Last year (in fact so long ago that I’d forgotten I’d ordered this and it was a surprise present in the post), I bought The Researcher’s First Murder by John Finnemore. This was one of those purchases that was really to support the creator more than for my pleasure, because a) I love JF and b) this thing is far too smart for me, but wahey, it has arrived and it’s beautiful!

I had previously gone to see this musical when it was in the theatre, but I left at the interval. The first half hadn’t massively grabbed me but it was more about me - I was not in the right headspace to watch what happened to these doomed characters. We know how this story ends and it’s not a happy history. So I was quite glad to see this recording of the live show, so I could watch the second half in the safety of my own space.

This is a hard one to review and score really, because the good stuff is great but it’s sort of filtered through a concept album lens with skits and stuff and that side of it just wasn’t my cup of tea. It is a bit weird that this is Wyclef’s first solo album but effectively has all the Fugees on there anyway. Lauryn Hill pops up a good few times! But even though I found it a bit hard to listen to the whole thing, there’s some real genius in there that I love, so bring on the next Wyclef.

Loved this! Was not expecting it at all, since when did Post Malone do country music?? I remember having mixed feelings over his previous work and changing my mind across the years, but I would never have predicted this album and certainly not that it would be so brilliant. Great tunes, incredible guest stars all the way through, and just a joy to listen to. Put it on again!

Another good Lincoln Rhyme thriller! I really thought that at this point it would be boring, or formulaic - certainly there have been books in the series that have followed similar paths to previous ones. But this one was intriguing, the plot easy enough to follow but fiendish to unravel, and of course it’s always fun when there’s a legitimate nemesis to deal with. I thought it was interesting how much Ron Pulaski’s character was developed in this book, he really might be gearing up to take over from Rhyme when he retires! Very entertaining.

I love this recent article on the BBC about a guy called Rob Johnson who has been getting niche and forgotten songs put on the streaming services - just by asking them to upload them! No matter how many tracks a streaming service claims to have, there’s always going to be something missing, and this is all about a mission to try and right that wrong. Most of the time it’s not a malicious or contractual act on the record companies part, they’ve just got a lot going on and it’s easy to miss something along the way.

I enjoyed the previous two Mrs Pargeter books I read, so was looking forward to diving into this one and it didn’t disappoint. This time Mrs P is on holiday and there’s a huge mystery to unravel… and it was really fascinating to be along for the ride. In this book, Pargeter breaks the law for the first time which was a nice juxtaposition to the ongoing tidbits we get to hear about her deceased husband and what he got up to in his life. Anyway, humour is littered throughout, as you’d expect with Simon Brett, and it’s just a nice cosy read.

I like a bit of Batman as much as the next person, but there’s no arguing the fact that the character did go through a bit of over-exposure a few years ago. With the huge Christopher Nolan trilogy, and then endless news about who was going to play the character next, it felt like you couldn’t blink without seeing those bat ears sticking up somewhere. So I wasn’t looking for another Batman vehicle, but the new animated series Batman: Caped Crusader on Prime was surprisingly good.

From the off, you have to suspend your disbelief - this is one of those unfortunate locations in the world where a higher than average number of murders take place. We’re on to our second in this hotel already and I believe there’s more to come in this series. However, it’s so good to be back in the world of Molly the Maid, and how she has evolved from the first book. This time, she’s guiding others and getting involved in ways she would never have before. We also get a good insight into things that happened in Molly’s childhood which also inform how she is now, more layers peeling off this character. Really good!

I probably don’t make the most of my Apple News subscription, but I do enjoy the magazines that are included as part of the price. The TV guides alone are worth the price, but there is a lot of choice on there - history, gardening, interior design, cars, sports, gossip, fashion, you name it, it’s in there. And just recently, some new knitting magazines have been added which is a great update for me!

It’s difficult to review a memoir like this that didn’t really work for me - it’s personal to the author and in this case, clearly took some bravery to piece together. But it felt very scatty and quite surface level. There are some huge topics included, and some pretty difficult events to hear about, but there’s not a lot about the effect of them or anything beyond the facts of what happened. The chapters jump around in time too, which isn’t always a negative thing but only help to make this quite difficult to follow and get invested in. The title, however, is genius and worth an extra point just for that.

The last few Netflix originals we’ve watched have not been good, so expectations were low going into this one. It was surprisingly good - not an original story, clearly, but Marky Mark and Halle Berry pull it off quite well. They have good chemistry having been friends in real life for a long, long time, and that shines off the screen. The twists were good, not too predictable, but I have to admit I didn’t really follow the underlying plot - the suitcases seemed to be really important is all I could tell. But it was entertaining and the stunts were good.

