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⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Will) Great all around, though the music didn't stand out as much as it could have. If you're into this genre and/or have kids into this genre, you can't go wrong.

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Will) This movie was an odd mix of both great and terrible. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are genuinely funny together, and their friendship is 💯 The storyline got pretty weird though, and it got a bit more serious (and gratuitously violent) than I expected. I was hoping the whole thing was going to be a bit more light-hearted, but it didn't turn out that way.

⭐ 4.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I love the fantasy genre so I felt I had to give it a try. I am kinda perplexed by people saying they liked this show. It was so utterly confusing throughout, though I suppose the final episodes clarify a few things. But during the first episodes I was just wondering why I was even watching this show - they were truly terrible. Just excuses to get lots of blood and boobs on screen. Then if you watch to the end you are rewarded by getting 3 average episodes. Just things like the handling of character arcs were done so poorly. The primary supporting role has her entire character transformation - from deformed loser, to powerful, to hot and powerful - in TWO episodes. Part of the problem was trying to teach the audience about a new universe, it's long history and also 100 characters in 8 episodes. But with that said I could even imagine being convinced to watch season 2 now that they got a lot of the world building done. 2 stars for the last epi...

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This book was so good, you guys. And something I don't think I've read before in YA - a book about toxic masculinity by and about a Black man. It was the concept that got me interested at first - Del has been in love with a girl from school for years, and automatically signs up for the same church club she's in so he can spend more time with her... only to find out it's a Purity Pledge group. Ha! This book tackles so many relevant and important topics. Del tries so hard to be a "good guy" so the girl will like him... but is he even a good guy? There's a subplot too about a group of teen girls who got pregnant and how the town reacts to that. Plus Del's church and the strict pastor who keeps trying to take down the sex ed classes in high school. But the main point is all these boys playing into the system they've learned on how to treat women because nobody has taught them any better. Del is definitely flaw...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I remember being completely hooked the first time I watched this, and that's probably because of the new mysteries they introduce every episode. Second time around I just want everything to move faster and get to the good stuff. Some really memorable episodes this season, and the show still holds up well after all these years. Once the show finds its sense of humour it really hits another gear and becomes more of an enjoyable watch. I was actually surprised at the level of acting. It would be very easy for some of the arcs to be really cheesy but they walk the line between drama and soap opera well. Flashbacks are kind of a trope now, but they are used really well here, with each character in the large cast getting the spotlight for at least one episode. Loved diving back in to this story, and can't wait for what's coming.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Jess Dyck) This show!!! Hard to rate because I feel like I spent half of the last few episodes with my head under a pillow (THE TENSION IS HIGH), but this show has officially sucked me in (though honestly it took the first ~10 episodes to do so). The character building is incredible and I love learning about these people! I feel the suspense so deeply, I think it’s well acted, the story is compelling and I NEED ANSWERS.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) Honestly, I loved this movie. I loved the last one and I loved this one almost as much. They're just so fun! I watched this alone in the theatre and honestly that's always a great time but I was laughing out loud constantly. It's not smart and it's not deep and that's okay because I was there to have a good time and I did. Kevin Hart was the star of the show. And I sure do love cheesy friendship themes.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Will) The autobiography of Booker T. Washington. Born a slave before the American Revolution, he lived through the period when black people in the American South were freed, and went on to become one of the most influential people in the USA. He was a truly remarkable person, spending most of his life founding & building up the Tuskegee Institute, a school primarily for black students. There were so many fascinating parts, but I'll pick a few favorites. Hearing what life was like in the South in the very early post-slavery period, from day one when the slaves were freed. His is only one perspective obviously, but it was not even close to what I expected. Just imagine - millions of people living in slavery for decades, and one day they just wake up and they're free. He dedicated his life to normalizing race relations and attempting to help former slaves integrate into a society that they had no idea how to exist in. I was fascinated by his th...

