Last month, Apple released an excellent ad that showcased the accessibility features that can give more people the opportunity to experience college and student life (specifically in America, but obviously everywhere). I was going to blog about this at the time, but had forgotten until it was mentioned on The Last Leg of the Year on New Year’s Eve. As host Adam Mills said: Yes, it was self-serving, yes they were bigging themselves up, and yes they timed it for International Day of People with Disabilities. But by crikey, they made a powerful message.

In December, we visited Warwick Castle to see their light trail. It was spectacular, although some of the organisation around the site could have been better. But kicking things off with a purple castle is a great way to entice me in.

This is a fantastic short book documenting the year that saw Alex James reform with Blur for some huge gigs and a global tour, alongside putting on the annual Feastival at his farm, running said farm, and looking after a sizable family. It’s told so well, entirely engagingly, with great humour but also a knack for bringing you into the situation - whether that is euphoria, or exhaustion, or quite a lot of hangovers, it sounds like. I really enjoyed reading this and actually learnt quite a lot about James and Blur despite how short it is.

Absolutely loved this. The timing of its availability means we have been waiting so long to watch it that the anticipation was quite high - thankfully it delivered. I wasn’t sure it was going to, with the opening titles that were so very 70s, and quite a slow start. But it grows on you and gradually gets warmer and more heart-warming, even as these characters are opening up about their difficult lives. At the end, that small handshake between the lead characters was so much bigger than some of the huge professions of love and hugs that other Christmas movies finish with. It was wonderful.

This year I really reigned myself in and clamped down on book purchases so that finally, FINALLY, I have made some progress on the to read book pile. I’m still embarrassed by the number of books that are on that list, but we’ll get there. Meanwhile, I supplemented those books with digital tomes from the library, and really managed to get through a lot of books this year. However, this is a selection of the best of the best from 2025.

I loved this book, in part because it has a meta feel to it - the story about characters going back to a small town and falling in with the local crowd whilst finding romance is such a trope that everyone within the book is well aware of that and is either leaning in to it or actively trying to avoid it. The characters are great, the situations intriguing, the writing engaging and the drama non-stop. I loved it.

2025 was the 10th year of On the Record, my album adventure that involves listening to a variety of albums throughout the year to widen my musical taste and knowledge. It’s amazing to look back and think about how this little project started and what it has turned into, a pillar of my weekly routine with many highs and lows and the occasional unlistenable record.

I was nervous heading into the first episode of Apple’s hit show Pluribus, because the title doesn’t give much away and the poster - featuring Rhea Seehorn screaming on a vivid yellow background - was a little offputting. But of course I needn’t have worried, Apple TV has scored another success with a quality programme that came to an end this past week.

Another year of listening to old and new albums is complete and I’ve loved the adventure this year. It felt like things got off to a bit of a slow start but gradually things picked up and I ended up with a short list for best albums of the year of 13. The worst part of the year is having to narrow that down to five, but the debate has been lively this year and I think I’ve come to a good conclusion. Interestingly, these five were all listened to in the last couple of months, so things really did pick up in the latter half of 2025.

This year I achieved the impossible - getting the Apple Watch Monthly Activity Challenge badge every month for the full year! This is an achievement not so much because of getting the badge each month, although that does deserve a big pat on the back. These badges vary month on month so can be anything from reaching a certain number of exercise minutes each day, or walking a certain number of kilometres in the month. The variety keeps it interesting and motivating, and some are much harder than others!

This is a fun book, based very much on the film The Holiday - referenced right at the start. Rather than two people swapping Christmasses, however, this time we have three. That did make it quite confusing when switching between them - it might have helped to have the location as part of the chapter headers rather than just the character name, because it wasn’t until very near the end that I could actually tell them apart. But still, contrived as it might be that they all find their own version of romance, I still really enjoyed it.

The blanket is finally finished! Let’s not dwell on the fact that it has taken more than a year to get to this point, but it’s done, and it’s lovely. The photo doesn’t really give a sense of the scale of the blanket, it’s about 1.1m wide and long. I think I went a couple of stripes longer than the pattern suggested, but it’s turned out really well. A big thanks to my mother too, who instructed me on the best way to weave in all the ends, and then made sure I sat there until it was done.

It’s become a bit of a tradition now that each Christmas I set about working on a music playlist to replace some of the more traditional ones on radio and streaming services. I get slightly annoyed with them because they either feature songs that are clearly not Christmassy (slowed down pop tunes for festive adverts should not be there!) or they repeat the same classic tunes over and over.

