The Monthly Media Catchup: Everything I Read, Watched & Listened To | May 2020

May was the month that I finally completed my English Literature degree. And how did I celebrate? By reading, of course!

But, seriously, the novelty of being able to read off-syllabus whenever I want is one I’m not sure will ever wear off and it’s been made even more exciting by the UK’s unseasonably warm weather. Waking up, heading straight to the garden with my book and taking breaks inside whenever I got too warm to watch an episode of Sex and The City? Maybe I could get used to this whole lockdown thing…

Books

mr salary by Sally Rooney | ★★★★*

After watching Normal People, I needed another Sally Rooney fix. Luckily, I’d ordered this short story after finishing her first and second novels last year and hadn’t got round to reading it. Mr Salary is about Sukie, who is returning home to Dublin, and her relationship with Nathan, a family friend she moved in with when she was a teenager because of difficulties at home. In typical Rooney fashion, it’s simple but endearing and explores the dynamics of a romantic relationship that is complicated due to external factors. I really enjoyed it and have since ordered two more books from this collection of Faber Stories by other authors, as I love the idea and the beautiful covers.

exciting times by naoise dolan | ★★★★*

Naoise Dolan has been compared to Sally Rooney, largely because she is an Irish millennial writer, I think, but perhaps also because, like Rooney, she writes about romantic relationships so well. Exciting Times follows Ava, who is living as an expat in Hong Kong and teaching English as a foreign language, and her weird living arrangement/relationship with a banker, Julian, as well as her romantic relationship with Edith. It’s witty and hilarious and almost every sentence carries socio-political commentary, but it is done in a way that somehow feels cleverly subtle. The commentary is largely focussed on being Irish and how this affects her experience of being an expat, as she is expected to teach Anglo-English as opposed to Irish-English, as well as the feminist politics of accepting money/housing off a partner, which I found really interesting. I absolutely loved this book and really recommend it. 4.5 stars.

I feel bad about my neck: and other thoughts on being a woman by nora ephron | ★★★*

I picked this collection of essays up on a weekend when I was feeling a bit off and couldn’t really get into any of the books I was trying to read. This one was perfect. These essays were written late in Ephron’s life and they are mostly interested in ageing as a woman. An essay that stands out to me in retrospect was actually about Ephron’s huge, rent-controlled, bougie apartment in New York, however, which provided me with at least a day of dreaming about living there. Like Eprhon’s most well-known novel, Heartburn, this collection of essays didn’t blow me away, but I devoured them in, basically, a day, as they’re such easy reading and can be a real tonic when you’re feeling a bit crap. But I don’t necessarily subscribe to the deification of Ephron, purely because there are other writers whose craft I admire more (see the next review) and I don’t think the topics Ephron discusses are anything revolutionary, although I enjoy how she manages to discuss everything with humour and a certain light-heartedness that really translates to the reader.

changing my mind: occasional essays by zadie smith | ★★★★*

Zadie Smith is my favourite non-fiction writer that I’ve read, even though her fiction, whilst I admire the writing hugely, is not my go-to. The precision, structure and self-awareness in her non-fiction writing is something I can only aspire to and I read and re-read every word in this collection so closely to try and get my head around how she does it. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s just pure, natural genius.

The essays in this collection range from cultural commentary and reviews to personal essays to literary analysis. The only reason I’ve knocked a star off is because, at times, I had no awareness of the topics she wrote about, and I think the intended reader should have had some, and it did also feel that these essays had just been thrown together, rather than carefully curated. If this was a writer who hadn’t perfected her craft, I don’t think I would have enjoyed it at all. But the reason it took me almost 2 months to read is not down to lack of enjoyment but because I just really wanted to sit with and savour every sentence. My favourite essays were ‘Dead Man Laughing’, in which she discusses an almost universal experience, the death of her father, without cliche but in a way that is meaningful and uniquely touching, as well as her essay on ‘Rereading Barthes and Nabokov’. I want to include an excerpt from the latter that I think will resonate with everyone who has studied English Literature:

‘It’s probably for the best that [Nabokov] didn’t live to see the kind of post-Barthes (and post-Foucault) campus criticism that flowered on both sides of the pond during the eighties and nineties. Wild analogy; aggressive reading against the grain and across codes and discourses; a fondness for cultural codes over textual particulars. You remember the sort of thing:

The Trans-gendered Suitor: Refractions of Darcy as Elizabeth’s True Sister in Pride and Prejudice.

Daisy, the Dollar, and Foucault’s Repressive Hypothesis: Portraits of Sexualised Capital in The Great Gatsby

Please Sir, Can I Have Some More: Bulimic Rejections of Self in Oliver Twist.

I’ve written a lot of essays like this. And found it a wonderful thing, to feel so free. The novel was mine to do with as I wished, to read upside down, back to front or in entirely anachronistic terms. That kind of freedom makes writers of readers, liberating us from the passive and authoritarian styles we are taught in school (Hard Times = British education system in Victorian England). When we read instead in an active way we get to reinscribe dusty old novels into our own interests and cocnerns. There is a joy in getting someone to hand us their butterfly so we can spend twenty pages making the case for its being our giraffe.’

Some people call this collection of essays pretentious, and one GoodReads reviewer said Smith seemed like she was ‘trying to be erudite’. But having read and listened to every interview of hers I can get my hands on, I think she really is just very clever and you can’t take that personally - just enjoy and appreciate that we are lucky enough to live during the same time as her. Ok, I’m done! Read Zadie Smith!

kartography by kamila shamsie | ★★★*

I bought this novel after seeing Kamila Shamsie in conversation with Jeanette Winterson way back in 2017, having read Shamsie’s fantastic novel, Home Fire. Kartography is one of her earlier novels, one that I’ve been recommended when I’ve mentioned to people that I love Home Fire and, although I enjoyed it, it didn’t hit quite the same as Home Fire. It’s set in Karachi, the city in Pakistan where Shamsie is from and I think part of the reason I didn’t enjoy it as much as Home Fire is because I’m not aware of the political goings on in Pakistan as much as I am of those in the UK and America, which is no fault of Shamsie’s, only my own. But I also think that this novel is very different to Home Fire, in that, whilst it’s interested in political commentary, it’s centred on a love story, between two young adults, Raheen and Karim, whose parents swapped fiancees before they were born, yet remain best friends. There is a mystery behind this fiancee swap that is eventually revealed at the end of the novel but the main storyline is that of Raheen and Karim and their relationship. It’s definitely worth a read, as Kamsie’s signature wit and humour is there, if not as much in Home Fire, and it is a beautiful portrayal of Shamsie’s home town. I also learnt a lot about Pakistan, its history and its politics, so it was definitely worthwhile, but sometimes I was a little bored with the love story narrative. 3.5 stars.

Trick Mirror by jia tolentino | ★★★★*

I feel as though I’m late to this book, although I’m sure Jia Tolentino would have much to say about the idea of being ‘late to a book’ and how this idea has been constructed by an obsession with keeping up, bred by social media and, inevitably, the capitalist society we live in. I’m sure she’d say it much better than that. This was the first book, alongside Kartography, I read after completing my degree and it has made me so excited about the reading opportunities I have now my ‘reading for fun’ books aren’t limited to those I can read just before bed. This essay collection interrogates what it means to live in the contemporary world, from using social media, to reality TV, to campus sexual assault, to big fancy weddings and so much more. Tolentino has an incredible mind and her voice, skeptical yet thoughtful about the trivial and the serious, is one that I am so glad that exists within journalism. I can’t wait to read more of her work.

TV

sex and the city (SKY) | ★★★★★

I had 3 goals for lockdown: 1. get into tea, 2. watch Sex and the City, 3. learn to do a headstand. I’ve managed the ones that don’t require me to leave my bed and/or pull out a yoga mat. Sex and the City was the PERFECT quarantine watch. It’s essentially a rom-com spread out over 6 seasons with great 90s style (my favourite era for fashion), and commentary on sex, relationships and being a woman that is partly still relevant now and I’m sure was revolutionary when it was created. There are certainly problematic elements and it is a reflection of the time it was made in every way (the good and the bad) but I think as long as we acknowledge the issues it has and educate ourselves to ensure our beliefs are not the same as some of the ones the characters adapt, then we can appreciate the show for what it is. And what it is is a celebration of friendship in the very aspirational context of four women, some of whom barely work, who have lots of money, and make the most of the New York they are living in. Fuck Big, Aidan is ok, but, as usual, Samantha was right in choosing Smith Gerrard. He’s the only man I really like in the series. My favourite moment from the entirety of the 6 seasons is pictured below (Samantha is such a gem):

little fires everywhere (AMazon prime) | ★★★

This is TV series was developed by Reese Witherspoon’s production company, based on a book of the same name. I haven’t read the book, as I prefer this kind of plot-driven narrative in TV format, rather than in a novel, but I was excited about the series anyway, as I loved Big Little Lies. I binged it in two days and I thought the first few episodes were gripping and provided a brilliant commentary on race and class in America. The last couple of episodes, particularly the last one, however, became so far-fetched and disengaged that it’s tainted my memory of the show. It’s definitely worth a watch as the first few episodes live up to my memory of Big Little Lies, the ending, however, does not.