The trailer for this didn’t look too bad, but I just couldn’t deal with the full length thing. It was silly, the premise didn’t make sense and wasn’t explained, it felt like Awkwafina was desperately trying to make it work but the desperation was clear. And she and John Cena felt like they were in different movies. We didn’t even get to Simu Liu being in it (assuming he’s more than just a billboard) so that tells you everything you need to know!

I have massively underestimated ONJ’s music career - I basically knew Physical, and Grease, and that was it. But she has a vast number of albums and is hugely successful. So… let’s dive in! If I’m being honest, I wasn’t that bothered by the songs in this album. It started off quite slowly, the second half was better, although the final song about dolphins was a bit weird. But throughout it all, Olivia’s vocals are just perfect and there’s definitely something about her voice that just makes you want to listen to more.

I loved this. It was hard to know what to expect from The Script, after the sad and unexpected death of Mark Sheehan but the band has continued on in fine form. I read somewhere that Danny had talked of the album as being deliberately uncomplicated, aimed at being some easy tunes you can belt out at the live shows, and that’s exactly what it is. Good tunes from start to finish, super easy and fun to listen to - the only downside is that it’s so short, over before you know it!

Towards the end of this film, I said ‘I don’t want it to be over,’ which I don’t think I’ve said about any film before and shows how much I loved it. It did get off to a slow start, but quite quickly ramped up with a failed heist and all the ramifications of that. The joy of the thing is obviously the banter between Matt Damon and Casey Affleck, and the latter’s character is adorable at every turn, with Damon taking the turn as grumpy old man. It’s a fun watch and I already want to watch it again.

This week I finally got around to watching Ripley on Netflix, the recent adaptation of The Talented Mr Ripley written by Patricia Highsmith. I didn’t know a lot about the story, I’ve not seen the 90s film starring Matt Damon and not read the book even though it is in my digital library waiting to be opened. So I went into this with no expectations other than the love I’m assuming everyone has for Andrew Scott.

With the joy of the Olympics still fresh in our minds, former sprinter and gold medal winner Michael Johnson has announced a new athletics competition that he’s launching to keep the momentum of the sport going through the four year gaps between Olympic sessions. He’s calling it the Grand Slam Track, and the initial format imitates that of the tennis tours - with four big meets during the year to see the best face off against each other.

This was so good, I really enjoyed it. The story is detailed and intricate but covers a huge period of time. It’s mostly set in the 90s and has that late 90s atmosphere perfectly. More than anything, though, it does a great job of explaining how tennis works (not an easy or sensible scoring system) and getting into the mental side of the game, when it’s going well and when it isn’t. I’m not sure it got everything 100% right but it was so well done, I really loved it.

Way back when, I watched the first few episodes of WandaVision and really enjoyed the pastiche of early sitcoms. The black and white cuteness, canned laughter, and surprisingly funny moments. I was curious to know whether it was just Wanda’s take on the genre that I liked or if the genuine article was just as good, so I sought out the first series of The Dick Van Dyke Show - available on Amazon Prime/FreeVee in the UK.

I loved the atmosphere of this book, the 1930s upper crust feel with lots of wealthy socialites romping around and annoying each other. A trip to the seaside goes very wrong when one of the party is murdered and our protagonist starts investigating alongside the police (not sure that the Inspector would have gone along with it but it was a different time so who knows?). The middle of the book did drag a bit for me, but as more incidents kept occurring and the whodunit drew to its twisting conclusion, I mostly enjoyed it.

I know this book wasn’t aimed at me - it’s another in a long line of young adult dystopian fantasy fiction series - but I couldn’t quite get it to work for me. The premise is intriguing, all the adults disappearing, and how the remaining kids deal with it. The threat of disappearing as soon as you reach a certain age, also intriguing. But none of the characters really came to life for me, and then you throw in super powers and gangs and talking coyotes and it’s just a few too many layers for my tastes. I finished it but I won’t look into any more of the series.

Okay, this doesn’t quite fit into the 90s category precisely, but it’s close enough. I wanted to listen to some S Club and have already done the first album so quickly moved on to this second one. It’s stacked with that great cheesy over-produced pop and I love it! The first couple of tracks are stand-out, Reach is clearly a belter, but the whole thing works for me.