Of course it’s not Christmas without a Sarah Morgan book. This latest one features various members of the same family heading home for Christmas, and all dealing with their own various dramas - family issues, falling in and out of love, all that you’d come to expect. I did feel like there was a lot of preamble and the good stuff didn’t really happen until the final third, but still, a good cosy read.

Having enjoyed Chapter One by the author, I thought I’d have a look at his thriller series with DCI Matilda Darke. It was pretty traditional - troubled detective wrestling with a significant case - but I still enjoyed it. It was interesting how the cold case and the current case mixed together and ended up being vital to each other. I’ll read some more in this series, I reckon.

Judge me all you want, but I really enjoyed this film. It’s got all those festive Hallmark tropes - it’s cheap, the script is clunky, and the chemistry is questionable. But I loved the time travel aspect of it, and how it all worked itself out, it was fun. You do have to question how quickly the guy seemed to accept everything in the modern world, I know he’s an engineer but a microwave must be mind-bending for someone where barely electricity exists. Cheap and cheerful, warm and cosy, I recommend this one.

We tried to watch this a while back and opted to pause because it looked like it was Christmassy. Turns out, it’s really not a Christmas movie at all… although, I think it suits this time of year more than summer, so it’s worked out okay really. The first half an hour is really slow, I was bored, I’m not going to lie. It’s so male-focused and none of these characters are particularly sympathetic, although there is some great acting going on.

For the past couple of years, the Strictly final has meant basically two to three hours of crying. I wasn’t expecting it this year, because whilst I love the remaining couples, none of them had that emotional impact for me. And yes, we’re saying goodbye to Tess and Claudia but they’ve always said it’s about the couples not them, so that won’t be too bad either, will it?

It’s been a whole year since I wrote anything about Mischief Theatre, but I recently got to see their festive stage show Christmas Carol Goes Wrong and it was spectacular. I’d previously only seen the BBC version, an hour long special which features the main story of Scrooge and the ghosts, and of course, plenty of things going wrong.

I love Jonathan Creek, the BBC mystery series from the late 90s, early 2000s. Alan Davies in that duffle coat, mooching about a windmill, using his big brain to solve seemingly impossible crimes. Wonderful. The earlier episodes are perfect, and despite knowing whodunit, I get quite a lot of comfort from rewatching them. The show went downhill a bit towards the end, but still, lots to love.

This was another good Grace story, a bit lengthy in places and the pacing wasn’t perfect, but overall it was interesting. The dipping back and forth in time, particularly as one of the timelines was around the September 11th attacks in New York added rather than confused, and I enjoyed seeing how it all unwound itself. And that twist, right at the very end, it made my jaw actually drop!

This is, objectively, a bad Christmas movie - not really much going on in terms of plot, lots of weird coincidences and that faux romance that is quite hard to believe. But, at the same time, I really enjoyed Chad Michael Murray’s performance in this, it was all over the place, but also quite cute. The script lets all the actors down on many occasions, but he, at least, does a watchable performance with it.

I was really keen to watch this having enjoyed the series enormously. It was very confusing right from the start, given that it takes place before the events of the series finale, and with Angie alive and kicking again. But also, it just wasn’t very good. Not very much happened, and all the characters were just sniping at each other for an hour, which wasn’t exactly entertaining to watch. It didn’t seem to have the heart or the gentle jokes or anything that the series excelled at. I feel like we should have just stuck with the three series and left it there.

I always find it very difficult to review albums like this. Stevie Wonder is a legend, no question. You can tell he’s worked some magic when so many of the songs are covered or sampled and go on to become classics in their second life as well. This album features on so many best of lists that it felt fitting to finish the year on it. The good stuff is great. Fantastic songs, wonderful music and great soul. But it’s long. Even for a double album, it feels really long. And sometimes it gets really self indulgent.

I enjoyed this. My Suede knowledge has been building over the past year or so, with our rewatches of 90s Top of the Pops episodes, so it’s interesting to see them fast-forwarded and releasing new music. It’s good! It doesn’t feel like a retro band hopping on the nostalgia bandwagon, it actually feels like new music and a new perspective. I’d say there wasn’t any songs that leapt out and grabbed me, no potential classics, but as a whole, it’s a really good listen.

For a brief minute once I’d started this, I almost gave it up - it was so brash, so in your face, quite overwhelming. But I’m glad I stuck with it because although it took a moment to settle in with these characters, once I had, it was brilliant. So relatable, such a complex family with brittle and evolving relationships… all plunged together for a Christmas they’ll never forget. Loved it.

