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⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) It's a show about pirates, and stars two of my favourite New Zealanders, Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi! That's all I needed to know! With Taika's name attached I knew what kind of humour to expect, and it delivered. It's silly and sometimes weird, but also has great representation and themes of friendship and toxic masculinity.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This movie is the prequel to a popular anime/manga series that I knew nothing about, but the Internet told me I didn't need to have watched it to understand this movie, and it was right! It's about a boy who has a curse attached to him, and he gets sent to a special school to learn how to control it. It feels like several episodes of an anime that were compiled into a movie, but I didn't mind the atypical plot structure. The fight scenes are intense, the cursed spirits are creepy, and I was rooting for our hero right away. I really enjoyed it, and plan on watching the anime soon.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Hazel's first few weeks in middle school have been stressful and hard, with boys harassing her, her best friend obsessed with becoming popular, and not feeling like she fits. Then she finds a notebook that lists and rates all of the girls in school based on their looks, and it might be time for Hazel to stand out and do something to change the school culture for the better. This is a great book about fitting in and speaking out, as well as feminism and toxic masculinity. I saw a lot of myself in Hazel, and I wanted to give her a big hug. I thought the book did a good job addressing why teaching our boys to respect girls is so important.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) It's been a long time since I first read this book, or watched Slumdog Millionaire, so it was fun to revisit it. It was, of course, about a young man, Ram Muhammed, who wins a billion rupees on a quiz game show. The police don't believe he did it, plus the show can't afford to pay him, so he gets questioned and tells his lawyer the story of how he came to know the answer to each question. It's a great concept and a really fast read. The main character goes through some extremely terrible and traumatic things, so it's a pretty big bummer, but it has a thread of comedy as well. I can't help but compare it with the movie, and tbh I think it pales in comparison. The author isn't a great writer, and some of the themes come through better in the movie. I'm pretty sure I would have liked it more if I hadn't seen the movie.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This book was super adorable, just like Masood's first. Arsalan has been homeschooled by his great-grandfather all his life and been sheltered from the world. But with a dead mother and abusive father, he hasn't had it easy. Now he has to go to public school for the first time, and with his nana not doing well, he wants to guarantee he won't be alone. So he strikes up a deal with the daughter of a woman who arranges marriages - she helps him find a future wife, and he becomes her dance partner for an event. Arsalan is so adorable, with his old-fashioned manners and mannerisms, which clash with Beenish, who is fiery and outspoken. The main premise of their meeting is pretty wobbly, but it's so cute it's not a big deal. It goes into the aftereffects of living with an abusive parent, although maybe not as much as it should have. In any case, the romance was so sweet that I read the book in a day, and if it's not great lite...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I was really pumped when this show arrived on Disney + because I thought it would be a fun nostalgia trip for a Saturday or two while we were cleaning the house or something. But no! This show is incredible and I regret thinking it only had nostalgia value. I thought this show was funny when I watched as a kid, but now I think it's funny for totally different reasons. Lois is by far the funniest character here, and almost everything funny about this show depends on her existing in some capacity. It kinda made me think about how moms in most sitcoms are the most boring characters, and how disappointing that is because mom jokes have so much potential. Anyways, the antics between her and the boys are hilarious every episode, how she rules the house with psychological warfare to try to keep her insane children in check. The other characters are all great too. There really wasn't a bad episode, and many episodes that had us dying. I love how ...

