I think each of these books should be called Famous Five Get Into Trouble again because you go into each book like you would an episode of Casualty, watching all the signs as they point to the gang falling into another adventure. I quite like that this one was very meta about it - they kept chatting on about whether they wanted to have an adventure or not, although ultimately it wasn’t their choice. The only thing I didn’t like about this one was the word spook-train. Don’t know why, it just annoyed me.

One of the reasons I drifted away from podcasts in the last few years was due to the vast amount that were just celebrities interviewing other celebrities. It all got a bit circular, especially during lockdown when our favourite stars didn’t have much else to do. My podcast of the month this time is one of those though, because it’s too good not to mention. Alan Carr started a show called Life’s A Beach that talked to a different celebrity each week about their favourite travel destinations, tips and experiences. It was specifically launched in lockdown, revelling in the talk about holidays where real life wouldn’t allow the practicalities of actual travel.

Having watched David Tennant in the TV adaptation of this classic, I figured it was time I got round to reading the original. It’s pretty entertaining, following Fogg around the globe as he gets into plenty of mischief and antics. I like the cast of characters and the fact that he’s being followed by a police detective, Fix, who’s trying to derail the journey. Good adventure story!

Sleep is one of my most favourite and precious things and one of the benefits of being child-free is that it’s a commodity I can have plenty of - although never enough, obviously. Tracking sleep has been endlessly fascinating to me for a good while now, from those apps that suggested you pop your phone under your pillow to see how it’s going, to the first tracking introduced by Apple on the watch.

One of the things Apple Fitness+ opened my eyes to was how much work needs to be done on making things accessible. They’ve done a great job with on screen graphics, presenters learning sign language, lots of options for various body types and abilities and more. There’s always more to be done but it’s also fascinating to see other fitness providers adapting as well.

I bought this book a while ago and have only just got round to reading it. That means it’s a bit dated - obviously the economy has moved on a lot since it was first published in 2018. But the concept is great and it still reveals a lot about how the economy functions and how global everything is, interconnected and reliant on each other. The idea of following a dollar around the globe is great, I was always anticipating where we were going next and how we’d get there, and along the way learnt a lot. A fab read!

I totally missed this when it was announced a couple of months ago, but the new huge building called The Line that was revealed as an innovative concept design is really bizarre and interesting. It’s based in Saudi Arabia and it’s not without it’s problems, but I do love it when people start thinking outside the box for architecture and living conditions. Or in this case, it’s more like inside the box.

I was intrigued by this, written by the brilliant mind behind Line of Duty. It’s an odd little book, chronicalling the life of a Russian from a troubled boyhood to a long stint flying planes in the military and then joining the space race against the US. It’s a good read and I thought the ending very impactful, but it does feel like it’s missing something. There’s not a lot of personality given to any of the characters, so it’s hard to get fully engaged. And some of the flying adventures are like reading Top Gun which I wasn’t so bothered about. But overall worth the read.

I can’t decide whether it’s better or worse to have had the launch show only the day before the first live show. On the one hand, the launch show gets you all excited and you don’t have to wait long to see the amazing teams in action. On the other hand, it’s quite nice to have a bit of time to ponder how they’re going to do, to let those initial thoughts sink in and get some anticipation going for what to expect.

I was all set to move on to a different band this week but Mr C quite rightly pointed out that Use Your Illusion 1 and 2 were back to back releases and should be listened as such. So I had to postpone the original choice and get this one going. It was good, oddly I think I preferred the first one to this one, although I understand the majority of critics and fans think otherwise. This does have the super famous Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, though, and that counts for a lot.

I’m not big into the Mumfords but was curious about this solo album from Marcus. It’s really good - musically, it’s effectively listening to the theme tune to Ted Lasso for half on hour, which is no bad thing. It’s gentle and lilting and draws you in. But of course, lyrically, it’s a different ballgame. The first track is brutally honest about Marcus being abused when he was younger and there’s a current of rage that underpins the whole thing. It’s conflicting but that’s also what makes it great.

I was a Spice Girls fan at the time, and it’s always surprised me that they shone so bright but for such a short time - and their legacy powers on and on despite that. Girl Power! This autobiography from Mel C goes behind the scenes of how she ended up joining group, how they rose to incredible heights, and then how it all unravelled both professionally and personally.

We’ve been delayed by a week but finally Strictly Come Dancing is up and running for 2022, and boy do we need a bit of sparkle in our lives right now, huh? If you take away the slightly dodgy overdubs where Tess had to reference ’tomorrow’ rather than ’next week’ it was the perfect show, proving as always that just because you only know one or two of the cast, you absolutely can’t judge what a year is going to be like based on their pictures alone.

