Just like the first one it was nothing too groundbreaking - adorable animals singing popular songs, but it was all the extra bits and bobs around it that made it great. Good jokes, lovely side-stories, a way of everything coming together by the end in a satisfying and not-too-hokey way. Plus, hold on to your hats, Bono was actually really good! If I hadn’t known it was him, I probably wouldn’t have known it was him.

This book is a memoir about life undercover in the CIA by one of the youngest female participants in such active missions. You have to go into it with a huge pinch of salt because the intelligence agency has distanced themselves from it, but even so, it’s an interesting read. How you sort of fall into that kind of work, the training that goes into it, and how being undercover for an extended period of time can really mess with your head. It was a relief when she moved on to other things at the end!

I picked up this audiobook in a sale, if I’m honest, purely because Dawn French was reading it. It was quite a dark tale, considering the audience, but Dawn’s reading really brings it to life. I enjoyed it but I don’t know that it will stick with me, particularly. Except the concept of having buttons for eyes… that’s too much.

I had some leftover bananas that were quickly ripening and sure, I could have just eaten them, but where’s the fun in that? No, instead, I dug out a Mary Berry recipe for banoffee pie - something I have never made before and to be honest, haven’t eaten that often either. But biscuits, bananas, caramel, cream and chocolate can’t really go wrong, can it? Hooray, it didn’t go wrong! I quite enjoyed making this, the only downside is it’s one of those recipes that isn’t so much baking, as assembling a layer and then waiting for it to cool, another layer, another long wait. It took me a good portion of the day to get this to its final state, but it was worth it.

The thing about breaking down the year into 30 day chunks is that February does a bit of a number on the pattern, whether it’s a leap year or not. That’s why on the second of March, I’m launching challenge three - drawing. I wrote previously about enjoying the app ShadowDraw, in fact when I first mentioned it, I was eyeing up a daily challenge they had launched to tie in with Christmas advent calendars. I don’t really want to talk about how many of those days I actually completed because it was barely any, and that’s why I’m bringing the idea back for this month.

The good news is my second attempt at a thirty day challenge was more successful than the first, in that I actually managed to do the thing every day for the full thirty days. In case you missed it, February’s task was to do the 30 Day Core Challenge that Apple Fitness+ had very kindly put up I suspect especially for me. And I did it! The first fifteen days were five minute workouts, and the second half was full of ten minute workouts, and I managed to do every single one, every single move (not always pretty but I tried), every single minute.

I don’t really know a lot about Sharon Stone, I’ve only seen her in a couple of films and missed the time when she was super-stardom. I didn’t know she’d been ill, either, but this book dives right in from that moment, and then dips back and forth in time to tell the story of how she got there and how she recovered afterwards. If I’m honest, there were a few times I wanted to stop reading because I just couldn’t properly get engaged… but I had to get to the end because it’s so beautifully written, and ultimately quite optimistic about a difficult life.

Although I claim not to be someone who can watch a lot of different TV shows at the same time, I do seem to have plenty of different series on the go at the moment. There’s just so much good stuff out there! But alongside the new stuff, there’s always a spot in my day for something a bit older and a bit more relaxing… something to switch off to rather than get completely invested in.

I was taking a bit of a risk here because whilst I enjoy country music a lot more than I ever would have anticipated I would, it’s really modern country that floats my boat and not so much the old traditional stuff. But Tim McGraw is such an icon that I wanted to go back to the start of his career, rather than just cherry pick albums.

This is a really good album from Mary J, with a great premise - loving yourself first and the rest will hopefully follow. I enjoyed the beats, the production, the general overall sound, but the thing I noticed most was that there was a lot of time without Mary. Of course she has an array of great featured artists and that’s brill, but I’m here for MJ and I’m not sure the balance was totally right for me.

I really quite enjoyed this movie for what it is - Dawson’s Creek but with added football. I read a review that says this is an odd little time capsule from an odd time in American (and general) history. A time before it was really known how much damage these high contact sports can do, and it was generally okay for a guy to steal a cop car and drive around with some girls naked.

Like many, I adored every episode of Clarkson’s Farm, enjoying as the host was told off every other minute by people that really do know how to farm. You always got the feeling that whilst he was being classic Clarkson, he also wanted to learn and do his bit and actually listen to the people around him. Unfortunately, this book - a collection of newspaper columns he wrote along the way - wasn’t quite as much fun, as he didn’t have the people to bounce off. It’s just a bit too Clarkson for me. But I did like him re-evaluating his own writing as we went along. ‘What was I thinking when I wrote this?’ he says at one point.

