Recently, I watched Shang-Chi, the latest Marvel movie, and it was really good but I couldn’t have predicted the road it would lead me down. After watching the movie, I dug into the behind the scenes documentary that also popped up on Disney+ at the same time. It was a great look at how the movie came together, the thoughts behind updating the character and bringing some legendary martial arts into the Marvel world.

This got off to a confusing start for me, because the first track, Girl On the Phone, sounds just like I Fought the Law by The Clash… different band, same decade. On the first listen through, I think I got hung up on that fact and felt like all the songs sounded the same. But actually on the second listen through, it was really good, highs and lows, Smithers-Jones stands out as different to the others and quite moving. Then of course Eton Rifles gets a bit shouty towards the end. A good punk-pop ride.

The one thing I remember from listening to Fender’s first album is that he sounded a bit like Bruce Springsteen. I think this time round he’s leaned into that quite a lot, but that’s no bad thing - why not emulate the Boss where you can? Fender comes across as an angry young man in this, he has things to say, but it’s not ranty, which is a really fine line to tread. I actually really liked it, despite not knowing any of the songs going into it.

I’m not sure why I suddenly want to read the bundle of Twilight books that I’ve had for ages, but having got through the first one relatively easily, I dipped into the second. It really feels like not a lot happens for a good portion of the book, until suddenly Jacob is a werewolf and Edward is in trouble and all the action is in the last couple of chapters. It’s better than I was expecting, and an interesting way to develop the series, but it’s not as good as the first one.

I’ve been excited about this for too long, the many, many delays and the big hype about it returning to the cinema when plenty of people still don’t feel comfortable about sitting in dark rooms with lots of strangers, all of which were somehow both frustrating but also just adding to my expectations. Firstly, it’s important to say, this is a better movie than Spectre. I don’t remember a lot about Spectre, only that it didn’t live up to Skyfall, and I wish I’d known this was going to carry on with a lot of the same characters, as I would have rewatched ahead of time.

I’m a big fan of script books, particularly when it’s something I’ve loved and admired, and that is Staged through and through. One of the few wonderful things that came out of lockdown, Staged became a huge hit and instantly lodged itself in our collective consciousness. This book is simply the scripts, laid out so neatly, with additional notes and scribbles and even a crossword. It’s nice to re-live it again in a different format, although it did just make me want to go back and watch the show again, so I could be stuck in an endless loop from this point forward. I wouldn’t complain!

This is a really simple book with only a marginal story to actually tell but where it shines is in the descriptions and characters. It reminded me very much of Elizabeth Strout, where the characters movements and thoughts and day to day living are the priority. At heart, it’s a story about tribalism, about trying to break down some village walls (not literally) and sadly not being able to do so. It’s kind of sad, but didn’t leave me feeling maudlin, so that’s something.

Just your regularly scheduled week this time, with plenty of excitement building up to musicals week next time out. My only thought from the intro sequence is to pity the colour balancing people, Motsi’s dress was something else entirely. On with the show, predictions this week have to return to Dan, unfortunately, and perhaps Tilly following last week. Talking of which, Tilly opened the show! Tilly & Nikita - Quickstep Nice concept, I thought the dance was a bit kicky, and I was really concerned that she was going to trip over her own or Nikita’s feet, which suggests it wasn’t as smooth as you might like. Good personality in it, though, almost like a Charleston. The judges liked it but they’re starting to get really picky now… and only medium scores for this one.

The story of an adventure cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats, a journey that many have undertaken but only a handful of written about. I loved the writing in this book, the day to day adventure which was about more than just cycling - it was about how the journey affected the riders, with various snippets of information about a few of the places passed along the way.

Wahey, it’s been a while since I listened to some good country music and that’s exactly what this is - good, solid, modern country pop stacked with guitars and whiskey and broken hearts and wayward lovers. The stand out track is clearly the Miranda Lambert enhanced Drowns the Whiskey, and whilst the rest of it may not stand out on its own, as a whole, it’s a really good listen for country music fans.

It’s a really odd experience listening to new music from Abba, when they are clearly a band from decades ago and honestly haven’t changed their sound at all. But it’s not a bad thing. It’s a bit of a rollercoaster of an album, dipping into many different genres, mixing up the tempos, and filled with optimism in places alongside what appears to be the depths of despair. A few tracks have stuck with me, including the lead song I Still Have Faith With You, but also Keep An Eye On Dan, which really feels like something we’ve not really heard before. They paint good pictures and keep up the interest, almost storyteller-like, I want to know what happens next. Good stuff!