Film

sex and the city 1 and 2 (netflix & amazon prime) | ★★★★

Obviously once I finished watching the series, I watched both of the films. I’ve watched them before but they’re much better when you know the characters and their back stories. They’re not as good as the TV show, because they’ve adopted a kind of Hollywood glamour that the TV show, rightfully, didn’t have and they are also cliched in a way that the TV show generally wasn’t. But it did make me think that every long TV show with a big fan base should follow up with two movies that aren’t quite as good as the show to provide closure for its viewers. Gossip Girl 1 and 2 anyone?

little women (2019) (Amazon Prime) | ★★★★★

I promise I’m not going to rave about Little Women again (you can read my review, which, in short, says I love it so much, here). But I’m including it on this list to provide the very important news that it’s now available to buy on Amazon Prime and I have obviously bought and watched it, and loved it just as much on a third viewing.

mystic pizza (netflix) | ★★★

This was my only Netflix party watch of the month! It’s a classic rom-com featuring Julia Roberts about three sisters who are navigating relationships with different men. It’s nothing revolutionary but definitely a cosy, easy watch. Plus, I’ll watch anything that features Julia Roberts

he’s just not that into you (Netflix) | ★★★

Another easy rom-com! I do feel as though that this film has got the formula for a rom-com down to a tee, but it’s not one that I regularly re-watch and I think it would be more interesting and relevant, like most things, with more diversity.

joan didion: the center will not hold (netflix) | ★★★★

I always knew Joan Didion lived a fascinating life but I didn’t really know what it entailed. This documentary did a great job of filling me in and it was, indeed, fascinating. I’d recommend reading this New Yorker article after watching the documentary.

Podcasts

table manners | ★★★★

This podcast has been recommended to me so much but, for some reason, I’ve resisted it up until now. Actually, I tried to listen to the episode with Haim a couple of months ago but gave up when I realised that making a podcast with 5 people does not work. I’ve finally gotten into Table Manners this month, anyhow, after listening to their recent episode with Florence Pugh. I’ve listened to a few other episodes since then and I really enjoy Jessie and Lenny’s dynamic and I think they do a great job of making their guests comfortable enough to talk openly with them. Other episodes I’ve listened to so far include those with Emilia Clarke (this one was also great), Dolly Alderton and Antoni Porowski.

individual episodes i enjoyed:

• How are you Pandora Sykes? | Ganni Talks - How Are You?

• Curtis Sittinfeld | You’re Booked

• Jess Evans: Classism in Journalism | Ctrl Alt Delete

• Sophie Elmhirst | Always Take Notes

• Rest & Relaxation with Ottessa Moshfegh | Literary Friction

• Minisode Thirteen | Literary Friction

• Daisy Edgar-Jones on being the star of Normal People | How to Fail

• Dolly Alderton | Films to Be Buried With With Brett Goldstein

• Gossip Girl with Naoise Dolan | Juvenalia

Articles

I’ve been reading lots of articles from all my usual sources this month but I’ve also really gotten into Penguin’s features section - see below for my recommendations from Penguin and some of my other favourite publications and sites.

• Dancing at a Drive-through Strip Club | The Cut

• Curtis Sittenfeld interview: what would Hillary have achieved without Bill Clinton? | Sunday Times

• Don't worry, I live with all these books: the socially distant joy of reading outside | Penguin

• I Don't Know How To Say This But... I Miss Feeling Hot | Man Repeller 

• Larry Kramer in His Own Words | Dazed

• A bow and a courtesy: how Jane Austen's age of social distancing reflects our own | Penguin

• Shelf Life: Dianne Abbott | Penguin

• What’s More Deadly “I’m terrified of the coronavirus… But I had to choose which virus poses the biggest threat. And that’s the police.” | The Cut

music

There’s no playlist this month as I’ve pretty much exclusively been listening to Joni Mitchell, but I would really recommend this Guardian article on where to start with Joni Mitchell, as I think she’s the perfect artist to be stuck in your house with, as well as to take along on your daily walks.

you might also like…

The Monthly Media Catchup: Everything I Read, Watched & Listened To | April 2020 (BUMPER LOCKDOWN EDITION)

My coping mechanism during lockdown has been to escape into the lives and worlds of others and it’s provided me with so much solace and much-needed escapism. To celebrate how great all forms of media can be for this purpose, I’m offering up a bumper lockdown edition of the Monthly Media Catch Up with all the usual categories as well as a General Entertainment section, with all the random things that have been keeping me entertained as well as the usuals.

This month, I think I’ve balanced uni reading and reading for pleasure pretty well and have managed to watch a fair few TV series, alongside Sex & The City - although I won’t be chatting about it this month because, somehow, I still haven’t completed it - and re-watching The Bold Type for the umpteenth time. I’ve also watched a lot of films (for me), maybe more than ever?! Netflix Parties have been something that I’ve been really enjoying and I’ve watched (mostly re-watched) some brilliant films with my friends via this medium.

Feel free to skip through categories depending on what you’re looking for, although there are some real gems in each of them so I’d, obviously, recommended reading them all, especially now the ‘I don’t have time’ excuse is a phrase of the past.

Books

Animal’s People by Indra sinha | ★★★★*

This novel, that I read for my Humans & Other Animals module at uni, follows Animal, who survived the 1984 Bhopal disaster but sustained serious spinal injuries as a result of it which means he can only walk on all fours. Because of this, he rejects his humanness and, in this novel, he tells the story of his friends who are fighting for justice after the disaster and an American doctor who claims she wants to help, particularly, how these events affect him. The novel is written in dialect that is specific to Animal and his tone is often humorous, which I really enjoyed. The story is also gripping and moving at times, and highlights lots of issues including white/western privilege and, of course, the boundaries between human and animal.

None Turn Back by storm jameson | ★★★*

The final Storm Jameson book I read for my dissertation! This one is also the final book in the Mirror in Darkness series and is set during the 1926 General Strike. I enjoyed it and I liked how the trilogy ended, but if you’re interested in reading Storm Jameson, I would start with A Day Off and if you like that, Company Parade. If you loved both of these, I would say the rest of the Mirror in Darkness trilogy, but if you only liked them, I think Company Parade is the best in the series and the next two are slightly disappointing.

my year of rest and relaxation by ottessa moshfegh | ★★★★*

This novel is about a young woman living in New York who decides to try and sleep for a year, after her both of her parents die and she inherits a great deal of money, so is able to do so. I really enjoyed this novel. It was witty and hilarious and the protagonist was horribly unlikeable which added to the humour even more. Her friendship with her closest friend Reva was fascinating and her therapist’s rants had me laughing out loud. At times, I did find it very depressing, especially as it slowed down and became repetitive in the middle. But the novel was so unique that some of the slower parts really didn’t bother me as much and I loved the ending, which was so cliched that it was somehow innovative. 4.5 stars.

We are all completely beside ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler | ★★★★*

Another book I read for the Humans & Other Animals module! I loved this one. It’s difficult to explain as something is revealed on p.77, that I would hate to spoil for you, as the tension built up before this point is really necessary and pays off completely. But it follows Rosemary who, when we meet her, is a college student, but has clearly been deeply affected by her childhood with a sister who was taken away from her at a very young age. The novel tracks Rosemary’s life as she tries to deal with this, exploring the human/non-human animal boundary and the ethics of science. Like Animal’s People, though, it managed to find the perfect boundary between a fast-paced plot and confronting important issues. Although I think I enjoyed this one even more than Animal’s People because the concept is fascinating to me.

never let me go by kazuo ishiguro | ★★★★*

Again, I read this for Humans & Other Animals, although I have read it before a few years ago. This one is a bit like We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, in that information is revealed to you throughout the novel that, if I told you what it was now, it wouldn’t have the same effect. What I will say is that it’s semi-dystopian and tracks the lives of three students, Kathy, Ruth and Tommy, who are brought up at a boarding school called Hailsham, who know less about the trajectory of their lives than they think. It’s a really novel and thought-provoking idea for a book and I also really enjoy the characters, as they’re all extremely complicated and, at times, unlikeable, which I think makes the book an even more interesting read.