In the first ten days of walking, I was really all about no pressure, just getting outside and trying to be consistent about it. The next 10 days have been a bit more adventurous and have seen me explore different routes around my immediate start point, try out some longer routes when time allows, and more importantly than anything, walk with some wildlife.

Loved this! So good it totally sucked you in. I was a bit annoyed when we first switched from Edwina’s point of view (memories from a sprawling house whilst showing round an estate agent) to Fern’s - who is this person and why does it matter? But gradually you get those hints and links and it all starts to add up. And then one more major switch to fill in all the gaps before heading towards a satisfying, if not quite happy, ending. So well written, engaging, and sad but with a hopeful lilt towards the end. Great stuff.

In the latest updates to both watch and phone, Apple have paid a lot of attention to health and fitness with updates to sleep tracking, accident detection and workout setups. One thing I hadn’t realised is that they’ve also added a whole range of new badges based on your Fitness+ activity. I love badges! There have long been awards for trying your first of a new workout type, or maximising the stats for a workout, eg. most calories burned, furthest distance travelled, etc. Now there is a similar setup but exclusively for the Fitness+ collection, celebrating types of workout tried, number of each and total altogether, plus an intriguing workout streak. If there’s anything I love more than a badge, it’s a streak.

It’s surprisingly refreshing to watch a superhero movie that isn’t part of the big two franchises - this is its own thing and suffers the pros and cons that come with that. It clearly didn’t have a big budget and some of the effects were better than others, but it’s not really about the visuals. This is actually a story about heart and faith and family and courage, and whilst it does get a bit clunky in places - both in terms of script and plot drivers - its a pretty good watch. Sylvester is forever watchable and the kid was great, which isn’t always a given. Plus, it was a very effective plot twist that I didn’t see coming and those are the best kind.

Apple released watchOS 9 and iOS 16 this past week which usually means a hideous evening of updating all the gadgets and running around looking at progress bars every which way. But it’s usually worth it for what the new release brings and this year, I’m determined to actually make the most of it and fully understand what upgrades have arrived, rather than just getting on with my day and being surprised when six months later I find a useful bit of functionality.

This has been on the list for a while but after watching the latest Thor movie, there was no choice but to dip into the Guns n’ Roses back catalogue. I was nervous about this, I’ll be honest, it’s a long album and a classic, but I needn’t have worried. It is long and I have to say ending with a 10 minute song isn’t going to put you in my good books, but actually it’s a great album. On the second listen, I was really getting into and enjoying the journey. Nothing to be nervous about!

A good little album from Kane Brown here, I would say it’s not particularly revolutionary, doesn’t move the genre on at all but if you’re after some standard modern country, it’s a really good listen. I liked how clearly Kane enjoys making this music, and some of the standout singles are really catchy. It’s a bit long but ultimately a nice addition to the music library.

This was a good little book, solving the mystery of a body found under the flagstones having previously been assumed missing in a storm. Ultimately there were only a couple of suspects so it took a little while to get to where it was going, but even so, I quite enjoyed spending time with these people. The underlying mystery didn’t grab me but the wider world did and that’s plenty enough.

To celebrate the start of the third series of Central Park, which started on Apple TV last Friday, I revisited the soundtracks to the first two seasons and decided to put together a playlist with the best songs from both seasons. I thought it was going to be a really slimmed down version of all the available albums, but actually it’s still ended up being close to two hours long.

By all accounts, the film industry is going through a bit of a lull right now. Some of that is no doubt due to the ongoing health and safety effects relating to the global pandemic, but there’s also talk of an issue around the huge television spectaculars (hobbits, dragons, superheroes and outer space, you know the type), plus certain streaming platforms snapping up their own VFX companies and thereby getting priority treatment.

Usually for an absolute legend, I like to go back to the start of their career and work my way through. However, Sinatra’s first batch of albums released on Colombia records aren’t available on Apple Music, so I’ve had to nip forward to the 1950s for his first release on Capital. This is a super short album like many of that time, and it shows the crooner at his best, making it all sound so easy and smooth. Nothing groundbreaking but a reliable velvety voice.

This feels like a change of pace for Demi, some real heavy moments, huge rock influence, the one track that sounds like Avril Lavigne is probably the lightest of the piece. So if you’ve come for the pop, you’ll be disappointed. But I really liked it - you get thrust into this dark exploration of heaven and hell and whatever is inbetween, and Demi’s sincere vocals highlight the trauma she’s been through but the fierceness of her determination to recover. And under all that, they’re really good songs.

