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⭐ 5.5/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) This was an ok read. Some elements were really good, others were confusing and felt rushed. Pretty typical hero's journey-fantasy story. Five college students are transported to a magical realm and find themselves in prominent positions among this world's people quickly against the coming threat of an ancient evil. The characters don't question much of anything that happens to them, and immediately start doing well in what they are thrust into. Not a lot of the story felt earned or how people would realistically act here. However, there are some extremely good emotional pieces, and many of the cultures are very cool. So there was good and bad in this book, I'll probably read more of the series. The guy who wrote is also from small town Saskatchewan so that's neat-o

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) I think this is one of my proudest achievements in reading. This is an insane fantasy world, with 10 years of research and writing culminating in a 1250 page first book of a planned 10-book series. This is an absolutely fantastic intro to the series and I can't wait to read more. There's way too much plot wise to dive into here, but one thing that really stood out to me was the pacing and intricacy. In a book this long, there is a huge probabiltiy that it is going to hit a major lull in the middle. Though it slows a bit, most of the story takes place within one section of the very large world, everything is so meticulously thought out and well executed, that the pay off in the climax of the story is astounding. Everything the characters achieve or don't achieve felt so earned. There was nothing cheap about their journey's, because you've got to walk through the good and the bad multiple times with them as they arrived wh...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) Sad. Sweet. More sad. Devastating sad. This is a brilliant book, but very sad. If you haven't heard of it, the book follows a man and his son as they travel along The Road going south in a post-apocalyptic North America. There's no real hope or goal to their journey, other than survival. They run into a few people, some good guys and some really, really bad people, but the heart of the story is the relationship between the man and his son. It's a deep dive into what matters in life, choosing to keep going in the face of abject hopelessness. It was really good, but really, really sad. I would encourage you to read it, but only if you're in a good head space.

⭐ 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...

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) I am not overstating, when I think this could be the greatest fantasy series I've read. With every book in the series receiving the Hugo award, my expectations were high, and they have been completely blown away. Jemisin's world building is unlike anything that has ever been written. This is a world and people that know loss, and Jemisin drags us through the mud with them, slowly bringing forth new atrocities and old wounds to help us grow with the characters at their own pace. The most intriguing bit about the series to me so far has been the narrative voice, and I really think it's the aspect that drives home the whole series for me. In essence, you are the main character in the story, and someone else is describing the things you go through, how they affect you and how you react to them. But it's all things that you know already, the narrative voice is simply helping you remember your journey. That's really the best...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) A haunting tale of loss, loyalty and regret, all told through the lens of a town obsessed with their local junior hockey team. This really was a remarkable book. I didn't read any reviews before hand, so I really wasn't expecting this to be such a heavy, emotionally invested read, but I'm so glad it was. The ability Backman holds to give such a diverse group of characters, not only any back story, but meaningful, heart-wrenching origins that inform and impact how they interact with the story is truly a marvel. I can't say I've ever read a story where this much emotional baggage is handled this well. I won't say much to avoid spoilers, but this really is a must read in my opinion. Don't write it off because it's about hockey, the sport is just the medium through which to explore the good and the bad parts of being human. There's some beauty, but so so much loss that these characters face, and the repercussi...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) My favourite Canadian Punk Rockers are back in a big way. This is a band I honestly thought had broken up a few years ago, so I was pumped to hear they were coming back with a new album this year. There's not a lot to say other than it is just classic Billy Talent, using their classic formula that works. They've consistently been one of my favourite groups basically my whole life.

⭐ 6.0/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) From the mind of Danny McBride comes a satire of a prosperity gospel super family that is absolutely preposterous. This is a vulgar, graphic and hilarious ride into the gross world of big church. Think an Arrested Development type of family, but the writers in this case have absolutely no boundaries for what they can do. The cast in this show was unreal, with Danny McBride, John Goodman and Adam Devine just to name a few. It is very on the nose to pointing out the corruption seen in prosperity gospel churches in North America, but so ridiculous in the way any character reacts to any situation. If you're ok with a strong R rating on your tv show, I'd recommend checking it out. However, if you have any aversion to any of the aforementioned content, please never watch this show.

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) This was a fun listen (I've recently realized I like audiobooks, this being the first book I've completed through this medium), though there were a few things I didn't like either. First, the plot of this book is amazing. Teenaged wizards are enrolled in a school that is actively trying to kill them. There are no teachers, you sign up for classes and the school magically provides them with the materials needed to learn. "Graduating" is only marked with surviving four years in a school riddled with monsters hidden everywhere. After graduation, you hope you've made enough connections and made a good enough impressions to be accepted into an "Enclave", a magic community in the real world that has banded together, because the monsters don't stop trying to kill you after you've graduated. The magic system is also great, as unlike in Harry Potter where they can just do whatever they please willy nilly, w...