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) I was super excited to watch this show because all my friends were talking about it and it's a Taika Waititi production. Plus, it's just 10 half-hour episodes! The first few episodes were a bit slow and didn't get many laughs out of me, but it really took off around episode 4. I absolutely loved it. It's a very strange, ridiculous comedy about pirates and Blackbeard, and it went in some unexpected and delightful directions. I was intensely invested by the end of the season and I've already started rewatching it. Very fun, very cute, very odd, and every character is a delight. Eagerly awaiting the next season.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Phew, what a ride. I remember season 3 being hands down the best season, but I started having my doubts when we started. It has a pretty strong start, especially with the Foot Loose episode and Aang saying "flameo hotman," but after the strong story beats from season 2, season 3 takes some time to get going. I think it really embraces humor after a more serious season 2, and oddly enough I watch this cartoon more for its emotional story moments than its entertainment. So yeah, I'm going on the record and saying season 2 is the best ATLA season. But HOLY HOTMAN this season ends strong and achieves higher highs then basically anything in television. We actually booked our apartment theatre and watched the last 4 episodes in one go, and it was one of my favorite watching experiences. What an incredible combination of action, high-end animation, music that moves you, and then awesome performances by a bunch of children! The red sky ba...

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I am not the first to say this, but this is a glorified Hallmark movie. The production value is higher, but the plot is corny, the lines are cheesy, and you know exactly what is going to happen the moment the movie starts. That being said, I was crying for the last 30 minutes, so ya, feel good movies can work. This one is about a deaf family, where the daughter is not deaf and has a love of singing. But if she leaves the fishing boat who will translate for the family business!? We almost have a Troy Bolton situation, if Troy loved his family instead of basketball. The family scenes are the real standouts here, especially the one-on-ones our protagonist has with each member. I am convinced I will watch this movie one day as a father and be convinced its the best movie of all time based on one father daughter scene. I didn't love the quirky choir director, and all the romance was hard to watch. The parents are definitely the only source of ...

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) The Lumineers have had a pretty special place in life for nearly a decade now, so they are still one of the few bands where I'm counting down the days to their next albums. If I had listened to this album a decade ago, I think it would have been just as special to me as previous entries. I don't exactly connect with music the way I used to, but I can totally see this one being the album I listen to on repeat this summer. This album has the same feel as all their previous ones which, to me, is a good thing. They just have this distinct, vintage, soulful style that I love. I really would love to go on a long explanation about what this album means to me, but I guess I'm just not in that phase of life. I've listened to this album pretty regularly since it came out in January and have really enjoyed doing so. It has yet to leave that same impact as Cleopatra, but I guess time will tell. Their previous album was great, but I haven'...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) Absolutely LOVED this one. As a fan of boybands both old and new, I could absolutely related to the main character, and I loved the 90s aspect of the story. Plus I watched it in Toronto, where it was set! I laughed a lot, and I found the story quite moving. And the music was very fun as well. The only thing I really didn't like was how much secondhand embarrassment I had to suffer through.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) Henry's a huge downer, I thought this was really fun. I also thought the kid wasn't annoying ENOUGH. They kept being like "this kid is so annoying!" and I was like 🤷‍♀️ where? He seemed like a regular kid to me, and the actor was too charming to be convincingly obnoxious. The story wasn't at all fresh or unpredictable but I had a great time watching it with my favourite sister Jess. The biggest flaw was that time travel doesn't make sense and their effort to make it make sense was completely ineffective.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) A few weeks ago, the ship Endurance was found in the Antarctic, 117 years after it sank in 1915. My friend Emily is super into boats and told me about it, and Owl City posted about it on Instagram, saying he read a book about it and wrote a score based on it a few years back. I suddenly got super invested (the score also slaps), and on my way to Toronto I got the 11-hour audiobook, just for kicks. This story was GRIPPING. I don't read a lot of nonfiction, but I do like survival stories, and this one was amazing. I was on vacation but I was listening to this audiobook every time a had a spare minute, including while waiting for a table to open at a restaurant. The story of the boat getting stuck in the ice and the crew trying to survive and figure out a way to get rescued was super well-documented and LITERALLY insane from start to finish. And importantly, every single member of the crew survived (except the sled dogs and one crewmember'...

⭐ 5.5/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) Does Weezer make good music? Maybe. Does Weezer make music that so violently makes you stop and think, "wow! That sure is Weezer right there?" Absolutely. Is that what they did with this album? Oh yeah. Whether or not Weezer is good, they are unapologetically Weezer, and this album is that. So go Weezer!

