Reading - January 2024

Quite by Claudia Winkleman (2020)

I think Claudia Winkleman is a great presenter - natural, funny and intelligent. She's developed a very distinctive style, and that style is carried through into this book - I can just hear her saying exactly what's written here. However, it doesn't translate perfectly to the medium of a book. While on TV and radio we tend to get small snippets of her, in Quite we get a lot, all at once, which turns out, unfortunately, to be a bit too much. I think the book might be designed to be read in small bursts. Still, entertaining and amusing and clearly not intended to be taken too seriously (apart from the bits that are).

The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon (2016)

I've been badgering K to watch The Map of Tiny Perfect Things and Love at First Sight (both of which she'd love, I'm sure) and so she said she would if I read this first. Well, I've fulfilled my side of the bargain (although I'm not convinced she will hers, as she seems to regard it as a point of pride not to do something if I have asked her to ... teenagers!) and happy to have done so. The book covers less than 24 hours in which our two lovers meet and fall in love - classic YA material, and so really not aimed at me. I'm too old to fully immerse myself in the belief that you can meet and connect so fully and so quickly with someone and know it's "meant to be" - but then again, I'm not so old that I can't remember that urgency, of feeling like it should be possible. As a result, I can totally understand the appeal of the book while not being quite swept along with it. I enjoyed it though, and I liked the way Yoon managed to combine the requisite doomed love angle with a nice little happy ending. (side note: the actors in the film adaptation - which K assures me is terrible - look nothing like what the characters did in my head, they're both much too pretty and too old! And I just watched the trailer and the tone is all wrong)

Yes Man by Danny Wallace (2005)

Amusing, silly, sweet in places (particularly at the end) and a nice way to pass lunchtimes at work when I just felt like a quiet thirty minutes. Probably took me about six months to read that way! Now returned to work's book exchange.

Never Had It So Good by Dominic Sandbrook (2005)

Blimey, this was hard work! In a good way though - it's a history of Great Britain between the Suez Crisis (1956) and The Beatles (1963) and so full of detail that I found it hard to read in anything other than small instalments. I feel like I've absorbed less than 5% of it and still been mightily educated. I'm full of admiration for the way Sandbrook has managed to aggregate so much research and yet still make it readable - albeit so information-rich that I found it hard to digest, and it took me a few months to finish. Really good, though. There are at least three more books covering the rest of the 60s and 70s which I am simultaneously looking forward to and dreading at the same time.

Watching - January 2024

Press Play (2022)

Yet another time travel (not time loop though) film, this time unashamedly sentimental and romantic but unassuming and heartfelt, I think. Apart from the main character looking about seventeen when she should be mid-20s, it worked very well. A nice little diversion early on New Year's Day morning.

The Vow (2012)

Not quite sure why I chose this, but possibly because it has Rachel McAdams in it. Anyway, a bit melodramatic but engaging, and managed to avoid tying up loose ends too neatly, which feels a bit more realistic. Also, ends with The Cure's fantastic "Pictures of You", which feels weirdly out of place compared to the rest of the music in the film. 

Scrubs (season 2, 2002)

We watched Scrubs so much when we first came across it, but we only had the first few seasons, so we burned out a bit. As a result, I know these episodes really well, but it's been ages since I saw them. It's nice to come back: the jokes are kind of fresh again, the mix of comedy and serious points still works and the characters are just as endearing. The only thing that shows its age is the slight over-use of pretty girls in underwear, although in fairness the guys seems to end up in their underwear just as often.

Spider-Man: Across The Spiderverse (2023)

The somewhat delayed second instalment in Z and my Spiderverse "marathon". The visual imagination and concepts are amazing and I love the ideas behind it all. Not something I probably would have watched without Z prompting me, but very good. And now we have to wait another few years for the cliff-hanger to resolve itself!

Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story (2023)

I'm very familiar with the whole Brawn GP saga. I remember it very well from the time itself, as I was a keen follower of F1 at the time, plus Jenson Button was (and is) one of my favourite drivers, and I've read the books (Jenson's My Championship Year is a very good read, despite being a bit of cash-in). Yet the level of access achieved by this documentary takes it to another level. They've got nearly everyone and they got everywhere. They're filming Ross Brawn and Nick Fry back in the FIA building; they've got Keanu Reeves (the host) and Rubens Barichello sitting in the middle of the straight at Interlagos! Hugely enjoyable for an F1 fan, even one like me who can't be bothered any more with F1.

Scrubs (season 3, 2003)

Nice, easy viewing, still funny and moving in places too. Shame they insist on always having the jaunty end credits music, even after a really sad scene. And now, having OD'd on Scrubs a bit already this year, I should probably give it a break for a bit.

Definitely, Maybe (2008)

I really like this film, more each time I see it. I like that it takes place over an extended - or "realistic", as we'd refer to it in real life - time frame. I like that there's no clean, happily ever after ending (at the beginning, Ryan Reynolds receives divorce papers and towards the end, he signs them - there's no magic reconciliation here). I like the fact that it's genuinely moving at the end. Just a really well put-together film, with good performances and an engaging story that works on a couple of levels. It's a more grown up kind of romcom than some of the more recent examples I've watched - it reminds me in ways of Cousins, one of my favourite films.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

Roald Dahl's books were a constant companion through my childhood and my copies show all the signs of frequent reading (and eating - I had a bad habit of tearing the corners of the pages off and snacking on them while I read). Rather than the obvious ones, the two that stayed with me most were Danny, the Champion of the World (set near where I grew up!) and Henry Sugar. This short film is very faithful to the story but distracts with heavily stylised scene changes and action, and is an interesting diversion at best. I also have mixed feelings about the author now I'm an adult. While Dahl never stooped to the painful, unimaginatively obvious stereotypes that characterise some of successors (David Walliams, I'm looking at you), I nevertheless now find much of his output slightly crass; and I cannot get past my knowledge of his unpleasant anti-semitism. Interesting, but I wouldn't watch another in this series.

Maid in Manhattan (2002)

I watched this on the strength of Caroline Siede's review, but I was somewhat underwhelmed. The performances are great (although I think Ralph Fiennes is almost too good for the role - he brings a suggestion of depth and complexity that the film probably doesn't need), but the plot lacks a sense of plausibility, even given the obvious fairy tale origins of the story. It's amusing and fun, but nothing more - but then, do we want more from a romcom? (actually, yes)

Reading - December 2023

One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night by Christopher Brookmyre (1999)

I have several other books on the go (which partially explains the non-appearance of a November reading blog post and the shortness of this one) but today I just fancied something escapist and known. This is perfect. If darkly comic thrillers sounds like your thing, read this.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith (2012)

I realise I'm not exactly the target audience of another YA novel about meeting the boy of your dreams at the age of 17 but nevertheless this didn't quite live up to the promise of the film for me. Whereas the film manages to inject a kind of magical unreality (hyper-reality? I'm no film student), this is a bit mundane and earth-bound by comparison. Cute though, and nice and short.

Watching - December 2023

Much Ado About Christmas (2021)

The only parallels between Much Ado About Nothing and this Hallmark holiday pot-boiler are the names of four of the characters, as I can see no plot similarities at all. Fairly mundane but cute enough.

Christmas at the Holly Day Inn (2023)

The Guardian's review describes this as a "British micro-budget" Christmas movie, and it's hard to disagree when you see the minimal sets and lack of any other actors in most scenes. It hits all the requisite plot points without ever really engaging the emotions, and although the leads try hard, I found it hard to suspend any kind of disbelief enough to be swept up in it. I used to enjoy a naff Christmas romance film but I swear they are getting worse. I might have to find something else to occupy December weekends.

