Reading - May 2025

Wild Man Creek by Robyn Carr (2011)

There's obviously a formula to the Virgin River books, but Robyn Carr does a good job of varying the principal characters and keeps it from feeling too repetitive. I wish the heroine's ex had been given more of a comeuppance but that wasn't the main point of the story.

Manwatching by Desmond Morris (1977)

I remember this book being in the school library, but other than occasionally looking at the pictures of naked women (hey, I was 13 and we didn't have the internet), I didn't read it. However, I found it a couple of years ago in a charity shop and was curious. There's lots of interest, but what I find most fascinating is completely how it betrays the time in which it was written. Morris goes for a scientific, detached tone but more often only achieves patronising, and overall it couldn't be clearer that this is a book anchored in the male- and white-centric attitudes of the seventies. The whole section on sport only discusses and pictures men, while the section on aesthetic behaviour has photos of women in swimsuits. I'm no anthropologist but it seems obvious that many of the conclusions here mistake superficial and specific western social customs for underlying human "truths". Still, at the very least it's interesting to see how things have changed in the last forty years. (note: the edition I read is the original; the latest is called Peoplewatching and given the change in title, I really hope it's been updated to remove the more egregiously sexist content.)

Harvest Moon by Robyn Carr (2011)

A bit more depth than some of these books, with a troubled teenage daughter complicating the core relationship - but of course, she comes round in the end! At one point I was really caught up in it.

Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett (2001)

More than most Discworld books, this leaves me feeling like there's something I'm missing here that I'm just not well-read enough to understand. But reading the initial quote from Terry Pratchett at the start of the Annotated Pratchett file (link above) makes me think perhaps not. Anyway, the usual Discworld frenetic-ness abounds, although perhaps this one is a bit more meta-physical than usual. Eminently readable and as always, you can't fault the level of imagination that's gone into it.

Listen by Michal Faber (2023)

A hugely enjoyable discussion about why we listen to and enjoy music, from a  sociological perspective rather than a physiological one. If that sounds a bit dry, well, it isn't. Although it's clearly conceived as a complete work, it is effectively structured as a collection of connected essays on related topics. That can make it a little bitty, but I didn't mind as the writing was interesting. If, like me, you love music but (crucially) also tie your identity to some extent to that love of music, then there's lots to think about here. Some of it resonated with opinions I already had, some was a useful new perspective, but all was entertaining. Highly recommended.

Hidden Summit by Robyn Carr (2011)

Book number 15 in the Virgin River series! Getting towards the end now, I think. A pretty straightforward plot, but with some good drama going on too. Ends a bit suddenly though.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (2020)

This was recommended to me by B - possibly almost a year ago - and I put it off for ages because I'm not really a fan of fantasy. But it's nicely compact (Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is off-puttingly thick) and now I have more time, I felt I owed it to him to give it a go. And I'm pleased I did - it was very readable and I polished it off in an afternoon, so keen was I to learn what it was all about. But even though I really enjoyed it, I'm a bit disappointed. For most of the book, I assumed that the other world described would turn out to be really this world, but seen from a completely different point of view. However, it seems that the other world is, in fact, just another world (like Narnia, to which there are several references). OK, so far, so fantasy. But I do prefer my stories to be rooted in some kind of reality, so this, in some respects, for me, is a less imaginative option. But that's not to take away from the quality of the writing and I liked the slight element of mystery that was gradually unravelled.

Skallagrigg by William Horwood (1987)

I've owned this book since the early 90s (on the recommendation of a friend who wasn't known for reading much) and probably not read it since then. But it's survived various purges of books over thirty years because I remembered it being worth it, and I wasn't wrong. There's a lot going on and much that is very moving, even if it is a borderline mawkish at times (albeit one could say, with justification). A unique story.

Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley (2024)

Chosen fairly at random in the library on the basis of an amusing title and a promising premise (although I wouldn't have described this as an "enemies to lovers" romance like the cover says). Some of the relationship obstacles feel a bit forced and our hero is waaayyy to good to be true, but this doesn't stop me willing them to sort everything out.

