Oops I Did It Again celebrated its 25th anniversary and I was going to listen to the album but then realised I haven’t even done the debut! So it was back to the Britney beginning, and what a joy this is. It’s wonderful sugary pop done very well by a girl just starting out. Okay, Soda Pop isn’t great, and E-Mail My Heart is already dated and only going to get worse, but the rest of it is fab 90s pop. Oops I Did It Again will not be far behind!

I loved this! The first track on the album is my least favourite and on the first listen through it sort of filled me with dread, but power through that one and the rest of the album is outstanding. It’s led by the incredible vocals of Skin, obviously, but the music is powerful, the lyrics excellent and the whole thing a treat.

Our twins are back at their boarding school and this time joined by a family member - grumpy cousin Alison. This is a bit of a trope for Enid Blyton, in which the family member comes along to be similar to how our protagonists started last year. She needs to learn all the same lessons that we have already learned. But meanwhile, it was very interesting the tricks that were played, the fire and the heroine. How mean an entire class can be when someone doesn’t quite conform to their standards. I wonder what mischief everyone’s going to get up to next!

Hmm, this wasn’t a bad Marvel film, we’ve certainly seen worse. But it was kinda dull. Certainly at the beginning, it felt very boring, politics and stuff. It was very like the TV show that it follows on from, calm and plodding and just getting on with things. But it did start to get better and more interesting as it went along, which is unusual for a Marvel movie, they normally tend to get worse. So, you know, watch it if you want to keep up with the Marvel stuff, but otherwise give it a miss.

This took a minute to get into, as a random doctor ends up getting caught in an escalating plot. He, and we, are never really sure what is going on even right to the end. But the twists and turns are always fun to read, and wow the bird attacks at the end were absolutely terrifying. It’s a quick read, and I wouldn’t say it was one of his best, even in this sub-genre of pulp fiction, but always worth a read!

I love James Acaster, his four-part Netflix special (which is mentioned in this book) was a masterclass in intricately connected, bizarre but hilarious comedy. I’ve read his book about getting into a lot of scrapes so was interested in this new project dedicated to the music of just one year. Having come out the other side, I’m not sure how I feel about it. James writes very well and the memoir sections were great, but I’m not sure if the music obsession and recommendation really works as a book. Is it interesting to read story after story of how a random album you’ve never heard of came to being? Is it more of a reference work than a book? I don’t know.

Alfred finally dies, after threatening to do so for the past few books, and the expected chaos doesn’t really happen. But there are still more skirmishes and plots to try and unravel. Every time I think this book isn’t for me and it’s boring and I’m going to stop reading, something real and human and funny happens, the characters are great, and it just pulls me back in. Bernard Cornwell has such a great writing style - intensely detailed, and full of accuracy, but with enough wit and engagement that you can’t help but want to keep reading.

I so wanted this to be a good film. It feels like ages since we had a good globe-trotting, tomb-raiding, mystery-solving adventure, but this was not it. The start was a bit slow, but once the group got together and started ‘planning the heist’, it was okay. We blew past the twenty minute rule, so there must have been something in it to start with. But it went downhill pretty quickly.

I love that this album is original Jason, back to the good rapid singing roots with guitars and wordplay and fun stuff like that, rather than the more lovey dovey stuff that his later work represents. This isn’t quite as good as the debut album but it’s pretty close, I love Did You Get My Message, and the other songs stand up to the challenge. It’s a unique style which is always appreciated too, you couldn’t get Jason confused with any other artist out there!

I know Self Esteem more as Rebecca Taylor, popping up as guests on shows like Taskmaster and Celebrity Bake Off, but I was intrigued to listen to a full album from her. I’ve got mixed feelings about it. There’s great work in here, huge creativity and excellent production. Focus is Power is a really dramatic and moving song. But it’s also a little bit all over the place - maybe as part of the ‘complicated woman’ thing, it’s designed to be that way. Tonally it’s quite hard to settle in to, and I certainly found it an album that you have to listen to, it’s hard to do anything else. So it’s very good and has place, it’s just probably a bit much for me to listen to regularly.

