After loving the TV series Riot Women, a bit of research quite quickly pointed me towards ARXX, the duo behind the music. They have two albums, this is their first and it was brilliant. I really enjoyed the style, it’s a lot less raging than that of the TV series, but has the great hallmarks from it - great vocals, interesting lyrics, a great style. I enjoyed it and look forward to listening to the next one.

This is a pretty good album from Sigrid, it’s pretty much what you’d expect - nice pop, sometimes thoughtful, sometimes raging, sometimes in between. Sigrid has great vocals and the album is short and sweet and very listenable. My only real complaint is there isn’t a huge tune on there like there has been on some of her previous albums. I’m not sure how memorable this one is going to be.

This Reacher book kicks off right in the heart of the action, with the itinerant hero coming round with a broken arm, a minor head injury, chained up and no memory of what went before. We have to try and unravel the story at the same time as Reacher does, and at first it seems like a minor inconvenience but gradually becomes a far-reaching and devious plot. As always, it’s up to our protagonist and his current female sidekick to figure it out and stop the criminals. It’s pretty formulaic at this point, but I did enjoy this one.

Alice’s second book about the history of Great Britain through the lens of burials moves from ancient history to the slightly closer Roman empire and ‘dark ages’. Just like the previous book, it’s really well written and accessible for someone that doesn’t know a lot about archaeology. It’s always interesting to see what we can and can’t tell from the finds, and I love Alice’s continued warnings to try not to layer modern thinking to previous civilisation. Just endlessly fascinating.

This book was not at all what I thought it was going to be. From the description, I figured it was going to be a gentle rom-com style read about an older lady finding love again later in life after difficult circumstances. But there was a lot more to it than that and it was pretty edgy in places, with twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting at all. The dress actually doesn’t make many appearances, considering it’s the title of the book, and there are plenty of surprises as you read on.

Halloween night and the judges went all out on their costumes. I genuinely didn’t think I was going to be able to get through a whole night of looking at Shirley like that! And I saw a video afterwards of Motsi having to take that make-up off… was it worth it, I ask you?? Meanwhile, on with the spooky set of dances this week! Vicky & Kai - American Smooth They had the benefit of an incredible song, and it was a really engaging dance. I think some of the leg positions could have been more shapely, but all the lifts were great. The atmosphere was very intense, too. I loved it!

You can totally see elements that would develop into the Scream franchise in here, it’s a brilliantly scary movie with lots of horror tropes but with a unique take on them. I can’t believe it’s Johnny Depp, that tiny boy trying to save the day, but once you get over that, it’s a really solid teen slasher movie. It’s made more scary by the fact that falling asleep is one of those things you do every day, and you’re not going to want to do it after watching this!

This album popped up because we saw the Simply Red version of Air That I Breathe on the Top of the Pops replays. Well, we skipped it more than saw it, but it made me remember this much better version by The Hollies. The album is on Apple Music, but it’s all in a different order to what it should be so I had to make a specific playlist for it. It’s excellent rock and roll/pop music, very of its time, and then suddenly up pops Air That I Breathe which is a stone cold classic. It stands out from the rest, but it’s all a nice listen.

Before listening to this, I saw a few reviews raving about it so I was expecting good things. First listen through and I liked it but I thought it was a lot - there’s quite a lot of intimate detail in there, this is a breakup album like no other. Second listen through, though, I really loved it. It’s great how it tells a story from the beginning to the end of a relationship, excellent songs from start to finish, and some intense but excellent lyrical work. A top five contender, for sure.

This movie is something else. The concept itself is pretty out there - guy buys puzzle box to look for some kind of kinky experimental situations, which he ends up getting from extra-terrestrial beings who also go around killing people. It’s gruesome from the get-go, that extended sequence of Frank coming back out of the floorboards, creepy as anything. I can see why Pinhead is the famous character that has endured, but all of the aliens were well done and disgusting in equal measure. Awful but in a good way, this is a great horror movie.

Not sure about this one, really. The main character of Simon Peake is interesting and the kind of protagonist you want to follow in a thriller like this. The first half of the book is pretty slow though, wandering around trying to get trusted working for a group of criminals. It was difficult to know how to feel about it. The story did start building to an exciting conclusion and I did want to keep reading to find out what happened but I’m not sure it was as top notch as some of the reviews suggest.

Another Matt Haig book in the series of books that are just designed to make you feel a bit better about life. It’s full of anecdotes, quotes, lists, stories, anything light and lifting. Some bits were quite eye-opening, others are tropes you’ll have heard before, but it’s always good to be reminded. It’s not a long book but it’s definitely one that’s worth dipping into every now and again.

