Reviews - August 19, 2026
The summer was a blur and I fell behind on my reviews. Here are some of the ones I consumed over the first part of the summer. If you want a reminder of how I give out my star rankings, you can read all about it here.
Movies / TV Shows
The Queens Gambit (5/5)
This was a rewatch and it was just as good as I remember (I loved it!). You know something is great when I want to take up a hobby, such as chess, even though it isn’t something that I have an affinity or desire to do more than play leisurely.
How messy was my house?
I knew what was going to happen and I still ended up living in a messy house. At least this was a mini series, only so much damage could be done!
How was my attention span?
If you were in front of me, I knew you were there but otherwise I lost track of my surroundings.
Where and when was I watching?
I watched on my phone so at least I was able to move around the house so it looked like I was cooking or cleaning.
How is this impacting my writing?
This was beautiful on so many levels; the fashion, shots, acting. Really a masterpiece. If I can create anything half this good of a story, I can die happy.
Swapped (3/5)
This is a cute movie for the whole family. My kids watched it a few times over the same week so by the end of the week I was officially over it. I really enjoyed it the first time though. It has a good story with messages about walking a mile in someone else’s shoes.
How messy was my house?
It was a short movie. I had planned to watch it so maintained status quo.
How was my attention span?
The first time I watched this, I don’t remember checking my phone. I was engaged.
Where and when was I watching?
It was a family movie night. It was a good choice as the kids really liked it.
How is this impacting my writing?
I enjoyed the world that was created. It was close to our world but with enough differences that we expected things to work differently. As I am using a similar technique in my novel, it is nice to know that it works.
One Piece - Season 2 (4/5)
I enjoyed season 1 but I think the show finally found it’s rhythm with season 2. I have never seen the cartoon but the world building and the characters all feel like they walked out of a cartoon. I really enjoyed it and hope to watch further seasons.
How messy was my house?
There are not many episodes so only so much damage could be done.
How was my attention span?
I was glued to the screen. Visually the production is beautifully filmed and all the characters were very well done. I didn’t want to miss anything so stayed glued to the screen.
Where and when was I watching?
My husband and I watched this for date night. It took us longer than we would have liked to get through due to limited time. I would recommend setting aside enough time to watch it closer together.
How is this impacting my writing?
This is how you do a live action version of a cartoon. I have seen a few other cartoons to live action remakes that have not been done as well. This show did an amazing job of keeping things feeling light and fresh while still delivering the emotional elements. I want to rewatch it to study how this one did it so successfully where others haven’t.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (5/5)
Every time I watch this one I notice something else. This is an amazing film that is very re-watchable!
How messy was my house?
Who thinks about their house when all the action is on the TV.
How was my attention span?
I have seen this a few times so I did end up scrolling my phone for a bit but that was more due to my mood than the movie. This is one you will want to pay attention to. The details are amazing, I recommend reading some of the trivia on how they used different artistic styles for each of the characters.
Where and when was I watching?
We watched this as a family movie night. I love finding films that are enjoyable for the whole family!
How is this impacting my writing?
This is how to tell a compelling story. I love all the details. Each of the characters has been flushed out in both story as well as artistic style. It reminds me to pay attention to the details, they matter!
Wednesday - Season 2 (4/5)
I enjoyed this season. It was fun to see everyone back as well as spend more time with her family.
How messy was my house?
I watched this rather quickly but damage was done.
How was my attention span?
I wanted to watch so that I didn’t miss anything. It kept me engaged.
Where and when was I watching?
It was a date night show so we watched it while hiding from our kids.
How is this impacting my writing?
I love the world that the series creates. It fits into our universe but also not. I loved seeing more about how the world viewed all the “monsters”.
Masters of the Universe (4/5)
I remember bits and pieces of the He-Man show on TV but went into this pretty blind. It was a fun movie that didn’t take itself too seriously. I wish I knew more of the lore as I am sure I missed a ton of Easter eggs hidden throughout the film. I still really enjoyed it.