I’m always fascinated by an adventure story, but this was so much more. Elise, the author, and adventurer, plans to run around the coast of Britain, with the typical lack of planning and preparation that often accompanies these grand schemes. And, spoiler alert, that side of things all works out okay. I wasn’t so keen on the staying in many different people’s places - although their generosity must be recognised. And meeting all the different people helped Elise tell the story of her own journey.

Right up to date with Nick Dixon now, and eagerly anticipating the next installation in the series. This one was a good book, although following some pretty horrible crimes. There wasn’t a lot of home life this time, not too much Jane or Monty, but still plenty of back story and personal anecdotes to keep it interesting. I did enjoy the new dynamic with Cole, it’s fascinating to see what Dixon’s next career step brings him, the different challenges he faces and adjustments he needs to make.

This is an interesting movie because it’s brilliant thanks to Sandra, obviously, but otherwise it’s just a good film that’s kinda forgettable. I wish they could have done more with Steve Buscemi, and it felt like Sandy’s recovery came a little too easily in the end, but honestly, I could watch her in anything. I don’t think I’d actively recommend this film but if you do end up watching it, you’ll be ok.

I was a bit nervous about this album because American Pie is such a classic but I didn’t really know what the rest of it was going to be like. Actually, it was pretty good. American Pie obviously kicks things off in style, and the rest of the album is made up of shorter tunes that, if I’m honest, aren’t so distinguishable from each other, but as a whole, it’s very listenable and a strong body of work.

Oh yes, what a great album this is. Packed full of pop disco fun from start to finish, it’s almost impossible to listen to this without at least tapping your feet. I really liked the previous Foxes album I listened to and it’s been so long since then - that was in my first year of this album adventure! Definitely recommended, and this is probably an early contender for the best of year lists already.

I loved this film. It was funny, the kids were great, Paul Rudd was doing what he does best, and the story worked - the nostalgia was there, and of course the end was pretty weepy. A great movie and it feels like they’ve left it open to more, so perhaps the Ghostbusters Cinematic Universe is on its way.

I’m almost up to date with this great series, following the adventures of Nick Dixon and his fellow gang of police, doctors, friends and more. This time we’re diving into history, with an archaeological dig bringing up more than just old mosaic pieces. I like how this was part cold-case and part serial-killer and there was a family element as well. And of course, the big moment at the end of the book that is going to change the future course of the series… Can’t wait to get on to the next one.

This was a brilliant story of an incredible woman - Wally Funk who was part of the Mercury 13, a group of intrepid women who trained up in the same way as the men but never got to be the pioneers heading to the moon. Ever since then, her mission has been to get into space and she’s achieved it, although this book was written before the big event. This is all about the larger than life character that Wally is, written by a broadcaster who became her friend, and how although life wasn’t necessarily fair on her, she never stopped fighting for her dream. Amazing.

I mean, the Doctor, Rose and Jack on an adventure in the depths of wintry Russia with submarines! What’s not to like? Well, the life-sucking blue monster blobs and a terrifyingly deadly Stonehenge-style circle, but otherwise, all good! It’s a great adventure, the Doctor thinking on his feet as always, and I loved Jack coming into his own with his fierce loyalty and no-man-left-behind attitude. I think Rose was a bit underused in this story, but there were a lot of characters to keep track of so no harm done.

If I’m honest, I did hold out a bit of a hope that this movie might be a return to form for the Kingsman series. The first was so good, the second so bad, but this being a prequel, I thought maybe it could break the pattern. I was so wrong. This movie really wasn’t great anyway, too long, dipping often into the ridiculous, and actually quite boring - the surprising shot to the head was the only bit I actually felt some kind of emotion.

The Book of Boba Fett has been a ride, hasn’t it? The reaction to this show has been so fascinating right from the start, with claims that it’s boring, that it has robbed people’s joy of a beloved character, that it relies too heavily on Mando, that it spends too much time on Tatooine… if there’s an aspect of the show you can name, you can also find people loving it or hating it in equal measure.