I was pleasantly surprised by this album. You think of the Rolling Stones as an old school rock band and although this isn’t exactly bursting at the seams with up to date beats, it’s a really good album that doesn’t sound dated at all. It feels like it probably fits in around the 90s, but is just a very enjoyable listen from start to finish.

I really love these books, and this time Anthony (the character) is in a whole heap of trouble. Rather than just following his detective friend around and writing about what happens, he’s right in the middle of the puzzle, accused of murder. I really liked the twists and turns and how there was a ticking clock in the background to keep the pace up. Finding out more about Hawthorne only whets the appetite for the next book, too!

I loved this film but it’s really important to note that it’s actually not a very good movie. The story is barely there and derivative at every turn, and the entire thing is driven on nostalgia - Paul Rudd literally says the words to the theme tune. But if you can forgive these things, go with the flow, and lean in to the nostalgia - they literally show an actual ad for an original toy! - then it’s a really enjoyable couple of hours.

The 90s repeats of Top of the Pops on BBC Four have had a bit of a break recently (Proms and the Olympics will do that to your channels) but came back with a bang with this amazing episode. It kicked off with the Backstreet Boys which was such a surprise to me that I almost choked on my drink, and aside from the next song, continued to astound and surprise.

Another entry in the DCI Ryan series and what I really appreciated about this one was how the threads of the long-running storylines were ebbing and flowing. Ryan’s new boss, introduced in the last story, started to get her teeth into things in this book, but clearly has a lot more in store. Meanwhile, a cold case mystery coincided with a current murder and there was plenty to investigate to figure out whodunit.

I’ll admit from the start, this one didn’t grab me as much as the last few Baldacci books have - although I stuck with it and was rewarded with a good mystery. At first it was a bit of a slog, lots of characters and not a real clear understanding of why our hero and anti-hero were actually in the positions they were. Gradually it started to come together and even though our characters figured out the mystery about half way through, it still had some twists to go before the end. A medium good read.

There were a couple of times in this book where I thought about giving up, the story was good and the humour was really well done - not over the top and in your face, but occasionally laugh out loud funny. But it felt like it took a while to get going and occasionally felt a bit directionless. However, I stuck with it and it was worth it. The flipping a coin thing isn’t new at this point but I like that it influences the story in both good and bad ways here.

I guess just power on through it and keep going as if nothing happened? It feels a bit odd that this year’s batch of contestants have been revealed over the past week or so, at the same time that the accusations of mistreatment from former guest dancers continues unabated. It’s an unexpected situation we find ourselves in, one that leaves a bit of a bad taste in the mouth, but at least there are some safeguards in place for this year’s willing participants. I have to admit to being a bit disappointed by the names announced (Sarah Hadland excepted, OBVIOUSLY) and sort of wonder if there have been more people declining the opportunity due to the ongoing furore.

I had planned to write about the closing ceremony but in the end, it didn’t grab me as much as I’d hoped. It seemed to pick up pace after Tom Cruise threw himself into the mix, quite literally, but I was already asleep by then, and it sort of feels not worth watching on replay. Although clips and pictures I’ve seen do make me excited for LA’s hosting stint when it begins.

It won’t be news to learn that I love a good quiz, and what’s even better than general quizzing? Music quizzes! I love The Hit List when it comes round but a new contender to the quiz throne has arrived in the form of Popmaster TV. Turning a beloved ten minute radio quiz into a successful hour long TV show isn’t an easy task but they’ve done a fantastic job.

We’re getting to the good 90s pop music on the Top of the Pops replays now, and so it’s no surprise that I’ve been dipping into those albums as well. Supergrass are a band where I really only know that one amazing track, so it was interesting to listen to the rest of the album - it’s just more of the same, great open guitar rock from the 90s with catchy vocals and a slightly rebellious teenage vibe.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this album. I used to love All Saints, obviously, but this is a completely different thing. I wasn’t sure on the first listen through, but actually second time round it started to grow on me a bit. The first track is a bit odd but it gradually builds into some good music, and I suspect it has lots of layers and production details that are very carefully placed. Some good guest vocalists and ultimately a satisfying listen.

I listened to the audiobook of this, read by the author herself, and it’s just a really good story of a family that worked hard and were eventually rewarded with success, and actually managed to deal with it pretty well! It’s amazing to hear the early days of Judy’s career, how she played and loved tennis, coached and loved tennis, but really didn’t have the support that is just starting to appear today. And I thought the story of Andy and Jamie’s careers was well told, respectful considering it’s their stories. Love it.