Nothing Is Real by David Hepworth (2018)

Second time of reading (I saw it in the library and just fancied it - completely failing to remember that I actually own a copy) and I enjoyed it a bit more this time, I think. Hepworth's slightly staccato style is still a little jarring on paper but he knows what he's talking about, and if a few of the collected pieces here are a bit shorter than I'd like, well, never mind. Still waiting for a volume two though.

Showstopper by Peter Lovesey (2023)

An enjoyable murder mystery in the classic Christie mode. It's taken me a year since the first Peter Diamond book I read to get to this one, but I'll find more soon.

Watching - May 2025

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

I've been meaning to watch this for a while, having heard acceptable things about it, and I do love Eurovision. And it's that time of year, so it seemed appropriate. Well, I made it about 40 minutes in before giving up. It's woefully unfunny, appallingly patronising, and grindingly tedious. Will Ferrell lacks any subtlety as either a writer or performer and, as well as demonstrating an almost complete failure to understand anything about Eurovision as a cultural phenomenon, has managed to badly miscast himself in his own film, which is some sort of achievement. The whole thing is like a bad translation of a classic book into another language. It's only redeeming feature - in the bit I managed to sit through - is that someone has very effectively nailed the music styles. 

Red Notice (2021)

Apparently this is one of the most successful films on Netflix, which I can totally understand, as it's an easy watch, Ryan Reynolds is great being, y'know, Ryan Reynolds, and it happily fills time. I've seen it before and still didn't remember the twist at the end, which may say something about the memorableness of the plot, but more likely about me.

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)

Amazon offered me yet another free trial of Prime so this is the first thing I watched. Again. I still love it. I wish I could own a copy.

Overboard (2018)

A gender-reversed version of the Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, er, "classic", you say? Well, only if it has under 25% on Rotten Tomatoes. It does? Count me in! Actually a perfectly watchable remake that adds nothing to the original but is funny and ends happily (and incidentally has a much better user rating that RT gives it). Kept me amused, anyway, so clearly I have lower standards than the critics (but this isn't news).

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

An unabashed tribute to fast-talking, screwball comedies of the 30s and 40s, with Jennifer Jason Leigh doing her best Katharine Hepburn as a hard-boiled reporter, and an exaggerated style of its own. I remember watching it years - decades - ago and enjoying it. Coming back to it now that I know more of the movies it's emulating, I can see how closely the Coen brothers (and all their crew, of course) matched them, not just in style but in substance - which is to say, there isn't much emotional depth here, just like something such as Bringing Up Baby. Very clever and entertaining, but possibly a little shallow.

Wandavision (2021)

I'm not much of an MCU fan, and so although I've watched quite a few of the films (with the boys in particular), I wasn't overly bothered about this when it came out. But Z persuaded me otherwise (basically in exchange for him watching some of my recommendations) and so we binged it over a few nights. I loved the initial concept of each episode being based on a different sitcom, although some of them are so US-specific it failed to resonate culturally as much as the makers probably intended. For example, something like Family Ties (the sitcom that made Michael J. Fox famous, parodied in episode 5) was huge in the US but less so around the rest of the world, so you're left with a bit of a "huh?" moment. I'm not sure where else you could have taken that but it felt like the slow change into a fairly typical series of Marvel fight scenes was a bit of a disappointment. Full marks for the sitcom scenes though.

Eurovision Song Contest 2025 - Grand Final (2025)

All the usual fun!

Last One Laughing UK (season 1, 2025)

I heard about this via Richard Osman on the brilliant podcast The Rest Is Entertainment and it was interesting to hear his perspective as a producer: mainly that, as a format, it's genius, because you get ten comedians in a room for a day, and out of that, you've got an entire season! The show originated in Japan several years ago and has now been franchised to nearly thirty countries (the UK is surprisingly late to this party), so clearly it's been a success from a production point of view. However, on the evidence of the UK version, it's a mixed bag for the viewer. There are laughs, but not as many as a good scripted sitcom (which, in fairness, would be a much more expensive proposition). It starts a bit slowly, gets funnier but peters out slightly at the end, and there are too many shots of the participants making faces to try not to laugh, which are ultimately not that amusing. It's a bit hit and miss, really, and, annoyingly, the climax of the show is not actually the funniest moment. But that's the risk and balance you take, as a producer, I guess: maybe there's some sort of price per laugh formula - just good enough to get people watching, cheap enough to make within a certain budget.

