The God of the Woods (2024) – Liz Moore

Damn this book is good. It had popped up into my feed as a recommendation, and after reading the blurb I was in. I’m not going to say much storywise beyond the blurb because it’s wonderful to see how the narrative plays out. I am going to say, I loved the way Moore crafted her…

Record of a Spaceborn Few (2018) – Becky Chambers

After how much I enjoyed the first two books in the Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers, I didn’t even read the blurb for the third book. I just jumped into it, waiting to see where Chambers would take me this time. Record of a Spaceborn Few explores the Exodan Fleet. They were the last people…

The Lord of the Rings (1978) – Ralph Bakshi

The summer of ’84 was one of the defining summers of my life. It saw a lot of changes in my life, and was also the first time that I read The Lord of the Rings. I was swept up in the world, and was delighted that I’d read all three books so quickly, and…

TIFF ‘ 23: Mr. Dressup – The Magic of Make-Believe

I’m not crying. You’re crying! Is there anything more Canadian to children who grew up in the 70s/80s/and early90s than Mr. Dressup? I can’t remember a time in my own life when I didn’t know about him, Casey, Finnegan and the Tickle Trunk. In fact I’m sure that at some point I had a stuffed…

The X-Files (1996) – Apocrypha, and Pusher

Series creator Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz continue the mythology arc story they began in Piper Maru with Apocrypha, which first aired on 16 February, 1996. While Scully (Gillian Anderson) runs down leads on the man who killed her sister, something that has caused AD Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) to end up in the hospital with…

Narbos Guide to Being a Broomhead (2020) – Pat Mastroianni

Last year in June of 2019, fans from around the world descended in a buzz of excitement and nostalgia on the Westin Toronto Airport hotel for an intimate weekend with the cast and creators of the iconic Canadian series Degrassi Junior High, and Degrassi High. Passionate fans came from as far away as Russia and…

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1963) – Ian Fleming

The eleventh 007 book, and tenth novel, by Ian Fleming is this week’s entry on the Book Shelf, and you could see how the film series would begin to influence the continuing novels as we get a mention of Bond’s parentage, with his father being a Scot, and there is an increasing sense of Connery…

Me (2019) – Elton John

Elton John’s music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, even growing up in a predominantly country music household a number of his songs somehow found their way into my subconscious, part of it thanks to Elton’s appearance in the late 70s on The Muppet Show, and my…

Star Trek: Voyager (1997) – Fair Trade, and Alter Ego

Captain’s log: stardate unknown Andre Bormanis pens the teleplay for this episode from a story by Ronald Wilkerson and Jean Louis Matthias. This Neelix (Ethan Phillips) heavy episode first debuted on 8 January, 1997. As the Voyager begins to close on a region of space that Neelix is unfamiliar with, he turns to the aid…

Crazy Rich Asians (2018) – Blu-Ray

Crazy Rich Asians, based on the best-selling novel by Kevin Kwan, comes home on blu-ray and DVD from Warner Brothers Pictures today. A brilliantly funny rom-com, the film is a delight, and features a delightful all Asian cast, including Michelle Yeoh, Constance Wu, Ken Jeong, Harry Shum Jr., Henry Golding and Gemma Chan. The story…