Tom Daley is everywhere at the moment - after a far-too-brief stint on Celebrity Traitors, he’s got a new show on Channel 4 starting imminently. The series, called The Game of Wool, is one of those cosy competition styles, like Bake Off, but featuring knitting and crochet rather than oven-based larks. It’s going to be a fascinating watch… I knit so slowly I can’t really fathom anyone creating something within a set time limit.

I’m going to be honest, I really only read this because of the absolutely genius title. I know Paul mostly from Taskmaster with a vague awareness that he’s a smart one on The Chase. But actually, for a memoir of someone I really don’t know anything about, it was very interesting and written really well. It was engaging right from the start, and brutally honest about the highs and lows of a well lived, eventful life. I really liked someone finding their passion a bit later in life too, it’s good.

I didn’t necessarily want to read this one quite so in advance of Christmas, but it’s when it became available so I went with it. It’s a nice book - obviously enjoyable with the characters we love, but also because it has that Agatha Christie feel. The setup feels a bit contrived, how our detective friends end up in this big house over Christmas, and then there’s a murder, but you go with it because you want to get stuck into the mystery of it. I liked the twists and turns and that Ryan figured it all out in the end. And ooh, personal developments at the end, so moving on in the series is a must!

I was sad to read about the death of Prunella Scales today, aged 93. Every tribute and reference I’ve seen has mentioned her turn as Sybil Fawlty in the iconic Fawlty Towers, but I have to go out on a limb and say I vastly prefer her performance in After Henry. I’m mildly obsessed with this sitcom, written by Simon Brett, which started life as a radio series and made a successful move to television, featuring several of the same cast. Prunella originated the role of Sarah France on the radio, a widow who is dealing with the grief of her recent bereavement, whilst also managing having her mother in the top flat and her daughter in the basement flat - three generations of women effectively in the same house.

A sort of follow up to Reasons to Stay Alive, this book takes a similar format - notes, stories, anecdotes, quotes, etc - and applies them to the very real concept of stress and anxiety in this modern world. It’s great, it’s incredibly relatable even if you’re not having trouble with your mental health, it’s just nice to know that other people find the modern world stressful just like you no doubt do. Short, but powerful, I’ve really loved these two books.

Strictly Come Dancing this week featured an Icons theme, which I had thought was a one off last year but apparently is now an annual thing. It’s fine, a great idea, but it does lead to some questions over who is and isn’t an icon. What even makes someone an icon in the first place? Is it global superstardom? Is it just being that person for one specific contestant? Given that Vicki Patterson chose Cheryl, I think Strictly is leaning into the latter.

Lots of news this week. When the Claudia & Tess story broke, someone said to me ‘have you seen the Strictly news?’ and my immediate reaction was ‘WHAT NOW?’ This show can’t catch a break. And the presenting duo leaving overshadowed the sad news that Stefan had to withdraw from the show due to injury, a shame after he had just come back from sickness. But he achieved what he set out to do, be able to dance with his wife, so that’s a win.

Last week, Tess and Claudia surprised Strictly Come Dancing fans and the rest of the world by announcing this series would be their last. It was shocking, obviously, because they are part of the fabric of the show, and also because it came out of nowhere - I hadn’t heard any serious rumblings of them leaving and no one had leaked the announcement before it happened. Instead it was just a simple video released by the pair confirming their intentions.

I thought I had read all the Paddington books in my collection but then this one popped up. It’s a bit disappointing really, although the main character and his adopted family are as lovable as ever. It just felt like there weren’t any new ideas in there - I’m sure there’s one story that doesn’t really do anything, except set the scene for the next one. And there’s one that revisits lots of things that Paddington has done before. Paddington has lots of greatest hits to choose from, no doubt, but I was expecting a bit more from the book, considering how grand the title is!

I’m not sure why this album popped into my consciousness but I was so happy to listen to it. That early to mid-00’s sound of guitar bands, usually called something starting with ‘The’ although not in this case. The first few tracks on this are iconic, and really go down well, and thankfully, the rest of the album doesn’t disappoint. There’s not too much in the way of highs and lows, here, but if you like what Orson are selling then you’ll enjoy the whole thing.

It’s fair to say I was expecting great things from this album - in 2022, Sam swooped in right at the last minute and topped my list for albums of the year. This one is different, Sam’s changed record labels and is upfront about trying to change the sound he’s putting out there. So it’s not quite at the levels of Space Man for me, but it’s still really, really good. Great vocals and intriguing songs, if no out and out bangers. It’s definitely one that I’ll listen to again, although I might still reach for Space first.

