February is the weirdest month. It's shorter than the others, even if you account for that extra day which leaps in every few years. This is the month when winter rolls up its sleeves and gets down to work, cranking down temperatures and blowing snow all over your precious driveway. February boasts of hosting the Grammys and the SuperbOwl, two American festivals which are little seen and little regarded outside of this country. Well, maybe not the Grammys, but I feel they have lost their relevance compared to previous years. Valentine's Day shows up as well smack in the middle of the month, which is apparently celebrated as Cow Hug Day in India these days. The month also features two birthdays from this household, both within five days of each other and both of which I will sadly have to miss this year thanks to upcoming travel. |  | A superb owl |
| Here's to a short month and a shorter intro to this week's books and binges! | A book |  | The Books of Babel series by Josiah Bancroft |
| I have never been a fan of the steampunk genre, both in books and in movies. I've always found them confusing, with their emphasis on Victorian-era aesthetics, full of corsets, gas lamps, and gadgets made of wood, copper, and steel. So it was with some amount of trepidation that I started reading Senlin Ascends, the first in the Books of Babel series by Josiah Bancroft. However, the writing turned out to be excellent, and the fantasy yarn that Bancroft weaves goes beyond corsets and gadgets, though you do see a lot of the latter. The story centers around a mysterious structure called the Tower, visited by a school headmaster called Thomas Senlin, and his newly-wed wife Marya. They get separated before entering the tower, setting up the quest for Senlin which covers pretty much the entirety of the series. The world-building is fantastic, and the overall commentary on the nature of tyranny and despots in particular resonated with me. | The one complaint I had was that the intricate descriptions of gadgetry and the various kingdoms that form the tower take time to visualize, which honestly is not surprising for a work of fantasy. I enjoyed reading all four books, and would recommend them to anyone who is interested in world building and fantasy in general. | A movie |  | Jay Kelly on Netflix |
| If there's one thing that Hollywood loves, it's movies about itself. About its stars, the troubled writers, the auteur directors, the reclusive heroines, and oh the handsome men who wrestle with their inner demons yet put on a cheery smile in front of the camera. Netflix's Jay Kelly is about such a man, the dashingly debonair George Clooney seen here playing himself. | It is a pathetic excuse of a movie masquerading as high drama. It's made by Netflix after all, who instructs filmmakers to repeat their plots three to four times because their target audience is presumably distracted by their phones while watching. Adam Sandler is just about okay, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup and a few others have minor roles, and Clooney appears as himself in almost every scene. A painful, infuriating watch, with no sentimental value. Not recommended. | A show |  | Heated Rivalry on HBO/Crave |
| Alright, let's get this out of the way, shall we? The show Heated Rivalry on HBO has a lot of sex. The show doesn't quite fade to black after a long kiss, or switch to two flowers gently brushing against each other either. The fade does happen, but the next scene features the same two people indulging in intense, passionate sex, shown in graphic detail. If that's not something you'd want to watch, then this show is probably not for you. However, you should know that sex in this show is not random titillation; it actually drives character development. The two leads learn about each other and, crucially, about themselves. It doesn't leave you feeling sleazy; it leaves you with a smile and a spring in your step, thankful for some romance in the world. | The show is based on the second in a series of books called The Game Changers, by Canadian author Rachel Reid. The backdrop is the fictional major hockey league called, well, Major League Hockey (MLH), where two rookie players get drafted into Montreal and Boston (yay) sports franchises. They play against each other, with each other, and develop feelings for each other. It's well-written, brilliantly shot, and has two of the hottest young actors to grace TV screens. Recommended. | Coming Up | |  | It Was Just An Accident |
| | Have a great week!
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