This was a weird movie. The anti-news rhetoric was not subtle and really got quite old, the guy’s just doing his job for goodness’ sake. The two leads were fine but it didn’t seem like they had a spark to end up together particularly. The kid was great, but some of the things he was allowed to get up to didn’t seem that appropriate. I don’t know, it was watchable, and it steered clear of some of the generic Hallmark movie tropes but it wasn’t great.

I can see the idea behind this film and I like it, it’s quite creative - really just a natural family getting together and us watching the various things they get up to. But we didn’t really have any chance to connect with the people, I didn’t know who I was looking at at any given moment (only Maria Dizzia because I know her from other things), and it was all just a bit dull.

Overall, this is a fun Christmas movie, enjoyable to watch and with plenty of heart and a good story. Lots of fun elements - fish out of water, the guy that does every job in the town, the wonderful Derek Jacobi stealing the show, and a panto at the end. It’s not without problems though. Rebel Wilson is miscast in this from the get-go. The accent is terrible and she’s not believable as a love interest for either Danny Dyer or Keifer Sutherland. I like her but this is not it.

I was curious about this film because I didn’t realise Luke Goss was an actor (turns out he’s done a few things) and what on earth is he doing in a film with Joan Collins? The trailer didn’t look great but I gave it a go… and couldn’t get past twenty minutes. It’s so bad! Lots of films start with someone down on their luck but this was so miserable and cheap looking and hard to engage with, I honestly couldn’t wait to switch it off.

This probably isn’t a movie I would have reached for if it wasn’t a holiday movie, because I’m not mad about dogs particularly. Actually, it was pretty good, very funny, an excellent rom-com which is always a nice surprise in the current movie climate. The only real problem with it is that it’s not all that Christmassy… they go on holiday to a Florida beach and so most of the film is on the beach and in the sunshine. There’s a bit of festive fun at the start and end though, so it’s worth a watch at this time of year, for sure. Also, Charlie Cox is so adorable.

I don’t know about this film, it was a bit of a slog to get through it. I thought we were going for the out-of-place character in the small town vibe, and then she basically almost died in a frozen lake. So that took a turn. After that it got so slow and drawn out, I honestly couldn’t care about the relationship, I just wanted her to be found and to get on with the rest of her life. On the flip side, the two best friends were incredible - I could have watched them all day. The phone call to the police whilst chatting on about weed was exceptional. Overall best avoided though, this one.

The semi-final, and whilst the quality remains incredibly high, and the dancing very entertaining this felt like a bit of a letdown of a show - because the conclusion was so foregone. Given recent dance offs, it was entirely obvious who would be in the bottom two, and thus who would be going home. However, before all that, the dancing had to be done and this time we have two turns per couple!

I listened to the audiobook of this, read by the author, and it is so engaging, I couldn’t stop listening to it. It’s an open and honest story about a difficult upbringing, an overbearing and potentially abusive mother, and the impact that has on a family and the lingering effects after the events. It’s brutal but completely captivating, and so well written and read. I’ve not watched any of the kids shows talked about, but I’m aware of them and it’s continually shocking how some of these young people were treated. I’m very interested in the debut novel that Jennette has published next.

I’ve been obsessing over Matt Haig this year, and this follow up to A Boy Called Christmas was available to read via the library. If I’m being honest, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous one, it’s a bit chaotic, a lot of different elements going on and quite a lot to follow. But I do like the way it’s written, and even the more grown up sad elements are handled so well. It’s good stuff.

Overall this is a good movie, but it’s a very odd vibe. You think it’s going to be a fun, festive family frolic, but it’s actually quite a lot more depressing than that. It is funny, and I love what they were doing with the film references and casting her as the lead rather than the endless male heroes. It’s a great cast, and they work well together as a modern family. It’s just a bit grumpy, I guess, but the perfect film if you’re in that kind of mood. As always, not enough Eva Longoria.

Marvellous Depeche Mode doing what they do best. This is a proper 80s album, all synths and odd noises and experimental beeps and boops - but it never goes too far in that direction. I would say that there isn’t really a stand out song or a great amount of rise and fall through the whole thing, but as a whole it works and I enjoyed the process of listening to it.

It’s taken me a while to get round to listening to this album, but I wanted to squeeze it in this year in case it was a contender for the top five. It didn’t quite reach those heady heights, and first run through I was worried I was going to be disappointed in it. But second listen through, it really started growing on me, and I liked what I was hearing. It’s kooky and intense, honest and stirring, and has interesting lyrics throughout. It just didn’t reach out and grab me the way other albums have this year. But I still really enjoyed it.