Fargo (1996)

It probably says a lot about me that I enjoyed the ostensibly awful remake of Overboard earlier this month more than I did this. Sure, I know Fargo is a classic. William Goldman waxes lyrical about the script in his book Which Lie Did I Tell? and Roger Ebert's original review is glowing. These are both people whose views I trust a lot. There's probably all sorts of craft, themes and subtext that I don't even realise are going on (although probably not to the extent of this ridiculous over-analysis). I'm pleased I've seen it, but the story itself is really not my cup of tea, I don't get what the point of the film is, and I can't enjoy a film for the technique.

Last One Laughing Australia (2020)

Despite feeling that LOL UK was a very qualified success (see above), I was curious enough about the format to investigate a couple of the other dozen or so versions available on Prime. The setup is identical - enough that I wonder if it's the same set, just dressed differently - but of course the show changes vastly with a change of personnel. The Australian version was a lot more scatological and puerile in places, mainly due to one of the participants but possibly because of cultural differences I guess. I'm not sure in hindsight why I carried on watching, but overall it's a light-hearted, easy watch. And I don't know if it's coincidence, but in the Australian, UK and Canadian versions, it's what you might term the "elder statesman" of the group who wins. And I think I'm done with it for now.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

I happened to be listening to George Thorogood's brilliant "Bad to the Bone" and that reminded me of the scene when Arnie first rides off on the Harley, so I watched that and then obviously the rest of the film followed. Great stuff if you can ignore the time paradox stuff!

Back to the Future Part III (1990)

More time paradoxes (paradoxi?) that don't really bear thinking about - just enjoy a great film full of fun moments. Trilogy watched with Z.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

This is part of my cultural landscape and so, as such, I find it hugely enjoyable.

Hello Quo (2012)

I can't remember what prompted me to watch this again, other than it was free on Prime - although I'm sure when I watched it before, it was about half the length. A good reminder of how good they were in the early-to-mid 70s in particular, a bit less convincing about their continued relevance at the time of filming. 

Moana (2016)

Great songs, great animation - a classic already. Hard to see why Disney are bothering to remake it as live action (I mean, other than money ... but what other reason do they need, I suppose). Some revision for watching the sequel ...

Moana 2 (2024)

... which we watched that evening for our Saturday family film night. Very obviously a sequel, unfortunately: pretty much a shopping list of the same elements as the original, just not done as well - certainly it didn't keep the teens attention well enough. Can't fault the animation though.

Watching - April 2025

Back to the Future (1985)

Forty years old and as fresh as a daisy (although I'm not sure what's specifically so pristine about daisies). Saturday film night with Z.

Back to the Future II (1989)

The second BTTF film is usually considered the worst of the three,^{[citation needed]} but although it's the most complicated, it's also the most satisfyingly complete from a time-travel point-of-view.

The Lego Movie (2014)

Blimey, over ten years old! Surely this has to be the best of the product tie-in films - imaginative,  very funny. tongue-in-cheek and superbly animated. A firm favourite in our house for a reason - the kids were speaking along with it during our pizza 'n' movie night.

Wicked Little Letters (2024)

I'm not quite sure why Netflix describes this as a "riotous comedy" - there are some funny moments for sure, but there's more drama than laughs and the overall message about the subjugation and judgement of women in the 1920s is, ultimately, not amusing at all, just the cause of indignation (as intended, of course). But it's a good watch and the three central women - Olivia Coleman, Jessie Buckley and Anjana Vasan - are superb.

Our Welsh Chapel Dream (season 2, 2025)

Unfortunately this time there's even more of a feeling of the material being stretched than there was in the first series. The narrator is doing double time, so even if you discount the (apparently necessary) multiple re-caps at the top of each episode and after each ad break, the main voice you hear is his. Poor old Keith and Marj feel like they're just supporting artists in their own documentary, as they only really pop up for a sentence or two at a time, and the whole is very disjointed. Still a watchable series though, even if it's just to marvel at the outré decorative choices being made!

Hidden Figures (2016)

I struggled with the original book of this (or maybe it was one of those that just didn't download to my e-reader properly, I can't remember), but really enjoyed the film - as a piece of storytelling with a clear point. There's no question that many liberties have been taken with historical accuracy in order to tell it (just see the fairly damning list on Wikipedia), and while this is to some extent understandable - as the book's author says, you can't have a film with 300 heroes - it spoils it a bit for me to find that, once again, a really interesting piece of real life has been chopped around to fit a standard Hollywood template. That said, it's still making important points as well as being moving.