So look, it turns out, watching two weeks of non-stop sport pretty much all day, every day can be a bit much. I’m a gibbering wreck. But I’m also still loving it and don’t want it to end tomorrow. It’s hard to reconcile the two positions but I’m powering through to enjoy every minute before the main Olympics disappears for another four years and we can turn our attention to the Paralympics.

The intro to this by Crichton’s widow says she is glad that these books are now available to read widely under his original name, as they put Michael through medical school and set him on the path to the accomplished thriller writer that we know and love. That’s not to say he was proud of these books necessarily, they’re self-confessed pulp fiction, airport adventure books, but I loved this one. It’s just straight to the action, no real character development, but even with that you somehow love all the good guys regardless. A quick, fun read!

A pretty standard ‘finding yourself’ rom-com, wherein a stressed and busy workaholic suddenly finds herself with a lot of time on her hands, and two nieces to look after. A fairy godmother (not quite literally), a park run project to organise, a wayward sister to track down, and a love/hate relationship to navigate all add up to a very good read. Not groundbreaking but a very comfortable and comforting book to indulge in.

The second book in a row that I thought was going to be one thing but turned quickly into something else. It started with a glimpse of some characters during the First World War, but then quickly moved into the modern day and was your basic love story… until it wasn’t! Suddenly, it was a court case about the provenance of a painting and highlighting the issue of restitution. Unexpected but very interesting, and a good effort at debating two sides of the situation.

I thought this was going to be a regular love story, the way it started, but it turned into something quite different and much more interesting. There are three people in this relationship, effectively, and there’s a lot of soul-searching from all sides - is there more to this story than we know, is there a bigger motive than just mischief? It’s an interesting deep-dive into managing grief, as well as an eye-opening look at what hypnotism can and can’t do. A good read!

In the last Olympics post, I mentioned that I’ve been watching the surfing which is new to me (and relatively new to the Olympics) and that’s one of the joys of this competition as a viewer - finding those odd sports that you’ve never heard of before and that absolutely captivate you.

I was keen to read this after absolutely loving the TV series (and it’s follow up series’ as well), and quite enjoyed reading the source material that sparked such an intense and well produced show. It’s hard to tell if I would have enjoyed the book so much if I didn’t have the characters already in my mind, and sometimes I wondered if the TV show had done a better job at bringing to life the horror of those days. But ultimately it doesn’t matter because I had seen it already, I did have the characters in my mind, and I did enjoy reading… if enjoy is the right word for a book covering such events!

This is an interesting Oasis album, it’s got a bit of a different feel to some of their other work and is certainly not stacked full of tunes as other albums. I read that Noel Gallagher has disregarded this album and said it should never have been written but I don’t think it’s that bad! It’s spreading the band’s wings a bit from more than just guitars and I thought it worked quite well, but let’s be honest, if you were going to put on an Oasis record, it probably wouldn’t be this one.

I was a bit nervous about listening to this one because, whilst respecting what she does, I’ve not enjoyed a lot of Charli’s music in the past. But this album does seem to have captured the world somewhat and if even presidential candidates are getting in on it, I probably should give it a go. I actually didn’t mind it, it’s not the kind of music I would seek out but if I was in a dance music mood, you could do worse!

Still loving these meta books by Anthony Horowitz, where the author is also a character in the stories, helping the main detective solve a murder mystery. This one was a lot of fun, too, as it took our characters away from their home comforts onto the island of Alderney and gave us a glimpse of some back story without giving it all away. I just really enjoy these books and can’t wait to read the next one.

You know that thing where certain things seemed different and nicer and more magical when you were a kid, and then when you view them through adult eyes, you sort of wonder what on earth it was all about? Well, I experienced that recently on re-reading the trilogy of Faraway Tree books by Enid Blyton.

So far, I’m loving everything I’ve seen of the 2024 Olympics. Obviously, I’ve not been able to cover off everything that was on my spreadsheet schedule, even with as many screens open as possible. There’s an overwhelming amount of sport - and this is just for the events I’m hugely interested in, never mind the ones that could get my attention if I caught a glimpse.

The second book in the Hawthorne & Horowitz series, and I loved it just as much, if not more than, the first one. This time it felt like we were getting even more of an insight into our author’s life - him trying to get a TV show filmed whilst also dealing with an unexpected murder and second book earlier than expected. I like how determined he was to figure it out first, and of course, how much he failed at that. And I love how it has thriller elements but done really wryly - the chase scene and the final stabbing, all done but really subdued. Brilliant.