The Interestings by meg wolitzer | ★★★★*

I read this book after hearing Dolly and Pandora rave about it on The High Low, which is how lots of books make it on to my shelves. I’ve heard a lot of people say they loved this book, which I think gave me very high expectations. This is never a good way to come to a book, or anything, in my opinion, because it means I’m constantly looking for flaws. I don’t know if this says more about me than expectations as a concept generally. Nevertheless, although I enjoyed reading this book and was excited to get back to it once I had put it down, I didn’t love it by any means. The only character who I found really endearing was Jonah and he probably had the least time dedicated to him out of all the characters, which is a shame. I had the same problem with it that I had with the The Secret History by Donna Tartt which is that, for me, there were too many people and we saw too much of their lives, so anytime I became interested in a particular incident, we’d soon moved on from it, and the plot lines that Wolitzer did hold on to and thread throughout the novel just weren’t interesting to me (read: Goodman as a character). It’s for sure worth a read if you’re looking for an easy read and I did enjoy Wolitzer’s writing, it just wasn’t my favourite. 3.5 stars.

TV

Quiz (ITV) | ★★★★

I saw this show advertised a lot and, like the basic Fleabag-loving bitch I am, I was drawn to it mostly by Sian Clifford. It’s a drama/comedy that’s only three episodes long (which is perfect for me, as I have serious commitment issues when it comes to TV series) and is based on Charles and Diana Ingram who supposedly cheated on Who Want’s To Be a Millionaire. It was really funny and I was honestly on the edge of my seat throughout (this is the level of drama I can just about deal with on TV.)

Unorthodox (Netflix) | ★★★★

My nan recommended this show to me and I decided to watch it, despite usually avoiding “serious” TV, as she assured me that it wouldn’t be too much for my fragile self. And I loved it! It’s based on the story of a 19 year old woman who fled her home and her Orthodox Jewish family in New York to move to Berlin. Like most of the things I clearly enjoy, it was equal-parts educational and gripping and has made me desperate to visit Berlin again. Plus, all the characters were really complicated, which was interesting (apart from Moishe, what a dick.)

normal people (BBC) | ★★★★★

I am truly lost for words when it comes to this series. Having read Sally Rooney’s novel, Normal People, a couple of years ago, I was really looking forward to the BBC adaptation, but it was better than I could have ever accepted. I usually can’t sit still long enough to watch more than two episodes of anything at a time, but I was so enthralled by Normal People, that I watched the entire series in a day. One week later and I still feel so moved by it. I can’t watch a clip from the series online without bursting into tears. I can’t recommend it enough if you’re craving any kind of escapism, although, do be warned, that if you watch it in a day like I did, you may be unable to talk to anyone in the days following.

film

Mistress America | ★★★

If you’ve read my blog before, you probably know that I’m a big Greta Gerwig fan. Netflix clearly knows this too as they have been constantly recommending this film to me for the past couple of months. It’s nothing revolutionary but I really enjoyed it. It stars Gerwig, who is in her mid-late twenties and presents as the “cool girl”, and Lola Kirke, a college student who greatly admires Gerwig’s character. If you track what I’ve consumed in this (or any) blog post, you’ll notice a lot of it is in New York, as this immediately gives any piece of media an added charm for me, and it certainly did here. It was an easy watch that I enjoyed but it’s not neccesarily something I’ll remember.

Erin Brokovich | ★★★★

I’d somehow never seen this film and was really excited to watch it, having loved all of Julia Robert’s other films. This one really exceeded my expectations, with the added socio-political layer, as well as Robert’s classic charm (and great looks). Erin Brokovich is a struggling mother who gets a job doing admin at a lawyer firm, but she soon becomes invested in a case that is looking at how the water in a town has been poisoned by a gas and electric company. 4.5 stars.

you’ve got mail | ★★★

As well as Julia Robert’s films, I’m trying to make my way through the Meg Ryan classics, and this one, which also stars Tom Hanks was perfect for a relaxed Saturday night whilst I was also filling in scrapbooks. Ryan and Hanks meet anonymously in an online chat room, unaware that in the real world they are rivals, professionally, as Ryan owns an independent book store and Hanks works for the family business, a corporate book store business who are trying to shut down independents. It felt nostalgic in so many ways, obviously in that online dating is a novelty rather than the norm here, but also in that any book store is a good book store nowadays, given how few and far in between they are. The film is definitely dated which I enjoyed but I don’t think it’s one I’ll go back to again and again.

clueless | ★★★★

I re-watched this classic via Netflix Party and loved it so much. I mainly enjoyed Cher’s iconic outfits and quotes.

legally blonde | ★★★★

I’ve watched this before but I forgot how great the story actually is. It’s genuinely feminist and the script is hilarious. Also, I’ll watch Selma Blair in anything.

podcasts

sugar calling | ★★★★

In this New York Times Podcast, created specifically for lockdown, Cheryl Strayed calls up older writers, to get their words of wisdom on how to deal with these “unprecedented times.” It’s the perfect listening for your daily walk and I can highly recommend starting at the very beginning, with the episode calling up George Saunders, whose words feel like a warm hug, which, I’m sure, we’re all craving more than ever.

honourable mentions:

• Minisode 12 | Literary Friction

• The Woman Defending Harvey Weinstein | NY Times The Daily

• The One With Greta Gerwig | Scriptnotes

• Heathcliff vs. Darcy: Who’s the Bigger Sh*t? | Cheltenham Festivals

• How To Understand Art with Annie McGrath | Nobody Panic

• Obligatory Note of Hope with Jenny Offill | Literary Friction

articles

• Commuting by Colin Jost| The New Yorker

• The Book of Reese by Ann Pratchett | Vanity Fair

• How Does Infidelity Work During Lockdown? by Lisa Taddeo | Sunday Times Style

• Drew Barrymore on the Importance of Letting Go | Sunday Times Style

• What are You Really Wearing to Stay Home? | Man Repeller

• When Did I Become Rich? | Man Repeller

• David Sedaris: I sneak outside to a New York in which I am the only person | The Times

• Love Letter by George Saunders | The New Yorker

general entertainment

• NY Times Daily Mini Crossword (I do this every day)

• New Yorker Digital Jigsaw (perfect for when you’re bored during an online class)

• Maybe Baby Newsletter by Haley Nahman

• PhotoBox personalised jigsaw (I had one made of my cat, which is so much fun)

• Vogue Colouring Book*

• The humble Nintendo Wii (switches are expensive and nothing beats playing Mario Kart on a Wii)

• Barre Balance Online (such a lovely community and Natalie is the best instructor)

• Healthy With Hannah Workouts (Hannah is the only person who actually motivates me to do burpees, but don’t tell her that)

• The Anna Edit Cookies (the tastiest thing I’ve ever baked, I’m partial to the white chocolate ones)

• Paperchase Scrapbook (scrapbooking is a lovely way to fill the time and this scrapbook is the best I’ve found)

• Understanding Fashion: From Business to Culture course on FutureLearn (I’ve been doing this course on a free trial on FutureLearn and it’s really comprehensive)

music

My April playlist amassed a total of three songs because I’ve mostly been listening to album’s and other people’s playlists this month. So, here are said playlists I’ve been listening to. The first is by the wonderful Liv Playlist and the second is the best workout playlist I’ve ever come across (it’s also great for dancing around your room and pretending it’s 2015). Happy listening!

The Monthly Media Catch Up: Everything I Read, Watched & Listened To | January 2020

(affiliate links are marked with a *)

T-shirt: Roberta Einer SS20

Cardigan: & Other Stories*

Trousers: Mango (old, similar here*)

Necklace: Missoma*

Hair clips: ASOS*

Oh hi! So the Monthly Media Catchup has disappeared from my blog over the past few months. This was not intentional but a side-effect of an overwhelming amount of university work (final year really is difficult, who would have thought?)