Waking Ned (1998)

A simple idea, wonderfully told - even if is leaning a little heavily on a vision of bucolic Irish country simplicity - very funny and very sweet in places. The (small) twist at the end is unbelievable and unnecessary in my view, though.

The Wild Robot (2024)

Animated films take a huge amount of effort over years of time, and so it's a shame that here the resultant stunning visuals are in service of a clichéd and mawkish story. And I like sentimental - but this was too much. There's charm, for sure, and everyone loves a cute talking animal, but the anthropomorphism treads well-worn paths and the plot feels like several of the original books smooshed together. We watched it with Z (whose choice it was) and I'm pleased we did something together, but it's a kid's film, with simplistic ideas and predictable results. A miss (although for some reason, the critics loved it, according to Wikipedia, which baffles me).

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (2019)

Things I thought I knew about Linda Ronstadt before I watched this: she was spectacularly pretty and she sang country rock in the 70s. Well, I wasn't wrong about either of those things, but that represents a very small fraction of the overall picture. I hadn't realised what a huge star she was in the US, what a variety of music she recorded, or quite how good a singer she is - the few songs I knew don't really show her range - or, most importantly, how she carved her own way through a rampantly sexist music business for decades. I've listened to some of her albums since and while none of it particularly grabs me, there's no denying how good she is. Consider me educated!

The Adam Project (2022)

Fairly standard time travel film, enlivened by Ryan Reynolds. Good fun.

Doctor Strange (2016)

I fancied re-watching this for some reason - probably not seen it since around when it came out.  Watched it with Z (who needed little persuading) as preparation for the sequel. It's fairly typical Marvel fare of course - too much action and not enough plot - but enjoyable nonsense. I don't understand why they made Benedict Cumberbatch do a very average American accent when it would have made no difference to the plot to have him use his own, though.

Reading - April 2025

Backtrack by Tessa Niles (2015)

Tessa Niles might not be a household name, but if you come from the generation of music fans that reads credits on albums or CD booklets (I assume this basically excludes anyone under about forty) then there's a good chance you'll have seen the name - and given her incredible list of credits, you will definitely have heard her. The physical book feels like it's a print-on-demand copy (I bought it on Amazon so it's possible) and I can't quite decide whether Panoma Press are a vanity publisher or not; the writing style is a bit Mills & Boon and could definitely have done with better editing in places. But that said it does come across as her genuine voice rather than a bland ghost written account - and I found it very readable and enjoyable.

Beserker! by Adrian Edmondson (2023)

This had been recommended in various places, and despite the fact that the only bits of Edmondson's output from the last 40+ years that I'm familiar with is The Young Ones (which I haven't seen since it was originally broadcast) and vaguely remembered bits of The Dangerous Brothers ("dangerous!") from Saturday Live, it was worth reading. He's an honest and relatable companion and it's refreshing to hear the trials and effort involved in what could appear, to an outsider, like a comfortable life in entertainment.

The Perfectly Dressed Gentleman by Robert O'Byrne (2011)

I found this on the book exchange shelves at work, and it looks like a Christmas stocking filler; slim, but a hardback, with a slightly novelty integrated bookmark. But it's surprisingly full of information.

Paradise Valley by Robyn Carr (2009)

Forbidden Falls by Robyn Carr (2010)

Angel's Peak by Robyn Carr (2010)

These next three books in the Virgin River series seem to have randomly assigned titles representing places that are literally never mentioned anywhere, but they are decent, readable and enjoyable stories that get you involved and wanting to know how things work out - not just whether they will work out (obviously they will). There are more and more secondary characters turning up and they have their own arcs too. Perfect bedtime reading.