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) Y'all this is some bleak sci-fi right here. I've been curious about this book for awhile, and am happy I finally read it, but there was quite a bit that didn't land for me. First of all, this book featured my forever biggest complaint with sci-fi; the author knows way more about physics and science than I do, and it shows. A lot of the dialogue is information dumps for certain problems in physics and philosophy, mainly, the Three Body Problem. There was a lot I couldn't follow which always takes away from the reading experience. Most of the characters also exist purely to serve idealogical or political stances as well. Outside of Ye Weinje, there really isn't a lot of character development for anyone, especially our main character. Part of me wonders if this is a fault of the author, or more typical of modern Chinese fiction. Hard to know what got lost in translation. One thing I really did like was the way we were slowly...

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) Both of my reviews of the first two books in this series were a tad long winded, so I'll keep this short. Beyond the fantastic world building, amazing magic system and stunningly complex characters, what stood out to me the most throughout the series was this: I've never understood the what it feels to be a victim of systemic oppression through a work of fiction as deeply as in this series. I'm not talking about certain groups against other groups, but a world where the entire system is and has been set up to take advantage of one group of people, over hundreds and thousands of years. You feel this weight and hopelessness along side the characters. You learn the evil of their world along side them, and feel the hopelessness of the philosophy "we've always done it this way." Please read this books. Please read them to understand someone else's lived experience. To build empathy, to build understanding and to lea...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) I feel like Charli should be a way bigger artist than she is. She makes consistent bangers and is almost always in the mainstream. I’ve seen her live and she brings incredible energy and passion to her performances and songs. At a whopping 12 songs, 34 minutes this album is great. Just about every song is upbeat and high tempo - the perfect running album. If I had to rate it like that I’d say it’s a perfect 10. However, I think some songs are forgettable and I won’t base my feelings off the BPMs. Some good features, a few deep cuts, but mostly just fun, hyper pop to get you hyped. Every Rule, Yuck, and Good Ones are my favourites.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) This is a Netflix Ryan Reynolds movie about time travel so I’ll give you all about 3 guesses to figure out the plot, the snarky one liners and how it ends and I’m sure you’ll all be scary accurate. It’s not that I don’t like these movies, they just don’t appeal to me as much anymore. Like I said, the scrappy doo humour and the single character that Ryan Reynolds always plays just get old pretty quick. The kid was like, unimaginably annoying, however, Zoe Saldana was a redeeming factor.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This is a switch game where you strap on your joy cons and it takes you through a fantasy adventure that is meant to make you do exercise. So you have to run through the forests by running in place, shoot a bow by pulling the ring, do squats to attack enemies, etc. The concept is VERY cool and really helped me get through winter especially while gyms were closed. The actual fantasy adventure part of this game is predictably very terrible. It's made for kids, and the voices and story are so annoying I just put it on mute. But I think the concept is awesome, could lead to some cool games in the future, and is structured enough to keep you wanting to play through more levels. I think this is a legitimately good way to stay in shape as this game has some pretty rigorous workouts. I think there are some legitimately good ideas and awesome, creative mini games. Even now I sometimes play a bit over lunch if I want a quick way to stretch my legs. It...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I read this after loving the TV show, and there's a reason the show is so good - the book is also great! In a post-apocalyptic world where people still struggle to survive it examines the human necessity for art and expression and connection. Its hard not to just compare it to the show, but I think even without that reference it paints a vivid picture of what the world would look like in that situation. Some scarily accurate early pandemic reactions, but also an interesting look at how people would have adjusted 20 years in the future. The difference between people who lived through the pandemic and were born after was also interesting to me, and the desire to return to a life with more safety and even technology that seems magical was moving. The show goes to great lengths to connect all the characters, and while the connections exist here they don't feel as forced. Had me thinking about Cloud Atlas, less the reincarnation bit and more ...