This felt like a stiff and stilted read, and I was tempted to give up halfway through but then it took a turn I wasn’t expecting at all, and I just had to see how it all played out. At heart it’s the traditional story of highly strung mother disliking the new girlfriend, but it goes so much deeper and darker than that! Twists and turns along the way, and some hair-raising moments, but ultimately an intriguing ride to the end.

I’ve still got mixed feelings about these sequel/prequel Detective Frost books, written to follow the six original R. D. Wingfield novels. They don’t quite have the same feel to them, but it’s nice to dip into this world every now and then. There was a lot more personal stuff in this one, as it kicks off with the funeral of Frost’s wife, and deals with a lot of the fallout from that. Also his colleagues are having their own issues… I was confused about Simms, because there was that prequel problem of it not fitting with what I know from the original series… but that was resolved quite quickly, so no complaints.

The length of the title of this film made me nervous, but I shouldn’t have been because it’s a top notch Marvel movie, and a great set of new characters to get on board with. I enjoyed it, and particularly liked the fact our main two protagonists were friends from start to finish. There were a few questions on some of the plot points but nothing so irritating to ruin the story.

This is a very useful visual reference book for any budding gardeners out there. The first part kicks off with a beginner’s guide to keeping plants - where to keep them, how often to water them, the best kind to buy for particular areas of your house. The second part of the book lists a whole variety of individual plants and how to look after them specifically. Useful, and one to keep on the shelf for future reference as well.

This is a controversial book and film, with much made of the lack of historical accuracy and concerns that it might lead children to think wrongly about the Holocaust. All of that may be true, but I have to admit, as a fable (which it is labelled as), it’s very good - tragic and brutal, the twist at the end makes me want to scream, it’s so awful. I don’t believe Bruno could have been quite so ignorant as he was, particularly not being able to learn the name or purpose of the place despite living there for a year, but the high level twists and turns do pack a punch.

Another Jacqueline Wilson adventure - at one point I was worried we were going down a really dark route with our two kids attempting to run away to London but thankfully they didn’t quite get there. Actually it was a really great way of reading and thinking about growing up and growing apart - it’s difficult to be separated from your best friend, but it can also broaden your horizons and make you see things differently. There were a LOT of cakes in it though, I felt sick just reading it.

Much is made of us being at the halfway point of the series, presumably because they can’t make a big deal about going to Blackpool anymore. The montage of contestants talking about how much the series means to them at the start of the show was using footage from two weeks ago (I’m assuming so that no one was painted green) but it really confused me.

I tried reading this book ages ago, perhaps when we watched the movies, and gave up after just a couple of chapters. But for some reason, I have the whole set of Twilight books sitting in my digital library, so I thought it was worth giving it another go. Actually it went better this time, it’s not the best writing we can all agree, but it’s a serviceable teen vampire rom com.

This is everything you’d expect from a Bananarama album - fully 80s with their trademark sound, poppy and fun, and mentioning Robert De Niro for no apparent reason. It’s got a slightly disjointed feeling to it, the song Link is just a short instrumental, whilst Hot Line to Heaven takes ages to get where it’s going. But there are some great bops on there and you really can’t go wrong.

Ed Sheeran is always very hit and miss for me, and this album pretty much sums up that feeling. The good stuff is great, in fact the first half of the album is really strong, but it does tail off. The slower songs, the heartfelt stuff, are just a bit too syrupy for my taste. A lot of albums recently are super strong at the start but can’t sustain it all the way through, and in this case, Shivers and Bad Habits are the pinnacle, Sandman the opposite end of the scale.

Obviously the comparisons to Cast Away are super easy, but this was a different beast. Tom Hanks is incredible at holding the screen but he has more to play off this time, with a couple of companions, both living and robotic. The team are forced to go on a journey which means we get to see the incredible landscapes of a post-apocalyptic US, and follow Hanks as he tells a couple of heartbreaking stories along the way. I struggle with robots in movies because I get too attached, and the adorable Jeff didn’t help this problem, but it was worth it. A top movie, Hanks delivering again, and leaving a lot to think about.

Not knowing what genre we were in the mood for really made this exactly the right film to watch because it’s a very odd tone. It’s sort of like a Western, in that there is a loner coming into town to take on the big bad guy who is terrorising the locals. It’s got fight scenes galore, so that it actually seemed like a celebration of all things BodyCombat. It was fun, and I was with it, right up until the point he ripped the guy’s throat out. Kill or be killed, sure, but that’s an extreme way of getting the upper hand.