White Heat by Dominic Sandbrook (2006)

A hugely impressive and authoritative history of mid-to-late sixties Britain. It takes a history with this kind of perspective, the kind only afforded by time, shorn of bias and with the egos long eroded, to be able to show the real causes and the real effects. Sadly, it also shows that politics hasn't changed, with decisions made in the interests of self or at least, party, heavily overriding any wider concerns. Harold Wilson comes across as an incredible political operator who nevertheless was more focussed on keeping his job than in running the country for everyone's benefit. Opposition parties still grabbed every opportunity to carp and pick holes instead of behaving like adults. It also shows the impact one determined person can have, usually for the worse - whether that's Mary Whitehouse, Enoch Powell or Ian Paisley (all of whom claimed to be speaking on behalf of a silent majority that didn't exist). Sandbrook's summary (if you can summarise anything as complex as this) - that Britain wasn't swinging or in fact vastly transformed in any ways other than by the normal march of time - is sane and rational and a deliberate counterpoint to those who might try to twist the evidence to suit their own prejudices. Politicians were still politicians and people were still people. Still, it's great to have this kind of history to read and I've come away vastly better informed. I'm looking forward to the next books, which cover the times during which I was actually alive. I might give myself a bit of a break first though!

Screenwriting for Dummies by Laura Schellhardt (2008)

I picked this up ages ago in a charity shop because I thought it would give a good insight into screenwriting (and as a more practical counterpoint to William Goldman's peerless Adventures in the Screen Trade). Well, it was interesting but I didn't find it compelling: it's taken me over two years to finish it! There's lot of good advice here but neither does it shy away from making it clear that there's a huge effort involved. That's true of everything worth doing, of course, but it's probably killed any faint fantasy that I might try my hand at it!

Paper Cuts by Ted Kessler (2022)

Despite being the last editor of Q magazine before it folded, Ted Kessler describes himself as essentially being an NME writer - and even if he hadn't, his off-hand dismissal of Q as "smug, self-congratulatory, purposely fogey" would give him away. But I loved magazines like it and Word, and would say it was ironic, with a keen sense of the innate ridiculousness of much of the music industry. By contrast, the weekly inkies always had the breathless, over-excited feel of a bunch of teenagers seduced by the myths of rock 'n' roll and unable or unwilling to see past them, and Kessler sounds like he fit in exactly. The monthlies were clearly dying long before he arrived to oversee their last days and I'd ducked out years before. All of which is a long way of saying that I've never read or even come across Ted Kessler before, and in any case, I probably wouldn't have had much time for him. Which is my loss, because he's a really good writer, not just when he's being self-deprecatory about his younger self's misadventures, but about the music that's inspired him. This took me a solid day to read and was never less than entertaining and often insightful.

Promise Canyon by Robyn Carr (2011)

Some sort of horse whisperer thing going on here, and a mild tribute to Native American traditions, but otherwise pretty much exactly the same as the others in this series - which is to say, a satisfying but maybe slightly forgettable romance.

Pick of Punch (1991) edited by David Thomas (1991)

I found a couple of these in a charity book shop (in a National Trust property) and couldn't resist adding to my little collection - I now have five. Yet now I've read it, I'm not sure why I bother. It's the penultimate annual from the "proper" run of Punch (the 1996 re-launch under Mohamed Al-Fayed doesn't count) and by this point it feels like it's trying to emulate Private Eye in a bid to recapture readers - and it's not working. Too much is just not funny. Add in a couple of execrable Richard Littlejohn pieces that would be rejected these days by the Daily Wail for being overly reactionary, and what you have a is a museum piece with a few gently amusing cartoons. Still, it didn't cost much (and the money went to good cause) and didn't take long to read.

Watching - March 2025

Titanic (1997)

I've always found this film fascinating, but I'm not sure I can explain why. It's spectacular still, even on a small screen, and the story at its centre is affecting despite being hokey teen angst. I don't really subscribe to the idea of "guilty pleasures" (at least not with respect to mainstream films or music, if you get off on puppy snuff flicks then you definitely have a guilty pleasure) but this comes close as I feel vaguely embarrassed about liking it.

The Good Place (seasons 1-4, 2016-2020)

I fancied watching this again and once I'd started, I binged right through it (my kids are very proud of me). It's ideal for this, for me - nice short episodes, funny but not too silly, and has a definite ending that isn't delayed too long (four seasons is entirely reasonable). The original concept is brilliant, of course, and if it gets a little lost around the middle of season two and beginning of season three, then it's still funny and once the end is in sight, it has a clear message that I like and found touching all over again.