How messy was my house?
This was a rare theatre experience for me so I wasn’t at home to make a mess. It was glorious, I didn’t even have to pick up other people’s messes.
How was my attention span?
I love watching movies in the theatre. It is so much easier to focus on the film and I really enjoyed watching this.
Where and when was I watching?
It was a date night with my wonderful husband so that definitely increased my enjoyment.
How is this impacting my writing?
I love nostalgic films. I may not have remembered much but it was pretty cool to remember bits and pieces throughout the film when certain characters came on. It would be great to have people experience similar emotions through some of the time travel sequences in my book.
Inventing Anna - (4/5)
This was a wild ride and I enjoyed it immensely!
How messy was my house?
Once I started watching, I had a hard time focusing on the dishes and toy clean up I was supposed to be doing.
How was my attention span?
I knew the general story but was transfixed with all the details. It was astonishing how much Anna was able to get away with.
Where and when was I watching?
I watched this on my phone when my kids were busy.
How is this impacting my writing?
I love a good scam (as long as it isn’t directed at me). I think one of the big reasons Anna was able to get as far as she did was due to her confidence. She walked in like she owned the place and as a result people assumed incorrectly that she was who she said she was. I have an idea for a heist plot in my next book and this kind of confidence is exactly what my main character is going to have to channel.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day - (5/5)
It has been a long time since I was this excited about a superhero movie. Brand new day did a great job of bringing in the emotion of a superhero trying so hard to do things on their own.
How messy was my house?
We went to the theatre for this one and it was 100% worth it. If I was at home, messes would have waited until I was done.
How was my attention span?
Everything about this movie was awesome, I had to pee towards the end and held it as I refused to miss a moment of the film.
Where and when was I watching?
This was an excellent film to watch in the theatre.
How is this impacting my writing?
My main character in my current work in progress has the ability to time travel. Like Peter in the film, she thinks she can do it alone. Hopefully I can have some of the similar emotions from the film come through in my writing.
Project Hail Mary- (5/5)
I am a HUGE Andy Weir fan so when I realized that this was based of one of his books (which I still haven’t read), I was excited. I loved this film and can’t wait to watch it again. I think it will be one of my guilty pleasure films.
How messy was my house?
I forgot I lived on planet earth, my house was a distant memory until the film ended.
How was my attention span?
I was hyper focused on the film, it was so good.
Where and when was I watching?
We watched this at home when it became available on streaming. I am so sad I didn’t see this in the theatre.
How is this impacting my writing?
Everything about this film was solid. I hope one day to write something as beautiful as this.
The Sheep Detectives - (4/5)
This was such a cute family film. I would have watched it without my kids.
How messy was my house?
The film went so fast I didn’t have time to think about cleaning.
How was my attention span?
I did check my phone to check some trivia but was otherwise glued to the film.
Where and when was I watching?
We watched this as a family movie night.
How is this impacting my writing?
I loved how the story was told from the sheep’s perspectives. There was some really funny lines that resulted in the sheep explaining what they saw. This is a great reminder that you can flip things on their head by having a different view point.
Books
A House in the Sky - Amanda Lindhout & Sara Corbett (4/5)
I had heard of Amanda’s story when it first happened so I had an idea of what was coming but it was still a tough read. It is amazing what the human mind and body can endure.
How messy was my house?
I read this slowly over a couple months. My house stayed its usual “clean”.
How was my attention span?
It wasn’t until near the end that this story really took over my brain. I enjoy travel but have no desire to travel to most of the places she goes to before ultimately ending up in Somalia so that could be part of it…
Where and when was I watching?
I read this slowly in the mornings until towards the end when it also became my night time read too.
How is this impacting my writing?
Amanda reminds me that not everyone uses books as their “adventure”, some people actually do it in person. While I will stick to safer areas of the world, I am feeling like I should do some research for my next book by visiting the place in person.