But no one wants to hear about the amount of work I or anyone else has, so let’s just get straight into everything I read, watched and listened to during January.

My birthday and Christmas fall within 30 days of each other and most of my presents for both of these occasions consist of books. Every year, I look forward to compiling a list of books to ask for for Christmas and my birthday and this years list was particularly long. I started a couple of the books over the Christmas period (amongst them,Find Me by Andre Aciman, the sequel to Call Me By Your Name which I really disappointingly disliked) but have been digging deeper into the huge pile during the first month of 2020, before my university reading really kicks in.

I’ve also been watching A LOT of TV. I’m not sure if I watched more than one single TV show in its entirety from September-December. Partly because of the aforementioned busyness but also because I just couldn’t find anything that I liked enough to commit to. But January has brought lots of new releases and, to be honest, I’ve more or less been watching the same thing as the rest of my Instagram feed, but I thought I’d touch on them anyway, in case you’ve somehow missed them.

I found that I was consuming a lot of media recommended to me via social media this month, meaning I’ve been watching TV shows and reading books I might not have otherwise. In some ways, this has really paid off (see the TV category) but in others, specifically when it comes to books, I think I’d like to trust my own taste more in the future. Not that I disliked any of the books I read, but that there are other books on my shelves I might have enjoyed more, even if they’re not currently as popular/trendy.

Anyway, now the obligatory preamble is over, onto the reviews…

Books

Three Women by Lisa Taddeo | ★★★★★

How nice to start the year off with a 5 star review! Three Women has been on my to-read list since its release and it was one of the most difficult books to resist in my attempt to buy fewer books over the past year. Luckily, this anticipation paid off. Taddeo’s book follows the lives of three women, Maggie, Sloane and Lina. Specifically, it follows their sex lives, exploring their desires, emotions, and instincts in depth. Taddeo spent around 8 years looking for and spending time with these women in order to write such a book and the fact that the book reads like a novel is a huge credit to her as a journalist and a writer. It’s beautifully written and I found every detail fascinating. What I think is so special about this book is that Taddeo dedicates so much importance to female desire as its own entity, a privilege, unlike male desire which is often explored in fiction and non-fiction through the male gaze, it is rarely given.

I’ve seen this book criticised because firstly, “not much happens”, but this is baffling to me, because I thought so much happened! No, there isn’t much of a plotline but it’s non-fiction and real-life doesn’t have a plotline, and authentic female desire is not programmed the way we’ve seen it in books and other forms of media, which is perhaps why people are uncomfortable or bored with the book. Secondly, because it isn’t representative. However I think it’s important to remember that Taddeo is not trying to represent all women, just three women. But I do hope that many writers take inspiration from this book and write texts of this kind about different kinds of women. I hope to read many, many stories like these ones about thousands of diverse women in my lifetime, and I can only hope that, as a society, we begin to value them enough to allow this to hapen.

Calypso by David Sedaris | ★★★★

David Sedaris’ essay collections have been doing the rounds on social media, having been plauded for their humour and wit. I decided to read his most recent collection of essays and I enjoyed them a great deal. I didn’t find them laugh-out-loud funny but they largely put a smile on my face, especially the stories set in the UK. I’m currently taking a Non-Fiction Creative Writing Class and I definitely found them useful in that respect, although I can’t see myself being desperate to pick up more of his writing in the near future. 3.5 stars.

Educated by Tara Westover | ★★★

Another book I was influenced by social media to read, specifically by Sunbeamsjess, who is one of my favourite bloggers and chose it for her January book club. Westover’s memoir follows her life from her unorthodox Mormon childhood to leaving her family to study at Cambridge University and Harvard. I love the concept of this book and the parts in which the book was true to its title and Westover explored receiving an education for the first time in her late teens were fascinating. But I found that it focussed slightly too much on her childhood and it was particularly gratuitous in describing the violence she experienced, which, although I’m sure was traumatizing and I am not trying to diminish it, lost its impact after so much repetition, for me, especially because specific acts of violence were described over and over again. At times, I was gripped to the book’s storyline but at others, I wanted to put it down. It’s definitely worth a read if you’re willing to sit through the frequent scenes of violence because Westover’s story and her writing generally is great.

TV

Unreal (Amazon Prime) | ★★★★

I found this series in Pandora Sykes’ essay The Authentic Lie and I was so glad I did because it brought to an end the excruciating few months in which I had nothing to watch on TV. It’s a fictional series that looks at the production of a reality show that is similar to The Bachelor and Love Island. It’s a fascinating look at how real reality TV is and how producers manipulate contestants but it’s also an exciting and gripping watch, full of cliffhangers and great characters, whose emotional lives you become invested in. The first series was by far the best but I think it’s worth watching them all.

You, Season 2 (Netflix) | ★★★

I binge-watched the first season of You this time last year so I was looking forward, as was the rest of social media, to the second season. I enjoyed it a lot although I wasn’t able to watch it as quickly as I did the first season. Whilst it is bingeable and an easy watch, it’s also a great exploration of white male privilege. I’ve only given it three stars because I didn’t mourn it being over and I often forgot that I had even been watching it when I was doing other things.

Sex Education, Season 2 (Netflix) | ★★★★

I think I might have liked Season 2 of Sex Education even more than the first one. It’s genuinely educational as well as heartbreaking, engaging and funny. I loved Aimee’s plotline as well as Jackson and Viv’s and especially Maureens <3

Cheer (Netflix) | ★★★★★

I’d seen people raving about this on social media and I was tempted to watch it, but I’m not a huge fan of documentaries and I know nothing about cheerleading so I put off doing so. However, when my friend recommended it to me and I’d finished all the other series I’d been watching, I finally caved in. Thank god I did because it is incredible! The stories it tells about the people it depicts are unbelievable and it warmed my heart to see how their team sport brought them altogether despite (and because) of their backgrounds. I also love how it showed the stamina and fitness cheerleading requires. Having grown up dancing, people were quick to dismiss it and declare that it ‘wasn’t a real sport’, but this series proves that to be undoubtedly incorrect.

I actually adore Jerry, he’s probably the best person I’ve ever encountered and Morgan’s admiration of Monica was beautiful (I feel you though, Morgan, Monica is incredible). Also, the scene when La’Darius’ brother cries watching them compete. I CAN’T. I’m already rewatching the series.

Films

Little Women | ★★★★★

Okay, so I first watched Little Women in December but I went to see it again in January, which is convenient because it means I get to talk about it here, even though I’ve already discussed it on every other platform, online and offline.

Little Women is one of my favourite novels ever because it has so much sentimental value and also, it’s a genuinely brilliant story of sisterhood (you can read my full review in this blog post). I watched the 90s film so much growing up with my Nan so when I heared that Greta Gerwig was directing a new adaptation for 2020, and with a cast of some of my favourite actors, I was hysterical.

Now some may say I was biased going into the movie, and that I would have loved it even if it was terrible. But actually, my expectations were very high. Being such a big Little Women fan means that I know all the details and I think about the characters a lot and so I’m very pedantic. But Gerwig did such an incredible job at depicting them and making a story that has been told so many times refreshing and new. I can’t think of a film that I like more than this one and I hope the fact that it’s about women and is by women doesn’t deter people from going to watch it. If it does, it’s their loss.

Podcasts

The PanDolly Podcast | ★★★★

If you, like me, are missing The High Low whilst it’s on maternity leave, I’d definitely reccomend The PanDolly Podcast. This podcast preceded The High Low, and it’s a lot more of the low than the high, but it gave me my fix of Dolly and Pandora (I actually listened to every episode in the space of about 2 weeks so really, it gave me even more than my fix.) I’m now re-listening to The High Low and I’m really enjoying doing so. It’s interesting to hear them discuss past events as it gives you a reminder of the what has been going on in the world (always useful) and it’s also entertaining to hear them discuss, for example ‘Prince Harry’s new girlfriend, Meghan Markle’, when we are so used to this being the case now and so much has changed.

Literary Friction | ★★★★

I’ve been a long time Literary Friction fan but I’d got out of the habit of listening to the podcast. But discovering their ‘minisodes’ has got me right back onto it. I particularly enjoyed Minisode One on the books they hated (what does this say about me?) and Minisode Eight on the books they read because they were assigned them, but they actually loved.