I liked the fundamental story of this - a young woman is set to marry her fiance in a whirlwind romance but has doubts on the wedding morning, only for their entire lives to be turned upside down by an unexpected accident. After that, there are moral decisions to be made, a whole new life to try and start whilst also being on pause, and revelations that eventually come. I didn’t necessarily enjoy the side plots - the Edith recording story didn’t reflect well on Jeannie at all, and the puppy farm stuff didn’t seem to have a huge impact other than kick starting the endless talk about wedding dresses. I’m not so sure about that, but overall I enjoyed reading it.

Well this was an experience. It was hilarious, it really leaned in to all the jokes that were started in Ragnarok and then threw in a load more for good measure. The tone is really set right at the start when Thor is single-handedly thwarting an army, and can do the splits cartoon-style as something of a gag. That sometimes doesn’t quite butt up against the darker side so well, there’s some really quite scary stuff in here, certainly enough to give me nightmares, let alone kids, and the juxtaposition between the two tones is a bit odd.

I’m ten days in to this month’s challenge and so far quite enjoying it. The plan was simply to get outside and walk for at least ten minutes every day and so far I’ve not managed less than 15 minutes, not so much because of enthusiasm but more because that’s just how long the short ‘routes around the block’ take. It’s nice though, getting outside, getting some fresh air, breaking up the day.

I don’t know why I picked this one up on Audible, probably in a sale of some kind, but I figured as it was a children’s classic that I hadn’t read before, it was worth a listen. This one was ably read by Martin Jarvis, who does a great job at the incorrigible playfulness of a young boy (he does the same with the Just William books). It was a fun story, Barney going on adventures with what may or may not be an imaginary friend… and having to explain it all later to his family and friends. A sweet story.

I am so in love with Welcome to Wrexham, currently airing in the slightly odd pattern of two episodes a week on Disney+. I usually try and wait to the end of a series before writing about it but there’s been so much good stuff packed into the first six episodes, we’re going to have to do a part one, at least.

I quite liked how this mystery played out, with a dinner party game being played and even though no secrets are revealed at the time, the fallout is quick and severe. Six friends at the start, and by the end, they are being picked off and whittled down until the big showdown. I had no idea who had done what or why, although it was clear Ted’s wife knew a lot more than she was letting on right from the start. A good, quick read, with short, sharp chapters.

Apple held their traditional September event today, focusing in on three main areas: Watch, AirPods, and iPhone. The event was called Far Out which led a lot of people to think they were improving night photography but, it turns out, the space age part of the programme was about reaching out to satellites in an emergency. More on that in a moment, instead, let me start with the things I might actually get some use from.

I was in two minds about even reading this, given the ongoing furore surrounding the author (well the author behind the pseudonym, anyway). But ultimately I wanted to know what happened with Strike and Robin, and I figured it was worth giving it a go. I was really disappointed with this one, if I’m honest. The crime being investigated was based around online trolls and battles between right and left wing politics (can’t imagine where the idea came from!), and there were so many online conversations and Twitter threads, it felt disjointed and hard to follow.

The last time I wrote about Stranger Things, I’d just absolutely whipped through season two and apparently loved the whole thing. I don’t have a huge recollection of that now, but that’s what the blog is there for! My recent rekindling of the Netflix love affair means I’ve caught up on season four now, so potentially I have two seasons to talk about… but I don’t remember a lot from the last one.

I loved this. Romesh writes his memoir with exactly the write tone and balance between stories and jokes. Sometimes comedians shoehorn jokes in that just don’t work on the written page but for me, Romesh’s stories were both hilarious and honest in equal measure. It’s nice to hear the behind the scenes of a journey to stage and screen, via teaching of all things, and Romesh opens up about his approach to writing comedy and what gets included in his material.

This was an odd little memoir. Obviously Carrie is an absolute treasure and her writing is brilliant - witty and insightful, startlingly honest and cutting but also warm and endearing. However, the structure of the book felt odd, it’s in three main parts. The first is a fascinating look back at how Carrie got the role in Star Wars in the first place, at such a young age. Then there’s a big segment focused on notes and poems from a diary written during an alleged affair with Harrison Ford. And finally, a look at what it’s like being famous and getting older, and more removed from the part that you’ll forever be known for.

Lovely, sweet Emma Bunton doing what she does best here - being lovely and sweet. These are some nice pop songs (the cover of Sunshine on a Rainy Day is a bit of an oddity but we’ll go with it) and What Took You So Long stands out pretty well. I missed the Tin Tin Out remix of the final track too. The problem is it’s all just too saccharine, too sweet, very little emotion comes through. It’s, dare I say it, only one or two steps removed from cruise ship singing. But I still love Ems so it was never a disappointment.

