Mr Iglesias

IN Long Beach, CA there is a high school where a teacher is trying to make a difference and uses comedy to do it. Mr. Iglesias is funny and inspiring. All in all, I say: SEE IT on Netflix

A - X - L

This is just so bad. Bad acting and bad writing. A mechanical military dog connects with a human and there a misunderstandings with bullies and you get it right - you've seen and heard this plot before. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

The Outsider

An American stuck in a Japanese jail in Osaka after WWII gets mixed up with the Yakuza. He finds a a family and a love. All in all, I say: SKIP IT on Netflix.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Joel and Ethan Cohen (Fargo) wrote and directed this film which is 6 short stories in one all set in the wild west. And they do NOT have the plots and endings you would expect. They are very dark - as is there style. All in all, I say: STREAM IT on Netflix.

Toy Story 4

A new toy enters into the lives of our gang. We find out what happened to BoPeep. Woody is going through a crisis too. It was dark and I didn't like the ending. Its the same cast which is nice. Just not as funny as all the others. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

No Good Nick

Sean Astin (LOTR) and Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina) are parents of 2 kids until a 3rd comes into their lives. But the new girl isn't exactly who or what she seems. She's up to no good. All in all, I say: SEE IT on Netflix.

Russian Doll

Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black) is having the worst birthday ever because she keeps dying and reliving it over and over and over and over again. She is trying to figure out how to NOT die and make it to the next day and the next and the next. All in all, I say: SEE IT on Netflix.

The Dead Don't Die

A deadpan comedy. An odd zombie flick. Slow zombies FYI. Bill Murray (Groundhog Day), Chloe Sevigny (Big Love) and Adam Driver (Star Wars) are cops in a small town where zombies rise up. Warning - most of the awesome guest stars don't make it. There may or may not be aliens too. It's all deadpan and you can see some of the nods to other such films. All in all, I say: RENT IT

Fleabag

A woman has lost her mother and her best friend. Her business is failing and she struggles to have any sort of relationship. It has some really funny stuff, but most of it was frustrating. I hated the ending of season 2. All in all, I say: SEE IT on Amazon. It's British.

Murder Mystery

A Netflix, comedy/mystery starring Adam Sandler (Happy Gilmore), Luke Evans (Anna), and Jennifer Aniston (Friends). It wasn't bad considering it's a Sandler flick. It was light-hearted. All in all, I say: SEE IT

Anna

Luc Besson (The Professional) writes and directs this Soviet era movie. Is she working for the Soviets? Is she working for the Americans? Is she working for herself? There were a ton - I mean a lot - of flashbacks. So many that the audience laughed at one point because it was so ridiculous. When there was action it was good, but those were the only good parts. The acting wasn't great. Luke Evans (Girl on a Train), Helen Mirran (Red), and Cillian Murphy (28 Days) tried but nothing could save the script. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Wine Country

On Netflix, a group of friends who all use to work at the same pizza place meet up in wine country to catch up on their lives. Amy Poehler (Parks & Rec) directs this group of comedians. It was funny. All in all, I say: SEE IT

Lily White

This really should have been 2 books. One tells the story of a lawyer and her family and marriage. The other is about a lawyer who tries to solve a case and get her client out of jail. Amazon writes, "Meet Lily White, Long Island criminal defense lawyer. Smart, savvy, and down-to-earth, Lee can spot a phony the way her haughty mother can spot an Armani. Enter handsome career con man Norman Torkelson, charged with strangling his latest mark after bilking her out of her life's savings. As the astonishing twists and reverses of the Torkelson case are revealed, so too is the riveting story behind Lee;s life.
Critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Susan Isaacs has crafted her most dazzling novel of manners and morality. Lily White is a brilliant story of con artists and true lovers, of treachery and devotion—and of one brave lawyer's triumphant fight for justice.".

Spoiler:

I hate the ending of both the stories in this book. She ends up marrying her gay friend. She gets her client off only to put his girlfriend in jail only to discover the guy did it all along.

All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Restart

A school bully falls and gets amnesia. He know has an opportunity to not only make things right, but to start over. Such an amazing plot and great characters. Amazon writes, "Chase's memory just went out the window. 

