Monthly Amusements: January 2017

As the first month of 2017 comes to a close, I wanted to take a quick look back at some of the things in the entertainment world that I enjoyed in January. Overall, this month pleasantly surprised me considering that January is typically a lackluster month for entertainment. Just a quick note, the items on my list do not have to be released in January 2017. They are simply things that I've happened to stumble upon for the first time in this particular month. So with that being said, here are the things that I've enjoyed most in January 2017.

Movie: Sing Street

Sing Street was a film that thoroughly took me by surprise. I had no expectations for this movie, but it delivered a heartwarming story about an Irish teen who starts a band to win over the girl of his dreams. I actually did a full review for this film (read it here) where I go into more detail, but the bottom line is that Sing Street was by far the best film that I had the pleasure of watching this month.
My Rating: ★★★★★

TV Show: Last Tango In Halifax

The BBC dramedy Last Tango In Halifax wound up being my favorite TV show for the month of January 2017. I will be the first to admit that this show goes more than a little overboard on the family drama, rendering its plot apocryphal and characters measurably unrelatable. However, because of this it became my guilty pleasure and I quickly blew through all three seasons of Last Tango In Halifax. It's certainly not the best show to ever be made but it delivers on creating an enticing, albeit over-the-top plot that is hard to stop watching.
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Book: Invincible

Invincible, Amy Reed's saga about a teenager dealing with cancer, was my favorite read of this month. I found this story to be incredibly raw and honest, giving a touching portrayal of a girl struggling to find herself in a world where she is known as "the cancer girl." Feeling suffocated, she runs away from her old friends and family into the arms of Marcus, the only person who really understands her. I loved just about everything that this book delivered and I am looking forward to reading Unforgivable, Reed's followup novel to Invincible. I would definitively recommend this read and it's my favorite book from this month.
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Music: Double Dare

Double Dare, the debut album by the pop punk band Waterparks, has had a prominent presence on my playlist this month. It delivered some great tunes that just got stuck in my head, such as Royal and Gloom Boys. A few of the songs did miss the mark for me personally, but overall it was a great album to rev myself up with at the start of the new year.
My Rating: ★★★☆☆