I loved this, read it so, so quickly. The idea is chilling, no pun intended. Being stuck as potentially the last person alive in such an inhospitable environment. As soon as the character revealed they had been tormenting the other one, I realised that it was all a setup, but the rest of the twists and turns were a real surprise, and it’s such a brilliant thriller that I couldn’t wait to get to the end and find out how it all worked out.

Emily Henry books are always around somewhere, but it’s been a while since I read one. This one featured two exes who end up having to pretend to still be together while they celebrate one last holiday in their happy place with their friends. Lots and lots of drama between all the different characters, and plenty to unpack. I really enjoyed it, even if I didn’t relate to any of them particularly. Still a good read, well written and easy to picture the locations and get lost in.

The setup and premise of this book is mad - these friends must know that their dear departed friend would not want them to put their lives in danger just to see the Northern lights on that particular day. But if you ignore that, you’ve got a nice festive tale of people stuck together, learning about each other’s lives, opening up to each other, and of course, falling in love. The added elements of a culture that is drifting away, plus the climate issues, alongside all the food notes, make a comforting read.

I love, love, LOVED this film. Right from the start and every minute of it until the end. The trailer looked fun but I wasn’t really expecting a lot - a sort of Jonas brothers rip off of Planes, Trains and Automobiles. And it was that, but it was also so much more. It was hilarious, right from the start, I laughed a lot. They don’t take themselves too seriously, and stack the whole thing with great jokes and self-deprecating moments. The songs are good, maybe not as Christmassy as I hoped, but still excellent for a modern musical.

Just as a change from the festive books, I’m dipping back into the Doctor Who audiobooks. I like this one, obviously, being set somewhat on the moon. This time we have a moonbase and some quantum science allowing super quick travel, all of which is being misused by the big bad aliens. Good book, great Doctor - we’re onto the Eleventh now, with Amy Pond running around beside him - so a thumbs up from me.

Musicals week, the final theme before the final and oh, it’s always a good one. This time, there was a big opening number where each of the couples took a turn in the spotlight. It was so much dancing before the proper competition had even begun - where they just bored this week or what? I loved it though, a great medley! George & Alexis - Argentine Tango (Phantom of the Opera) I feel like this was really difficult music to dance to, but George did an incredible job. There’s no way he could have done this a few weeks ago, before the serious side of him came to the fore. It was really good, some tiny wobbles, but very impressive.

This is a classic festive read - two characters start out not enjoying each other’s company, are forced together over the holiday season, and end up falling in love. It felt like it took a really long time to get going, and was sort of contrived to start with, but go with it all and it makes for a cosy comforting and Christmassy read. I hadn’t realised I’ve already read a Wynbridge book before, and that there are so many others. I’m definitely going to have to check out a few more!

I was on a car journey recently and was instructed to test out the Vehicle Motion Cues on the iPhone. This was a feature that I had no idea existed and it blew my mind a little bit. If you switch on this Accessibility motion feature, it adds some dots to the side of the iPhone screen, which move around in relation to what the vehicle is doing, and somehow, magically it lessens any motion sickness you might be feeling.

This is such an implausable and strange movie - and that’s even by Christmas nonsense rom-com standards. I feel like in this day and age there’s no reason a woman couldn’t be considered for a santa job. If she went in and did the impression she can clearly do, and they were so desperate to hire, why wouldn’t she get the job? And the HR for this hotel is clearly lacking if they didn’t do any background checks on this very strange individual. How did she get the discount if she was signed up under a different name? It makes no sense! Ryan Eggold is adorable in it though, particularly when he’s wrestling with why he has feelings for Santa… before he finds out what’s really going on. It’s all very weird.

Gotta love a bit of Billy Joel. There’s a good few classics on this album, and the flow is really nice - highs and lows, a little bit of arty stuff in the middle, but generally some good soft rock music. I can’t see a single called Vienna and expect anything other than Ultravox but apart from that, this is a great album from start to finish.

I know Demi has previously sworn off pop but this was a return to what she does best. It’s a bit more edgy than some of her past material, and it has that vibe of what I like to call ‘Charli XCX but listenable’. Inventive but not obnoxious, some good tunes, interesting subjects, great vocals as always. I really quite liked this one.

I love Stephen King’s writing, so I had no problem whizzing through this book. I’m in two minds about it though - because the big picture mystery and crime was fascinating and well crafted (if a little unbelievable), but there was so little of Bill and Holly that it didn’t feel like a Mr Mercedes follow up really. They were barely involved until right near the end and had very little impact on any of it. But I enjoyed reading it and will definitely be reading the next one, so it can’t have been that bad.