Honourable mentions:

Sometimes, I listen to a podcast episode because there’s a guest on it who I admire or they’re discussing a topic I’m interested in, but I don’t necesarilly listen to any of the other episodes or subscribe to the podcast. Here are some of those:

• Soundtracking with Edith Bowman - Episode 174: Greta Gerwig on the Music of Little Women

• Awards Chatter - 314. Florence Pugh - ‘Little Women,’ ‘Midsommar’ & ‘Fighting with My Family’

• Awards Chatter - 299. Renee Zelweger - ‘Judy’

• Ctrl Alt Delete - #68 with Lena Dunham: Dealing with Life Online and Offline

The Monthly Media Catchup: Everything I Read, Watched & Listened To | August 2019

August has well and truly been a month of rest, mostly spent at home snuggled up on the sofa or in bed, ending with a dreamy week in Corfu. I’ve managed to get through some great books as well as a whole lot of TV shows that I’m genuinely sad to see the back of. I feel like having a month off everything (kind of) has meant I’ve watched every TV show that exists that I like because, despite the amount of trailers and first episodes that I’ve watched, I can’t seem to find any new ones that I click with, so recommendations are welcome! Anyway, here’s everything I read, watched & listened to during the month of August…

books

My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite |★★★★

I bought this book despite my self-imposed book-ban at the beginning of August and immediately began reading it, something I don’t often do, as my many unread books sat on my shelves will vouch for, hence the book-ban. What I’m trying to say is, this book really appealed to me. Some of my favourite literature is written by Nigerian novelists and much of it explores female relationships. Plus the title and the front cover are undoubtedly intriguing. The novel follows the life of a woman whose (wait for it) sister is a serial killer- she kills all her boyfriends. I found the plot to be slow but I enjoyed it for its writing style, its complicated female characters and, best of all, its short chapters, because god knows I am SO much more likely to read a book regularly if its chapters are short- I have commitment issues. 3.5 stars.

Available to buy on Amazon.

Whisper Network by Chandler Baker | ★★★★

I asked my mum to pre-order this book for me for my birthday back in January, after hearing Pandora praise it on The High Low, and I was obviously very confused when it arrived on its release day in July. After a few days, I remembered where it came from and added it to my pile of hardbacks to take on holiday with me, because they are too big to be carried around in my bag during day-to-day life. This book is a great ‘poolside read’. Following the lives of four female lawyers working for a company in which a man they know to have a history of sexual assault is about to become CEO, it’s very Big Little Lies: four complicated woman with issues going on in their personal life become entangled in a murder investigation. It’s a real page-turner and, as many critics have commented, feels like a reaction to the #METOO movement, exploring the nuances of sexual assault and why many women don’t report it.

Available to buy on Amazon.

Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman | ★★★★★

I adored this novel, perhaps even more than the film, which usually wouldn't be so much of a statement, because I am firmly books≥films, but after watching this film I wasn’t sure a novel could capture its vivid scenery, colours and feeling, but it really did. It’s one of those novels that you know every single word has been carefully thought about and this attention to detail really pays off because each sentence flows through to the next so beautifully. It’s narrated by Elio, a 17 year old boy living with his family in the Italian countryside, who becomes infatuated with the man, Oliver, his father, a well-known professor, takes in over the summer, in order to help him improve his academic work. It encapsulates the feeling of intoxicating love and infatuation so incredibly and I was moved so much by this novel. It’s definitely being added to my half of fame of books and I cannot wait for its sequel to be released this October!

Available to buy on Amazon.

The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner | ★★★

The plot of this novel really drew me to it, it takes place in a woman’s prison in California and sets out to explore the ‘absurdities of institutional living’, and let’s be honest, so did its pink and red, very well-designed, cover and the fact it was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2018. However I put off reading it for a while as I’d heard a lot of reviews from people who just couldn’t get to grips with it. After reading it, I can definitely see where they were coming from. It doesn’t really have a plot and I felt like it didn’t allow me enough time with the protagonist, Romy, to really feel for her and her struggles, and it allowed even less time with the seemingly more interesting prisoners. I mean, maybe this was the point of the novel and I’m sure it would be an interesting one to analyse, just not to read for pleasure. Despite this, it wasn’t a slog and I got through it pretty quickly. But I wouldn’t rush to recommend it, unless you’re a die hard fan of Orange Is The New Black, then you’ll probably really like it. 2.5 stars.

Available to buy on Amazon.

TV

I’ve watched a whole lot of TV this month so I will try and keep these reviews as short and snappy as possible…

Jane The Virgin | ★★★★★

I lied. This isn’t going to be short and snappy. I could write an entire blog post about Jane The Virgin- no, I could create an entire blog dedicated to it. This beautiful, hilarious and unique series ended this month and I am going to miss saving the new weekly episode for whenever I most need it. The plot line sounds ridiculous (it is and that’s the best thing about it) so bare with me: Jane is a devout catholic who, despite being in a committed relationship, does not want to have sex before marriage. However, she is accidentally, artificially inseminated and becomes pregnant. The story continues from there and follows Jane’s life for five seasons and one hundred episodes. Its form is based on the Latin American telenovela, which means its very exaggerated, with lots of twists, fairytale endings and villains. But it’s also completely down to earth and explores very real topics and isn’t afraid to be political. It’s an absolute gem of a TV show and nothing can make me smile, cry or laugh quite like it. Please go and watch it- if you don’t believe my raving review, it has an 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jane The Virgin is available on Netflix.

Big Little Lies | ★★★★★

I finished season 2 of Big Little Lies this month and it really proved itself as an incredible piece of television. It started off a little slow but that really served to make the ending more impactful. It deals with motherhood, grief and abuse of all kinds in such an intense yet sensitive way that it’s hard not too feel overwhelmed whilst watching it, which is the reason I can never binge-watch it. Each episode feels like a work of art, from the cinematography, to the soundtrack, to the outstanding acting and cast. Nicole Kidman’s performance was particularly brilliant this season and I was so moved by her story, whilst Meryl Streep’s character was so frustrating, I often had to turn the TV off, yet I also found myself sympathising with her, which goes to show how brilliant her portrayal and character is. I may not have enjoyed every moment of this season but it’s impossible to give it anything less than a 5 star review, because even the slow parts seem intentional looking back, and it is this impeccable attention to detail that makes Big Little Lies so great.

Big Little Lies Season 2 is available on Sky.

Gossip Girl | ★★★★★

I finished re-watching Gossip Girl for the third (or fourth?) time this month and I feel ridiculous giving it a five star review but it just has to be done! It’s so bad that it’s good and despite its cringe-worthiness, the story line is generally compelling. It’s my ultimate easy watch, especially when I’ve finished all of my other series, and I always go back to it. I love how unattainable the characters lives are to me as well as the New York lifestyle it portrays. It’s also really nostalgic for me as I first watched the series when I was 13, staying up all night during my summer holidays binge-watching it, and I think it’s what made me fall in love with NYC. Definitely worth a watch if you’ve never seen it before, or if you have because it’s so re-watchable.

Gossip Girl is available on Netflix.

GLOW | ★★★★

GLOW stands for the ‘Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling’ and that’s what it’s about- the cast of a female wrestling TV show set in the 80s. The third season was released this month and I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the first and second seasons. It’s nothing mind-blowing but it’s generally funny, sometimes moving and it can be politically relevant at times too which usually makes for the most interesting episodes; I particularly liked it’s exploration of relationships this season.

GLOW is available on Netflix.

Years and Years | ★★★★★

Years & Years didn’t initially appeal to me because it all sounded a bit intense and overwhelming, which isn’t generally what I want out of a TV show, but after watching the trailer and feeling at a complete loss for what to watch on a Friday night, I decided to give it a go. I’m so glad I did. Years & Years follows the lives of the Lyons family as each episode jumps ahead a few years, ending in 2030, portraying the effects of a dystopian world (or is it just our world?) in chaos on this particular family. The thing about this TV show is that it’s easy to watch (the Northern accents and its Manchester setting make it seem somewhat normal) but it’s also completely overwhelming. It’s plot is unbelievable but also very, very plausible. The more episodes I watched, the more terrifying this series became and it really made me feel the urgency of the problems in the world around us, specifically the rise of the alt-right and the refugee crisis. I sobbed at Episode Four like I’ve never sobbed at a TV show before and I really couldn’t shake off the feeling it left me with for some time. I think this TV show is a necessary watch and one that I won’t forget about any time soon.

