Book #128 of 2026: The Wizard Who Kept Himself Suspicious by Scott Lynch A charming — pun intended — little fantasy novella, in which a group of sorcerers gather for a regular beachside conclave of their order that takes a surprising turn into a Columbo-like murder mystery investigation when one of them is struck dead. …
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Book #126 of 2026: Doctor Who: Shadowmind by Christopher Bulis (Virgin New Adventures #16) I’m surprised this 1993 novel has such a poor reputation — including a 2.85 average rating on Goodreads — since I’ve found it to be a generally enjoyable time myself. A lot of the reviews complain that it reads more like …
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Book #120 of 2026: Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia #4) [Note: this is an updated version of my review from 2020.] Although perhaps not as enchanting as the original Narnia story, this first sequel (in writing / publication order) does much more to flesh out the worldbuilding, providing a sense …
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Book #118 of 2026: The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead A neat Taylor Jenkins Reid-alike about a self-destructive band whose new manager helps pull them together to channel their talent and raw emotion into making extraordinary music. The frontwoman is a 2020s female Kurt Cobain type, all grungy and falling apart but still tapping into …
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Book #117 of 2026: Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings (The Belgariad #4) I’ve been somewhat neutral on this 1980s fantasy series so far, since its farmboy-with-a-destiny plot reminded me of too many other titles in the genre. But the previous installment ended with the heroes finally securing the magical artifact they’ve been questing after …
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TV #34 of 2026: Terminator Zero, season 1 I don’t watch a ton of anime, but I’ve really enjoyed this eight-episode Terminator series, which does a better job of molding the franchise to meet that format than The Sarah Connor Chronicles ever did with its own teen drama / mystery box approach. I also appreciate …
TV #33 of 2026: The Bear, season 5 I haven’t been as enthused about the last couple seasons of this show (or its recent flashback special Gary), but this final year proves to be a welcome course correction. The majority plays out largely in real time, with one episode running directly into the next, and …
Book #111 of 2026: The Bone Door by Frances White This is an ambitious and complicated fantasy story that’s difficult to discuss without spoilers, but I can say in general terms that it’s like a preadolescent combination of Piranesi and The Locked Tomb. Various children awaken with missing body parts but no memories inside a …
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Movie #33 of 2026: Doctor Who (1996) Objectively, there’s a lot about this TV movie — a continuation of the Classic Doctor Who run of 1963-1989 and failed pilot for further onscreen adventures — that doesn’t really work. The technobabble plot is difficult to follow and crams in unexplained references to things like Daleks that …
Book #108 of 2026: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia #2) [Note: this is an updated version of my review from 2020.] This is the second volume of its series by internal chronology, but I maintain that these stories are best approached in publication order instead. …
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