Ah, a classic Enid Blyton boarding school story with grumpy kids, adventures in class, and of course, a midnight feast. The twins approach going to a new school with a terrible attitude and are quickly put right, and I know it’s for kids and is really outdated, but I did enjoy reading about these escapades. The secret dog! The accidental exam cheat! The prompter at the play! Sneaking out to the circus! So good, and everyone gets what’s coming to them which is always fun.

This was an interesting book in the Reacher series, taking a slightly different approach. Rather than turning up to a rural town somewhere and finding a problem, Reacher goes looking for it after seeing a ring in a pawn shop window. It feels a bit contrived to me, but then I did quite like the way the mystery unravelled and how we followed our heroes finding out the bigger picture. I wasn’t entirely convinced that Reacher would have entered into the relationships the way he did, but it was an entertaining enough entry in this series.

In the previous couple of books we’ve heard about Francesca being widowed and hiding away in Scotland, but now we get to understand a bit more of the details behind that story. It’s a sad start, particularly as you know what’s coming - he goes to bed with a headache, uh-oh! And the rest of the book is the will-they-won’t-they between Francesca and Michael, and it gets a bit creepy in places, but ultimately comes to a happy ending, so I guess we can be happy with that.

I’ve had this in my to read list for a really long time, to the point that I have no idea what made me want to buy it in the first place. It’s an okay police procedural but there was quite a big cast of characters and I didn’t really care very much for any of them. I did like that there were a few suspects for the murder, and plenty of motives for what happened, but to me, it was really obvious whodunit as soon as the detective started being overly friendly with them. An okay read but nothing to write home about, really.

Oh wow, this is exactly what you would expect from a Bob Mortimer novel, and that is a bit of a nutty story but a real heart to it and a genius undercurrent that shows itself as and when required. It’s random in places, and sometimes you wonder what you’re reading and if it’s ever going to come all together, but I loved it. These characters that think and say random things, it’s not really believable as real life (although I entirely believe it’s how Bob thinks and would conduct conversations!) but it’s hugely entertaining. An absolutely enjoyable ride, and I’m very glad there’s a sequel to get stuck in to as well.

I’ve been intrigued by the play The Shark is Broken since I first heard about it, and was very keen to see it when it embarked on a UK tour. The show is set aboard the boat during the filming of the mega blockbuster Jaws, featuring as the only characters in the play, the three actors who star in the movie. They have plenty of time to spare as the mechanical shark, known as Bruce, keeps breaking down. The play spends time with these three as they get to know each other, argue and make up, in these many hours spent trapped aboard.

For the last few years, I’ve tuned in to the Eurovision Song Contest with some trepidation… thinking I’ll watch just a bit and then it will probably be boring and I’ll end up going to bed early with a good book instead. That hasn’t happened, each year is entertaining in its own right, and 2025 was no different. I did think the show was lacking something, that unique camp-ness that makes Eurovision the juggernaut that it is seemed missing. Most of the entries were credible and well performed and pretty sensible, with just a couple showing that quirkiness that we know and love.

If you want to watch some educational but entertaining TV, wherein our host travels around ancient countries by train and looks at a lot of burial sites, I have just the thing for you. Alice Roberts, celebrated academic and broadcaster, has produced three series of a TV show for Channel 4 in which she does just that. The first, Ancient Egypt by Train, was the gateway drug that led quickly to Ottoman Empire by Train and most recently Ancient Greece by Train.

A couple of months ago, Apple launched a new service as part of their news subscription called News+ Food. The additional app functionality appears in the News+ app, bringing together recipes from around the different outlets that appear in the News app, and allows you to save any recipes you might find. As with other recipe apps, it then allows you to make sure you’ve got all the ingredients available, and then follow along as you cook with an easy view within the app.

The first and most important thing to say about this game is that it’s very addictive. You do just want to keep growing your zoo and adding animals, and even when I’m not playing I’m quite often thinking about what I could do next in that small spot of space next to the grizzly bears. The animals are absolutely adorable, it’s cute just to watch them pottering about their habitats. I keep finding new things as well, like recently discovering you can switch to a webcam that is in the underground sleeping areas of animals like the anteaters.