The Incredibles (2004)

Something reminded me that I hadn't watched this for absolutely ages, so I got to enjoy it all over again. Great stuff. I also love the way the short that goes with it (Jack Jack Attack) links in with the events of the main film.

Incredibles 2 (2018)

Well, I had to watch the second one. Not quite as memorable as the first but entertainingly over-the-top. And the short (Auntie Edna) is great too.

Virgin River (season 1, 2019)

Just so we're clear, objectively, this is melodramatic rubbish - and I knew it would be before I started watching it. But I thought I'd try it, since I've been enjoying the books so much. Of course there are differences, but that's OK - mostly. The novels have many recurring characters and story arcs that cross from one book to another, but the main relationship in each book has a definite beginning, a middle and, crucially, a happy ending. I can't stress how important this is. The TV series doesn't do this, and so, for me, breaks a fundamental contract with the viewer. I'm sure eventually the main characters do get together but I'm not prepared to be teased and tantalised forever with a "will they, won't they" story line, so I'm out.

Le Mans '66 (2019)

A great story, well told. Can't say fairer than that!

Reading - March 2025

Stephen Fry in America by Stephen Fry (2008)

The book of the series, although I didn't know either existed until I found this in a charity shop. The series is six, hour-long episodes, which given that there are 50 states to cover presumably means that each state is given similarly cursory coverage as it is in the book - sometimes barely only a few pages. This means that this never really gets off the ground as an immersive experience. It's an amusing read in places though. Maybe the TV series was better.

Shelter Mountain by Robyn Carr (2007)

Whispering Rock by Robyn Carr (2007)

A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn Carr (2008)

Second Chance Pass by Robyn Carr (2008)

These books are easy to read and while I could pick holes in setting. the characters and the storylines, they are well told and compelling enough to keep me reading to find out how it all plays out. By the second book (Shelter Mountain) the author is obviously setting up a world, so we get a lot more people introduced and it becomes a bit of a soap opera, but actually that makes it more interesting, and the small-town-America ("hokey Americana" in the words of one reviewer), while including more grittiness than you might expect, is nevertheless clearly idealised - but still appeals to me in a weird way. The way that new characters keep turning up - someone's cousin's second brother's ex - only to immediately fall in love with each other is a bit predictable but obviously that's part of the genre. But they are a nice diversion from the very long non-fiction book I have on the go at the moment!

Be My Enemy by Christopher Brookmyre (2004)

Brilliant plotting, some great scenes (the one where a guy accidentally chops his own head off is - I promise - hilarious) and superbly painted characters. In fact - just like all Christopher Brookmyre books. I do hope he returns to it some time.

Temptation Ridge by Robyn Carr (2009)

Sweet and romantic, as usual. I also like that, as well as the core romance, there's other relationships forming in the background, which go across books. The main setting is of course the same and possibly over-familiar now. But I have to admit I have the next one reserved already ... don't worry, only another thirteen to go!

Sound on Sound: Classic Tracks by various authors (2003-2024)

Having discovered (very annoyingly) a couple of months ago that a book I was reading was actually available for free online, I went back and read all the Sound on Sound classic tracks columns. Always interesting, and always a bit of a different insight into the making of music than your average music magazine interview - and more realistic, I'd say. being refreshingly free of myth making. Well worth a read - even if perhaps not every track is really a classic!

Watching - February 2025

Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)

The opening scenes and credits of this, set to Propaganda's fantastic "Abuse - Here", are probably one of my favourites ever, and after watching them I can't not finish the film. There's a number of non-sequiturs, occasional over-acting and of course plenty of teen angst but in fairness I have watched it too many times. I still love it though.

The Importance of Being Earnest (2002)

How do you film something quite so well-formed as the classic play? Well, in my opinion, not by rushing breathlessly from location to needless location, adding unnecessary fantasy and backstory sequences, or including pointless additional sub-plots (although it turns out at least one of these latter is apparently from an earlier version of the play). Nor, for that matter, by making Colin Firth sing. Still, Wilde's genius shines through all the over-dressing.

The Proposal (2009)

Nice easy viewing and (slightly) more nuanced on second viewing than I remembered from last time. I really want to have an epilogue scene though, as it felt like there were a few loose ends that could do with tidying up.