Hired Gun (2017)

An interesting, varied but ultimately slightly patchy insight into session musicians: the men and occasionally women who play alongside your favourite bands and often make the music what it is. With a bit of a focus on the more rock end of the music spectrum, this gets full marks for including the less glamorous aspects of the job: dealing with egotistical stars, worrying about the prospect of instant unemployment and all for what seems like fairly minimal remuneration. Entertaining (Steve Lukather's story about him and Jay Graydon writing "Turn Your Love Around" is hilarious - but then Luke is always good value), but a bit repetitive and marks deducted for the unnecessary but presumably contractually obliged "look at me!" jams at various points.

Land of the Rising Sound (2019)

A documentary about Roland, primarily its synthesizers and drum machines, since its inception. Despite the cultural impact of the music enabled by Roland's innovations - there's whole swathes of modern music that wouldn't exist without machines like the TR-808 or the TB-303 - this is still pretty niche stuff, so it's great that someone's been able to make a quality documentary and put it on YouTube.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Came across this on the telly and had to watch it. Still fantastic at almost 25 years old.

An Honest Liar (2014)

I'm not quite sure if James Randi was actually as famous as he liked to portray himself, but a man is probably allowed to tell his own story his own way. What I can't fault is his mission to debunk paranormal and parascience claims (his famous million dollar challenge never had to pay out, and let's be honest, was never at risk), but there's a certain poignancy about the fact that he was fighting a losing battle, as people want to believe. Nevertheless, an interesting film about an interesting character.

Dig! (2004)

I've been meaning to watch this for ages, as it's a classic rock documentary, having even been acquired by The Museum of Modern Art. But I'm left wondering what the fuss was about. The basic problem is that the superlatives thrown around about the music and in particular about Anton Newcombe, the leader of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, are completely at odds with the mediocre, shambolic reality of the songs played in the film. Newcombe is obviously charismatic enough to take people with him, but that doesn't translate outside of a personal sphere and certainly not into this edit, where he just comes across as a typical junkie arsehole with a god complex. The Dandy Warhols come out better: they've obviously been prepared to work at their music, even if it's derivative to the point of parody. In much the same vein as The Decline of Western Civilisation, one to tick off the list but not of much interest otherwise.

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

I am once again indebted to the wonderful Caroline Siede for her review, which made me want to revisit what had been filed away in my brain as an adaptation inferior to the iconic BBC series. It turns out I was wrong: this is hugely enjoyable and in many respects better, not least with the casting, which was always one of my main gripes with the series. Here, they've got it right: the Bennett sisters all actually look their ages rather than attempting to play down. Being a two hour film, it is necessarily compressed and I felt in particular that a sense of Elizabeth's change in feelings towards Darcy was too quick, but it still hit all the right spots. Keira Knightley is very good, Darcy and Bingley are engagingly awkward and human, the staging is fantastic and the feeling of unbridled romanticism is all its own. Perhaps that's not quite true to the novel but I loved it anyway, sentimental old git that I am. Now go and read that review, it's very insightful.

Sharing Christmas (2017)

Another Hallmark Christmas, er, special. The slenderness of the plot is not enough to support the occasional emotional outburst (the guy quits his job to help our heroine - on the basis of a couple of days acquaintance and the fact that he likes her shop? Umm ...) Absolutely the equivalent of a decent Silhouette romance, this is utterly predictable but sweet nonsense anyway (and, in fairness, easily the best of these type of films I've seen this year).

Broadcasting Christmas (2016)

The main attraction of yet another CCR (crappy Christmas romcom - I'm going for new terminology here) is the presence of Melissa Joan Hart (who also produces) and Dean Cain, which indicates a decent budget and possibly a better overall film. It's unfair (and, yes, a bit shallow) to compare the leads here to their mid-90s heyday but it took me a while to adjust to the way they look now (hey, we're all getting older). Once I got past that, this was a typical but well-made Hallmark Christmas romance: cute, sentimental and inoffensive. (side note: directed by one Peter Sullivan, who was also responsible for Sharing Christmas and, it turns out, is something of a specialist in this field.)

Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution (2023)

House music was essentially disco, and all current dance music is descended from house; disco is the bedrock of most modern pop music. This isn't news - I remember reading all about this in the brilliant Last Night a DJ Saved My Life (1999), and if they'd made this documentary in the early 2000s then they might have got to interview a bunch more people. Nevertheless, an interesting overview for anyone who thinks disco was just a weird 70s thing.

Porridge (Series 1) (1974)

I caught a bit of this on telly in passing and went back to iPlayer to watch it from the beginning. It's a classic of course, showing its age in some of the language and attitudes (it is fifty years old, after all), but sharply written and, best of all, superbly played by Ronnie Barker. A nice little trip down memory lane.

The Rewrite (2014)

Slight but sweet and watchable Hugh Grant vehicle that, ironically, is basically just a retread of Music and Lyrics from seven years earlier, and from the same writer/director as well, Marc Lawrence. Grant is as convincing as always (no, I really mean that, I think he's a superb actor), this time as a washed-up screenwriter forced to take a teaching job at a small US university to pay the bills and gradually coming to realise that he enjoys teaching and is good at it. I could have done without the subplot about an affair between Grant and a much younger woman, as it seemed inconsistent with the rest of the film and more like a middle-aged man's fantasy (er, OK, possibly this middle-aged man's fantasy occasionally too - but still out of place here). I did like that there wasn't any big emotional ending but a nicely downplayed reconciliation between Grant and Marisa Tomei (excellent as usual), and overall the film was well-paced and had some lovely moments.  

Two Weeks Notice (2002)

The previous film led me on to this, apparently the first of Hugh Grant's collaborations with Marc Lawrence, and which I had been meaning to watch for a while anyway. Hugh Grant is very, well, Hugh Grant - I mean, even more than usual. There are gestures and inflections straight out of Four Weddings or Love, Actually and that annoyed me slightly, but Sandra Bullock is very good, and the relationship between them works well. However, points deducted for featuring orange arsehole Donald Trump (I almost stopped watching right then, on principle) and even more for using the appalling Counting Crows cover of "Big Yellow Taxi" not just once, but twice (side note: I was immensely amused to discover, after I wrote that previous sentence, that the track is widely considered to be one of the worst cover versions of anything, ever)

About Time (2013)

There are so many things I can find fault with in this film, even leaving aside the usual Richard Curtis irritations. Firstly, the dialog is unforgivably clunky in (many) places; secondly, I am fully prepared to accept that Domhnall Gleeson may be very good in many productions, but this is not one of them; and having taken the trouble to set up a universe with time travel, the film then fails to be self-consistent or even particularly interested in the concept except as an occasional gag or way of solving plot holes. But despite all this, for some reason the film stays with me. Partly this is the appeal of being able to go back in time and fix things, and partly because film's message is a nice one (even if Curtis thinks we're too stupid to work it for ourselves and insists, in one of the  film's more face-palmingly clunky moments, on having Gleeson spell it out for us). But mostly it's because there are some scenes that I find genuinely touching, regardless of how much Richard Curtis pushes the sentimentality button (and let's be honest, he doesn't so much push it as repeatedly smash it down with a sledgehammer - subtle it ain't). Ultimately worth it for those bits. And Rachel McAdams is very good.

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)

Third time of watching in about four months! It's really sweet and the two lead actors (Kathryn Newton and Kyle Allen) give nicely nuanced performances. Plus, since it's an Amazon original, it's not available on DVD as far as I can tell, otherwise I'd buy it, so I watched it while I have free Prime.