The Long Game - Rachel Reid (5/5)
I loved this book, it was exactly what I wanted from the story. I can’t wait for the final book in the series… I just have to wait for it to come out.
How messy was my house?
I read this book quickly, my house was a dissaster!
How was my attention span?
I probably wasn’t listening to you unless I heard “Shane” or “Ilya” come out of your mouth. Then I was paying attention.
Where and when was I reading?
The book accompanied me around my house so that I could read any chance I got.
How is this impacting my writing?
The characters are so good, I paid attention. One day I want a love story in one of my books and in preparation for that, I should probably re-read this one a few times.
The Reason You Walk - Wab Kinew (4/5)
This should be recommended reading for everyone. I feel like I learned more about Indigenous culture in this one book than I did in my entire public school education. The best part is that it was done in a way that it felt like I was having a conversation with a friend who was telling me stories about them growing up.
How messy was my house?
My house stayed about its usual “clean” but it was in no way due to the book. I absorbed this in small chunks so that I could really enjoy and think about what I was reading.
How was my attention span?
I became a very big fan of Wab Kinew. He commands attention. While I was reading this he hit the news for calling out Alberta’s premier (bravo Mr. Kinew). It was pretty cool to be reading this and to be able to see where he is today.
Where and when was I watching?
I read this one slowly over the course of a month or so.
How is this impacting my writing?
Wab Kinew is an excellent storyteller. He was able to beautifully weave together his stories growing up and the lessons he learned without feeling preachy. I can learn a lot from him.
The Huntress - Kate Quinn (4/5)
I love books about world war 2. It is such an interesting time in history. This particular book covered some of the war as well as the years after it. I didn’t know much about the Soviet Union during the war or about the hunting of Nazis after the war before I read this book. The characters in the book were blends of historical characters which was pretty cool.
How messy was my house?
I was captivated by the characters so kept reading when I should have been cleaning.
How was my attention span?
The author did an amazing job of intertwining the stories. I had a sense of doom as I got closer to the end of the book as I just knew shit was about to hit the fan.
Where and when was I reading?
I listened to the first part as an audiobook but then switched to my paper copy once my hold expired.
How is this impacting my writing?
I loved how the author connected all the stories together. I had some idea on how they were all going to fit together but it was so well done that I still had some surprises. I hope if I ever write from multiple perspectives that I can pull off it off as well as this.
The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan (3/5)
I was very excited to continue the story of Percy Jackson so was a bit disappointed that Percy isn’t in this book (spoiler). But once I got over the fact this wasn’t about him, I really enjoyed it. The new characters were a lot of fun and now I am invested it what happens, I can tell something fun is being set up.
How messy was my house?
It took awhile to get into the story so my house was cleanish (I mean for me) until I got closer to the end. Then things fell apart.
How was my attention span?
I find it hard to switch perspectives in a story. I become invested in what is happening and then the story moves to a different character and the process of becoming invested starts all over again. So my attention span was great until a new characters took over the narrative and then I sometimes took a break or slowed my reading down.
Where and when was I reading?
Listened to this at first and then finished on a paper copy
How is this impacting my writing?
I love how well known mythological characters get an updated modern century makeover. I can use this as an example on what to do. In future books I will be working on bringing in some older elements and hope I too can put a modern spin on things.
The Son of Neptune - Rick Riordan (4/5)
I really enjoyed this one. Great summer reading adventure.
How messy was my house?
I read this one while camping so no house to tend to. That said I did leave dirty dishes in the sink longer than I should have.
How was my attention span?
I was very interested in what was going to happen.
Where and when was I reading?
I read this while camping and it was a perfect summer read.
How is this impacting my writing?
I loved how the mist impacted what humans saw. It was cool to think that us taking a picture of some pigeons stealing some poor guys lunch could actually be hiding some epic battle between good and evil. I hope to capture some of this magic in my books.
What did you think?
I would love to hear from you, have you seen or read any of the books, Movies or TV shows that I shared this month? Do you have any recommendations that I should read or watch?
