all in my head as I read. I inhaled the novel, and it took me until the end of the book to recognize myself and my best friend in the two main characters. She really captures the way a person you love and admire can become a strangely driving and defining force in life. It was beautiful and heart-breaking and real and I’m just so excited to see their lives unfold in the next few books.

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Jess Dyck) Better than the first one but not as good as 2 & 3. My engagement just took a dive. It was too long and full of boring travelling. His wordiness really got to me again and it took me a while to get through this one. The first third of the book is great, but I honestly didn’t care for the ending. I’m sick of Rand and I just wanted more Mat and an entire book devoted to Perrin’s arc. Just get rid of Elayne & Nynaeve. Just a little un-enthused and ready for a break from the series. I’m still feeling far too invested to quit now

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Jess Dyck) I feel compelled to write this a review to up its status a little. I haven’t watched this movie in YEARS, and it hit me differently now that I’ve got my life partner (cheesy I know). The romance is believable, the styling is iconic, the movie itself is beautiful to watch, and the ending makes me sob still as much as ever. Sue me, I’m a sucker for true love conquers all—and thinking about aging and losing the memories that define your life is incredibly emotional and powerful. And I know Ally is a crappy character, she’s indecisive but she’s passionate and don’t pretend like choosing between a hot successful first love Ryan Gosling and a hot successful second love James Marsden is an easy choice. I can see past the Notebook’s flaws because the story always captures my heart and makes me both happy and devastated and gives me a beautiful white house with blue shutters and a wrap around porch to dream of living in one day.

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Man I have played some amazing games this year. Many of those games have been pretty serious or dark, but Spider-man is all about that age old video game question. Is it fun? Spider-man is a freaking lot of fun. They got everything right in this game to make it a thrilling experience from start to finish. The foundation is the ability to swing across New York, but there are fun missions, cinematic story telling, and maybe the best melee combat in any video game I've played. I've heard it said that this is the best Spider-man story ever told, including comics, movies and TV. I think Sam Rami would have something to say about that, but I readily admit my eyes welled up a number of times at the end of the game. For a light hearted game, the emotional attachment to the characters really hits you when it starts to wrap up. This is a very video gamey video game. It doesn't reinvent anything here, but it takes video game tropes and perfects ...