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I have been working through this season for a long time, and the pace really picked up when we starting watching it during workouts and Jess enjoyed it because its a cartoon that she feels safe in. The start is a bit of a drag, with the same old orphan jedi kid finding a family and learning to trust. Things get a lot more exciting near the end of the season as we meet some familiar faces and the stakes feel like the are raised. So while I didn't love the season I think there is a lot of potential, and I feel confident that I will end up liking this show more than The Clone Wars. Feels less hampered by the movies, in that we don't need a Jar Jar or R2D2 episode, and that makes the episodes with cameos feel more satisfying. We have started season 2 and its great, also feels like key preparation for the Kenobi show. Lets see some more lightsabers!

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) This is a rewatch in anticipation of season 3, and this show is just so good. I realized more of my favourite episodes are in 2, but this show is just so weird in all the best ways. Donald Glover, who also created this show, plays the down-on-his-luck manager for his rapper cousin. Kind of follows him as he struggles to keep his head above water, fighting off homelessness but also trying to hold together the few relationships he has. This show is very odd, but its clear Glover has a ton of ideas and just wants to get them all out there. I feel like there are a lot of nuances around race and stereotypes that I am not picking up on, but many of the situations feel so real and lived-in. The trio of actors playing the main three guys are all incredible, its a delight seeing them all on screen together. My stand out episode is the one where Paper Boi goes on local television to get some good PR and ends up in a debate over trans-rights. This show has me ...

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) Ok I LOVED this! Everything about it was awesome. The animation, the story, the setting, the supporting characters. Everything! It was hilarious and touching and everyone should watch it. I don’t want to appropriate but I feel like a lot of Mennonites could relate to the familial guilt and responsibility portrayed in here; although maybe not to the same extreme degree. However, I related to Maelin so much as a kid. I also feel like the did a great job making the characters unabashedly annoying, but in an endearing way. Kids are insufferable but they’re also kind of great! I just enjoyed this so much and Abby is defs the VIP.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) Will Smith is BACK in the story of Venus and Serena's dad. I was aware that Richard was a crazy and demanding sports parent, but this movie depicts him as a loving father as well, doing what he thinks is necessary to ensure his children don't end up on a path that he thinks would be inevitable otherwise. This is a feel good sports movie at its core, so it has all the montages, all the first pumping wins, and all the satisfying underdog triumphs. The young girls playing the sisters are amazing, at acting sure, but I was impressed by how convincingly good at tennis they looked. I was ready to put on my sneakers and run out to the closest court in the snow. Will Smith is getting all the praise in this one, and I thought he was good. Richard Williams is not really a person I would normally want to empathize with (brash, cocky, know-it-all), but somehow it all seems justified for him. The first hour is really all about him, and I did think t...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) Another cute Pixar movie! This one takes place in Toronto, and features a young Asian girl who is growing up, finding out she likes boys, and constantly butting heads with her mom. Relatable! This movie is super quirky and weird, and reminded me a bit of the Mitchells vs The Machines (which is amazing and way better than this one). Super fast cuts, very strange characters, things that would be cringey if it wasn't just kids being kids. I liked the way it looked at family dynamics, and the power of friendships in a young kid's life. The main plot is this group of friends trying to get tickets to see a boy band, and leveraging some strange circumstances to make that happen. I thought the whole conceit was actually pretty funny, and like all Pixar movies you'll be feeling emotional. The animation looks great, the songs are catchy, and overall it was just a pleasant movie. It also makes Toronto look like a culturally diverse heaven, whic...

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) So Jess wanted to watch this movie together, which is super weird because despite being a pretty good movie, it is totally not a Jess movie. This movie is SUPER bleak. It's about Hugh Jackman's young daughter getting kidnapped and he and a few others doing some *questionable* things in an attempt to find her. First off, this movie has the three creepiest actors in Hollywood in it, with Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano and David Dastmalchian. You know this movie is gonna be yucky. But honestly an amazing performance by all 3, keeping everything tense and mysterious. The movie definitely has some very hard-to-watch scenes and yet, because the girl kidnapped was an innocent sweetie, you understand some character motivations. Emphasis on some! Because the ending fell a little flat to me, with some motivations totally not adding up in my opinion. This, in addition to some pretty weak writing to start made me feel like this movie lands a score just b...