Blade Runner: The Final Cut (1982)

I'm not quite sure what I expected from such a legendary film - one I'd somehow managed to avoid seeing or even knowing much about - but a gothic, noir-ish, dystopian vision that barely shows its forty years wasn't it, for some reason. It's obvious why it's been so influential. However, for something based on a Philip K. Dick novel, the plot is surprisingly straightforward. It's a long time since I read the original story but Dick always included elements questioning the nature of reality, whereas I felt that if this was represented in the film, it was too subtle for me. I'm really pleased I watched it though. Next: Blade Runner 2049! (handily available on Prime right now)

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Well, I said that Blade Runner doesn't look dated, and it doesn't - but then again, it clearly isn't as modern as this. The pacing, the cinematography, the soundtrack (and probably a dozen other tiny things that I would be able to identify if I were more a student of cinema) are all clearly more up-to-date. The story is more complex, which is nice, but much less plausible, which is annoying. And it's too long - the same story could have been told in 20% less time, or you could have had slightly fewer twists, turns and set pieces - the latter, in particular, is one of the big differences between this and the original, I think. But it was a very enjoyable watch anyway.

Now You See Me (2013)

Flashy, entertaining but empty heist movie. It meets most of the criteria laid out by Mark Kermode in his Secrets of Cinema in most respects - the overly-complex plot, too many people etc - but missed on one crucial factor, to my mind: it doesn't explain how it's done. As such, the film is free to metaphorically wave its hands and say, "magic" without having to worry about plausibility. The twist at the end was cute but, again, ridiculously implausible. And of course the love interest has fallen in love with the master criminal at the end and so doesn't reveal his secret.

Love at First Sight (2023)

I'm trying to remember if there's a book I've preferred over the film, if I saw the film first, or vice versa. I can't think of any - presumably because if it captures your attention enough the first time round, whichever medium that is, that's what stays with you. And so it is with this. I read the book about a week ago and was a bit disappointed: where is the magic and emotion so present here in the film? So I rewatched this and was charmed all over again. Just a lovely, sweet, romance, if that's your thing. (Again, if this were available on DVD, I'd buy it but, being a Netflix production, presumably it will be quite a few years before that happens, if at all.)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

I'm no Marvel geek (understatement) so how much this plays into the deep lore of Spider-Man, I have no idea. But the whole idea of slightly different Spider-people across different universes is great fun and the visuals are really impressive. Watched as part of a double-bill with Z!

Watching - November 2023

The Christmas Ball (2021)

Maybe it's too early to be watching crappy Hallmark Christmas films, and perhaps they start the season with the really poor ones - you know, for the saddoes who can't wait until December at least. But whatever, this was really quite bad. The only amusement was in laughing at the outdoor locations that are supposedly "England" but are clearly eastern European (like a lot of these films, it was produced in Serbia), and spotting when the heroine's accent slipped from "American" to the actress's actual native Irish. Passed the time but only just. I still love these kind of films for a weekend afternoon though (and I have to put yet another link to the wonderful Caroline Siede, who completely nailed the appeal)

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

With the advent of the new Netflix animated series, I was minded to watch the original film again, and what a joy it is. Haven't seen the animation yet.

Watching - October 2023

Goldfinger (1964)

Strange to think that once this was state-of-the-art film making - it all looks so pedestrian now, and dated in a way that the book isn't.

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)

Obviously a metaphor for, er, something, and couldn't be more YA if it tried (the magical reality music etc) ... but somehow it still strikes a note for me. Clearly enough to watch again very soon after the first time, anyway. Some nice choices of tracks too.

Last Action Hero (1993)

Fourteen years before Enchanted, Arnold Schwarzenegger played a film character who finds himself in the real world, with all the opportunity for confusion and comedy that entails. Apparently a flop when it came out, this is now a bit of a cult classic and it's easy to see why: it rolls along nicely, there's plenty of action and laughs, and fun spotting all the references to movie tropes and clichés along the way.

Definitely, Maybe (2008)

Felt like watching a sweet film again. The format - father tells his daughter how he met her mother - is sweet and if the ending isn't quite expected, well maybe that's a good thing. I like the way it acknowledges that perhaps the "love of your life" is more a factor of time and place than "destiny" - and that this is both fine and reality. (While I was looking for more information about the film, I came across Caroline Siede's review, which says this and more, much better than I can.)

