Reviews - September 16, 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

Avatar The Last Airbender - Season 1 (3/5)

The team that put together the live action version of the Netflix Avatar had an almost impossible task. The original show is a masterpiece! I went in a bit nervous. It was alright. The casting was good, all the characters look how you would imagine them to but it lost some of the childlike wonder and humor that was in the original. I still enjoyed watching it and will tune in for future seasons.

How messy was my house?

I have seen the original so many times that it was pretty easy to follow the show, even when I was puttering around the house.

How was my attention span?

I’ve seen the first season twice. On the second watch I found myself coming in and out of it.

Where and when was I watching?

Watched this a second time in preparation for season 2 over a few days with the family.

How is this impacting my writing?

There was a lot riding on this version as the original is so loved. I think it was a really hard feat for the creators to undertake and they did pretty good job, all things considered. If this was the first version of the characters I had seen, I think it would have had a higher ranking. I am not sure I want to tackle a beloved story like this, it would be so hard to get it correct when everyone comes in with preconceived ideas.

Voicemail for Isabelle (3/5)

This was a fun movie that met my goals for the evening.

How messy was my house?

I was planning to do the dishes and clean up while watching but didn’t end up doing anything, I wanted to watch.

How was my attention span?

I was focused on the film.

Where and when was I watching?

Watched on my phone when my kids were busy,

How is this impacting my writing?

I liked the main characters and how it was originally handled when Wes heard the messages. I was not a fan that he wasn’t up front with her right away but I guess if he was then there wouldn’t be a movie. At least there were consequences for that, which I appreciate. Things would be so much easier if people were honest but as a troupe, this was one of the better examples on how to handle “secrets”.

Dogma (4/5)

I never saw when this came out which was too bad as I really enjoyed it. I can understand why it caused so much uproar when it came out but overall I found it an entertaining watch that made me think about some of the absurdities found in any organized religion.

How messy was my house?

I watched this as part of a series of movies that played at my church. Therefore I wasn’t home to cause a mess.

How was my attention span?

I found this film fascinating, I watched it closely so that I could try to pick up all the little details.

Where and when was I watching?

Watched at my church which was amazing. There was some very interesting discussions afterwards.

How is this impacting my writing?

I loved how ridiculous this movie was. It was very fun and over the top. In the discussion after the film someone also pointed out how well it handled issues. The punch line was never being gay or hurtful. It made fun without down playing large issues. I really want to rewatch it as I know I missed a bunch on the first watch.

Upgraded (3/5)

This is a loose telling of Cinderella and if I am honest, there are much better versions. It’s a shame as I think with a few changes this could have gone from average to pretty good. It had some good highlights and characters.

How messy was my house?

I didn’t have to follow the plot very closely so was able to putter while watching.

How was my attention span?

I did get distracted and look at my phone.

Where and when was I watching?

I had a rare kid free house and was able to enjoy this.

How is this impacting my writing?

I love retellings of fairy tales, it is fun to take a story that everyone knows and flip it on it’s head. Maybe one day I will tackle something like this myself.

Law and Order: SVU - Season 12 (4/5)

I was thrilled recently to discover that is on Netflix. I used to love it so of course had to watch it and it is safe to say that I still love it. This season had a number of very good episodes. It was an amazing season, I did find the stronger episodes were at the beginning of the season (it started with a bang) but overall the whole season was excellent watching.

How messy was my house?

I love shows that have a nice clean ending at the end of each episode (it helps me not to binge watch) with some character development thrown in so that I want to keep watching. This one is perfect for that. Even with clean endings I found myself ignoring my house to get just one more show in.

How was my attention span?

I love this show and watch it closely as I don’t want to miss anything.

Where and when was I watching?

As this is not appropriate for the kids, I watch it on my phone. Usually when they are watching something I have seen a hundred times and want a bit more adult content.

How is this impacting my writing?

In my first book there is a lot of interactions with the police (spoilers). Watching this show helps me to get a look at how investigators might respond as well as what evidence could be left behind to be found….

Detective Pikachu (3/5)

I don’t know much about Pokémon so I am sure I didn’t get as much out of this as I would if I was a big fan. Either way, I enjoyed it.

How messy was my house?

Movies are great, in two hours I can’t do too much damage.

How was my attention span?

This was a rewatch for me so I didn’t pay as much attention as I knew what was coming. I did spend some time scrolling on my phone.

Where and when was I watching?