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I watched this show a few years ago and really liked it and said it was the best animated show out there. Now, after a re-watch of season 2, I am kinda just wondering if it's not just the best show ever period? It's definitely in my all-time pantheon and likely going to be an annual re-watch. This season is honestly perfect. Where season 1 had some episodes you could probably skip, this season is 20 perfect episodes that either move the plot forward or develop characters in important ways. Now that I know the final result, it is so cool to see how they lay the groundwork to get there. I firmly believe this show to be a masterclass in storytelling and character development and should be something schools teach in writing classes. There are so many interesting dynamics going on here between characters, but in this show the most compelling dynamic will always be within the characters themselves. I also had my mind blown when I discover...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) My first game on the PS Now streaming service and I loved it! You play as this hulking monster of a man guiding his son through the Norse realms as you are pursued by your past. The game starts off with this incredibly cinematic battle that doubles as a tutorial and I was hooked. The gameplay is what stood out for me here. The world looks incredible, with many distinct and beautiful settings, but swinging that axe never got boring. I enjoy the half linear/half open world style games, and I never felt burdened by side quests or curiosities. The fighting also never got boring, with several challenging late game quests to force me to hone my skills and truly become the God of War . Parts of the story were a bit weak, with some moments where your son becomes really annoying that kind of just vanish eventually, but I liked the twists and the overall guardian/mentor dynamic. I was anticipating a bigger final battle, with a more important final boss, but I...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Kattina) In Robert Galbraith’s (JK Rowling) second novel, we continue to follow the life and career of private detective Cormoran Strike. I think it had been more than a year since I had read the first book, so I was thankful for the author reminding me of the relevant backstory while continuing to round out the characters. For this reason I don’t think you necessarily have to read the first book; I enjoyed this one much more anyway. The twists and turns of the story were very engaging, and I have developed more interest in Strike and his assistant Robin. I was not able to guess the ending, so I won’t add any potential spoilers here. It’s 455 pages but I whipped through it in between caring for an infant in less than a week. I’ll be starting the next (last?) book of the series today. Update: there are three more Strike novels, and another coming out this year. There’s also a TV series on Amazon Prime “Strike”. I’ll report back.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) Emo RPat is the city’s greatest detective but they call him VENGEANCE and he gets to fight crime with the sexiest woman alive! And it was great! Ya, I enjoyed this quite a bit. A lot of really cool shots, some grimy villains and goddamn they made that city bleak and depressing. They completely skipped over the Bruce Wayne part which was interesting but I liked it. I’m sick of seeing rich people on my screen! I also feel like they tried to quell the whole “well Bruce maybe just invest your money into social services and you won’t have to dress up to fight crime?” bit by showing how that foundation had become corrupt but give me a break. Loved Penguin actually. Really great character and that car chase was fantastic! The Riddler also seemed just so believable. They way he rallies his followers and all that seemed like the QAnon movement. Anyway, make sure you only get a small pop because this movie is looooong.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Is this a perfect movie worthy of a perfect score? Maybe not, but it does a ton of awesome stuff that as a Batman superfan i loved, and I'm in a generous mood so yeah, what the heck. Masterpiece. I actually think my love of Batman has hurt my appreciation for a lot of Batmedia because I have developed very specific likes and dislikes. For me, Batman has to be dark, gritty, grounded, and more hardboiled detective than saviour from the apocalypse. He should speak few words, have few friends, and uphold an aura of mystery. Trust me when I say I was GRINNING during the ten minute intro. This is everything I have ever wanted for a Batman movie. I thought it would be a blockbuster with a few darker elements, but this is full blown noir. This is the greatest detective in the world working a case in the bleakest, most depraved city to exist. It has the rain, it has the voiceover, it has the slow, methodical movement. They nailed this atmosphere. Eve...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This was a very fun, fast-paced sci-fi book that I zipped through in a day. Mickey7 is the seventh iteration of himself, hired to be an Expendable on a spaceship going to a new planet to start a new colony. It's his job to do all the dangerous and terrible stuff, but when he gets killed, they make him a new body, give him all his memories, and send him back out. Except there's a mistake and suddenly he and Mickey8 are alive at the same time, which is super not allowed, but neither of them want to die. So they're trying to hide the fact they're alive at the same time, but it's not easy on a small space station. There are quite a few books out there about space and clones and all that, and this one might not bring much new to the table, but it sure was fun! Of course it's set in the future because humans have destroyed the earth, and so everyone's going to new planets to explore. Some colonies succeed, and lots fail. ...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) I loved this! Maggie and I read/listened to it on our trip to and from Niagara, and it was such a fun read. It follows a 13-year-old girl who, by some twist of fate, ends up on a months-long boat trip across the ocean with just the captain and crew. And she's a lady! And everyone keeps warning her against the captain, and the captain warns her against the crew! To say much more would give it away, but I loved that this story didn't mince words when it came to how treacherous and terrible living on the sea can be, but also how wonderful it can be to feel free and alive. I was eager to get to the end and I loved how things turned out. It's intended for middle grade audiences, and although it's a bit dated (ie racist) I think it holds up really well.