Love At First Sight (2023)

I just love this unassuming romance, it's just so sweet. I might be in danger of having watched it too many times now though.

Roxanne (1987)

My choice of film for Z and I to watch on movie night, and I thought he might enjoy the comedy in this - which he did. And I enjoyed revisiting a film I know very well.

Cars (2006)

Reading Virgin River reminded me that I hadn't seen this for ages. Time was when it was run on heavy rotation by Z so it's not like I don't know every scene, but it was still nice to see it again.

Doc Hollywood (1991)

Having just watched Cars, which has often been accused (sometimes by me) of ripping off the plot from this film, I thought Z should see this too for our film night - and also because I thought he'd enjoy it. And I don't mind watching it again either!

Serendipity (2002)

I can't believe this film is over twenty years old. Not because it looks timeless or anything and obviously the actors look younger than they do now. Actually probably what I'm saying is that I'm getting old - but that doesn't stop me loving the film as a hopelessly romantic fantasy, despite the plot being pure Mills & Boon.

A Complete Unknown (2024)

I think Bob Dylan is overrated, and not just because I'm pretty "meh" about most of his music, which is, of course, just a matter of personal taste. No, it's the mythologising that grates most, started by Dylan himself even before he was famous and perpetuated ever since by lazy journalists. So a film that takes that myth and amplifies it by adding more of its own inaccuracies in the name of "dramatic licence" was obviously going to annoy me immensely.

I was surprised to find then that I actually enjoyed the film a lot. The music is from Dylan's best period and the actors do a very impressive job of reproducing it, while the story carries you along nicely. There are one or two instances of the deathless music biopic clichés ("hey how about we just try this?" <fully formed famous song appears out of nowhere>) but none more than usual.

It's poor that Suze Rotolo's role in Dylan's life is over-simplified (and her name changed), which is problematic, and I think Joan Baez comes across very well despite the part being under-written - but then, it's not a film about Joan, although I'd watch that because I suspect it's a more interesting, albeit less dramatic story. But ultimately the film made me want to go back and listen to the music - of both Bob Dylan and Joan Baez - and so is a success from that point of view.

Reading - February 2025

Emma by Jane Austen (1815)

I found it hard to read this time without making mental comparisons with the plot of Clueless; but then again, perhaps I was distracted, because for most of it, it was the small hours of the morning and I was waiting in A&E for my name to be called (I'm fine, don't worry). Still great fun and longer than I remembered, but worth it for the denouement.

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (1895)

Despite being set in a clearly different time, this is so wonderfully sharp and cynical that it could be the modern day. Lovely and short (it took me barely an hour to read), it sizzles with wit and is so choc-full of famous quotes you can't go a page without hitting one. A nice distraction (I was still in the hospital waiting room at this point).

Make Room for Daddy by Andrea Edwards (1990)

Every time I read this I feel like I have to apologise for the truly awful title, but this is an unpretentiously sweet and romantic story and I was moved all over again even though I know exactly what happens.

Virgin River by Robyn Carr (2007)

The plot's a fairly direct lift from Doc Hollywood (maybe via Cars), but that doesn't stop it from being a really engaging story (which it was in both of those films, so ...). There's loads in this series so I'm off to reserve the next couple!

Finding Love at Sunset Shore by Bella Osborne (2024)

A cute little romance, set in Southampton (albeit with a few made-up venues, I suspect - there's no "Sunset Shore" or even anything resembling a beach in Southampton), which carried me along nicely despite there being no doubt how it was going to end.

Welcome Back to Apple Grove by C.H. Admirand (2013)

Man and woman fall instantly in love and lust, encouraged by all their family and friends - the end. Somehow this fills a book and doesn't actually feel like a waste of time, despite the lack of development, which I think is partly down to a well-written set of supporting characters.

Mister Teacher by Jack Sheffield (2008)

The second instalment of the series sees just as many specific references to the time in which it is set shoehorned in, but the writing is settling down and the author is doing a good job of drawing out the romance element. I'm surprised it's not been made into a TV series, but it would be expensive to make. If I can find more of these I'll probably read them!