Chase doesn't remember falling off the roof. He doesn't remember hitting his head. He doesn't, in fact, remember anything. He wakes up in a hospital room and suddenly has to learn his whole life all over again . . . starting with his own name. 

He knows he's Chase. But who is Chase? When he gets back to school, he sees that different kids have very different reactions to his return. 

Some kids treat him like a hero. Some kids are clearly afraid of him. 

One girl in particular is so angry with him that she pours her frozen yogurt on his head the first chance she gets. 

Pretty soon, it's not only a question of who Chase is--it's a question of who he was . . . and who he's going to be.". All in all, I say: READ IT

Firefly: The Unification War Vol. 1

I'm so glad there are graphic novels since I no longer have a show or movie to comfort me. So good to read about these characters again. Amazon writes, "A new era of Firefly starts here, as the secret history of the Unification War is revealed at last!

From Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Avengers) comes a new era of Firefly, as the definitive story of the Unification War is told at last! 

Captain Malcolm Reynolds thought he could outrun his past, but when a simple heist goes wrong, he’s forced to confront it. With the fabled Traitor of Serenity Valley in his sights, Mal’s quest for revenge will put him at odds with his own crew, forcing him to make a choice: fix the past or fight for the future.". All in all, I say: READ IT

Refugee

Three stories across time. Three different refugees. Three different continents. Amazon writes, "JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world . . .

ISABEL is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America . . .

MAHMOUD is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe . . .

All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers -- from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end.

This action-packed novel tackles topics both timely and timeless: courage, survival, and the quest for home". All in all, I say: READ IT

Ghost

Story of a poor kid who gets the chance to make something of himself with the help of his track coach. It was a little predictable and a bit of a stereotype. Amazon writes, "Ghost. Lu. Patina. Sunny. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team—a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves.

Running. That’s all Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons—it all started with running away from his father, who, when Ghost was a very little boy, chased him and his mother through their apartment, then down the street, with a loaded gun, aiming to kill. Since then, Ghost has been the one causing problems—and running away from them—until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medalist who sees something in Ghost: crazy natural talent. If Ghost can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city. Can Ghost harness his raw talent for speed, or will his past finally catch up to him?". All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Woman in Cabin 10

The beginning was decent but kind of like Girl on a Train. The ending was rushed and ridiculous. Amazon writes, "In this tightly wound, enthralling story reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s works, Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for—and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong…

With surprising twists, spine-tingling turns, and a setting that proves as uncomfortably claustrophobic as it is eerily beautiful, Ruth Ware offers up another taut and intense read in The Woman in Cabin 10—one that will leave even the most sure-footed reader restlessly uneasy long after the last page is turned". All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Wish

This was a sweet story of a young girl that deals with her anger and her settlement with her grandparents in the country. It has great characters. Amazon writes,"Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese has been making the same secret wish every day since fourth grade. She even has a list of all the ways there are to make the wish, such as cutting off the pointed end of a slice of pie and wishing on it as she takes the last bite.

But when she is sent to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to live with family she barely knows, it seems unlikely that her wish will ever come true. That is, until she meets Wishbone, a skinny stray dog who captures her heart, and Howard, a neighbor boy who proves surprising in lots of ways. Suddenly Charlie is in serious danger of discovering that what she thought she wanted may not be what she needs at all.

From award-winning author Barbara O'Connor comes a middle-grade novel about a girl who, with the help of a true-blue friend, a big-hearted aunt and uncle, and the dog of her dreams, unexpectedly learns the true meaning of family in the least likely of places.". All in all, I say: READ IT

Pax

It seemed cool to hear from the fox. The timeline didn't make sense. The location didn't make sense. The ending was horrible. The whole time I was just furious at a tame fox being left alone. Amazon writes, "From bestselling and award-winning author Sara Pennypacker comes a beautifully wrought, utterly compelling novel about the powerful relationship between a boy and his fox. Pax is destined to become a classic, beloved for generations to come.

Pax and Peter have been inseparable ever since Peter rescued him as a kit. But one day, the unimaginable happens: Peter's dad enlists in the military and makes him return the fox to the wild.

At his grandfather's house, three hundred miles away from home, Peter knows he isn't where he should be—with Pax. He strikes out on his own despite the encroaching war, spurred by love, loyalty, and grief, to be reunited with his fox.