This is an old game that I have previously played and loved on earlier versions of the Playstation, but when I saw it for a super cheap price in a Playstation sale, I figured it was worth a bit of nostalgia. I love racing games but I am not very good at them, so it’s always an adventure trying to find one that isn’t too out of reach for my mediocre skills.

I do enjoy Elizabeth Strout’s writing, it draws you in to visit with these complex characters, spend a bit of time with them and their lives and then ultimately just leave them to it. I’m not entirely convinced by this one though - the village characters just weren’t that enticing, quite mean, and our main guy was a bit of a wet blanket (okay, a widower so with good reason, but I sort of didn’t care one way or the other what happened). Good writing but the setting didn’t grab me this time.

Oof, I thought this was going to be so much better than it was. Fight For This Love is such a banger, but the rest of the album pales in comparison. There is far too much Will.I.Am on this, Cheryl doesn’t get much chance to stamp her own personality on it. I love cheesy pop but this is just bad pop, production is poor and it is so repetitive. Make Me Cry, well it nearly made me cry there was so much repetition. A couple of good tracks but this is well left in the past.

I love Erasure and I love a lot of what Vince Clarke does, but what would I think of Andy Bell doing his own stuff? Well, not to worry, it’s very similar to the Erasure vibe. First listen through, I wasn’t really sure - it was fine but not special. Second listen through I was really starting to get into it, so maybe will take a few more listens and it’ll become a favourite. Good work, except the final track. We all could have done without that one.

I loved this James Bond extended series book, picking up from where previous original novels have left off. It felt very authentic, with a sort of cool, calm progression of the plot, the unruffable Bond doing what he does best, even when injured, mind-controlled, or pondering his future. The plot was fascinating, a sort of ‘what if’ situation where Bond ends up going undercover in Russia. A great read, another excellent work by Horowitz.

I know it’s a little bit troubling to be on the side of a serial killer, but I do so love that we are reading fresh and realistic thoughts from an angry young woman. Usually these characters are male, so it’s great to read the developments in Sweetpea’s life, particularly how she deals with pregnancy and everything that comes afterwards. It took me a minute to get into this again, having loved the last one and needing to pick up the threads again, but it soon came roaring back and the story went down very well. Definitely keen to continue this series and see what happens next.

This felt like a fresh start for the Ryan series, after the horrors of the prequel story in the last book and all the dangling threads that have been wrapped up recently. This time we have a new case to investigate, and it involves murder, the circus, a vulnerable girl, a surprisingly vivid memory, and lots to work through emotionally at the same time. I really enjoyed it, and can’t believe what a cliffhanger we have been left on. Will have to read the next book in double quick time to see what happens to our missing colleague.

Another prequel story for Jack Reacher, going back to his military days and plunging him into a top secret mission. This one felt a bit different as we followed Reacher trying to unravel the mystery and gradually figuring out what was going on after a few dead ends. It was great to have some of the band back together - always enjoy it when Neagley is playing a major part in things. I love that it was basically a paperwork issue that has almost brought down the entire world, but luckily Reacher figures it out in time and saves the day - hooray!

I like the main Jamiroquai songs, the first couple of tracks on this album are great. But I suppose I should have been concerned when the band’s genre is listed as ‘acid jazz and funk’ - that doesn’t really sound like something I’d enjoy. Actually, the album isn’t too bad, the songs that are actual songs are good, but there’s a couple of instrumentals in there that are built around a didgeridoo and that’s where you start to lose me. Overall, it wasn’t as bad as I feared, but I’ll stick to the singles in future.

The first track on this album is really good which put me in a hopeful frame of mind for the rest of it. It’s good, but I don’t know that it’s particularly stand-out, just one of those good country albums that you could pop on at any point and enjoy but without being hugely memorable. The last track I think is one of those that could get stuck in your head if you let it, but thankfully that didn’t last too long for me!

I wanted to see this play with Jodie Comer when it toured but the tickets sold out very quickly. So I have settled for the book (written as an adaptation of the play by the same author) and gone for the audiobook read by Comer anyway. It’s surely the next best thing. It was such a good story, well written, well read, completely engaging, and of course, enraging. I like that the ending is realistic and disappointing but also somewhat hopeful, it’s really well done.

