I feel like it’s been a slow start to the year, vegetable gardening wise. I somehow managed to start things off too soon, before all danger of frost had gone, but then also the things that I did time right have been so slow to start coming through. However, we are starting to see some greenery and things are looking more promising as the sun comes out. Radishes, meanwhile, are always a saving grace, as they grow so quickly.

I love a bit of reggae and this is a good album from the 90s to just enjoy that kind of music. Of course the Elvis cover is a standout and potentially their most famous song, but actually I realised I know and love Higher Ground more… even though I didn’t know I knew it, if that even makes sense. Overall, a good, very listenable album.

I had a realisation while listening to this that Lewis Capaldi is basically a male version of Adele - sweeping songs, huge vocals, a lot of passion and drama and angst and the talent to get it out there and share it with the world. A good album, although by the end I was a bit exhausted by it all!

Doctor Who filmed a lot in Cardiff, so it’s fun to read a story actually set in Wales. This one is about monsters taking form from the nightmares of children, which is so fitting for Doctor Who, I’m surprised it hasn’t been turned into an official episode. Anyway, this one was narrated by Anthony Head, who is, of course, brilliant, so it was a fun experience.

Another emotional read this one, with a family trying to reunite amongst difficult circumstances. It was very well written, really keeping me engaged even though the story itself was quite drawn out. Still the characters were good and I liked the subplots alongside the main event, all in a glorious French setting.

This was a fun one, who’d have thought that taking the troublesome Paddington Bear to France would end up in lots of misadventures? The stories start before the trip, with Paddington trying to figure out what to bring with him on his travels, through getting lost in France and finally somehow ending up taking part in the Tour de France. Because of course!

I listened to the audiobook of this, which had a handful of narrators, when the point of view changed between characters, the narrator did too, but I could have done without that, if I’m honest, the main reader was fine. Regardless, the story took a while to get going and I wasn’t sure I was going to like it but somehow it kept me gripped and I desperately wanted to know what was going to happen next. An emotional one but a good one.

I was expecting good things from this book, and of course it delivered. It’s a memoir of sorts but with Jarvis Cocker, it was never going to be a straightforward story delivered from A to Z. Instead, we’re trawling through a loft and getting stories and insights into a life from the things found there. A fascinating way to find out about someone’s life… and it’s a fascinating life. Great stuff.

I recently finished watching the mini series Daisy Jones & The Six on Amazon Prime and what a journey that was! The show documents the rise and fall of a new band in the 1970s who gain popularity very quickly but find that drugs, rock and roll, and the intricacies of managing relationships on the road can be a downfall just as fast. It’s basically watching a fictional version of Fleetwood Mac’s story, which is echoed in the amazing music that accompanies the show.

This is so much fun but no one could argue it was a good album - even Ant & Dec wouldn’t take that view at this point. Let’s Get Ready to Rhumble is a great bop with terrible lyrics and the rest of the album carries on from there in similar style. I don’t mind the upbeat terrible lyrical rapping, but have to admit the ballads and love songs are really quite cringy. Ant & Dec trying to do that 90s love whispering, ugh. But still, what an amazing time capsule and piece of pop culture history.

Some of the Jonas Brothers previous work has been right up my street and some hasn’t, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one. In all honestly, it was utterly forgettable, and not the normal ’this was fun while I was listening but won’t stay with me’. It barely registered while I was listening either. I don’t want to sound harsh, because it’s not bad or offensive in any way, just regular run of the mill easy listening move along next.

The third of this series of illustrated books lives up to the other two (art & science). It follows the same pattern of a one page biography of women through the years that have broken ground or changed the status quo for women and equality. I guess because of the nature of sport, these are more modern biographies, in the last centure or so, but it’s still inspiring and beautifully put together.

I don’t remember picking this book up so didn’t know what to expect from it. It’s a reasonably good thriller, I liked the way it was structured with various diary entries and points of view, but I’m not sure I was totally sold on the underlying mystery. It seemed a bit far-fetched, but then, you just never know with people, do you?

I bought this a long time ago and it was one of those purchases that when I looked at it the next day, I couldn’t really remember why. But of course, Mr Caine is a national treasure and reading it now just hammers home that point. This book is part memoir and part advice for living your best life, getting the most out of your career whether you’re an actor or not. Caine’s approach to situations is pretty inspiring and it’s a very comforting read.

Last year, I, along with a lot of other people, watched in joy and awe as Ukraine won the Eurovision Song Contest, closely followed by the UK with our best performance in a good long time. I’d actually sworn off Eurovision for a bit, despite being a fan since before I can remember. I’ve had, and still have, an issue with the scoring but I won’t get into all that again.

This album is pretty much exactly what you think it’s going to be - some medium level rock tunes from a band that Wikipedia calls a supergroup as it features members from other bands coming together. To be hoenst, only Since You Been Gone has any staying power, the rest is quite forgettable, but overall it’s not a bad album.

This is such a chill album, you really have to be in the right mood to listen to it because if you’re not careful, it will completely zone you out and leave you snoring. It’s not really my cup of tea, as a whole, but I did sort of enjoy listening to it because it’s not the kind of music I listen to very much. So it won’t be making any of my end of year lists but it was ok!

This is the second of three books of this kind that I have read, with Art already completed and Sport still to go. Just like the others, it’s so beautifully crafted that it’s a joy to read. The only thing about this one is it made me a bit more angry. I suppose slightly more so than the art stories, this one contained so many women doing the work and being overlooked or actively stolen from. But still, there were stories in there that made me want to find out more and that’s all I ask from a great book like this.

I realised I have quite a few Paddington books on my digital bookshelf to be read so dived into the next adventure with everyone’s favourite London-based bear. This time, our bear is put in charge of the household due to absence and sickness, which results in adventures around the laundrette, trying to cook a meal and doing a bit of DIY. Sawing through the table didn’t ring any bells for me at all, honest.

I’m slightly obsessed with these DK books that keep popping up in Kindle sales, and even though they are mostly aimed at kids, I still love looking through them. This one was aimed at a really young audience but I think because the subject matter is so good - who doesn’t love the ocean and find it fascinating? - it was still really entertaining for me who is, erm, a bit older than the target reader.