Years and Years is available on BBC iPlayer.

Films

I promise we’re nearing the end! Especially because I only watched two films this month (excluding Flushed Away which I won’t review well, because, it’s obviously worthy of 5 stars and more)…

BlackkKlansman |★★★★

I finally got round to watching this film! It’s set in the 1970s when a black man who is working in the investigations department of his local police force, Ron Stallworth, responds to a Ku Klux Klan advert, asking for more information, only to be immediately phoned back, meaning he must pose as a white man. A white man who also works in the investigations department (Adam Driver, who I love and adore) then attends the KKK meetings, posing as Ron, whilst Ron continues to speak to the KKK members over the phone. This film was slow and most of its action took place right towards the end of the film, which (much like Big Little Lies) only made it more impactful. It was the sequence at the end of this film though, with clips of the racist Charlottesville terrorist attack that took place in 2017 that really left a mark on me, as it emphasised how, much like they did in the 1970s when this film was set, people underestimate how much racism is still present within our society. (NB: I looked into it after and this film is based on a true story and so many of the crazy details from the film did actually take place, which makes it far more interesting and scary).

BlackkKlansman is available on Sky.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood… | ★★★

Maybe I would have rated this film higher if I had any awareness of the Manson Murders before watching it but, alas, I did not, and I came out thinking that the film had no plot line whatsoever. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it, the incredible cast, the portrayals of Los Angeles in the 70s, the clothes, but three hours is a long time to watch a film that seems like it has no plot. I’m not sure if not knowing about the Manson Murders is one of my many blips in historical knowledge and that everyone else knows about them, but I r do wish I knew before watching the film, at least, that Sharon Tate was murdered and that the film’s trailer/descriptions would have advertised how integral this fact is to understanding the it. Anyway, watching it with that knowledge might be a totally different experience, but without it, it’s just great outfits, great actors, oh, and a great soundtrack, with no plot, which can’t really warrant more than a 3-star review.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood… is in cinemas now.

MUSIC

I though I’d share my monthly playlist this month too (seeing as I actually made one). My music taste is beyond varied and sometimes I just listen to the same old stuff, but here are some of the new songs I listened to this month:

Phew! We’re done. My short and snappy reviews were not so short and snappy this month. But I think there are some great recommendations in this blog post so I hope you find something you like from it!

you might also like…

The Monthly Media Catchup: Everything I Read, Watched & Listened To | May & June 2019

Oh hi there, and welcome back! Here we are with another bumper edition of the Monthly Media Catch Up due to another very busy period. Starting a new job during my busiest university exam period ever was perhaps not one of my best decisions because it certainly made May and most of June nonstop months, ending with a trip to New York City.

Just as my lack of frequent posting on the blog is not going to become a habit, neither are these bumper editions of the MMC, but, for now, here’s everything I read, watched and listened to during these very busy months…

Books

Most of the words I consumed during May were for revision purposes but I have squeezed a couple of books for fun in during the month of June.

Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton | ★★★★

I needed a comfort read to get me through the last couple of weeks of exams and the exhaustion that came after them and I knew that this was exactly the book to turn to. I listened to Everything I Know About Love on Audible last year because I love Dolly’s podcasts and knew I would love the audio version of her memoir, which I did. I loved it so much that I wanted to read it for real, especially because the paperback version has an extra chapter that wasn’t available in the audio edition. Dolly’s words in her memoir are endlessly funny, reassuring, heartbreaking and honest and this is a book that I know I could read over and over again and take something new from it depending on where I am at in my life and the emotions I am feeling, laughing at the same jokes over no matter how many times I read them.

Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig | ★★★★

Another comfort-read for the post-exam trauma. Matt Haig’s first book Reasons To Stay Alive provided me with so much solace during a period of my life when I was really struggling with my mental health, so I was eager to read his second book, Notes On A Nervous Planet, as soon as I finished the first. I found this book to be really helpful as someone who primarily suffers with anxiety more than anything else, as it really made me think about the modern world and how the ways in which it is changing are at the centre of the mental health crisis. However it managed to do so in a way that, thankfully, didn’t make me panic but helped me to think about how I can combat the feelings of anxiousness caused by a world of uncertainty.

What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons | ★★★★

A moving novel about losing someone close to you and the grief that comes with that. The style of the book felt reminiscent of Claudia Rankine’s Citizen and I am very interested in this fragmented style of writing. I’d definitely like to read more by Zinzi Clemmons.

TV

The Bold Type | ★★★★★

This was one of those TV shows in which I absolutely could not wait to watch the next episode, but I always forced myself to wait because I didn’t want the series to be over. The trailer does this Amazon Prime series no justice and neither will any of my descriptions but, in short, it’s The Devil Wears Prada meets woke millennial and it’s so watchable without being trashy, in fact, it’s genuinely educational. Please give it a go and see what you think and if anyone who produces The Bold Type happens to be reading this (highly unlikely), please hurry up with Season 4!

Killing Eve | ★★★★★

I was late to the party with this, as I am with most TV and film, and I’ve still only watched Season 1 but I loved Killing Eve. It’s so different to anything I’ve ever watched, namely because both of the principal characters are female and are neither outright likeable or unlikeable. It would pass the Bechdel Test with flying colours and it’s absolutely hilarious. It follows the life of an M15 officer who becomes obsessed with catching a female assassin who is acting all around Europe and has an impeccable wardrobe, need I say more?

Doctor Foster |★★★★

Another BBC drama I was late to but binge-watched just as quickly. I had multiple nightmares about this show and if that doesn’t show just how enthralling it was I don’t know what does. It’s about a woman, Doctor Foster, who finds out her husband has been cheating on her and drives herself insane by not telling him about it. It’s very intense but that’s what makes it such a gripping watch.

Love Island | ★★★★★

I don’t know if you will have heard of this one, I mean… it’s pretty niche. Love Island provides me with all the escapism I could ever need and there’s nothing more de-stressing for me than sitting on my couch at 9pm every night and focussing on the lives of others for an hour, forgetting my own. I wrote a blog post in defence of Love Island last year, if you’re still a sceptic.

Films

Late Night | ★★★

Sam and I watched this film in NYC and this is where it is aptly set. Emma Thompson is a late night talkshow host who is out of touch with the world around her and who is about to have her talk show cancelled, that’s until her new ‘diversity hire’, Molly, comes in and, when she is finally allowed to talk by the all white male staff, revitalises the show. I found this film to be laugh out loud funny but I also kind of forgot about it the day after- worth watching if you fancy a trip to the cinema, but not life-changing.

The Monthly Media Catchup: Everything I've Read, Watched & Listened To | March & April 2019

Some links used are affiliate links which means I earn a very small amount of commission if you purchase an item.

Top: Shrimps X Warehouse Collection

Jeans: Vintage (similar here)

Necklace: Missoma

Hello! May has arrived and I’m bringing you a bumper edition of the Monthly Media Catchup. I spent most of March writing essays and crying about them so I didn’t get a chance to consume very much interesting media, hence why I’m combining the two months. However April was mostly spent reading, watching and listening to lots of wonderful things, so here’s all of the books, films, TV and podcasts I spent my time with during the months of March and April. There are some seriously good recommendations in this one, if I do say so myself (especially in the TV category)…

BOOKS

(all of these books were read as part of my English Literature degree)

The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer | ★★★★

This is a play about the outbreak of the AIDS crisis in New York City, how the world ignored it and how many gay men suffered as a result. It was heartbreaking and emotionally overwhelming to read and I can see why it was able to affect so much changed when it premiered. I’d really recommend reading this as a form of education and to understand how detrimental the AIDS crisis was and is, but also because it’s a fantastically gripping play.

Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin | ★★★

In this memoir, a white man tells the story of how he disguised himself as a black man and made his way through the American south in the 1950s in order to expose the discrimination black people faced. It was uncomfortable to read and it doesn’t feel politically correct anymore, despite the amount of change it affected when it was published in the mid-late 20th century, which is why I’ve given it 3 stars.

A Day Off by Storm Jameson | ★★★★

I read this book as part of my Modernism module, which I haven’t been enjoying that much as I struggle to find anything too interesting in plots surrounding the day to day lives of middle/upper class white people. This one was different though and not only because the protagonist is working-class. I loved how Jameson used clothes as symbolism and there were so many other aspects like this that made it an interesting and gripping novel.

