I watched this as part of Project Sandy - watching all the movies the wonderful Sandra Bullock has made - and was expecting the worst. Everyone seems to bracket it in with Last Action Hero, and that one didn’t go well for us just recently. But somehow, this was incredible and terrible in equal measure. It’s funny, and satirical, and charming, whilst also being outlandish and silly, and hosting visuals that do not stand the test of time.

This is such a wonderful book. Cathy, an avid reader, takes us on a journey with her, a brief autobiography structured around which books accompanied her at which points throughout her life. When she talks of a book you have read, you can’t help but feel a warm and fuzzy feeling of agreement, and when she lists books you haven’t read, if you’re anything like me, you instantly want to read them all. It’s gentle and warm and lovely, like a big hug of books, and more than anything it made me feel like it’s okay to like what you like to whatever degree gets you through the day. Just exquisite.

It was a bad week for Strictly drop outs leading up to Saturday’s show. First, Robert and Dianne had to withdraw, which was a shame but totally understandable - health comes first! I hadn’t realised Robert had been through the heart surgery two years ago, so definitely the right thing to do. And then Ugo had to take a week out (hopefully!) due to a back issue - I’m guessing that high jump into forward roll over Oti last week wasn’t such a good idea? Anyway, let’s take a look at those who did participate.

I don’t know why but I suddenly got it into my head I wanted to listen to Starship, and after a lengthy conversation about which version of the band to listen to (Jeffersons, Airships, Starships, oh my), I disregarded it all and just went for this one. I actually really loved it. It’s not smart or clever, but it’s solid 80s pop that sounds exactly of the time it comes from. We Built This City is a favourite and has been stuck in my head ever since I listened to it, but all of it has a similar and fun sound.

This is a great album from Halsey, just as expected. It was well done in the fact that each song sounded a little bit different - ooh this is a bit like Avril Lavigne, this is a bit like Taylor Swift, etc. But they all still worked well together and all had that deep-rooted Halsey sound within them. I’m not sure any of the songs particularly stood out as one that would live long in the memory, but as a whole body of work, I really loved it.

A super short read from David Baldacci and I loved it. Effectively, the great thriller writing you expect from Baldacci with just a touch of time travel thrown on top. I guess it was a bit weird how quickly our assassin protagonist adapted to his situation, but equally, the payoff was worth it. I saw it coming only moments before it happened, and it left quite an impression on me!

It knows it’s a cheesy movie and it leans into it - they’re not trying to be too serious so that if you can relax and go with it, you get swept along in the magic and colour and recognising the pop songs and singing along. It’s fun, it’s a bit of rubbish fun. It’s slightly unfortunate for Camila, who has a great voice, that she has to stand and sing next to Idina a lot… but then I was impressed by some of her comedy moments.

I don’t know if I’ve read this one before or not, I have read a lot of Crichton books but not for a long time. It was interesting how quickly everyone adapted to the world with dinosaurs - particularly compared to the first book where there was a lot of disbelief and explanations required. But it had all the thrills and gore that you expect from a Jurassic Park novel - much better than the film that bears its name!

I used to read this blog religiously, and I’ve had the related book in my to-read pile for quite a while. It was so lovely to revisit the illustrations that I knew so well, but also to read the deeper stories behind them. Some of them were fun - the goose infiltrating the kitchen and taking over the house - but some of them were more serious - investigating what makes a person who they are, or dealing with depressions. Ultimately it’s a unique way of telling stories about your life, and I really enjoyed it.

It always surprises me how quickly a theme week arrives but here we are with Movie Week, and boy it was such a colourful collection of characters that gathered at the bottom of the stairs as the show began. We were also treated to a gorgeous pro dance opening the show with the wonderful Johannes and Kai taking centre stage - it made me warm to Kai a little bit more.

I liked this book for the extra dimension it adds to Hornblower’s already interesting life. Now he’s the captain of a ship, if not an actual Captain, with a couple of dangerous missions to do, and he excels in them all, but at the same time he’s got a home life to deal with now as well. Getting married right at the start of the book, even though he’s not sure it’s the right thing to do, Hornblower then has to deal with knowing there’s someone worrying about it at home. I liked the extra tension this brought to the open seas, and I’m keen to see what comes next for our Horry.

This album vexes me on a few levels, but none are too bad. Overall, Sean Paul is excellent, talented, and iconic in his own way. I like to listen to the tracks as they were originally released, but the album on Apple Music was the re-release that capitalised on Beyoncé’s popularity - never mind, I went with it. It’s a long old album, with a couple of songs on their twice… and I can’t tell you how confusing it is to me that there’s a song called Shake That Thing, but it’s not the shake that thing song.