My daughters have become rather interested in Pokémon and didn’t remember watching this one with us the first time. I think they really enjoyed it.

How is this impacting my writing?

I loved the visuals in this movie. They did a great job of making the world of humans and Pokémon living together look good and feel like a real place. If I ever write something with mythical creatures (I think it would be fun), this is a good movie to revisit.

The Care Bears Movie ( 3/5)

I grew up watching this one, when I saw it online I just had to show it to my kids. I didn’t remember much going in but once I started watching it, a lot of memories came back.

How messy was my house?

It was our family movie night, I ignored my house.

How was my attention span?

It was pretty good.

Where and when was I watching?

This was a family movie watch.

How is this impacting my writing?

It was fun to see some of characters I loved as a child. Because I watched it so much when I was younger, I imagine I enjoyed this more than if I saw it for the first time. When I am writing, I shouldn’t discount popular shows of the past. I’m writing about time travel so I can certainly use this to my advantage.

Rental Family (4/5)

I didn’t know what to expect going into this one and was pleasantly surprised. There was a lot of emotional depth to the story. I really enjoyed it!

How messy was my house?

I could have done a lot of cleaning but instead sat on my couch to watch this.

How was my attention span?

I enjoyed the film and wanted to watch it.

Where and when was I watching?

This was a date night movie with my husband.

How is this impacting my writing?

This film took place in Japan and I don’t think it could have translated as well if it took place in any other country. It was a good reminder that sometimes location matters.

Books

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder - Bellamy Rose (4/5)

This one was recommended by a friend. We were camping and despite being exhausted from too much fun and not enough sleep, she was staying up until she finished this. I just knew I had to read it and I really enjoyed it. This was a lot of fun with many funny moments.

How messy was my house?

I will admit to leaving some dishes on the counter so that I could read more.

How was my attention span?

I really wanted to know what was going to happen next and as such was very interested in getting back to my book.

Where and when was I reading?

This book did travel around the house a bit.

How is this impacting my writing?

While this had some predictable elements, it was also a ton of fun. I really liked the main character, even when at the beginning so wasn’t the nicest person. Character growth is important, this is a great example on how to do that well.

Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo (4/5)

My husband and I started to watch the show on Netflix, so like I commonly do, I wanted to read the book to compare them. It has an interesting premise and some great world building. I am not a huge fan of the main character, Alina, I find she can be pretty naive. She is young so I guess that is to be expected but I also found it really annoying as some of the decisions she made, I just knew they were going to end badly.

How messy was my house?

Once I got into the book, I read it pretty quickly.

How was my attention span?

I was pretty interested in what was on the page.

Where and when was I reading?

This was read while camping. Great summer read.

How is this impacting my writing?

While I found Alina annoying, I think the author did an excellent job protraying someone younger who hasn’t figured it all out yet. I can learn a lot from this.

Common Goal - Rachel Reid (3/5)

I am slowly working through this series. While I enjoyed it, this wasn’t my favourite. It is still hard to compete with Shane and Ilya.

How messy was my house?

I still read this one pretty quick at the expense of my house.

How was my attention span?

I got a bit frustrated at the characters a bit towards the end of the novel. My husband and I have a bit of an age gap and while it is something to be aware of, it isn’t as big of a deal as the characters made it out to be (I should add that it isn’t a big deal as long as you both met as equals and are both over twenty).

Where and when was I reading?

This was a great summer read.

How is this impacting my writing?

I may not be as much of a fan of this one but I do love how all the novels are loosely linked together. Maybe one day I will be able to do something like this.

Siege and Storm - Leigh Bardugo (3/5)

I have to admit that I was struggling with this one for the first two thirds or so. It was an ok story but I was very frustrated with the characters; mostly Alina and Mal. It was the usual trop of people not communicating and that one always annoys me. Then things turned around in the last third and I am looking forward to where this series goes.

How messy was my house?

I maintained my house pretty good until the last third. Then I chose reading over cleaning. Now that the book is done, I have a ton of dishes to take care of.

How was my attention span?

When I was reading, I was engaged.

Where and when was I reading?

This was a night time read until the end and then I was reading when ever I could.

How is this impacting my writing?

I like the story and I think the author has done a great job in laying it all out. It also reminded me how much I hate love triangles and when people keep secrets from people for dumb reasons. The fact I am frustrated speaks heavily to how well the author wrote the characters. I can certainly learn from her.

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?