Meanwhile Pax, steadfastly waiting for his boy, embarks on adventures and discoveries of his own. . . ". All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Legend

A really bad romance novel. A woman about to get married somehow goes back in time and gets a dead guy to fall in love with her and then goes back to present day and gets someone else to fall in love with her within days. It was ridiculous, rushed, and absurd. Amazon writes, "After donning an antique wedding dress, celebrated chef Kady Long finds herself transported back in time to nineteenth-century Colorado, where she is tricked into marrying the man she saves from hanging, a man who harbors a painful secret about his past.". All in all, I say: SKIP IT

The Bollywood Bride

It seems like it would be a cool idea for a romance books. A kind of Persuasion knock off, but toward the end it gets a little erotic. It was too predictable and took a little to long to get going. Amazon writes, "Ria Parkar is Bollywood's favorite Ice Princess--beautiful, poised, and scandal-proof--until one impulsive act threatens to expose her destructive past. Traveling home to Chicago for her cousin's wedding offers a chance to diffuse the coming media storm and find solace in family, food, and outsized celebrations that are like one of her vibrant movies come to life. But it also means confronting Vikram Jathar. 

Ria and Vikram spent childhood summers together, a world away from Ria's exclusive boarding school in Mumbai. Their friendship grew seamlessly into love--until Ria made a shattering decision. As far as Vikram is concerned, Ria sold her soul for stardom and it's taken him years to rebuild his life. But beneath his pent-up anger, their bond remains unchanged. And now, among those who know her best, Ria may find the courage to face the secrets she's been guarding for everyone else's benefit--and a chance to stop acting and start living. 

Rich with details of modern Indian-American life, here is a warm, sexy, and witty story of love, family, and the difficult choices that arise in the name of both.". All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Just Mercy

Good non-fiction on a topic that I find very interesting - death row. It's a lot though - it maybe should have been 2 or 3 books. There is so much going on - personal bio of author, a specific case that really stuck with him, and a smattering of other tales. Amazon writes, "Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever.

Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice.". All in all, I say: READ IT

Live in Infamy

I thought - cool - an alternative ending to WWII, but then add supernatural humans?! Too strange. Also, too predictable and kind of boring. Amazon writes, "In the eighty years since the Axis powers won World War II with their genetically engineered super soldiers, America has changed drastically in the hands of the unforgiving victors. But there are still those who aspire to what the country used to stand for: freedom for all.In the Western American Territories, Chinese American Ren Cabot has lost nearly everything to Imperial Japan's rule. After the public execution of his mom for treason five years ago, Ren lives under constant scrutiny of the Empire, afraid that one wrong step will rip apart what remains of his family for good. However, when a chance encounter with a resistance group offers Ren an opportunity to save lives and quite possibly topple the government, he agrees to their deadly plot. But his role will lead him straight into the heart of the enemy, and if caught, death would be a much better fate than what the Empire will do to him . . .". All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Scythe

A twist on the dystopian society. A computer controls everything - everything except the group of people whose job it is to kill people to maintain the population. Amazon writes, "Two teens must learn the “art of killing” in this Printz Honor–winning book, the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.". All in all, I say: READ IT

The New Teacher's Guide

Amazon writes, "I am always fine until the kids come. One day in my first year of teaching, I was talking with another new teacher. We were venting our frustrations over all the new challenges we were facing, and she said, I am always fine until the kids come. We laughed it off, but the reality is, many new teachers feel this way. We feel great about teaching until were faced with the actual challenges of classroom management. We feel confident until that moment our students walk through our doors. This book will teach you how to embrace a perspective where you see your students not as the most difficult part of your day but as the inspiration and catalyst behind your growth as a teacher and, honestly, as a person. Your students and their impact on your life will become some of the biggest rewards of your career.". If you're a new teacher then this a good book to read on classroom management. All in all, I say: SEE IT