This was a bit of a surprise, if I’m honest, it’s a really good album - the first half in particular. Obviously Natalie’s been around for a long time and made some good music, but I don’t know if I was expecting a huge amount from this album. It’s really good pop, not pushing the boundaries but an artist doing what they do very well. I do feel like the first few songs are stronger than the second half, it trails off a bit, but even so, the whole thing is very listenable.

The second season of supremely popular comedy Ted Lasso came to a close yesterday with the final episode wrapping up lots of open threads but also derailing everything for a cliffhanger to lead us into season three. I loved this series just as much as I loved the first one, but it can’t be denied that they are two very different beasts. As I mentioned when I wrote about the first series, I still have a desire to write about each episode individually, but for now I’ll focus on the main things that jumped out at me over the last twelve weeks.

The wonderful Billie Jean King released her autobiography to much anticipation so I was keen to get in on the early wave and read it as quickly as possible. It’s wonderful, not only because of the exceptional things BJK has done and achieved in her life, the relentless pursuit of equality and the stand she takes against bullying and prejudice, but also because she doesn’t shy away from the fact she’s not done everything right. Facing headlong into the issues, addressing the facts, and understanding that nobody’s perfect, this is a wonderful read. Brilliant, tenacious, human.

This film has all the ingredients to make something really special, and although it was ultimately a good watch, I feel like it just missed the mark. Although there was plenty of activity right from the start, it took a while to actually grab you and get invested in what was going on. Clearly the stakes were high, but you didn’t really get that sense until a good hour or so in.

I’ve been dipping in and out of some of the Dorling Kindersley books that are aimed at kids, and although this one is a beginner’s guide to science, I really think it’s aimed at anyone who wants to kick start their knowledge at any age. It has the great illustrations and picture layouts that you expect from DK, and structures the subject into sensible areas - what makes up the earth, chemicals, nature, space, and more. Highly recommended, and I notice there’s a similar book on space that I’m going to have to check out next.

I listened to the audiobook read by Tim Curry, and it was very good - far less dry than I thought it would be and ultimately very entertaining. Although I have to admit that reading about people trying to unravel a cipher is ALWAYS dull no matter how it’s written. But once they get on the journey, it’s a lot of fun. I really felt the thirst, the confusion, the rollercoaster of triumph and almost disaster. And it’s good to have read it as obviously it’s had a big impact on a lot of different culture over the years.

Nerves ahoy as this is the first week when someone actually gets voted out. After last week’s incredible opener, where everyone put in a good show and we saw a minimum of mistakes, I think the nerves and the training schedules started to get the better of some people as there were a lot more wobbles during the evening. But let’s see how that played out, couple by couple.

After a brief biography of the author and how she came to her current position of authority, we dive right into a fantastic guide on keeping your home spic and span. There’s a lot of focus on home made solutions, and fab step by step pointers for daily upkeep, spring cleans, and special occasions. It’s not exactly a book you’d sit and read from start to finish, but definitely one to refer back to with plenty of checklists to keep you on track.

I missed this when it came out last year, but James May’s adventures around Japan are an absolute must watch. Apparently this show was pitched to the BBC originally but they never made it, leaving Amazon to pick up the tab for a six-episode stint around the many islands of Japan. James May makes a brilliant host for this show, the premise being that he loves Japan but has never quite been able to explain why and wants to find out what it is that makes this country tick. He’s joined in each episode by a local guide, and rather than the usual situation where they just translate and point out local landmarks, these guides get fully involved and really give James a hard time. Particularly in the first episode where James’ lack of skills in a competitive snowball fight are very quickly pounced upon by his guide, but also in the giant robot fight, and in every activity that he and Yujiro participate in.

You know what you’re getting with a Boyz II Men album, and this was their debut, showcasing those great vocals, wonderful synchronicity, and amazing rhythm, all the way through. Apparently the album initially shipped without End of the Road on it but it was added in later re-releases, so I listened to it without. Even without that most famous of songs, it’s still a really solid album.

Wahey, this is such a good album. Great tunes and good lyrics as always - a bit more serious in tone than the previous album, and dipping into weightier subjects, but still with the engaging and powerful feeling that draws you in right from the start. I don’t think it’s quite as good as the previous album, which is a proper classic and favourite, but it’s certainly a highlight of what has been a pretty poor year so far.

Obviously this is the basics of math, aimed at kids, but actually there was some interesting stuff in there - like how to measure the earth, and how measuring time evolved over the centuries. Stacked full of great pictures and illustrations, diagrams, puzzles and experiments to try at home, this is a really good way of showing the importance of maths to someone maybe more reluctant to learn about it.