This is such a good week for music for me - Bastille rocking the dreamlike modern life, Roxette just blasting their way through the 1990s in great pop&rock form. Starting an album with Joyride is a risk because it’s such a good song but the rest of the album absolutely lives up to it. I don’t know that the songs were particularly identifiable by themselves, but as a whole it was a great ride. The only problem I had was the one song that sounds just like It Must Have Been Love, but hey, you can’t really rip off yourself!

I really liked this album, Bastille have such a unique sound, well, Dan Bastille’s voice is the real driver of that and it shines through in this collection of songs. There’s a slightly odd feel to the lyrics - a lot of dreaming to take away the pain of real life, and many, many cultural references focused on films. It’s not perfect, leaning just a bit too much towards oddity, and way too short, but I enjoyed it.

This time, our girls are having to deal with boyfriends - whether that is trying to keep your distance from an ex, having a crush on an inappropriate individual, or having your first boyfriend. Some of it felt a bit nonsense, the extra bit about Anna staying out late didn’t quite fit the rest and had no further repurcussions, but I did like some of the themes - I felt for Ellie having to choose between boyfriend and friends, and treading that fine line between having fun and abiding by your family rules. Always a good read from Jacqueline Wilson.

It was actually a pretty good movie - not without its questions and plot concerns, but ultimately some good action, an okay story, and the wonder that is Trinity and Neo together again. The downside is it just felt a bit lacking, in visuals (aside from the incredible nanobot crew members), in punchy story, in mind-bending twists and turns… it’s just a bit bland, and that’s the worst thing you can have from a Matrix movie.

This book has really fired my brain up in terms of reducing waste. It’s a great guide to the concept of zero waste, with hundreds of good tips and a journey to follow if you want to do it that way. It’s got no judgement and lots of encouragement - every little change you make can make a difference so you don’t have to suddenly be zero waste and living a poorer life for it. I was surprised how much of this I already do but there’s still plenty I can look at it in my own life to improve upon. Really recommend giving this a read.

I like that this, more than any of the previous books, really carries on from the previous one. I’m sure you could read it as a standalone but having devoured the previous book you’re really invested in this mission. I loved the info about Hinkley, some real behind the scenes access must have been granted to write about it with this much authority.

This has rave reviews but ultimately I just don’t think it was for me. It was beautifully written but I just ofund it meandering and odd and I didn’t feel like the various diversions added anything to the story. There was a really interesting concept underlying the prose but it took such a long time to get there, I don’t think we could really enjoy it. Then a sudden twist at the end that just felt out of pace with the rest. A great job but not for me.

I wanted a quick break from the crime series I’m currently reading so just whizzed through this book by Roald Dahl. I’m trying to do a bit of completionism on his main novels otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered reading this again - it’s really not one of my favourites. But I do like that there are elements of determination, of stubborn-ness, of sharing and caring, and of a family pulling together to do what it takes for the village. Nice enough.

My second thirty day challenge of the year takes things away from the mental side of life (language learning) and more into the physical (health and fitness). Don’t worry, I’m sure not all the challenges will fit into the Crystal Maze categories. Almost as if they were listening to me, Apple Fitness+ released some updates this year that included a handful of curated collections - workout schedules to help you achieve certain goals. One is to get a stronger back, one is to get a better night’s sleep, and one, clearly made just for me, is a thirty day core challenge.

This book took the crime to the heart of our gang of protagonists, with a couple of abducted children in varying degrees of danger - one of whom is family of a member of the team. That meant the stakes were really high and I feel like this is the first time it’s been clear that our hero Nick Dixon is considered to be seriously good at his job. Obviously we know that he’s great having followed him through the series, but it’s never really been clear that anyone else has noticed how he goes the extra mile to get the job done and is thus revered for it. But this time, the pressure is on… a really interesting plot and also potentially, spoiler alert, the first time the main man got away.

Like the best people, I’m completely obsessed with Inside the Factory - the TV show where Gregg Wallace, Cherry Healey and Ruth Goodman go behind the scenes in various factories to show us the history, the present and the future of how things are made. A recent episode featured the nation’s favourite tortilla chip (or better known as Doritos) and I was surprised at the lengthy process to get sweetcorn into those triangular treats.

After watching Phil Collins’ starring role in Buster, it seemed about time to do another album from the man himself. Of this album, I knew Sussudio and One More Night (a song that I love even if it sounds really outdated now), so the rest of it was a bit of an adventure. I quite liked it. Phil seems to be one of those artists that it’s cool not to like, but I can’t see anything wrong with this album - a collection of nice, solid 80s pop songs with a couple of stand-outs. What’s not to like?