The Fate of the Earth: The Abolition

Amazon writes, "Now combined in one volume, these two books helped focus national attention in the early 1980s on the movement for a nuclear freeze. The Fate of the Earth painted a chilling picture of the planet in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, while The Abolition offered a proposal for full-scale nuclear disarmament. With the recent tensions in India and Pakistan, and concerns about nuclear proliferation around the globe, public attention is once again focused on the worldwide nuclear situation. The author is at the forefront of the discussion. In February 1998, his lengthy essay constituted the centerpiece of a special, widely distributed issue of The Nation dealing with the nuclear arms race. The relevance of his two books for today's debates is undeniable, as many experts assert that the nuclear situation is more dangerous than ever. Reviews of The Fate of the Earth "This is a work of enormous force. There are moments when it seems to hurtle almost out of control, across an extraordinary range of fact and thought. But in the end, it accomplishes what no other work has managed to do in the years of the nuclear age. It compels us―and compel is the right word―to confront head on the nuclear peril." ―New York Times Book Review "There have been thousands of commentaries on what this new destructive power of man means; but my guess is that Schell's book . . . will become the classic statement of the emerging consciousness." ―Max Lerner, New Republic Reviews of The Abolition "As always, Schell is interesting and ingenious, eloquent and sometimes moving. He presents his case with clarity, and with candor about its possible shortcomings." ―New Republic "A reasoned argument. . . . As this work will do much to stimulate the ongoing nuclear debate, it is highly recommended." ―Library Journa". Basically, written in the 80s this guy predicts that of we continue with these weapons then earth will destroy itself - not like we need any additional help with that. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Life in a Medieval Village

Amazon writes, "This new reissue of Life in a Medieval Village, by respected historians Joseph and Frances Gies, paints a lively, convincing portrait of rural people at work and at play in the Middle Ages. Focusing on the village of Elton, in the English East Midlands, the Gieses detail the agricultural advances that made communal living possible, explain what domestic life was like for serf and lord alike, and describe the central role of the church in maintaining social harmony. Though the main focus is on Elton, c. 1300, the Gieses supply enlightening historical context on the origin, development, and decline of the European village, itself an invention of the Middle Ages.
Meticulously researched, Life in a Medieval Village is a remarkable account that illustrates the captivating world of the Middle Ages and demonstrates what it was like to live during a fascinating—and often misunderstood—era.". It was really boring - if you've seen a medieval village in a movie or another book then you've got it. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Touch & Go

Amazon writes, "Justin and Libby Denbe have the kind of life that looks good in the pages of a glossy magazine. A beautiful fifteen-year old daughter, Ashlyn. A gorgeous brownstone on a tree-lined street in Boston’s elite Back Bay neighborhood. A great marriage, admired by friends and family.  A perfect life.

This is what I know:  Pain has a flavor…

When investigator Tessa Leoni arrives at the crime scene in the Denbes’ home, she finds scuff marks on the floor and Taser confetti in the foyer.  The family appears to have been abducted, with only a pile of their most personal possessions remaining behind.  No witnesses, no ransom demands, no motive.  Just an entire family, vanished without a trace.

This is what I fear:  The worst is yet to come…

Tessa knows better than anyone that even the most perfect façades can hide the darkest secrets.  Now she must race against the clock to uncover the Denbes’ innermost dealings, a complex tangle of friendships and betrayal, big business and small sacrifices.  Who would want to kidnap such a perfect little family?  And how far would such a person be willing to go?

This is the truth:  Love, safety, family…it is all touch and go.". I like Lisa Gardner, so even though it's predictable I really like it. I enjoy her writing and how the plot flows and how most of the book is told through female characters. All in all, I say: READ IT

Mrs. Sherlock Holmes

Amazon writes, "Mrs. Sherlock Holmes tells the true story of Grace Humiston, the lawyer, detective, and first woman U.S. District Attorney who turned her back on New York society life to become one of the nation's greatest crime-fighters during an era when women were still not allowed to vote. After agreeing to take the sensational case of missing eighteen-year-old Ruth Cruger, Grace and her partner, the hard-boiled detective Julius J. Kron, navigated a dangerous web of secret boyfriends, two-faced cops, underground tunnels, rumors of white slavery, and a mysterious pale man, in a desperate race against time.

Brad Ricca's Mrs. Sherlock Holmes is the first-ever narrative biography of this singular woman the press nicknamed after fiction's greatest detective. Her poignant story reveals important clues about missing girls, the media, and the real truth of crime stories.

