I admit I’m still watching the occasional holiday movie in January. This year in addition to the plethora of Christmas movies, there were several entertaining Hallmark movies with a Hanukkah theme. Maybe next year we’ll see something about Kwanzaa, the annual celebration of African American culture from December 26 to January 1.

Moving into 2023, I watched an entertaining mystery series on Amazon, assorted movies, and a few excellent YouTube videos.

Three Pines is based on the Louise Penny mystery/thriller series about Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec police force. Alfred Molina stars as Gamache and he is supported by a talented cast that includes several Indigenous actors. Molina is an exceptional actor, and he shines as an intelligent and compassionate investigator fighting for justice while battling his own demons. Gamache, who is a homicide investigator, becomes involved in the search for a young Indigenous woman who is one of the thousands of Indigenous women reported missing in Canada and the United States.

Gamache juggles his responsibilities of solving murders with his search for Blue Two-Rivers. Two-Rivers is a young mother and as Gamache learns about her life and the lives of other Indigenous peoples, it begins to trigger flashbacks of his parents and their tragic deaths.  There are eight episodes in total and the ending is a major cliffhanger. Amazon has not yet announced if there will be a Season 2. Fingers crossed we will be blessed with multiple seasons of clever storylines and exceptional acting.

The Wedding Veil Trilogy is a series of Hallmark movies starring Lacey Chabert (Avery), Autumn Reeser (Emma), and Alison Sweeney (Tracy) as three friends (they were all art history majors) who have kept in touch since completing grad school. The three get together whenever possible despite living in Boston, Chicago, and New York.

Chabert, Reeser, and Sweeney are Hallmark staples because the characters they choose to play are always flawed, but likable.

On a “girl’s weekend” in San Francisco, they come across an antique wedding veil with a legend attached to it. Whoever is in possession of the veil will find their true love and get married. Avery and Emma are intrigued by the legend, but Tracy is skeptical. In a series of three films, we learn about the origins of the veil, its legend, and if it works. No spoilers here. I’ve seen the first two movies and they are charming if not predictable love stories, but the legend and origins of the veil are where this series shines – the story is bittersweet. I’m anxious to see how the third story unfolds and I think there may be other trilogies planned around the veil.

I’ve become obsessed with covers of famous songs and YouTube does not disappoint.

This month I found Prince’s cover of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” the song made famous by Bonnie Raitt. Her version will always be my favorite. There are many excellent covers of this song including ones by Bon Iver and Adele, but Prince reimagined the song like no one has or ever will. If you are a purist, it might not be for you, but if you are a Prince fan, give it a listen.