WeView

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) I haven't been making time for WeView, but I had to jump on to write a quick review of Encanto to boost the overall score and point out where everyone else is wrong. It is extremely powerful emotionally (JOE), the music is incredibly catchy, and the characters are lovable and memorable. I actually loved Stephanie Beatriz' vocal performance... she might not sound like a Broadway performer, but she brings a unique and whimsical charm I never would have expected. And of course it's visually beautiful. The complex and delicate way it handles intergenerational trauma... the focus on family relationships, including generally unexplored ones like uncle/niece, cousins, grandparents... the gut-punch of Luisa's burden as the oldest sister with relentless responsibility... Lin-Manuel's lyrical and musical genius... The insane catchiness of We Don't Talk About Bruno... Brilliant. It's fantastic. (It helps that Lydia is absolute...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) YES! Loving these MCU miniseries! They are pretty much my only source of joy right now in yet another dreadful lockdown. This show was a 10 for most of the series, but got bumped down a few stars for the kind of weak and confusing ending.* What the MCU does best is character stories, and that was true of this series. I especially found Bucky's story compelling, as we've been following his harrowing experiences for a decade. Every week I was anxious to find out how he might move forward. Sebastian Stan's performance: 11/10, A++. That flashback scene in Wakanda? Please give the man an Oscar. I went into it not having strong emotions about Sam, but the writers finally gave him a more rounded character and moving emotional arc. The introduction of John Walker was powerful, and Wyatt's acting superb. I was impressed that Disney/Marvel decided to tackle race issues head-on, which was a smart move, even if it wasn't fully fleshed-...

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) I wanted to like this movie. Other people said it was better than the rest so I was really optimistic. I'm trying very hard to give the DCEU a fair shake. But I am just disappointed every time, and this movie was no exception. I just found it super predictable, all the gags could be seen coming from a mile away, the dialogue was really unnatural, and the fight scenes had no tension. I love action movies, but this was like all DC movies where I felt tempted to reach for my phone during the fight scenes where the good guy and bad guy just fly around and punch each other. Also, I'm willing to overlook a certain amount of playing around with the laws of physics, but this one just stretched my disbelief too far. Catching a falling bus six feet above of the ground isn't going to do any less damage to the people inside than letting it fall all the way to the ground. I'm sorry, guys. I tried.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) I like to throw a few classic/canonical books in the mix every so often -- gotta maintain my literary credentials. But I wanted something that would keep my attention, and I remembered this 1938 novel being pretty thrilling. Hoo baby, what a ride! This gothic psychological thriller is quite shocking given its year of publication. The narrator is a shy, awkward young orphan woman who gets caught up in a whirlwind romance with a wealthy, much-older man, about whom she only really knows two things: that his wife died tragically and mysteriously a year prior, and he owns a grand estate called Manderly. He proposes to her suddenly, and whisks her off to become mistress of the house, where suddenly she is responsible to run an entire estate with a slew of servants. She is intimidated by the whole affair, but especially when she learns that the prior mistress, Rebecca, was a famously gorgeous, confident, brilliant, local celebrity who hosted lavish p...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) Loved it. I've been missing the MCU, and it was delightful to be finally able to visit this universe again after such a long time away. WandaVision was wonderfully weird, fresh, exciting, emotional, moving... Just a good time all around.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) I was motivated to read this book because I saw the Netflix trailer -- they're turning it into a series which comes out next month -- and it looked AMAAAAZING. I've read and loved the author's later works (The Six of Crows duology), set in the same universe, so she already had my trust. This book wasn't as original or compelling as her other books, but it was still an exciting, well-written, well-paced YA fantasy action adventure set in an immersive fantasy world. I actually liked the narrator/protagonist -- a teenaged orphan girl, an unremarkable nobody who turns out to have a rare ability -- which honestly is an impressive accomplishment. I found her easy to empathize with as she grappled with the responsibility and power that came with her newfound abilities, and attracting the attention of one of the most powerful (and sexy as hell*) men in the country. After the bad writing of my last read, I found this book refreshing, an...