⭐ 6.0/10 (Originally written by Jess Dyck) This book was just ok. Picked it up cuz it caught my eye at Indigo, by the same author of The Girl in Cabin 10, which I’d heard great things about. Regardless I’ve been working my way through this for weeks, and it just hasn’t captivated me. The premise is unoriginal (nanny in a haunted old house) and I didn’t care for the characters. The last quarter of the book had me more hooked but all of a sudden it was over and I was left pretty dissatisfied. It was still a decent read, but that’s the best I can say. I will say I’m intrigued enough to give her other work a shot.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This was my first Wes Anderson movie and I really enjoyed his style. This was a fast-paced, rhythmic movie that was sharp witted and had excellent dialogue. It felt like a high level craft and I could just feel I was witnessing great camerawork and film artistry. I just only wished I liked it more. It was a comedy, but I can't really recall laughing all that much (I guess it's not really that kind of comedy) and I got lost in the artsiness a few times. Still, I feel like anyone would enjoy this movie, likely more than me.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) If you’ll ask my coworker George how much I liked this show he’ll tell you I had tears in my eyes at every lunch break and was smacking the table every few minutes. I think Clare was almost my favourite character? But I also really loved Erin. The last two episodes were 😭 throughout watching this I was messaging my Irish friend and getting all the background stuff so it was really cool to learn some of Ireland’s history. If you hear me saying cracker or wain or class mind your business.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) First book club book of the year. Really thought-provoking, introduced a lot of concepts I had never heard of before, and the university student in me loved the amount of research and cited studies included to back up claims, which we don't see a lot of in our usual book club reading. Super engaging writing, and made me see a lot of things in a new light. Wish he tied everything together more at the end, though, and maybe sometimes argued the other side. And maybe gave some tips for moving forward. Still, definitely a worthwhile read, and really enjoyed it overall.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) Okay, after everyone else here talked up this show, I had to give it a try! I thought season 1 was pretty good, but in season 2 it really hit its stride and I was busting a gut every couple of minutes. I agree with everyone else that Sister Michael is the absolute best. Boring Uncle Colm was also a highlight for me, I TOTALLY know people in real life like that. This is the kind of dark, absurd, realistic comedy I need in my life.

⭐ 1.0/10 (Originally written by Mathew) After this experience Jill isn't allowed to turn on reality TV anymore. Literally the worst content but they have the formula figured out to keep your stupid eyes on the stupid screen. I didn't care about any of the people falling in love (or did they???) but we managed to watch the entire thing. I finish today a worse person than when I woke up this morning. Would not recommend.

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Will) Malcolm Gladwell is a fantastic story teller, so this book was really engaging and interesting throughout. That being said, he didn't really have a whole lot to say aside from the interesting stories - his point could have been easily condensed down to 10% of the book, though that would have been much less entertaining. As for the content - I was a bit disappointed that it didn't really resolve. I do have a better understanding of the difficulties around understanding strangers though, and that's worth something on it's own, even if there aren't really any concrete solutions to the issues.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) As with any concentration camp story, if this wasn't true you would think it's an over dramatic and unrealistic horror story. Such an unbelievable era of history. This story was a good one, and the romance was pretty touching. At first I was kinda weirded out with the present-tense narration, but it grew on me. It added some haunting aura which I'm not sure was the intended purpose...? I read on audiobook which was narrated by Thorin Oakenshield. He was mostly amazing with great, unique voices and (I think) really great accents. Little over the top when things got emotional. Anyways, the epilogue itself was a wild ride. I was thinking this book needs a sequel. Tattooist of Auschwitz II: Lale's Revenge. Anyone??

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I was expecting to see lots of reviews of this book that I could copy from, but I suppose they have yet to arrive. We studied this book on my recommendation, so I had a lot of stake in it being good. Overall I really did enjoy reading through it. My favorite part of reading a Gladwell book is having material with which to impress your friends during casual conversation, but unfortunately all of my friends were also reading it. Still, I thought he made a lot of interesting points even if some were a bit of a reach. His style remains a little annoying to me as he really tries to sensationalize a lot of his research and tries a little too hard to make interesting stories fit his points. It also wasn't my favorite book by him, but I still think it's one I'll remember for a long time.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) I don't remember ever reading a memoir that was such a page-turner. Walls is a remarkable writer, and her story is BANANAS. It is a wild ride from the very start: her earliest memory is catching on fire as a three-year-old cooking hotdogs in her family's trailer, only to be busted out of the hospital early by her neurotic father. It's just one crazy thing after another as her family moves from one place to another, adding more children to the mix, and the alcoholism and neglect get worse and worse. Thanks, Finer Things Club, for making me read this!

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by KathleenQ) A memoir about being raised in the Rust Belt of America by the author's hillbilly grandparents. Maybe I read this at the wrong time. I read it after having read The Glass Castle (Jeanette Walls), hoping it would help me make sense of that author's mind-blowingly neglectful parents. It didn't really do that. (I don't think the Walls family were hillbillies, just a couple of disadvantaged white people with serious mental health issues and no support.) And to make matters worse, Vance isn't half as talented a writer, and his story isn't half as interesting, so his book felt kind of boring in comparison. A few years ago everyone was saying this book was a must-read if you wanted to better understand how Trump got elected, and I've been meaning to check it out since. Again, maybe the timing was wrong, because it didn't really do that for me, either. I still feel frustrated by white people not understanding how their ...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This is a graphic novel/memoir about Malaka's experience growing up biracial (Filipina/Egyptian) and in an interfaith family (Catholic/Muslim), as the daughter of immigrants who ultimately divorce. An experience VERY different from my own, obviously. It's a quick read, as graphic novels usually are, and she made the interesting choice of giving herself a limited colour palette - red, white, blue, and black. She also used very interesting page layouts, without the typical squares and rectangles. I still don't know much about the graphic novel medium, but I thought this was a cool one. There are lots of themes, but my favourite was when she discussed her obsession with whiteness, and living in a non-white city compared with living in a very white one.