There are weird things about this film. The fact that Mark Wahlberg is the only face on the posters and yet is not really a main character and spends most of the movie unconscious and tied up. The very cheap shot-making and choices (which aren’t all bad, the contained space ramps up the pressure, but some of the outside visuals are questionable). The pacing of the film is also hit and miss, bursts of action and then quite long periods of just trying to contact ATC or look at the mountains. It’s an odd one, not all bad, but you’re not missing anything if you choose not to watch.

Wow, I knew the basics of this story and obviously the prom dress covered in red pig’s blood is an iconic image, but I didn’t know the details and was keen to give this one a read. It’s pretty brutal, the bullying is so harsh, but Carrie’s own mother makes her life a living hell too so it’s hardly surprising things go south so quickly. I can’t believe this is King’s first full length novel, it’s completely engaging and thoughtful and ultimately terrifying in many different ways.

The hints of this story were started towards the end of the previous one, and so I knew we were going to be focusing in on Eloise and her epistolary relationship with Sir Philip. Now that Lady Whistledown has finished, we have Eloise’s notes and letters as the chapter openings, she does so love to write. I enjoyed this story, the growing relationship between the two, the thawing of the children, the understanding of what has gone before and how it has repercussions now. A good Bridgerton read.

This one was a companionless Doctor story, so he was wandering around feeling a bit lonely before getting caught up in plot on a futuristic planet. There’s a fortress and a mystery, and some weird ‘repopulating the planet’ moments, and lots of talk about eyes. I don’t think this story lives up to some of the more recent ones, and the lack of companion makes it a bit less effecting, but it’s an okay read. On to the next!

Michael Crichton’s early thrillers are super quick and easy reads which go down very well, and although they may not have been his proudest moments, I still really enjoyed them. This one was focused on tomb robbing in Egypt, so had some interesting ideas about the legality and ethical behaviours within. There were some heart-stopping moments, too, when he got trapped in the tomb, oof. I couldn’t see how this story was going to come to a satisfying ending but of course, I should have trusted in the author as it was a fantastic read with a great finale.

I really enjoyed this book in the Doctor Who series. For this adventure, we are joined by Donna and her family, who are always good value, especially Wilf. The audiobook was read by Bernard Cribbens so it was lovely to hear his voice doing the beloved character again. For the plot, it’s not the first time that we’ve had aliens abusing the human obsession with technology, but I thought there was a great additional dimension with one of the characters having dementia and how that played out towards the end. A good read.

I must admit to some trepidation going into this movie as I’d heard mixed reviews, but it’s Paddington so it has to be a must watch. I should have listened! It was broadly entertaining but the real beating heart of Paddington was stripped away. What we love about this bear is him navigating situations in London that we know well but are new and confusing to him. The Brown family come to the rescue and all is well in the world. This time, there was barely any London, none of the familiar neighbours and characters we love (so little Mr Gruber, sob!) And the family get separated throughout Peru where all of them are outside their comfort zone. And what was going on with Antonio Banderas and his ancestors? Weird nonsense and best avoided.

Bat Out of Hell: The Musical was on my list as a must-watch so when the UK tour rocked up nearby earlier in the year, I couldn’t help but snap up tickets. Part of me wondered whether it was going to be too similar to We Will Rock You, an absolute staple in my musicals collection. It has that vibe about it, dystopian rock and roll, a jukebox musical of great rock from decades past, and some grungey characters leading the way. But it definitely was different and held its own.

I love a music quiz and The Hit List provides a lively boost of music and energy on a Saturday night. The scheduling of this show confuses me but every now and then a celebrity special pops up, and this past weekend was exactly that. Harry from McFly, some people from morning TV and yay, two Gladiators. Now, there were plenty of questions raised by this appearance - why those two Gladiators in particular? How much music are they going to know? And more than anything, why did they come in their Gladiator outfits??

After another dip in the series with Personal, the last book, this one is back to form. Reacher does what he does best - wind up in a very small town in the heart of the US and find a big mystery to unravel. This one goes in surprising directions, too, as it’s not about big political gains or war-mongering or anything like that. There’s science, journalism, and end of life discussions on the table, although of course the nefarious plot behind it all is horrifying and disgusting. And there’s a beautiful woman along the way for Reacher to help out and get involved in. Classic.