I’m a late convert to Alice Roberts but am becoming more and more of a fan the more I watch and consume. This book features stories from the past, not only in terms of the pre-history that is being uncovered, but also in terms of archaeology over the ages and how techniques and accountability has grown. It’s a fascinating look back over the history of the topic, with a backdrop of what we do and don’t know when digs turn up these ancient bones. Alice writes clearly and easily, and I love how open she is about where we have bias, where we have to be careful not to apply our modern sensabilities to things, and constantly warning us to try and keep an open mind. A great read.

I stumbled across this whilst looking for a short fill-the-gap style read. It’s interesting, although I’m not sure it entirely lives up to the premise. So little is known about the Megalodon that much of the story is filled in with general information about sharks and fossil history, and humans interest, fear and interactions with the same. But what we know is interesting, and actually what we don’t know is also fascinating, and it’s all told really well so this book does the job nicely.

This is such a classic and spawned so much in the horror genre, not only the sequels and adaptations within the Halloween franchise, but also inspiring so many others. It’s really good - short, sharp, horrific - but it’s not perfect. There are some moments where you just think, what are you doing? She dropped the knife, she stood in the doorway for a breather while he was right there, it’s just… frustrating. But some of that comes from knowing so much about horror tropes, of course. The bit at the end, where you look over the balcony, of course I was expecting him to be gone, but how creepy must that have been when this was first released? A really great classic film.

It took me a minute to realise this was, of course, based on The Haunting of Hill House. I’ve read the book and seen the Netflix adaptation, so was very intrigued to see how the film version played out. I really liked it - you never see anything particularly scary, only the building up of tension which is cleverly done, and the wickedness of humans to each other. It’s creepy and tense and just feels like a ghost story being told to you, wherein you have to use your imagination to fill in the blanks. Very enjoyable.

The author opens up about his own experiences with depression in a book that doesn’t really try to help or prescribe solutions (other than sharing what has worked for him in the past), but really exists to show that you are not alone. I haven’t had this level of depression before, but have definitely experienced some of the moments where the world is overwhelming and you need some kind of coping mechanism to get on with it. This is a great, encouraging book to read, if only to know that this too shall pass.

I love the film adaptation of this and Nick Hornby does write a good novel, so this was an easy choice to read. I listened to the audiobook and Stephen Mangan was doing the narration which made it next level, he’s great. The story is fab, too, really delving into the heart of mental health, depression, how awful it can be when you don’t fit in at school, and when you grow up as well, plus trying to navigate relationships at all ages. It’s funny but also heartbreaking, and ultimately a really good, challenging but somehow also cosy, read.

No theme this week, no extra guest mentors, no messing about, we’ve got a full house and a collection of dancers who are ready to prove what they can do. So let’s just get on with the show! Karen & Carlos - Quickstep The training VT made this look great, and it was fab on the floor too. The frame slipped on a few occasions, but it was a lot of fun with plenty of style and sass. Very fast, and the tiny slip at the end, but who cares? It was great!

I’ve just recently finished watching the second series of Platonic and it was absolutely incredible, even better than the first one. It doesn’t look like I wrote anything after watching the first series which is a surprise because it was an excellent set of ten episodes. Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen star as best friends who had fallen out for a while but end up reconnecting and getting wrapped up in each other’s lives again - in comedic but completely platonic fashion.

Ace of Base popped up on the Top of the Pops replays, although quite a lot later - 1998 and Life is a Flower. I suddenly realised I hadn’t listened to any of the band’s albums so here we are, with this most excellent collection of songs. I LOVED it. Obviously the hit songs are classics, but all of it was great, upbeat synth pop music that is right up my street. I’m slightly furious I haven’t listened to this sooner!

I’ve been looking forward to this album, mostly because of the excellent title. It’s really good, great grown up pop, particularly the single Freedom of the Night. It’s got that great pop, slightly disco, vibe that lasts all the way through. The only very minor problem with it is Sophie’s excellent but iconic voice - by the end of it, you’re sort of like, okay, that’s quite a lot of this one thing, might need some variety now.

This was a really interesting story featuring King and Maxwell - at first they were investigating different things apart as we got a great side-story for Michelle Maxwell looking after her mental health in an institution. Meanwhile King is sent on a mission at the US version of Bletchley Park and there is so much interesting and intriguing about where he ends up and what’s going on there. I don’t want to say too much else in case of spoilers, but the twists and turns were really exciting, and I can’t wait to read what develops in the next book.