Watching - January 2025

Pride and Prejudice (1995)

Ah yes, the iconic BBC production, with Colin Firth and that look. Sure, it has its faults and it's of its time; the sisters are all clearly too old, Julia Sawalha as Lydia in particular; and too many scenes are unbalanced by allowing Alison Steadman free rein to play Mrs Bennet as, essentially, a pantomime dame. Additionally, a washed out and poorly cropped transfer to DVD (and all widescreen broadcasts I've seen) does it no favours at all. Still, it never fails to charm.

Sky High (2005)

Despite being a slightly lowest common denominator choice for the family pizza-n-movie night, this provided plenty of entertainment all round. Plenty of pre-MCU knowing winks to Marvel & DC style - unexpectedly prescient - and comedy, with a wholesome Disney plot. Definitely worth a watch if you haven't seen it before.

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Watching this adaptation directly after the previous one is very instructive. Visually, there's no competition: the film looks sumptuous and realistic, with Chatsworth standing in for Pemberley (it turns out Mr. Darcy really was that rich) while the TV series looks dated, even factoring in the poor quality versions now available. That said, compared to the detail allowed by six hour-long episodes, the film is like a speedrun through the plot, and I feel that anyone unfamiliar with the storyline would certainly miss the nuances. Nevertheless, this is probably my preferred version now, possibly just because I've over-watched the BBC version!

Abbey Road: If These Walls Could Sing (2022)

A soft-focus, nostalgic look back at the history of the legendary Abbey Road Studios, featuring interviews from a whole host of famous faces. Not really a complete history though, more a  gentle reminisce, but an enjoyable watch nevertheless.

Cool Runnings (1993)

I bought this on DVD finally and so that was an excuse to watch it again. Great fun.

Yes, Minister (series 1, 1980)

Although this looks dated - filmed in a square format, everything beige, wobbly sets and cameras, all classic BBC sitcom-on-a-budget stuff - there is unfortunately no doubt that the subject matter is completely current. Still, it's funny and watchable.

Beatles '64 (2024)

I'm not sure the world needed another Beatles documentary - but at least this was less than two hours rather then the six hour marathon that was Get Back. It does give a glimpse into the eye of the storm, which is interesting, but overall it was a bit dull.

Summer of Soul (2021)

I fancied revisiting this and the musical performances make it worthwhile. What struck me on second viewing is the points that it makes about the segregation in force - formally or otherwise - for black people in 1969, how a massive event like this made the people of Harlem feel, and what it says that it was subsequently completely ignored.

Reading - January 2025

Reach for the Stars by Michael Cragg (2023)

An interesting companion to the Boybands Forever mini-series on the BBC I watched last year, this tells the same stories and more, in more depth. However, the oral history format, consisting primarily of quotes from those who were there, makes this a disjointed read, without any real narrative flow. It also feels like a book aimed at people who already know the basic stories already, and are keen for more inside details - which it definitely provides - rather than someone wishing to learn about the "manufactured" pop groups of the late 90s and early 2000s. Nevertheless, it's an interesting book and a good reminder that there was a lot of good pop around then. Sadly, it's also a reminder that the men behind the acts - and they were nearly all men - were and are horrible, manipulative, exploitative arseholes. There isn't an artist in here that doesn't have some sort of regret or tale of unpleasant behaviour from the likes of Louis Walsh, Simon Callow or their ilk. The luckiest of them have come through the other side, but there are definitely some who were swallowed up and spat out with no thought of their welfare or future. So ultimately this was a bit depressing, particularly ending as it did on the whole Popstars/Pop Idol/X-Factor egregiousness, which in making a spectator sport of other people's misfortune and misfortune, marked a real low point in entertainment culture.

Classic Tracks by Richard Buskin (2012)

The premise here - technical interviews with the engineers on classic tracks, as opposed to hearing from the artists themselves - is really good, the pieces themselves interesting and the book nicely put together. But the book's large, coffee table format makes it a physically awkward read, and it took me a while (years, in fact) to finish it. What makes the whole thing more annoying is my discovery, literally a couple of weeks ago, that all the pieces in the book were originally published in Sound On Sound magazine (this isn't mentioned anywhere in the book) and are available for free on their website, along with nearly 100 others. Not recommended in book form, but highly recommended on the web site!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)

Having watched the TV and film adaptations this month, I couldn't not go back to the original, and I'm pleased I did - a perennial favourite of mine, and I suspect it always will be.