I picked up this game in a Playstation sale and then as it was Star Wars Day, figured it was exactly the right time to dive in and play. I’d forgotten that the LEGO version of Star Wars has its own style of humour (have previously tried watching some of the animations and not particularly enjoyed them) but it only took a minute to adapt to. In the game it’s not so irritating!

I am, obviously, a huge Queen fan, but when it comes to full albums, it can be a bit hit and miss whether I like them or not. This one was a big hit. There’s the tracks that you know but they’re surrounded by excellent pop rock songs and veering towards rock opera, in fact the genres are quite varied. Freddie’s vocals lead the way, with Roger popping up occasionally, and you can hear the four of them pulling their weight and working together to create this epic album. A winner for me.

This is a great album from Sterephonics, packing a punch right from the beginning. You know what you’re getting with Sterephonics, good tunes, strong guitar work and that iconic voice. I think the album trails off a little towards the end but it’s so short there’s not really time for it to drop off a cliff, so the whole thing is definitely worth a listen.

I’ve ended up with mixed feelings about this one. It’s very, very readable, you’re sort of eating up the words as you go along and I really enjoyed the process of devouring it. But I’m not totally sold on the story. The initial concept of sort of accidentally winding up as a housekeeper and then sticking with it isn’t that credible but if you suspend your disbelief you can go with it. But as things start unravelling, I don’t really understand why no one poses the idea of, maybe, as out there as it is, becoming a lawyer in the country? Not having big city pressures but still doing the job you love? Maybe that’s where they end up once they get off the railway platform, but the either/or stakes of it just didn’t ring true for me.

Just like the first film, this is so stupid but so much fun. It’s not a smart, clever, must watch movie, you have to disconnect your brain in order to get the best from it. But if you’re looking for some mindless bumbling action in which two bickering spouses somehow manage to solve a kidnapping and murder mystery, more by accident than judgement, then you’re in the right place. Aniston and Sandler continue to work well together and it’s nice we have a cast of returning and new characaters to get to know. Nonsense but a lot of fun.

After the whirlwind that was watching Adolescence, it seemed sensible to go back to one of Stephen Graham’s earlier works, also focusing in on one-shot takes and the huge pressure of confined circumstances. This is technically very good, the acting is fab, and the stress and tension is there for everyone to see. As a piece of art, I think it’s really well done and I can see why it got a spin off series and whetted Graham’s appetite for the one shot wonder. But as a movie, a film, an entertaining piece of work, I’m not so sure this works for me. There’s so much not said and left unresolved that it’s more frustrating than anything else.

This was so good. These Doctor Who books can be really hit or miss, or if we’re being honest, quite middle of the road, but this one was so good. This follows Martha on that year where she has to travel the world and spread the word of the Doctor in order to save humanity. Even though it’s a Doctor-lite story (there are four mini stories scattered throughout to get your fix of the time traveller, but this is really about Martha), it’s really captivating and well done - to understand how humanity deals with this situation when he’s not there, to see how one person really can make a difference, it’s just a great read.

Even more proof that Paddington is firmly in the modern age, as our favourite London-based bear gets tangled up in the Olympics coming to the city. The idea of Paddington going through a training programme is hilarious, and I love the conversations he has where he misconstrues every question, and ends up being mistaken for a famous pole vaulter. There’s also hints here of the idea that one day Paddington might outgrow his family, which is, of course, sad and impossible - who else would be able to keep him out of trouble? - but an interesting concept to ponder.

We’re back to a story that has been adapted into the television series, with Colin and Penelope having their turn in the spotlight. I enjoyed recognising scenes in my head - her overhearing him saying he wouldn’t marry her, and of course the infamous coach scene. But there’s lots in there that are more impacting in the book. His deep desire to have achieved something noteworthy, her real connection to writing in all its forms. The yellow dresses are there, and the love story we know, and it’s also fun to see little hints from the characters we’ve already married off. Daphne and Kate get significant mentions, and it’s obvious we’re gearing up to something for Eloise too. More, please!