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) Heard this book advertised as "for adults who loved Redwall as kids" and that's me! Plus it was only 3.5 hours on audiobook so I figured why not? It ended up not really being my thing, though. I enjoyed it enough to listen to all 3.5 hours, but if it had been longer I might have tapped out. It's a grimdark tale of revenge, very fast-paced and non-linear, with a cast of characters that were fun but you never really got to know or sympathize with. It was cool to see anthropomorphic animals in a book for adults, but other than that, it was kinda just meh for me. Great narrator though!

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Inspector Gamache #9. I think this was the first Inspector Gamache book that had me staying up past my bedtime, needing to finish the book because it was that engrossing and thrilling. It started off as usual, as Gamache talks to people and discovers the events and people surrounding a death, this time of the final remaining sister of the famous Ouellet Quints. But it also involves both the Arnaut case, first introduced in the first book, and the raid and shooting that was first introduced a few books ago that got Beauvoir addicted to painkillers. Now everything comes together and the last 100 pages or so are super intense and page-turnery. I loved it. Penny really stepped it up in this book!

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Addie is 11 and autistic, and her new special interest is the witches who were burned in her Scottish town for being different. Addie is determined to convince the town to build a monument to them, but the councillors and her inconsiderate new teacher won't listen. This is a wonderful book by and about being autistic in a world that still doesn't understand what that means. She also has two older sisters, one who is also autistic and one who isn't, and I loved the family themes here as well.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This is a gothic supernatural Ethiopian reimagining of Jane Eyre, and it was so fun! Andromeda is a trained spirit-banisher who is so desperate for a job she agrees to take on the most difficult house in the area, owned by a strange cursed man. Of course it's more difficult than she bargained for, plus she has to figure out what's really going on. It's a debut novel, and I felt like it showed. But I still really enjoyed it. Rochester was still flawed and made mistakes, but not outright terrible like in the original. He was also aged down to make it appropriate for a YA novel, which I didn't mind. It was definitely more inspired by Jane Eyre than a retelling, and I enjoyed the changes because it made the story unpredictable and fresh, although purists might hate it.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) This was possibly the worst movie I've ever seen and it was worth every second. Dragons ARE real. They convinced me.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) This was Maggie's most recent pick for TV--a Great British Bake Off for people making miniatures. And honestly, it was a blast. The personalities definitely weren't GBBO-level, but I did love seeing everyone make their miniatures! I was very invested in what people were making, especially since they continued the same project across all episodes. Some of the creations were really incredible. I would honestly recommend this even to people who don't care about miniatures--it was fun! And it's free to watch on CBC.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) This was a really fun read! I got in on a whim after seeing it on tiktok and then finding it super easily on CloudLibrary, narrated by my bestie Kevin R Free, the same guy who does all the murderbot audiobooks. And it's a fun queer YA fantasy romance! About a magic prince and a merman! I simply couldn't say no. This book was sweet and fun and light-hearted and predictable in all the best ways. It was rife with fortunate coincidences and plot twists I saw from a mile away and I loved it. It won't win any awards, but I loved it for its simplicity and self-indulgence. Not much angst here, just nice vibes and some predictable peril. I love high fantasy and I would have LOVED this book as a 14 year old (if I hadn't been homophobic back then). And I still loved it now.