I was quite looking forward to this, having enjoyed previously Panic! songs, but I’m not sure this fully lived up to my expectations. The first three or so songs were brilliant and I thought we were all in for something fantastic, but then it went downhill for me slowly until the end when it was really quite depressing. It’s never been more obvious how much Brendon wants to be Freddie too, which is a great aspiration, but maybe just reign it in a touch.

I enjoyed this one a lot better than the previous one, but it’s still just mindless Jason Statham doing martial arts sequences and driving fast. Pretty mindless and some moments where you just have to suspend your disbelief (why would the villain choose to explode rather than fall out of the train with the car?) but ultimately a fun finish to the original trilogy.

This movie loses its mind somewhere in the middle and just can’t come back from it. The whole kidnapping part is good, the crazy lady just needs to put some clothes on but otherwise, a good thriller. Then firstly a virus is let loose in a conference centre and just never mentioned again, and then the flip-flopping plane is ridiculous, like when a child has a toy plane they wave about in the air. Apparently physics just don’t count at all in Miami.

I recently finished watching the new series from Stefan Goleszewski on the BBC called Marriage. It got mixed reviews because it’s steeped in the trademark of Goleszewski’s work - understated, quiet, and calm alongside real, moving and insightful. Previously, I’ve enjoyed Stefan’s first breakthrough Him & Her, although I have tried to revisit that before and found it just a bit too cutting. The sister is too mean, the neighbour too easy a target. Which is on me for being too sensitive but is also a shame because I love Russell Tovey enormously.

This was a really good thriller, I thought I had guessed the big whodunit twist and then that was revealed within the next couple of chapters, and so I wasn’t all that smart after all. The real twist was why and who was next and would they be caught in time. Occasionally it felt a bit drawn out but ultimately I enjoyed it. Annoyingly, it’s the second book in a series which I didn’t realise until I was halfway through so now I have to go back one before moving on, but that’s okay, I’ll live!

This is typical me. My Apple Watch fitness goal for August was based on completing a certain number of kilometres across the course of the month. I achieved it, just, but have now decided for September, I’m going to do a bit of walking every day. If I’d done this last month, I’d have easily achieved that badge. Oh well.

So good. Well played, gentle movie, just guiding you through the growing dramatic tension until the end - an unrequited love where real life has to be given a higher value over the dreams of what might have been. So lovely. And incredibly short but you never feel short-changed or that it should have been longer. It’s perfect.

I feel like this movie didn’t know what it wanted to be. The music and the initial vibe was rom-com style, until it became clear that the husband was bad people. Elements of drama and thriller, although it was another film that took a while to really get going. Then the rom-com came back for a bit until it ended up back with thriller and even moments of horror - jump scares, and the why-won’t-you-die piece at the end. It was okay, but Julia has certainly done better.

I’ve seen this quite a few times as a kid but not for a long time, so I was interested in what I would think of it from a slightly more knowledgeable position. I really love the music, the songs, the dancing, Tevye and his many sidebars and thoughts and stroking his beard. The situations are irritating, because they are so patriarchal, but they are of their time. And then there’s the tragedy of ongoing Jewish persecution. The musical is too long for my tastes, and the second half is really so depressing it’s hard to push through it, but overall, it’s just as good as I remember.

I don’t know if it’s just me but August has felt really long. In some ways that’s good, we’ve enjoyed some good weather (we’ve also endured some heatwaves) but also plenty of daylight, sunshine, and generally good vibes to offset the never-ending stream of bad news in the country and the world. My challenge this month was to try and eat a salad every day for lunch, 30 Days of Salads, if you will. I knew it wasn’t going to be completely practical and there was bound to be the odd day off, but in the end I only missed three salads. None of them were due to hangovers, which I give myself a pat on the back for. Instead, it was two separate days out which weren’t feasible for salads, and then one day at work where I hadn’t the energy to get prepared in time.

I whipped through this book, it was quite a light and fluffy read. It felt a bit weird that the first half was setting up the scene of a love life for a fifteen turning sixteen year old - it all felt a bit sincere for such a young age. And then, of course, when we pop forward into the future, it’s quite obvious what’s going to happen. But I still quite enjoyed the process of reading and getting to that happy ending.

This movie gets off to such a slow start that it’s a good thing we have the twenty minute rule in place otherwise it probably would have been switched off quite quickly. Christian Slater is great and captivating considering he spends a lot of his time in a room by himself just talking at a microphone, but that couldn’t sustain a movie without a bit of story. Thankfully, once it got going, it picked up momentum well and I was engrossed by the end.