January 2026 has come to an end, and it was a refreshingly calm start to the year. With the slower pace, I found myself watching a lot of movies this month. In true nerd fashion, this post looks at the different media I consumed in January, along with any data worth sharing.

Gaming

Platinum trophies

This month I have been fortunate to be able to get 6 platinum trophies. Out of all of them I really enjoyed Spider-Man and A Winters Daydream! Spider-Man is one of my most favourite superhero games to have been made. The web slinging is spectacular and I loved the story and seeing a new Spider-Man be made. A Winters Daydream is a cosy visual novel that felt like a good send off to the colder months. With a plot I have never really seen before, I would recommend to anyone who likes visual novels.

Animal Crossing

To be absolutely honest- I have already “failed” my new years resolution of restarting New Leaf on my 3DS January 1st. Instead I got distracted by New Horizons (eeek). Within New Horizons I redecorated the island I had since launch by moving trees and making a new island path. Personally, I did quite a good job. At some point I will be restarting my New Leaf island…. just don’t ask me when!

Movies/TV shows

Inside Number 9 TV series

I have been able to watch all of the first four seasons of this amazing show this month! The concept is unusual and once you’ve gotten used to it you’ll full in love. With dark humor and quirky characters, this series has definitely left an impression on me. My favorite episode- so far- is Cold Comfort. Especially given the end- I liked how the episode was edited to a monitor of security cameras. With a second watch you are able to appreciate what is happening more!
So far I give this series a 4/5.

No Other Choice

No Other Choice was a fun and wacky experience. Once I got past needing subtitles (yay to being monolingual!) I was used to them. The acting and storytelling work so well together as the blend of them made the humor shine more. I think if your going to get into Korean cinema this would be a great introduction to the sub-genre.
On Letterboxd I gave this movie a 4/5.

One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5

To be honest- this entire documentary explained why the last season of Stranger Things fell flat compared to the others. The Duffer Brothers admitted that they “didn’t want to be writers” and it showed. Even though I enjoyed the fundamentals- it was obvious the season wasn’t written well. Even taking away what was the last season of a great show, they do not look good at all! Many things were rushed and not even complete before filming. If your interested in the behind the scenes- I would recommend very lightly.
I gave it 2 stars on Leterboxd.

Books

The Journey: Big Panda and Tiny Dragon- James Norbury

You can read my full review of the book here. The short version is I really enjoyed the book!

Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama- Bob Odenkirk

While I did enjoy learning about Bob’s early career and found some of the background information interesting, it wasn’t something I felt particularly invested in overall. At times, my attention drifted and I found it hard to stay fully engaged with the content. The writing style also didn’t quite work for me as it simply wasn’t my cup of hot chocolate. Unfortunately, this made the experience less enjoyable than I had hoped even if it wasn’t necessarily a bad book.
I rated this two stars and listened to it as an audio-book.

The Fault in Our Stars- John Green

I very much enjoyed this book even though it was a cringe young adult book full of cheesiness (and cancer). The story reminded me that life has infinite amount of infinities and that some infinities last more than others. Re-reading as an adult made me appreciate the romance more! Gus and Hazel weren’t you normal cringe teenagers in love but just two people in love- that happen to cancer as teenagers! If you like young adult books I would recommend this book highly.
I rated this 5 stars and listened to it as an audio-book.

All in all, January was a pretty chilled month when it came to media, which made for a nice start to 2026. Nothing too intense—just a lot of enjoyable watches and reads. I’m looking forward to seeing how February shapes up and what I end up adding to next month’s roundup.