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) When I left this movie I kind of thought it was straight up bad. The more I think about it, the more I think that the storyline and plot was bad but everything else was amazing. So I am torn on the score. Visually I think this is everything you could want from a batman movie. Incredible fight scenes, moody environments, a real perfect vibe for movies like this. There are some really artsy shots of him doing cool things, and they nailed the feel. There is an incredible car chase in here that was probably the standout moment for me. In terms of the man himself, I can't say I loved this iteration. He is full time detective mode, almost never out of costume, which is cool. Pattinson is more emo then brooding, and I found I could never connect to him. He shows basically no emotion except anger, and I don't need a Batman movie to make me laugh but the self seriousness gets tiring after 3 hours. A one-note performance in my eyes, and while I'm ...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) The first time I saw this movie I rated it a 7. I thought it was kind of overhyped, and the roller coaster of the first hour felt disconnected from the train crash back half. On rewatch this movie is maybe a masterpiece? At least I think the last hour or so is. The charms of the beginning fell totally flat, with Ally jumping on stage nervously to then absolutely belt out the song she practiced once before being more of an eye roll than a fist pump. So much of their earlier encounters had me squirming with awkwardness. The nose touching is weird, not cute, and the parking lot is so cringey. Hearing someone earnestly singing a deep song as if they made it up on the spot is just so uncomfortable. But when things start falling apart this movie is incredible. I will never understand what made Ally fall for this raging alcoholic in the first place, but the love she shows for him feels earned and real. The arguments, the artistic tension, the scene at the ...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) All done! What a journey it has been. Over the last couple episodes I could feel the ache of tearing myself away from a family I have grown to love, and I wish each of the actors the best in life. This final season was pretty strong, and I almost wanted the finale to be more manipulative! They had the ammunition to leave me as a puddle, but I didn't feel as emotional during the final scenes as I thought I could have been. But that's fine. The Cam and Mitch arc to end the season was also kind of a weird misdirect that ends up where you thought it would. I am honoured to have watched this show, and ashamed at how I felt about it before I had seen it. Pretty incredible run, and I am curious to see if we will ever get another show like it in the era of streaming. Phil has entered my TV character Hall of Fame, and honestly maybe even my Mount Rushmore. May I one day be half the dad he is. That being said, I also think this show was full of i...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I feel the same way about this book as I did the first - really solid fantasy, with some epic action scenes, but not an all time favourite. The magic system is still slightly confusing, and this book introduces some kind of Magic The Gathering style magic, but for the most part it never really causes me to miss anything. The characters have a lot of depth, and there were a couple truly shocking moments for my favourite character. The main character became a bit dull for me, attending the school to learn how to use his magic and the machinations that get involved there feel pretty worn out. I did think the first half of this book was amazing, and something about its pace had me hooked, flying through it. But the second half slowed down a lot, and although it ends with a bang I just wasn't as in to it. This is a good combination of Sanderson magic and world building with a more violent a realistic feeling universe, and I have ordered the rest o...