What’s most annoying about this film is we had deliberately waited to watch it having viewed John Cena too recently as Peacemaker. Not that it had particularly heightened the expectations, but what a waste of time. The bit where they were on vacation was bolshy but kinda fun, but the minute they jumped off the cliff, it got so dull… and I could absolutely see where it was going. If she didn’t turn up later, pregnant, and ruin the wedding, I would eat my hat.

My instinct is to say this book is cliched but it can’t really be because it’s an odd situation - our hero meets a potential romance by texting the phone number of her recently deceased mother. They get chatting, and events unfold. It did feel kinda cheesy, and the characters made slightly odd decisions here and there, but it was also very readable. I wanted to know what happened and how it would work out, which means it grabbed my attention, and that’s all you can ask for from a book, isn’t it?

After heartbreak, our author went travelling on her own, and this book examines the philosophies behind that and the journey it helped her to go on. I was really enjoying it, and then it felt like we went slightly off the rails, talking more about becoming a family than solo travel, however, the book continues on into the global pandemic which then brought it back to interesting philosophies about being alone and the highs and lows of isolation. A very interesting piece, this one.

I’ve read quite a lot of books about people working in the medical industry - doctors, paramedics, nurses, etc, but this is the first that focused on intensive care. The book is really nicely structured, with chapters focusing on different areas of the mind, body and soul to then tell stories about the philosophies of intensive care, the prospects and outcomes, the history of it and how it has improved, with plenty of patient examples to illustrate. Highs and lows, as always with this type of book, but very insightful.

This is a very well-written book with some great research and reporting along the way, but it left me with very mixed feelings. This guy effectively gave up on modern life and went to live in the woods for several decades, but without the provisions to be able to do so, he resorted to stealing. I supported his desire to be left alone and was worried about how he would cope once arrested, but equally, it did seem like he was terrorising the nearby neighbourhood - especially where some would happily leave out food or other necessities rather than find themselves robbed on occasion. Difficult one.

Woohoo, Halloween! Actually, if I’m honest, I’m not normally that bothered about Halloween week - the costumes are always exceptional but as a holiday, it’s not that interesting. The only prediction I had coming into this week was that someone would definitely be painted green. I wasn’t expecting that to happen right in the opening Pro number, but there it was! We also had someone painted red, but hey, I’m getting ahead of myself.

I used to listen to the podcast where Lucy Kellaway would read out her latest FT column and I always thought they were interesting and well-rounded to listen to. So I was as surprised as anyone (author included) that Lucy ditched her long-standing career as a journalist to become a teacher. This book tells of how that came about, the lessons learned along the way, and what a difference it has made to be educating from the ground up. A great read.

I’d never even heard of this movie, and I think the title is a bit odd - it doesn’t really help you understand what you’re getting. Clearly, it was a shock and a disappointment when Halle Berry’s character was killed off just twenty minutes in, but if I’m honest, it was after that when things started to get going. The movie was very slow to start but once there was a specific crime to investigate, then it was all systems go.

It’s not the best time to get obsessed with maps and walking, given that the autumn and winter weather is starting to kick in, but I recently discovered the Get Outside section of the Ordnance Survey website. As the official mappers of the UK, they have plenty to peruse on the atlas and map side of things, but they’ve also made a big effort to encourage people to leave the comfort of four walls and a roof and make the best use of their products.

This is a really good album, featuring Mariah’s incredible vocals all the way through. I don’t always enjoy it when she goes piercingly high, but you can’t fault the range. Couple of great songs on here, the cover of Without You, and of course Hero. The problem with the latter song is that it comes second on the track list, directly after Dreamlover - and it’s a really odd juxtaposition. But having said that, where would the song fit in the album anyway? It’s such a good one (and great to really belt out while you’re driving) but not one that blends well with others.

This album is like no time has past and Duran Duran just dipped right back into what they do best. The only time you realise it’s a more up to date album and we aren’t actually back in the 1980s is the couple of guest stars, bonus Tove Lo! I’m not sure any of it leaps off the page and will stick in the memory as much as, for example, Rio, does, but it’s still a really fun listen from start to finish.

This is such an interesting book, and the results are incredible for something so simple. In an effort to improve conditions in hospital, the experiment was just to introduce a checklist - not just to make sure the steps are ticked off, but to encourage people to think about what they’re doing and also foster a feeling of team camaraderie. Amazing how effective it is, and with examples in the medical industry, as well as aviation and more, it’s a wonder this isn’t shouted about more often.

I listened to the audiobook of this novelisation by Terry Nation, having previously seen the reboot series but never the original. Apparently this book has a vastly different ending to the series anyway though, so I dived in. It was naturally quite hard to get through the virus bit, given world events of late, but once that was out the way and it really was just a post-apocalyptic story of survival, then it was interesting.