It was hard to know what to expect from this movie - the trailer made it look fun-filled but bizarre, how could they make a story out of this? And I heard mixed reviews heading into it. But actually, the story did make sense structurally, which was a bonus. The cast were brilliant, and worked really well together. Jodie Comer can do no wrong, let’s be clear.

I read that John Le Carré wrote the Smiley character as a direct response to Bond, making him chubby and kinda boring, and one that goes through the motions to get the job done, rather than getting the drinks and the girls and the rock and roll side of things. Despite that, it’s still a really good espionage thriller - a suicide that was actually a murder, several attacks on our hero, plus quite a lot of time spent at the theatre. I really quite liked it. Although I think I do like Bond better, I’ll be interested to read more of this Smiley chap.

Jeffery Deaver has written quite a few of these Amazon Original short stories - more than I had thought - and it’s very interesting working through them. He’s an expert at writing stories with excellent twists and it’s always a lot of fun trying to guess which way things are going to go. I enjoyed this book, didn’t have a clue what the ending was going to be, and although it felt a little bit out there, probably not too believable, it was well plotted and uncovering the puzzle a piece at a time was great.

I’ve gained access to a few kid’s books recently, because I am, at heart, a big kid myself. And particularly when it comes to science, this is probably about my level. But it’s a super simple, colourful book, with some great facts about food that will keep kids interested, as well as some experiments to try in the kitchen to boggle the mind. Mostly, though, it’s a good base introduction to the building blocks that would hopefully help kids make good food choices in the future.

This is a really beautiful book, although actually quite hard to read in places as Emma really suffers over the course of the year. The diary is split into months, starting in the autumn/winter period, and we travel with Emma as she goes for walks in the countryside, really delving into the nature that surrounds her to try and help or maintain her mental health.

This is such a blast from the past. I reckon this might have been one of the first audiobooks I listened to when I was a kid. I don’t know why or what made me choose it, but I vividly remember the opening lines. It might also be why I’m so fond of Tony Robinson, as he’s clearly a voice from when I was younger.

Right, we’re in it now, aren’t we? The first proper week of people dancing and showing us what they’ve got. What an incredible show it was, a bonanza of lights and colour, banging tunes and of course buckets and buckets of glitter. I think we say this every year, but the standard seems so high? I don’t think there was a single dance that was cringey and unwatchable, and there’s usually always one. But let’s revisit dance by dance and see what predictions we can make.

I sort of had to split this book into two things as I was reading - one was the memoir of what Mark did, and one was the manifesto of freeconomic living. The two elements worked very differently. As a memoir, it’s brilliant. Mark is open and honest, upfront about the challenges of living like this, about his thoughts and doubts, and experiences along the way. It’s an interesting idea and one that is worth thinking about, so raising the profile of the problems money causes is great.

I finished reading the John Grisham novel just a week or so ago and realised there was bound to be a film adaptation, so quickly sourced it. This film was brilliant and packed full of stars, so I’m surprised it’s not more famous than it is. It’s slightly different to the book, but mostly sticks quite rigidly to the source material - if you overlook the fact that the trial in the book is brought against the tobacco industry rather than guns.

Obviously Joy Division and New Order have a huge place in music and culture, so it seemed only right to go back to the beginning and listen to the first album. I have to admit, though, I found this album to be a bit of a nothingness. It was fine, and while I was listening it was ok, but I didn’t think any of the songs were particularly special and despite having listened twice, I couldn’t really tell you anything about it. I know we go on to better things from here, though, so look forward to that.

It feels a bit late in Buckingham’s career to have a self-titled album, that’s usually a first album kind of thing! I hadn’t intended on listening to this the moment it came out but I sort of fell into it, devouring the album very quickly. It starts off really well but then feels like it falls of a cliff towards the end. It has vibes of current Paul McCartney, which is not a particular favourite of mine. The first few songs are worth a listen though.

What a fabulous memoir this is. Gene Kranz talks of his early days but the bulk of the book is a play by play of every NASA mission he was involved with, from the very early days of Gemini, the tragedy of the first Apollo mission, and the success of returning Apollo 13 to earth. Through it all, Kranz is happy to admit where the teams did things right or wrong, and has that clear scientific analysis of each adventure. Occasionally, it’s a little too technical and I lost a sense of exactly what was going on, but you soon get pulled right back in when the drama and bravery of these incredible missions hits you.