The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon | ★★★

This book about the Windrush Generation is a timely reading but its casual misogyny really did date it. I enjoyed it in many ways but I feel quite indifferent towards it, the epitome of a 3 star review.

Gifted by Nikita Lalwani | ★★★

Another book that kind of epitomises a 3 star review! This is definitely a 3.5 where The Lonely Londoners was a solid 3 but again, there’s nothing that hugely stands out to me when thinking about this book apart from the fact that it was enjoyable and interesting, but just not enough.

Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf | ★★

Now for a book that I didn’t like, but I am ironically holding in all of these images! This is one of the aforementioned modernist texts that is about the daily life of an upper-class woman. If you’re really interested in modernist form you’ll love it but I am, frankly, not and found it draining in all the worst ways.

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel | ★★★

This is the first graphic novel I’ve ever read! As far as graphic novels go, I think this one was brilliant, but I still prefer books without pictures, sorry!

Exit West by Mosin Hamid | ★★★★

The concept of this novel is super interesting: a couple in a country on the midst of civil war find doors in which, if they step through, they are transported to some other random place in the world. My main criticism of this book is that it was too short and the characters and their storylines weren’t fleshed out enough for me. But otherwise, it was great!

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie | ★★★★★

Talk about saving the best to last! Home Fire is one of my favourite novels ever and this is the second time I’ve read it. It follows the life of 3 Muslim siblings living in London before, during and after, Parvaiz, the only male sibling, leaves the UK to join ISIS.In the mean time, Isma, the oldest sibling, and Aneeka, Parvaiz’s twin, become involved with Eamonn, the son of the Home Secretary. Intrigued? You should be! I first read this book just before Trump became the President of the USA and I thought it couldn’t it be any more relevant. Reading it for a second time shortly after Shamima Begum took over the news and mid-Brexit, I’ve realised I was wrong. A must-read!

TV

This Is Us | ★★★★

It took me a while to get into this programme but I am well and truly hooked now. It’s very emotional and, at times, painfully cringeworthy but it’s feel good TV at its best. It follows the lives of three 30-something triplets, with frequent flashbacks to their upbringing, who all have very different lives. Honestly, Randall is the only sibling I like. But still, it deserves 4 stars and maybe even 5 but I’ve removed one because of the aforementioned cringe. It’s available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | ★★★★★

Don’t even get me started on this show. A musical TV show dealing with the concept of the ‘pyscho girlfriend’ from its feminist implications to its simplification of mental health issues? I’m in. It’s much more of an easy watch then that sentence suggests but please just watch the first episode and see for yourself. It ended this month after a wonderful few years of it being my comfort show whenever I felt down but I’m honestly just excited to rewatch it and continue to listen to all the absolute hits that came out of it such as ‘Let’s Generalize About Men’, ‘Friendtopia’ (a fantastic Spice Girls parody) and ‘The Sexy Getting Ready Song’. It’s available on Netflix.

Fleabag | ★★★★★

I feel like everyone and their mum has watched Fleabag by now but if not, please do so! Created and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who was also the mind behind Killing Eve, it follows the life of a young woman navigating grief, friendship, romantic relationships and so much more. It’s renowned for breaking the fourth wall and I have to say, it is one of the most intelligent and interesting TV programmes I’ve watched in a while (maybe ever?). It’s available on BBC iPlayer on Amazon Prime.

Game of Thrones | ★★★★★

OMG I discovered this new thing called Game of Thrones? It’s like, so niche, you probably won’t like it. Lol. Game of Thrones is back and I feel silly even sharing this here as I think more people watch it than they did Fleabag, but I am loving Season 8 so far (even if I was concerned about the slightly slow start) and I have spent the best part of the past 2 weeks reading theories and searching for memes about GoT. Did the final season really have to be released during my exams?

FILM

Green Book | ★★★

This film has been criticised because of its white saviour-y elements and I do agree with this criticism. However it does have some very redeemable qualities and the white saviour-y bits definitely weren’t as all-encompassing as I feared they would be. The ending was very annoying but it was an interesting film that did bring attention to some important events, facts and issues. It was also v. funny.

On Chesil Beach | ★★★★

I love a cringeworthy literary film (and book for that matter)- it’s one of my many guilty pleasures. This one, based on the Ian McEwan novel of the same name that I haven’t read, appalled to all my ‘literary film’ needs, plus Saoirse Ronan starred in it, so that bumps any film up by at least a star.

The Sense of an Ending | ★★

Another literary film! I actually watched these on the same night when I was feeling ill and a little bit sorry for myself. The main character was played by the same actor in both - seemingly because he embodies the literary 1960s 20 year old boy - but On Chesil Beach was much better. The novel in which the film is based on with the same name is one of my all-time favourite books and this film absolutely does not do it justice. I only gave it an extra star because I like the book and therefore I enjoyed the storyline of the film.

Someone Great | ★★★

A ‘chick flick’ like this one creeps into my life every couple of months when I need something totally stress-free to watch and this one did the trick very well. Staring Gina Rodriguez (aka Jane The Virgin, but don’t get me started on that), it depicts the 24 hours she spends with her friends after being dumped by her boyfriend. Mildly crap but everything I needed whilst watching it. It’s available on Netflix.

PODCASTS

Mate Podcast | ★★★★★

I am so happy I discovered this podcast! 2 Liverpudlian girls having a good old chat about everything they’ve been reading and enjoying, as well as a heart to heart during their ‘Mate to Mate’ section. I binge listened to series one in the space of a few days and am now keeping up with their fortnightly uploads.

Always Take Notes | ★★★★

A career podcast that is super useful for anyone who would like a career that has anything to do with writing, but particularly journalism. My favourite episode was with Pandora Sykes (obvs) but I also enjoyed the episode with Rebecca Mead, who is a staff writer at The New Yorker.

Wardrobe Crisis with Clare Press | ★★★★

I’ve decided that I want to become more educated than I already am on sustainable fashion and this podcast was a great place to start. The episode interviewing the Creative Director of Mother of Pearl, Amy Powney, was enlightening, as was the episode with Stella Mccartney’s Sustainability and Innovation Director, Clare Bergkamp. I also really enjoyed the interview with Fanny Moizant, who founded Vestaire Collective and has a wonderful French accent.

Honourable Mention: Feminists Don’t Wear Pink with Saoirse Ronan

This is the only episode of this podcast that I’ve listened to because of my aforementioned love of Saoirse Ronan, but it was great! Would definitely recommend it if you’re also a fan of Saoirse.

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The Monthly Media Catchup: Everything I've Read, Watched & Listened To | February 2019

Affiliate links are used in this post which means I earn a small amount of commission if you purchase an item.

February is the shortest month of the year but I’ve still managed to pack a fair amount of reading, watching and listening into it. February has been a pretty intense month, throwing myself back into to semester two of my second year of university and I think that definitely shows in this blog post, as I’ve been reading more than watching or listening. But some really great books have come out of this month, two five star reviews even, which are very rare for me! Despite it being Oscar season, I haven’t watched a single film this month! Shameful! I haven’t had the time (or the money) to go to the cinema and I’m not a big fan of watching films at home/by myself, I’m more of a series typa’ gal.

So anyway here we have everything I’ve read, watched and listened to this month…

Books

Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine | ★★★★

I read this hybrid of poetry and criticism for my American Literature course. It’s form is so unique and its content, about what it is to be a person of colour in America, is at once confronting and informative. A must-read for everyone!

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney | ★★★★★

Everyone and their dog is a Sally Rooney fan these days but I am unashamedly part of her fan club. She writes like no one else about relationships and her writing is easy to read whilst also dealing with important issues, such as mental health and being a woman in the 21st century. I devoured this novel, her debut, and I like it equally as much as Normal People, and perhaps maybe even more but I’m not fully decided, so don’t hold me to that!

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston | ★★★★

Another great book I read for my American Literature course. This is a classic novel written in the 1930s about an African American woman navigating love and life. It’s moving and heartbreaking and a book I am glad to have read. It’s written very similarly to The Colour Purple by Alice Walker, a novel I also love, so if you liked that, I’d recommend picking this one up.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce | ★

Oh it was all going so well! A one star review is pretty harsh but I couldn’t think of many redeeming qualities about this novel. I read it for my Modernism course at university and although I understand that Joyce is doing innovative things with form and language, I’m just not that interested. I’ve read countless coming-of-age stories about privileged white boys and so perhaps my standards are high for these kinds of narratives as I just think there’s so much more interesting stuff out there that I could be reading. But the pretentiousness of this book in itself was enough in itself to knock a few stars off anyway. Not for me.