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) I'm honestly at a loss for words for how to describe this book. My interest was piqued when I read that each one of the books in this trilogy received the Hugo award, making it the first book series EVER to do that. And let me tell you, I'm not sure I have ever read such a hauntingly, beautiful book. It deserves and earns all the love and praise it has received. This book is heavily involved with the critique and exploration of systemic racism and impending climate doom. The story focuses on a group of people called orogenes. It is an ability one is born with and allows them to draw power from the earth around them and use it to manipulate the earth around them in response. They have the ability to quell earthquakes, raise mountains and much more. However, when untrained, Orogenes are extremely dangerous, and when they draw too much power, the immediate area surrounding them freezes and proves fatal to anything and everything caught...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) A delightful little tale depicting a centurion who is bored of life in the old folks home, climbs out a window, gets involved with a bumbling Swedish mobs, makes younger friends in their seventies, also makes friends with an elephant, and also tells us about his life prior to turning one hundred which includes events such as accidentally inventing the atomic bomb, almost assassinating Winston Churchill and also playing a crucial role in the Spanish revolution. Would recommend

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) Upon hearing that Amazon was releasing a show based on this book, I wanted to read it first as I had heard of it, but knew very little about the world. I am so glad I read it first. The world-building in this book is insanely interesting and well executed. To be fair, a common complaint is that it starts off slow as it takes about 100 pages before the main characters begin their journey, but I love when an author takes the time to show us their world through their characters eyes. But Jordan commits to building a vast, complex and new world and accomplishes his goal of introducing it to us in this book I believe. The details, slow burn of events, unexpected magical races and characters and for the most part strong characters made this an amazing read. I was hooked through all 800 pages. Admittedly many similar tropes as Lord of the Rings, but different enough where it counts to not take away from it too much. I am admittedly nervous to watch...

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) Every once in awhile a book comes along that is so well written and so powerful that it changes you a little after reading it. This was one of those books. In essence, this book is the story of Ireland, told through the people who love the land. The plot follows Ronan, who begins as a 9 year old boy and we get to follow his journey into manhood. As a 9 year old, Ronan's life is completely changed when the last story teller of Ireland comes to visit his family's farm. The storyteller stays three days, and tells the town stories in exchange for bed and food. These three days change Ronan's life forever, sending him on a lifelong journey to reconnect with the storyteller and learn the history of Ireland. The book is told through stories within stories. The narrative of Ronan will push on until he meets someone with a story to tell. As we learn these stories alongside Ronan, we see how it changes his worldview and how he interacts w...

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) Today I learned that Nate Reuss had a mid-2000's indie rock band that he was in before forming Fun. and it is among the best news I've received today. Super fun, super mid-2000's indie rock and a super easy listen. Nate's voice lends itself perfectly to the genre and this is an album that will be in rotation for awhile now.

⭐ 4.0/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) The best thing I can say about this movie is that it happened. It wasn't like bad, but not good either. It just kind of exists I guess. Basically its a deep dive into a couple experiencing marital problems, portrayed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell. The setting is a family vacation in the Swiss Alps with their two sons. A brush with death reveals deep rooted issues the couple has, and they spend the rest of the movie both trying to work through them and also trying to ignore them. Basically this movie was fine. The performances are good not great, the depth we get to see into their relationship is deep enough but not super revealing. And it also just ends. Like there's no real final act, no resolution, no build up to anything climactic. The title definitely fits their relationship, but ya.... Best I can say is it exists as a movie that you can watch if you so desire.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) Also realized that I never reviewed this absolute smashing hit. It has been so long since I've been this enthralled watching a sitcom for the first time. Ted is probably the most likeable character in the history of the tv, and the rest of the cast follows suit so well. My favourite part of the show is that it is so focused on positive and meaningful character growth. It's not cheap character development at all. Characters need to communicate, overcome their demons and wrestle with their own shortcomings in order to become better versions of themselves, which is Ted's mantra as a coach. And those that don't follow this path of becoming better in a community, take the path they chose and turn inward. All the growth just has so much real and raw emotions at stake. I found both seasons just as compelling as the other, and cannot wait to see more of this show!

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) I still believe the best thing for Tom DeLonge's career was leaving Blink 182. Angels and Airwaves has been a band I've been following for years now, and their first album in 7 years did not disappoint. My favourite part of this band is their complete willingness to experiment and try new sounds. Everything they make sounds like pop-punk from another planet, and this album continues that trend with catchy choruses, meaningful lyrics and something just otherworldly about it that I can't quite explain. Where Blink has completely stagnated since reuniting in 2012, Tom continues to push the boundaries of the genre through A&A and other side projects of his.

⭐ 1.0/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) Here to balance my overwhelmingly positive array of reviews with a very poor experience. I have always liked not loved Coldplay, but did for the most part like their last effort. This one looked artsy enough and really fun, but it has to be one of the just blandest albums I've ever heard. Literally zero replay value. Betty's review was "sounds like elevator music". So yaaaaaaa, not really sure why wrote this review but here we are so enjoy.