I don’t remember which was the first Pitch Meeting video I watched, but I do know that ever since then, I’ve been obsessed. Ryan George, of the TV and film site ScreenRant, creates and features in these incredible videos that recreate what might have happened in the pitch meetings for a variety of different films. They are ridiculous and hilarious and, more than anything else, always completely spot on. A few times over the past few years of writing Film Watch posts, I’ve wondered what on earth could have happened in the pitch meeting for the odder movies I’ve seen - now I don’t need to wonder any more.

This was such an odd read. It’s a reliably good legal thriller from John Grisham, but the structure of it is a little different. There doesn’t really seem to be a protagonist, just all the various parties of a particularly odious trial, and everyone behaving quite badly. That makes it a little bit difficult to get fully invested in the story, to have someone to latch on to and root for.

Like many people, I spent some of my lockdown time in the garden: digging, planting, weeding, wondering, waiting. It seemed like a sensible thing to do, we weren’t allowed to go on any grand adventures, so why not go on a bit of a journey closer to home? I’ve tried growing things before, my so-called Great Gardening Adventure that resulted in a couple of tomatoes, a withered cucumber, and some strawberries that were brought back from the brink by strong advice from my mother.

In 2019, I wrote a quick post after every week of Strictly Come Dancing. Last year, I wrote absolutely nothing about the show, even though the fantastic Bill Bailey won it and I spent the entire two and a half hours of the final crying at everyone being so emotional. This year? Who knows, maybe something in between? It seems about time to dust off the glitterball on the blog though, and have my say over the launch show that took place this past weekend.

I used to be an incredible podcast fanatic, but my interest has waned steadily over the past few years. The prevalance of celebrities picking a genre and talking to other celebrities about it got boring for me, so I moved on to audiobooks and music instead. The other trend that seemed to be a move in the wrong direction for podcasts was the silo effect - exclusive podcasts to various platforms, Audible being one of the main players in that space.

Aaliyah’s music hasn’t been available on streaming before, so as soon as it was I wanted to grab the opportunity to listen. I know a few of her songs, but none from this album, so starting from the beginning was a bit of an education. She has a wonderful voice and the 90s R&B is right up my street. The R Kelly influence is a bit uncomfortable, but that’s not Aaliyah’s fault. Can’t wait to get to the next one.

Yay, another good album, the year is really starting to pick up! It took a couple of listens to get into this but it’s got the good beats you’d expect of an Imagine Dragons release. There’s no thumping anthem like Thunder, which is a shame, but a lot of catchy tunes nevertheless. I’m still trying to get It’s Ok out of my head. The only downside, really, is the lyrics feel a bit… weak, but I can live with that for some good songs.

An incredible movie. It’s a hard watch because the entire time you’re getting to know and understand these characters with the foreboding that something bad is going to happen… which obviously reflects the reality of living on these streets. As a film, it’s surprising how well it works because there’s no real driving force of a plot, just the unravelling of these characters lives as they try and cross from boyhood to adulthood.

The trailer for this didn’t look great, but I was interested in the huge number of people making cameos, so figured it was worth a go. It was oddly compelling, but if I’m honest, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there were better things to be watching, and that it wasn’t going to be an overall good film. So although we got past the twenty minute rule, when a technical glitch forced a restart after half an hour, we restarted another film instead.

I’m always interested in new and helpful ways of tracking your health and fitness data, but well aware of the perils of getting obsessed with it. It needs to be a guide rather than the be all and end all of everything. That’s why the Gentler app caught my attention - advertising “better control of your well-being” by turning data into more human and accessible insights. It has all the usual information, workouts done, calories burned, time spent on activities, but it presents tham in a useful way. It also gives you hints and tips about the direction you might want to take it - “you did a great run today, why not try a longer one tomorrow?” sort of thing. I do like a bit of a nudge and guide about what to do next.

This is one of those movies where you know what you’re getting - a low-budget, low-key, heart-felt story about some local people with a big dream overcoming hurdles and doubt and getting a good result by the end. On that side, it was brilliant, and Toni Collette really did a fantastic job as Jan - visibly lightening as the movie went on and she found a bit of spark in her life again.

There are a lot of books out there that have jumped on the 100 objects bandwagon, but I think this is a particularly good one. It’s published in consultation with the Imperial War Museum, so all the objects are things that can be found in the museum itself. Each item tells its own tale, but the structure works well for detailing the events of the war as it unfolded, mostly in chronological order but dipping back and forth where necessary.

Palin’s journey this time takes some sandy footsteps through the world’s most famous desert. It’s an interesting premise and visits some fascinating places - not all steeped in sand, obviously, but quite a lot of them featuring soaring temperatures and desperate poverty. This book also chronicles how the journey took place at the same time as 9/11 was happening on the other side of the world.