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⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) I'm always up for a good murder mystery, and this was a fun, quick read (listen). Set on a secluded Irish island with a dark history, the story is told from multiple points of view leading up to and during a wedding. Most of the characters were exceptionally unlikable, but I think that was the point. A little too coincidental at the end for my taste, but overall kept me guessing and intrigued.

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) Totally agree with the statements in Maggie's review of this book. Such an interesting read/listen, particularly since it was written during the pandemic. I really loved his star ratings at the end of every chapter. I found myself trying to guess what he would rate and looking forward to it. Can't help but chuckle as I myself give this book a star rating.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) Certainly not a new concept, but so fun nonetheless. I love mysteries, history, libraries, and medieval cathedrals! Unfortunately listening to this as an audiobook had a major drawback for me, because I thought the voice and accent of Bethany was awful. It made her really hard for me to like, and I had to consciously imagine how I would have felt if those sentences were read instead of heard in an annoying, forced southern accent. That's not the book's fault though, so I'd recommend reading this one!

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) I admit to feeling a bit confused starting this book. It has enough parallels to Harry Potter to feel familiar, but then I kept overthinking how different plots and characters related to the HP series. I also had to google whether I was reading a sequel because it makes a lot of references to previous events that I knew nothing about, and realized that while it is the first of a stand-alone series, it is a series that was talked about in one of the author's previous series so I think I missed some details there. After I got over these things, I really enjoyed the book. Felt like I was really able to get to know the characters and the anguish they experienced because of the roles they had to play and fulfill.

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) Not much I can add after all of the reviews on here already, but it really was a wonderful short novel and I love Murderbot so much. He's just so... relatable somehow. Like, I'm pretty sure most of us want to just put in minimal effort into our jobs and would rather just watch shows most of the time, you know? Looking forward to listening to the rest.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) An engaging, interesting, concise book about the history of racism. I loved listening to this as an audiobook and he really brought it to life. I felt like I learned a lot.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) Engaging story, a bit of mystery, and a focus on how Black men are represented in the media and in the justice system. Felt like the ending was a bit too coincidental.

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) Overall I enjoyed listening to this audiobook. It was fun and made me think a lot about our future. I kind of like surprise sequels because I usually end books thinking 'I want to know more about what happens later!' so it was nice to get a follow up! There are a few new additions in this book that weren't in Ready Player One, but it felt kind of repetitive to be honest. And there was just way too much explanation about the different 80's references, I kind of tuned out sometimes and didn't miss anything. Still not a lot of character development, either. The ending was rather unexpected, which I enjoyed.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) This mini series follows the lives of the wives of the American astronauts during their missions. Really cool perspective and highlights the sacrifices they all made to make space travel possible. Surprisingly emotional while also feeling kind of educational. The stats on how many of the astronauts' marriages survived was pretty shocking, too, and you start to understand why.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) Really loved this miniseries overall! I wasn't particularly into either of these characters previously but now love them both and really appreciate their backstories. Samuel wrote to Lydia on Messenger Kids "I love 🦾 Bucky barns so much" and I can relate. The ending felt confusing and didn't give me closure, but Kathy's explanation that it was changed last minute totally makes sense now.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) An exciting, mysterious Gothic novel about a young woman who marries a wealthy widower, returns to his estate, and is haunted by the memory of her husband's first wife, Rebecca. It's a quick, enjoyable read/listen, though the ending felt so abrupt I downloaded another copy to confirm that it was indeed the ending.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) Really nothing more to add to what everyone has already said. I enjoyed how unique and mysterious it felt and how it was completely unpredictable at first. Agree that the fight scenes were unnecessary and took away from the emotional aspect, but I was still really moved.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) Really enjoyed reading the backstory of Maverick. Highlights how difficult it can be for Black teens to remove themselves from gangs and drug dealing when it's often the only option they can see to feel protected and make a decent income. Having spent 13 years working with teens who often make terrible decisions, this book reminded me to be more empathetic and supportive.

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) The next Inspector Gamache book in the series, and still laughable that another murder occurs so close to Three Pines. But I enjoy the writing and stories, and feel like I'm this far in and had might as well keep reading/listening to the series as filler books when I don't have anything else.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) So we actually watched both seasons back to back but I didn't want to review them separately. Really, if you read Maggie's review it's pretty much exactly my thoughts. Especially the waiting for Mando to take his helmet off every episode. I just couldn't feel close to him with hardly ever seeing his face and expressions. Of course Grogu stole my heart.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) If you want to get crazy hungry and be especially bitter that you can't travel right now, this is the series for you! I watched both the Asia and Latin America series' and loved both. Really cool to hear the chefs' stories and how they came to create and sell street food, and you learn a tiny bit about each city they highlight. I'm so ready for a foodcation.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) Justyce is an Ivy League bound Black teen in an almost all-white private school, and he starts writing letters to MLK about his thoughts around racism and police profiling and brutality. He experiences some really heavy stuff and obviously has a lot of big feelings about them. I felt like it was written for a younger crowd than me, but would be an excellent read for a teen.

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) This one wasn't really my thing. It follows the life of an Irish midwife for a few days as she works in the flu maternity ward during a pandemic at the end of WW1, and details (I mean, a LOT of detail) her work with the sick, expectant mothers. Despite having 2 babies of my own, I've never been interested in the details of birth and this was way too graphic for me. There's also so much tragedy and sadness and it's just so...bleak. A tiny bit of hope and meaning at the end, but was not worth the pain for me.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) This was a sweet movie about a group of fishermen in Cornwall who end up getting signed for a record deal as a result of a joke but then rise to fame. Some great sea shanties, a little bit of romance, stunning views, and just a delightful watch.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by The Original Susanne) I honestly don't know if I've ever been so emotional watching something in my life. I've been trying to be intentional about watching and reading things that highlight the lives of Black folks lately and chose this miniseries because it seemed important. It follows the true events of 5 young boys of colour being arrested and coerced into confessing to a rape. I was filled with so much rage towards the police, lawyers, prison guards, and criminal justice system as a whole. It was so heartbreaking and I cried a lot during the third and fourth episodes. It really made me reflect on the brokeness of the criminal justice system. Such a valuable watch.