Mrs. Sherlock Holmes is a nominee for the 2018 Edgar Awards for Best Fact Crime.". It's nonfiction and it's supposed to detail how awesome this real life lawyer was. I found there was way too much detail and unnecessary information. All the additional and boring nonsense too away from her being awesome. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Pushing the Bear

It is a fiction book from the point of view of dozens of people on the Trail of Tears. Amazon writes, "In a novel that “retains the complexity, immediacy, and indirection of a poem,” Glancy brings to life the Cherokees’ 900-mile forced removal to Oklahoma in 1838 and gives us “a powerful witness to one of the most shameful episodes in american history” (Los Angeles Times).". It would have been better and easier to understand from one American Indian's point of view. It became boring and difficult to understand. The non-fiction parts seemed out of place. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Bossypants

Amazon writes, "Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV.

She has seen both these dreams come true.

At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon -- from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence.

Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've always suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy.". I thought it would be funnier than it was. Some of her life was interesting, but overall it just didn't make me laugh. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

The World of Lore: Wicked Mortals

It's one book in a larger series - this one focuses on evil people throughout history. I would have preferred a fictionalized version. Most of the people I already knew about - some I didn't, but I got bored reading it. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Sophia's War

Amazon writes, "In 1776, young Sophia Calderwood witnesses the execution of Nathan Hale in New York City, which is newly occupied by the British army. Sophia is horrified by the event and resolves to do all she can to help the American cause. Recruited as a spy, she becomes a maid in the home of General Clinton, the supreme commander of the British forces in America. Through her work she becomes aware that someone in the American army might be switching sides, and she uncovers a plot that will grievously damage the Americans if it succeeds. But the identity of the would-be traitor is so shocking that no one believes her, and so Sophia decides to stop the treacherous plot herself, at great personal peril: She’s young, she’s a girl, and she’s running out of time. And if she fails, she’s facing an execution of her own.". This was very similar to Chains only from the point of view of a fictionalized white girl who works as a spy - which she doesn't really. It was way too long and I had zero interest in the characters. I found it boring. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Culturize

Amazon writes, "Eradicate Average! CULTURIZE Your School. Average schools don't inspire greatness--and greatness is what our world needs if we are going to produce world-changing learners. In Culturize, author and education leader Jimmy Casas shares insights into what it takes to cultivate a community of learners who embody the innately human traits our world desperately needs, such as kindness, honesty, and compassion. His stories reveal how these "soft skills" can be honed while meeting and exceeding academic standards of twenty-first-century learning. 

You'll learn...

How to reach those who seem unreachable. 

What to do when students disengage or drop out of school. 

How to ensure your learners feel cared for and empowered. 

How to create an environment where all learners are challenged and inspired to be their b". It was written for leadership and not a teacher. There wasn't much in there I could really use. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Grenade

Amazon writes, "It's 1945, and the world is in the grip of war.

Hideki lives on the island of Okinawa, near Japan. When WWII crashes onto his shores, Hideki is drafted into the Blood and Iron Student Corps to fight for the Japanese army. He is handed a grenade and a set of instructions: Don't come back until you've killed an American soldier.

Ray, a young American Marine, has just landed on Okinawa. He doesn't know what to expect -- or if he'll make it out alive. He just knows that the enemy is everywhere.

Hideki and Ray each fight their way across the island, surviving heart-pounding ambushes and dangerous traps. But when the two of them collide in the middle of the battle, the choices they make in that instant will change everything". I go so invested in the 2 characters and then they meet. That ruins the rest of the book for me. Some scenes are way over done and some are undone. Sometimes the writing is good and sometimes I was bored. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

The Hot Zone

Based on the true story and non-fiction book of the same name. Ebola reaches American shores inside a group of monkeys. Julianna Margulies (ER) and Topher Grace (War Machine) star among a great cast. It's almost exactly like I remember the book being. All in all, I say: SEE IT OnDemand.

Community

I never watched this when it first came out on NBC. Not sure why, but I've been binging on break. Joel McHale (Santa Clarita Diet) and DOnald Glover (Atlanta) star among others. There are some good guests and it's clever and funny. I've really been enjoying it. All in all, I say: SEE IT on Hulu.