I continue to love this series, and at this point the characters are like old friends, so it’s always a treat to spend a bit more time with them and find out what’s going on next. I do feel like this book wasn’t as strong as some of the others, though. The plot didn’t feel as deep, situations were resolved relatively quickly and easily, and there wasn’t too much in the way of subplots for our extended Ryan family. I’ll keep reading though, like I said, it’s always worth a dip back into this world.

This book was one of the best so far, with a great intro that grabs you and throws you straight into the action. As always, there’s lots of characters and situations and things happening that I don’t always follow, but what I do get, I like. We also got to learn more about Finan’s past, and he’s such a great character (a fan favourite apparently), I was entranced by those sections. Uhtred continues to lead us through the various battles and situations and although you can tell he’s getting older, more world-weary, there’s still a lot of fight left in him!

I used to love Mark Austin and watch his ITV news reports quite often, but not for quite a long time. I don’t watch the news anymore for self-preservation reasons so I didn’t even realise he’d moved to Sky. Anyway, this memoir covers his time at the BBC, at ITV and more recently at Sky, and all the various things he’s covered, including the difficult situation of his own daughter’s illness. I think the book veers slightly too much towards reporting rather than personal insight on occasion, but it’s really well written and easy to read and overall worth a look.

As with all the other books in this series, I really loved it - great dark humour, completely relatable moments alongside rather terrifying serial killer stuff. It’s got depths, really trying to understand the humanity of these extreme situations. I wasn’t sure about the kidnapping, did it make sense? But as things started to draw to a conclusion, I thought it worked well enough and put the puzzle pieces in the right place to come to an end, so I was happy enough with it. It seems like this might be the last in the series, which is a shame as they’re so fun to read, but if it is, it’s been a heck of a ride.

It was nice to be back in the Strictly party watching sort of live on a Saturday rather than a day delayed, and what better way to celebrate than with Movie Week! Hooray! The best part of this is guessing the movies as the celebrities walk down the stairs, and then by extension what song they’re going to be dancing to. We really will make a quiz out of anything.

Two years ago, I wrote about the emergency hot water bottle cover I knitted and how proud I was of the result. It was a super easy pattern that came together really well and quickly, and I went on to knit a couple more covers for family members so that we could all have that extra bit of warmth and protection. They’re all pretty well used now, those original covers, and some of them have stretched a bit, so it seemed like a good time for a refresh - with a new winter approaching rapidly. I wanted to play around a bit with colours, and put a bit more thought into it, so I bought a selection of chunky yarn and mix and matched to come up with the below.

I always love going to the coast, and what’s better than combining a trip to the seaside with a spot of musical theatre at the same time? Weymouth Pavilion was the setting for this adventure, a glorious theatre that is right on the seafront, overlooking some choppy waters. They were definitely choppy when I was there as the wind had picked right up. As the winter night drew in, the multi-coloured lights on the theatre came on and it was a sight to behold.

You’ll have seen it by now, I’m sure, when Eugene Levy met Prince William as part of his travel show The Reluctant Traveller. This Apple TV show began life by putting Eugene out of his comfort zone, as someone who didn’t really like travelling or care much about broadening his horizons. Three series in and his outlook has changed, so each episode is more just an exploration of a different place, a different culture, with Eugene’s thoughts layered on top.

Worms has that nostalgic feeling for me, even though I wasn’t hugely obsessed with it previously. I’ve played the game and it’s kinda fun making these worms bounce around and try and inflict carnage wherever they go but the main problem is I’m just not very good at it. But this is a new evolution in the game available via Apple Arcade.

I would not have looked twice at this game if it wasn’t free to me on Apple Arcade, because I’m not a massive fan of the Jeopardy! format. I can see why people like it but it infuriates me. Having to make the answers into a question is impossible to remember when you just want to shout out the answer. And the answers they show in no way answer the question you have formatted. It just makes me mad.

Oh this is an excellent album. The Beautiful South in any of their various forms are right up my street and this has some real classic songs on it. You Keep It All In is a proper favourite, but it starts out well with Song for Whoever too. All the songs have that unique story-telling you associate with this band, and they have a variety of voices to choose from in this era, so you always get the best that suits each song. Love it.

The last few Taylor Swift albums have not been to my taste, slow and boring and best avoided. Hearing this one had the involvement of Max Martin again made my hopes rise a bit and… yay! It’s good. We’re not talking the heights of 1989 and Reputation, my two personal favourites, but this is so much better than the last few years. More upbeat, more interesting, there’s a lot going on, a lot to take in, a LOT of words, but it’s overall back in business.