⭐ 5.0/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) I'm not sure how to feel about this movie. I watched it because I freaking love director Taika Waititi and his absurd genius, and I knew he'd won an award for the screenplay. It is every bit as bizarre as you would expect from Waititi if you know his earlier work, but it deals with the SUPER serious topic of Nazism in WW2. The protagonist is a 10-year-old German boy (Jojo) who's deeply indoctrinated in Nazi propoganda, and Waititi plays his imaginary version of Adolf Hitler, who's a sort of imaginary best friend. Early in the movie, Jojo learns that his mom is hiding a Jewish girl in their home, and has to grapple with all the opposing values that surround him and the very apparent humanity of his enemy. It's mostly fun and nonsense until the movie takes a VERY sudden, jarring turn near the end that had me SOBBING at 3am when I was watching it. There is never any real resolution, and by the end, Jojo has clearly changed his...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) This show is amazing and perfect in a lot of ways, but was very disappointing in one very specific way that probably only really upset me, but I don't want to go into too much detail and give away any spoilers. (Essentially, I was watching the show WAY TOO OBSESSIVELY for a couple of weeks, and got SUPER invested in one particular relationship, and then it did not pan out the way I was hoping and I was completely crushed. Like, it ruined my WEEK. That's probably mostly on me.) Other than that one unforgivable mistake, the show is fantastic. Very funny, very absorbing, It's not afraid to take a stand on certain issues, like worker's rights and cruel immigration policies. But it's mostly just fun entertainment, which I've really needed lately. The characters are great, the jokes are nonstop... Just, don't expect to see the characters grow or develop all that much, and don't get too caught up in the relationships. ...

⭐ 5.0/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) (Third and final book in the Legend series) This is the first book I finished in 2021. I started several others but couldn't finish them -- I was just having bad luck finding the right fit. So I finally FORCED myself to push though this one just so I had something to put on my list, even though it was solidly meh. (As were the first two books in the series. They were both so mediocre I waited years in between each one, always hoping the next one would prove better, but always being disappointed.) It's a YA dystopian novel, which is usually my jam, but the characters, plot, and writing are all profoundly unexceptional. (There are MULTIPLE instances of a character gripping something so tightly their knuckles go white, and the narrator even uses the actual words, "The silence was deafening.") The POV switches back and forth between the two main characters, a teen girl and boy who have extraordinary talents for, like, combat and ...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) (I'm just reposting an old review -- Ben noticed I'd misspelled the author's name in the original review, which disconnects it from other people's reviews, and it can't be edited.) This sequel was exactly what I hoped for. Everything I love about YA fantasy and nothing I hate! High stakes, magic, lots of action, violence without too much gore, a little bit of romance (some of it non-hetero). But none of it felt cliche. The terrific characters all got some great development and we got some valuable backstory from the ones that were still a little mysterious in the last book. If you read/liked the first book, definitely read this one! It's very satisfying.

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) I read this because I love Lindsay as a Youtuber and I love sci-fi. It was fine. The alien was cool. The protagonist/narrator was kind of boring, though, and I couldn't bring myself to care about her all that much. I thought the story really dragged for most of the book, though it got really intense and interesting in the last eighth of the story. Good for Lindsay for completing the herculean task of writing and publishing a novel, but it wasn't anything outstanding. Her real talent lies in her critical analysis of media and her entertaining video essays.

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) My review is basically identical to Magdalene's. Just go read hers, it's great and I'm tired. I went into the first book (An Absolutely Remarkable Thing) already a fan of vlogger Hank Green, and I loved it. So I had high expectations going into the sequel, and, well, Hank outdid himself. It was gripping, well-paced, insightful, thought-provoking, and hella fun. Go read it! Aliens! Greedy corporate overlords! Teamwork! Ass-kicking! Musings on the value of human life! Cyborgs! Good vs evil!

⭐ 5.0/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) I remember thinking this movie was silly but fun as a teenager, so I grabbed it when I saw it at a thrift store for a few dollars. Guys, it is SO DUMB. Oh my goodness I hardly know where to start. The costumes, the lazy writing, the fact that I still don't understand who the love interest is (a princess? a noblewoman? Who is her family? Where is she from? Does she have a last name??). I know they were being cheekily anachronistic with the music and some of the costume choices, but I just couldn't swallow most of it. All that being said, it was still kind of fun to see jousting and an underdog champion.

⭐ 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 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).

⭐ 8.5/10 (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.

⭐ 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...

⭐ 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 ...

⭐ 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.