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

It turns out that the review I mentioned above is actually part of a whole series, When Romance Met Comedy, which is fantastic reading. So much so, that her article on this film persuaded me to watch it again. Mitsake! Although there are lots of good lines and scenes, it suffers badly in two respects: firstly, the central two characters don't meet until right at the end, so we don't get to see them actually make a relationship (You've Got Mail is much better in this respect); and secondly, Meg Ryan is ridiculously stalker-y and way to cutesy. Not as good as its reputation.

The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

I was reading Caroline Siede's article on You've Got Mail and was reminded that it was based on this James Stewart film, which I'd not seen before. It's a lovely, witty and very watchable classic, with some great performances. It's also fun to spot the snippets and references lifted by Nora Ephron for her remake. Certain moments are underplayed, compared with how I think they'd probably be done in a more modern film, and it's also fascinating that it keeps the same setting as the original play - Budapest - despite that having no relevance to the plot whatsoever. That wouldn't happen now!

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Another black and white classic, and an odd kind of love triangle - or possibly a rectangle or pentangle. Lots of great lines and wonderfully stylised acting. Cary Grant and James Stewart are great (the latter's acting drunk is a delight), but Ruth Hussey as a cynical photographer who is (not so) secretly in love with Stewart is my favourite - her look of vulnerability at the end when she thinks the man she loves might be lost is very moving (she was nominated for an Oscar for her performance). The final scene turnaround is a bit too quick and pat for me, but I'm glad to have seen it.

You've Got Mail (1999)

Although I'd seen this recently, I started it again to listen to the directory's commentary. Unfortunately it turns out I don't have that, so I carried on watched it to spot references to The Shop Around the Corner ... and then just because it's a nice story. I don't actually quite believe in the Tom Hanks character as someone the Meg Ryan character could fall for, but this is almost certainly a sign that I've watched it too many times and am starting to over-analyse. Still a sweet film.

Set It Up (2018)

Very colour-by-numbers romcom from Netflix. Passed the time.

Love at First Sight (2023)

On the other hand, this is more like it - not perfect, as you can kind of see the joins between each act. But the two leads are great (Haley Lu Richardson in particular capturing a slightly gawky, girl-next-door appeal that I thought worked really well) and if the film perhaps tries a bit hard to set a dreamy, slightly unreal atmosphere - well, it works for soppy old me. Original book now ordered from the library!

Ghosts (Series 5) (2023)

The last series of Ghosts, apart from a Christmas Special in a couple of months, and it will be much missed in our house, where it's been a reliable family favourite. A great central concept, brilliant characters and consistently amusing plots. What more do you need?

Reading - October 2023

Goldfinger by Ian Fleming (1959)

I'm feeling a bit under the weather with a cold the kids brought home, and so as usual I reach for something unchallenging but entertaining. I haven't read this in ages but it's all still very familiar. The plot is short, to the point and quick-paced - and yes, dated, but what do you expect? Incidentally, everyone remembers Pussy Galore from the film, but in the book she is almost completely superfluous, for some reason.

Another Planet by Tracey Thorn (2019)

A somewhat navel-gazing but thoughtful examination of the trials and tribulations of coming from the suburbs - in this case specifically, Brookmans Park, just north of London. She describes a growing process that is very familiar to me, and very different from today's experience I suspect, despite the suburbs being little changed in essence. I enjoyed reading it but it feels a little lightweight and does seem a little like an extended magazine article (which it kind of is).