I read the first book in this series a while back and dipped into the second one. It’s a good mystery, very easy to read and race through, but there’s quite a lot of repetition. Our heroes will find something out and then spend a good amount of time repeating it to their bosses or colleagues, to make sure everyone’s on the same page. I just wanted to find out whodunit! Overall good though, and I’ll seek out the next one.

This is an odd one, another workplace memoir, this time from a life in the criminal courts. It was interesting but I don’t know if it went in depth enough. Obviously you have to be careful of the law, but it felt very light, skimming the surface of a handful of trials. I think there was also a lot of implied knowledge, I didn’t really understand the career trajectory of our narrator, thinking he was a judge before he’d actually made it, etc. Good but not perfect.

This is one of those short but hardhitting memoirs, that really hits home hard due to the simplicity of the narrative. It’s an incredible read, giving insight into time spent in concentration camps during World War II, and it’s just a reminder of how horrific everything was. Weisel writes with facts and emotion but somehow manages to contain the rage and emotion that it strikes in the reader. A tough but important one.

I listened to Peter Kay’s newly released audiobook of this, his autobiography from about ten years ago. It’s a great story, well told, and with all the extra bits thrown in, it really was just like sitting down and having a chat with him. I liked the moments where he ended up reviewing his own work, or adding some notes on what has happened since the book was first published. It always makes me laugh how much real life stuff ends up in the TV shows - all that supermarket stuff, some of the conversations like for like those that he had with Kayleigh in Car Share. Loved it.

The drop out rate this week was somewhat reduced, but sadly Judi and Graziano weren’t able to perform due to testing positive for Covid. I’m sure it’s not outlandish to suggest they might have been in the bottom two this week after a couple of weeks in that position, so that left things a little bit more wide open in terms of who might perform well and who might be going home.

Coldplay have always been a divisive band, one of those who for some reason it’s cool to dislike them. I’m not sure if I’ve fallen either side of the debate, although their debut album Parachutes got me through some difficult times, so does have my esteem. I haven’t really thought about Coldplay for a while, but two things in the news recently have made me think about what this band is doing and where they’re headed.

This took a while to pick up speed, but that made the pay-off even better. It’s the kind of thriller where things start slow, and gradually the stakes ramp up, the mystery gets layered on, and you end up in a situation where the main characters effectively have to save the world. I never wanted to stop reading, despite the slow start.

I had seen this before a long time ago, but really the only thing I remembered of it is that Oliver Reed had sadly passed away during filming and they had to do some graphical trickery to finish off his storyline. What was most striking about this movie is that it has the lengthy runtime but it never felt too long. The story sweeps you up and you just want to know what is going to happen and how the corrupt Caesar is going to get his comeuppance. It’s slightly awkward that Phoenix steals the show a little bit, and Crowe can’t fully hide his Australian accent, but everyone in the cast is great.

The animation is gorgeous, the setting divine, and the first half of the film is absolutely brilliant. I didn’t even notice that the songs were written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, except perhaps the rap in the aforementioned Rock song, but it was all good enough to keep me engrossed. Things went off the rails a bit towards the end, specifically once Maui left her alone. Then it seemed the more I thought about it, the less it made sense. Why couldn’t she just do it all herself? Come to that, why couldn’t the somehow sentient ocean just have returned the heart itself?

The first half of this album is brilliant, the great funky songs that you would come to expect from En Vogue - an earlier version of Destiny’s Child. Although it does start with a bit of chatter about being ready for a show, which isn’t annoying but doesn’t really pay off anywhere, then diving straight into the music. Unfortunately, I don’t feel like the second half stands up to the great first half, particularly that stripped back version of Yesterday - not one of my favourite songs anyway, and this version is not the best. After that, I was almost relieved to get to the end of the album, if only so I could start the first few songs again instead.

It took me a while to get my head around what this album was - it’s kind of eighties in the feel of the disco beats, but not full on synth eighties, more of a stripped back sound. And at some point a random saxophone pops up. The songs are good, meaningful and Ben has a great voice, but I’m not sure this will be particularly memorable for me going forward. The three Titanic songs were a bit odd too, but then I did quite like the way they helped know where you are in the album - beginning, middle, and end.

This book wouldn’t usually be in my field of vision but I saw a lot of people saying how good it was on Twitter and wanted to check in. It’s a short manifesto of a problem that I, because of my privilege, didn’t really know was a thing… which is exactly the problem being highlighted. The most eye-opening thing for me was the double standards - being considered both too powerful and too low-cast for compassion. A swift but important read.