I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this album - Five are really not a band I would have put money on still being around in the 2020s. But here they are, even though there are only three of them left (so the band name might need a rethink), and it’s actually a pretty good album. The songs are all quality, if not groundbreaking, and the only problem with it is it’s almost impossible to describe. The songs seem to thread through all the decades - some a bit 80s, some a bit 90s pop, some totally up to date, some old school. It’s a fun listen!

Mixed feelings about this book - it was relatively short, so I can’t complain on that front, but it really did feel like nothing happened. It started out well and quite interesting, Sophia is a fascinating character in an odd situation, and I did like the many conversations between her and her grandmother, but as a book, it didn’t really seem to be going anywhere and if I’m honest, I wasn’t bothered when I got to the end of it. Well written but I’d love to have a bit more structure to it.

Ooh, this was right up my street, this one. Nick Dixon’s seventh adventure and it was a bit more like the Inspector Frost series, in which lots of different things were interlinked and layered and kept coming back around and being more important each time. The initial murder was really quite disturbing, well written, but quite graphic, and really made me care about who was behind it. There was lots going on: poaching, coastguards, organised crime, mobsters, various locations, lots of trains, plus a near death experience, and a lot of personal stuff piled on top. Loved it!

I absolutely devoured this, it was wonderful. It’s effectively twelve short stories or essays, one for each month of the year, and each focusing on a different character that lives or interacts somehow with Victoria Park. The glory of each story is how they are their own thing, of course, but also manage to link to the others, with characters popping up or being mentioned throughout even if they are not the focus of this particular month.

This was quite high up on the list as one of those lovely inoffensive Sunday night movies, particularly the ones where adorable people with Welsh accents fight for something they believe in (I’m looking at you Dream Horse). It took a little while to get going, and even longer for them to prove that this actually was a cinema and not a theatre, but it was such a good film.

I set myself the January challenge of getting a thirty day Duolingo streak, concentrating on their French language course that I’ve been dipping in and out of for as long as I can remember. I ALMOST made it. If I’m being honest with myself, for the first thirty day challenge of the year, and as a means to getting back in the habit of checking into Duolingo every day, I’m happy with the result of a 29 day streak.

This one jumped up the to-listen list to pay tribute to Meat Loaf after he passed away. I’ve already listened to the first two BooH albums so it’s good to complete the set. I’ve only ever really heard that this one is not as good as the other two, and I get that, but I still quite liked it. It does have a different vibe about it, more hard rock particularly in the opening number. You can tell that Jim Steinman is not involved - it’s a shame they were going through legal wranglings at this point, as this could have been another classic. It has potential.

Ooh, I’ve been eagerly anticipating this one and it didn’t let me down. It’s really the first big release of 2022 and already I think it’s going to be a contender for the best of the year come December. It’s just incredible pop, it grabs you and sweeps you along so that you don’t want to let it go. There are some bangers, like Starstruck and Sweet Talker, and then there are some that just make you stop and listen, and then there’s everything in between. Loved it!

This has been on our list for ages but hasn’t been available for whatever reason - hoorah, it suddenly appeared and so we dived right in. Phil Collins, acting? Must see! It is an incredible cast, portraying some really interesting characters, and the story is obviously a fascinating one… it just didn’t quite work for me. I don’t know a lot about the Great Train Robbery, and so the minimal focus on the robbery itself and the subsequent jumps in time were a bit confusing for me.

Right, this is a complicated one. I remember watching this as part of my media studies class at school, and we went into so much detail on it, it was basically ruined for me. I vividly recall over-analysing the meaning of an indicator scene, it went on and on, ticking and ticking. What does this mean, is it like a stand-off in a Western, what did Spielberg intend with this, argh! But, you know what? Watching it fresh so many years later, it was fine… I didn’t even see the indicator bit happen and it was far more entertaining than it has any right to be.

I bought this, obviously, because of the submarine connection - submarines have fascinated me for a long time now, that claustrophobic and tense bullet of steel travelling under the sea to either cause chaos or mitigate the threat of others. The book was actually about leadership, with the author using examples from his time as captain of a poorly-performing submarine and how he turned things around. It’s about a new model of leadership, giving control to the people and guiding in as hands-off a way as possible. It’s very readable, not too preachy, and I think I learned a thing or two along the way! Plus submarines!