All My Love by Miranda Dickinson (2023)

Many - most? - romance novels have an unrealistically compressed timescale. I'm sure there are real-life couples that meet, court and commit within a few days or weeks but I suspect they are in the minority - but not in books, where a few days or weeks fit nicely into the requisite number of chapters. All My Love manages to extend the timeline to a much more convincing few months without being as long as Ulysses - and yet, despite being a normal book length, I felt like it was going on too long. Because the central couple are immediately, obviously right for each other (I mean, even beyond the usual "it's a romance novel, of course they'll end up together" reason) but don't realise it until the very end, the whole story feels like it's dragging its heels. Perhaps that's why most romance novels are the way they are - that, and the whole "swept off my feet" trope. Anyway, I enjoyed the book despite this, the characters are all well-painted and I was willing them to get together.

The Man With the Golden Gun by Ian Fleming (1965)

Another very straightforward plot that never falters or lets up. A classic for a reason.

Chocolate and Cuckoo Clocks: The Essential Alan Coren by Alan Coren (2008)

My dad subscribed to Punch for many years and so I have a nostalgic fondness for Alan Coren's weekly columns in the magazine. Reading them here, without cartoons surrounding them and a leavening of other articles, is a bit odd, and definitely hard to do much of in one sitting. That era's columns are the best to me - earlier and later ones don't really hit the mark in the same way. But it's nice to have this book as a companion to the earlier The Best of Alan Coren and the various Pick of Punch annuals I also own.

The Nanny State Made Me by Stuart Maconie (2020)

I agree with pretty much every single word in this book. The "nanny state" doesn't exist and never did; the idea that large portions of the population were molly-coddled by the state is a reactionary, Daily Wail fantasy. The whole point of a state is to look after its people. Running public services for private profit is the exact opposite of this. We have plentiful proof that private enterprise and the "free" market is not more effective or efficient - quite the opposite in many cases. This is an easy read - Stuart is good company - but nevertheless ends up making me feel incredibly frustrated at the self-serving idiocy of successive Conservative governments. That said, they do keep getting voted in, which, if you agree with de Maistre's famous quote that "Every nation gets the government it deserves", means we did this to ourselves. Perhaps the fundamental problem is that everyone is in favour of better public services but no-one is in favour of paying for them.

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang (2021)

The third book in Helen Hoang's Kiss Quotient series of books featuring autistic central characters finding love. I like the way she's managed to mix some of (what I assume to be) the reality of life with autism with romance. It feels like the heroine learns to stand up for herself very suddenly and perhaps the hero is a bit too perfect, but the book is a satisfying read and I enjoyed it just as much as the previous two.

Listen Out Loud by Ron Weisner with Alan Goldsher (2014)

Oddly, despite Weisner's credentials as a record company exec and manager (not everyone could get Gladys Knight to write a forward, I suspect), he doesn't have a Wikipedia page. This makes me wonder if actually he's a bit more of a minor player than he would lead us to believe. But the stories are great and ring true. Very entertaining.

Lunarbaboon Vol. 1 by by Chris Grady (2014)

I found the PDF of this on a disk (I have it as I put money in the original Kickstarter) so I spent 15 minutes re-reading it. Some wonderfully sweet cartoons.

The Diamond Queen by Andrew Marr (2011, 2022)

I'm no flag-waving monarchist but I've always quite liked the idea of royalty. Yes, it's notionally an affront to the idea of a meritocracy but, as Marr points out, such a thing doesn't exist anywhere (and in my opinion is a juvenile fantasy anyway). Removing the monarchy wouldn't solve this or even address it at all, but would unnecessarily upend a lot of existing British culture. As such, I'm in favour of the status quo. This book is a nicely balanced and reasonably succinct history and analysis of Queen Elizabeth II and her place in British culture and society, and quietly makes the case that perhaps the Queen and her family, despite past and recent fusses, are worth keeping. Interesting reading.

Rock and Roll Busker by Graham Forbes (2013)

The third in a trilogy of books partly about Forbes' life and partly about what it's like to be a jobbing professional musician in rock. Very entertaining in places - you can't but help admire his dedication to the rock 'n' roll cause - but dragged a little. I'll still probably try and find his other books though.