We Used to Live Here (2024) – Marcus Kliewer

Some books not only take you in, but hint at a much bigger world behind the pages if you are willing to explore it. We Used to Live Here is one of those. It’s a spooky, unnerving tale, that is enmeshed in secrets and codes that eager readers can work to solve, and join online…

The Ministry of Time (2024) – Kaliane Bradley

Simon & Schuster delivers a charming new novel by Kaliane Bradley today, one that is wonderfully funny, heartbreakingly romantic, and all wrapped up in time travel. Set in England, a young British-Cambodian civil servant is promoted and recruited into a top-secret project and is shocked to discover that time travel is real. A number of…

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) – Wes Anderson

The framing, the quirky characters, the details, the whipsmart dialogue and its delivery. Every time I watch a Wes Anderson film that one becomes my new favourite until I watch another one. I love how he tells his stories, how his characters interact, and all the little moments, styles, and touches that make a Wes…

Broadcast News (1987) – James L. Brooks

Holly Hunter is a treasure and she sparked in Broadcast News. She shines so wholly that she almost eclipses her co-stars Albert Brooks and William Hurt. James L. Brooks wrote and directed this Oscar-nominated film (seven of them, including best picture, actress, actor, supporting actor and didn’t take home one) that lets a love triangle…

Batman (1966) – The Purr-fect Crime, and Better Luck Next Time

Catwoman in the form of Julie Newmar makes her first appearance in the Batman series. She’s been mentioned, but it’s not until The Purr-fect Crime written by Stanley Ralph Ross and Lee Orgel, which aired on 16 March, 1966, that she actually showed up. The famous cat burglar is off to cause a lot of…

Batman (1966) – Hi Diddle Riddle, and Smack in the Middle

I have never seen the original Batman television series. I did see the movie that was released between seasons at a Saturday matinee when I was a kid and it inspired hours of play, but I’d never dug into the 120 episodes that comprised the series. I’m determined to fix that, so here we go…

Joyland (2013) – Stephen King

I should just listen to my gut. Just because my brain isn’t initially sure I’ll enjoy a Stephen King book that doesn’t fall into what I think is my ‘usual fare’ doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy it. In fact, my gut constantly reminds me of titles that have surprised me, and we can add Joyland…

The Saturday Night Ghost Club (2018) – Craig Davidson

A too-short novel that handles the delicacy of memory, nostalgia, growing up in the 80s, and ghost stories. Craig Davidson’s poignant and engaging The Saturday Night Ghost Club is an emotional and compelling read. Jake, the story’s narrator relates to the reader a coming-of-age summer as he, his new best friend, the friend’s sister, and…

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) – Taika Waititi

The latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is arguably its most absurd. That doesn’t mean it’s not fun, and that the actors aren’t having a great time, but there are a number of tonal shifts in the narrative that leaves the film feeling a little unbalanced. But that may be because of the storyteller….

Lord Edgware Dies (1933) – Agatha Christie

Murder most foul! Three of them in point of fact, but don’t be fooled by the image on the cover of the book, none of them are committed with a pistol! It’s been awhile since I read an Agatha Christie mystery, other books came along, and I knew her library of work would wait patiently…