Focus by Arthur Miller | ★★★★★

I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. Another one I read for my American Literature course (there’s a lot of reading but it’s ok because, as you can tell, it’s all great). It’s set during WW2 in America and follows the life of an American man who is constantly mistaken for as Jewish when he starts to wear glasses. Miller creates the most vivid imagery and I haven’t been as emotionally engaged with a book as much as I was with this one for a long time!

The Rainbow by D.H. Lawrence | ★★

We have another potentially harsh review here! I was supposed to read this for university in the space of 2 weeks but it took me about a month. It’s very slow and repetitive and there are A LOT of descriptions of the countryside. Despite the fact that its not very readable, it is very interesting to analyse, especially when considering identity and gender, so I’ve bumped it up a star for that!

TV

American Crime Story: The People VS. OJ Simpson | ★★★★★

This is the only TV series I’ve watched this month (other than re-watching Gossip Girl, don’t judge me, ok?) But it is SO good. I didn’t know much about the OJ Simpson trial and this show taught me so much about it. It’s also really entertaining to watch and I was so hooked on it. Sam and I spent our Valentines evening binge watching the last 4 or 5 episodes and I can’t recommend it enough. I’ve just started watching the second season about Gianni Versace so hopefully there will be an update on that in next month’s post.

Podcasts

David Tennant Does A Podcast With: Olivia Coleman | ★★★★★

I haven’t listened to this podcast before but after Olivia Coleman’s amazing Oscars speech, I felt compelled to listen/watch more of her and I am so pleased I stumbled upon this episode! I loved Broadchurch so it was exciting to hear these two actors together again. But, aside from that, it was just a lovely, genuine conversation between two friends that honestly restored my faith in humanity a little bit.

Being Human | ★★★★

This is a new podcast in which the host discusses mental health with ‘influencers’. So far she’s interviewed two of my favourite bloggers, Lindsey Holland and Alice Haran, so I really enjoyed those episodes. I also think a podcast like this is great to remind everyone that social media is not real life!

In Good Company with Otegha Uwabga | ★★★★

I’ve only listened to two episodes of this podcast, those with Abigail Bergstrom and Reni Eddo-Lodge, but I am loving it so far. The host invites a different female guest on each episode and discusses their career journey with them. I’m thinking A LOT at the moment about what I’m going to do after university so this podcast is really inspiring and motivational.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog post! Sorry for the lack of TV/film content but hopefully I can make up for it next month (or the month after, when I have some time off university to binge watch as much as I can). Let me know if you’ve read/watched/listened anything I’ve mentioned, I’d love to hear your thoughts on them!

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The Monthly Media Catchup: Everything I've Read, Watched & Listened To | January 2019

As you might have guessed from the title of this post, I’ve decided to start a new series on my blog! It’s called ‘The Monthly Media Catchup’ and, in these blog posts, I’m going to take you through everything I’ve read, watched and listened to each month. It’s kind of similar in format to a monthly favourites but the difference is, I’m going to be talking about everything, not just my favourites. So some things I will 100% recommend, some things I will advise you to stay away from (see: the books category in this post) and others I’ll be fairly ambivalent about.

I’m going to be sharing everything, so that includes things I’ve read and watched for university as well as for fun! The main categories are going to be books, TV, films and podcasts, as if I was to include things I’ve read online the list would be extensive. I’ll only mention new things I’ve consumed, or things I’ve returned to (e.g. if I re-read a book or return to a podcast I haven’t mentioned before). I’m also going to be rating everything so you can easily see the media you should and shouldn’t consume, although obviously my word isn’t law! I’m going to try and keep my reviews short and sweet as some months the sections might pile up, i.e. when I have a lot of reading for university or when I have time off university and watch a lot of Netflix.

Anyway, without further adieu, lets get started!

Books

Heartburn by Nora Ephron | ★★★★

I started reading Heartburn at the end of 2018 and finished it at the beginning of 2019. I read it based on Dolly Alderton’s raving reviews and I did enjoy it, but I didn’t love it. It’s a semi-autobiographical novel that follows the protagonist’s life after finding out that her husband has cheated on her, depicting the ways in which she deals with this life-changing event, much of which is through food, which means the book is dotted with recipes. It’s an easy read and I enjoyed it but I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend it! Four stars is quite generous and 3.5 stars would be more accurate.

The Swimming Pool Library by Alan Hollinghurst | ★

I’m not even slightly joking when I tell you not to get me started on this book. I hated it so much! I had to read it for university (I was supposed to have it finished in November but I couldn’t bring myself to do so until mid-January when I had to for an exam). It’s about a privileged gay man in his mid-20s named Will and the novel follows his life, and that of an older, very similar, man whose biography Will is writing, in 1980s London. The prospect of this novel excited me but its content was truly disappointing. There are many books that are worth your time so much more than this one because honestly no one needs to read this account of an upper-class man discussing his sexual encounters, the descriptions of which are sprinkled (*read drowned) in classism and racism. Hollinghurst's pleasing writing style does almost nothing to counteract how painfully infuriating this book is and I struggle to believe anyone who says otherwise! So yeah, do yourself a favour and avoid this book!

TV

You (Netflix) | ★★★★

I ate up this Netflix series in a matter of days. It’s really addictive and although it didn’t change my life, I’d definitely recommend it if you’re looking for something to binge-watch. It’s basically about a man (Gossip Girl’s Dan Humphrey) who stalks a women who he meets in his book-store, learning about her life and managing to get her to fall in love with him. Honestly the premise sounds very strange but to me, it was interesting in the way that Lolita is interesting in that it shows how an audience can accidentally end up rooting for the bad guy if he is given the opportunity to present himself in a positive light.

Sex Education (Netflix) | ★★★★★

This show is just brilliant! It’s addictive as it is empowering as it is educational and I wish it existed when I was 15. It’s based in a British high school (although it’s probably the most Americanized British high school ever) and the plot really starts when the show’s protagonist, Otis, teams up with cool-girl Maeve to provide sex therapy to their fellow students. It’s funny at times and emotional at others but it always presents growing up and feeling clueless about the way your body and relationships work in such an honest way.

Films

Mary Queen of Scots (Cinema) | ★★★★

I went to see this film for my birthday and I had high hopes because it features both Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie, who have starred in some of my favourite films of the last couple of years. And it didn’t disappoint! As the title suggests, the film is about the life of Mary Queen of Scots, played by Saoirse Ronan, and her rise and fall from power. If you’re going to this film for historical accuracy, you’re probably not going to be best pleased but I personally wasn’t and I really enjoyed it. It’s great to see two women starring in a historical narrative and, not only was it engaging, but it did teach me a little bit more about a period of history I don’t know much about, so it’s a win-win really!

Bandersnatch (Netflix) | ★★

I was quite excited to watch this film that’s part of the Black Mirror series but it was really disappointing. It’s an interactive film so you get to make decisions on the character’s actions and decisions… but you don’t really. If you make the wrong decision, you watch about 10 minutes of what would happen if the character made this decision, then you are taken back to the point where you make the decision again and have to pick the ‘right’ answer in order to reach the end of the film. It was a loong watch and the storyline wasn’t particularly interesting either so I generally just found it quite boring. It’s an interesting idea but it needs more work.

Private Life (Netflix) | ★★★★

This film made for the perfect lazy Sunday watch. It’s about a middle-aged couple living in New York who are struggling to conceive. I don’t want to say anymore as I don’t want to ruin anything but it’s beautifully filmed and is surprisingly funny considering its subject matter.

Podcasts

Literary Friction with Sally Rooney | ★★★★★

I don’t have too much to mention on the podcast front this month as I’ve kind of just been listening to the same old stuff (take a look at this blog post if you’re interested to know some of my top podcast recommendations). But I loved this episode of the Literary Friction podcast with Sally Rooney, author of Normal People and Conversations with Friends. She talks a lot about her writing process, especially for Normal People, which was super insightful, especially if you’re a fan of her work!

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I hope you’ve enjoyed this post! I know the photo isn’t brilliant but if I’m going to do this monthly I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself to create incredible imagery to go with it- I hope that’s ok. Let me know if you’ve read/watched/listened to anything I’ve mentioned in this post, or if you do based on my recommendation!

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