Media Diet: December 2023

Another year of Media Diets in the books! I spent almost three weeks of December on vacation, with one week in Mexico and two weeks over the Christmas break. I watched only a few TV shows and movies then and read many books. Nothing better than being on vacation and getting cuddled up with a book! Preferably on the beach in a warm destination, but in front of a fireplace, it works in a pinch.

📚 A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin - We read this for our Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book Club, and I have mixed feelings about it. Released in 1968, it influenced generations of fantasy novels to come. My biggest issue is with the pacing. Sections of the book just pulled me out of the story. (B)

📚 The Narrow Road Between Desires by Patrick Rothfuss - Yet another novella from Rothfuss to appease us while we wait for a true Kingkiller Chronicle sequel. I didn’t enjoy his previous novella, “The Slow Regard of Silent Things, " but that is down to not liking Auri’s character. Bast, on the other hand, is a character I love! It’s a good read for anyone who’s read the rest of the series. (A)

📚 The Lost Cause by Cory Doctorow - Too preachy but well-written and entertaining. A depressing vision of the future of California. (B)

🎥 Dumb Money - This one falls flat like every other film that has tried to recreate the “Big Short” magic. Watching if you’re looking for something mindless but nothing special is fun. (B+)

🎭 Elf: The Musical - We celebrated an early Vancouver Christmas with my family and had two fun nights out - delicious meals followed by two shows. The first show was “Elf: The Musical,” which was great fun. It’s similar enough to the Elf film but has unique twists to make it a successful stage adaptation. (A)

🎭 East Van Panto: Beauty and the Beast - My first Panto experience, and it definitely won’t be my last! What a wild romp of a show. (A)

📺 Shetland Season 8 - After re-watching the entirety of Shetland with my partner, who hadn’t seen it before, it was time for the latest season! It was a significant change from previous seasons with a new star, but they adapted well. The show’s heart is the same, even with a different lead character. (A-)

📚 The Icarus Plot + The Icarus Twin by Timothy Zahn - I discovered Zahn through his incredible Star Wars Thrawn trilogy from the 90s. I have read other books since then but didn’t realize he had started this new series! I thoroughly enjoyed the books so far; they’re fun, easy reads. (A-)

📺 Colin from Accounts Season 1 - Continuing with my love of Australian comedy shows, this was on a few “Best of 2023” lists, so I gave it a shot. It turns out it’s both hilarious and heartwarming! It’s worth watching on a gloomy January night. (A)

📺 Sunderland ‘Til I Die Season 1 + 2 - Continuing my dive into Football/Soccer docuseries and documentaries, I finally wrapped up Sunderland. I can see its influence on “Welcome to Wrexham.” Looking forward to their upcoming Season 3. (A-)

📺 Such Brave Girls Season 1 - I don’t know what to write about this one. It’s hard to watch. Selfish to the extreme. But a trainwreck that’s hard to look away from. (A)

📺 Blue Lights Season 1 - I have a thing for the British/Irish/Scottish police drama series. They’re so enjoyable about the format, especially compared to their American counterparts. Blue Lights is something special and unique in this genre. (A+)

📺 Letterkenny Season 12 - The final season! It’s hard to believe this is over forever. I watched the first season in 2016 and have loved it ever since. 12 seasons in 7 years is quite the accomplishment. Not every season was a winner, but the universe has always been fun to visit. I’m glad that Shoresy is around to continue the universe. (A)