The Code

This is a legal show - what sets it apart is the fact that's it's kind of a re-boot of Jag. Instead of Navy lawyers it's Marine lawyers. They do a mix of Jag and a mix of NCIS. Dana Delany (Hand of God) is in charge of all the lawyers. I will admit I am hooked. I don't know why. It's got good acting and good plot. All in all, I say: SEE IT on CBS

Blood & Treasure

A secret tomb in Egypt is discovered and Oded Fehr (The First) is a terrorist that wants the treasure for his evil plans. I like the searching for clues in history - National Treasure like. I do not like the terrorism angle - it feels like it's going to get a bit supernatural soon. I'll hang on until the end and then decide if I will watch another season - if it's picked up. All in all, I say: SEE IT

Black Summer

Filmed in Canada from the point of view of a large cast. Fast zombie apocalypse where a group of people need to get downtown to the stadium. Some will make it and others won't. It's pretty fast paced. The acting is okay. I think it could have been made into a 2 hour movie and cut to make it better. All in all, I say: SKIP IT on Netflix unless you really like fast zombies and then I say SEE IT.

Dark Phoenix

This is the next "current day" X-Men movie on the new timeline. Jean Grey become Dark Phoenix while rescuing some astronauts. There is an accidental death that leads to an almost all out war untile some aliens come to Earth. Sophia Turner (GoT) joins the cast as a young Jean. Jessica Chastain (355) is the bad guy. All in all, I say: SEE IT if you're a fan of X-Men - SKIP IT otherwise.

Ask Dr. Ruth

A documentary on the life of "the" world's best sex therapist. From her days during the Holocaust to her current schedule to speak out for women and the rights they should have over their own bodies. It's on Hulu. All in all, I say: SEE IT

Deadwood: The Movie

It picks up some time after the show stopped - we see where are still living characters are. We see flashbacks of the last season to help. It felt like just a long episode and not a movie, and it doesn't really resolve of end anything. Someone is killed, someone returns, someone dies, and life still goes on. All in all, I say: SKIP IT on HBO unless they intend to make another and then SEE IT

The HIghwaymen

Kevin Costner (Yellowstone) and Woody Harrelson (Midway) are two retired Texas Rangers. No one has been able to capture Bonnie and Clyde, so the Governor decides to call them back to service. They find the robbers using questionable means and bring them questionable justice. It's really well acted. All in all, I say: SEE IT on Netflix

Triple Frontier

Ben Affleck (The Runner), Oscar Isaac (Dune), and Charlie Hunnam (SOA) are no longer in the military and all struggling back home. They decide to rob a drug dealer. It's like one horrible roadblock after another and the whole thing felt anti-climatic. All in all, I say: SKIP IT on Netflix.

The Society

An American based Netflix show. It has a similar plot to Australia's The Tribe and Canada's Between. A group of teens find themselves the only one left in their town. They find a way to escape the town and they can't find their parents. Things start to get a little "lord of the flies". All in all, I say: SEE IT

Eddie Izzard: Wunderbar

Not as good as his last large tour. He discusses his marathons, his language skills, religion, and history. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Chains

Amazon writes, "As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom. 

From acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson comes this compelling, impeccably researched novel that shows the lengths we can go to cast off our chains, both physical and spiritual". All in all, I say: READ IT - it's well written and the characters are amazing. It's part of a trilogy.

The Arrival

Amazon writes, "Starred Review. Grade 7 Up—Tan captures the displacement and awe with which immigrants respond to their new surroundings in this wordless graphic novel. It depicts the journey of one man, threatened by dark shapes that cast shadows on his family's life, to a new country. The only writing is in an invented alphabet, which creates the sensation immigrants must feel when they encounter a strange new language and way of life. A wide variety of ethnicities is represented in Tan's hyper-realistic style, and the sense of warmth and caring for others, regardless of race, age, or background, is present on nearly every page. Young readers will be fascinated by the strange new world the artist creates, complete with floating elevators and unusual creatures, but may not realize the depth of meaning or understand what the man's journey symbolizes. More sophisticated readers, however, will grasp the sense of strangeness and find themselves participating in the man's experiences. They will linger over the details in the beautiful sepia pictures and will likely pick up the book to pore over it again and again.—Alana Abbott, James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT".  This book helps you understand what immigrants go through when they arrive in a new land. It's is done in a brilliant way. The pictures in this wordless book are AMAZING. All in all, I say: READ IT