Ricky Martin put in a brilliant performance at the MTV VMA’s which reminded me that I haven’t listened to anything by the man. So, kicked it off with Ricky’s breakthrough English language album (he had a few Spanish records before this). Livin’ La Vida Loca is a great way to start an album and the rest of it actually lives up to the opener. There’s even a duet with Madonna - how did that come about? Sometimes with these albums you get lots of repeat songs in Spanish, but La Vida Loca is the only one that falls into this trap, and to be honest, it’s worth listening to twice. A, good, fun, late 90s pop album.

After watching Jade’s set at Glastonbury, I was really excited for this album to come out and it has delivered. In fact, it’s pretty much exactly what we got at Glastonbury, give or take the Little Mix songs and 90s covers. It’s intense, quirky pop music, clearly a lot of trauma to deal with in regards to the music business and how it treats artists, but there are also the heartbreak and love songs in there too. Really good, really listenable, and something Jade can be really proud of.

This was so creepy. The only thing I know about this is that at far too young an age I think my friend and I started watching the movie but I know nothing except the opening credits so either we didn’t get very far or I’ve blocked it out. Of course, Stephen King knows what he’s doing with building the tension and the creep factor, and even though it was all obvious in hindsight, I really didn’t see where it was going! Horrific but such a good read.

All the Liane Moriarty books I’ve read so far have been a real treat - that attention to detail and incredible character work layered on intriguing plots can only end up in a good result. I do think this one is weaker than some of the recent reads, though, and mostly because of the big ‘twist’. It’s so built up and takes so long to be revealed that it ends up being disappointing (given the context, this seems like the wrong word but just in terms of pacing!) and something that surely shouldn’t have caused the ripples that it did. However, the way it all unwinds is interesting, I just think it needed to come earlier in the book to live more in the after than in the before.

The first Cheaper by the Dozen was a pleasant surprised, a good, fun film that wasn’t annoying - considering how many children were in it. I was keen to watch the sequel because it adds the grumpy joy that is Eugene Levy to an already great adult cast. The film was good, maybe even better than the original… which again was a surprise because there are even MORE children in this one! The idea of a chaotic vacation isn’t exactly new, but it’s well done here, and the various subplots for the kids are good - reflecting a growing and changing family. Probably didn’t need quite so much focus on a weirdly smart mouse, but you can’t win them all. Just a fun watch, great for a Sunday night.

It’s hard to know what to make of this film and I think that’s mostly because the film itself doesn’t really know what it wants to be. It’s good and very watchable, but such a mish-mash of genres and tones that it gets a bit distracting. The romance moments are lovely, and probably the best part of the film. The sci-fi part is okay and the CGI is great. The big conspiracy thriller plot is a bit tacked on but does the job. The problem is switching between these moods happens instantly, jarringly, and irritatingly.

I’ve never been a big fan of Peanuts, the kids in the show are annoying and I just never really gave it much time. But the Apple TV screensavers that feature Snoopy and Woodstock are absolutely brilliant. The pair of them spend most of the time snoozing in various locations, but occasionally they also get up to mischief - Woodstock tending to get the better of Snoopy, or the dog frustrating the bird with his nonsense ways.

Until I saw the DriveTribe video, I didn’t realise that Richard Hammond was working on his own gin - but, of course, it makes perfect sense. Hammond has long been a gin drinker, enjoying the tipple in many episodes of Top Gear and The Grand Tour. And when James May created his line of gin, Hammond was first in line to do the taste testing. As I wrote previously, he seemed to be very interested in the details of the gin-making process, so this next step was always going to happen.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this album, I’m not a massive Ozzy Osbourne fan but then I only really know him as the slightly doddery old guy in that early reality show that I didn’t watch. However, the album is called Blizzard of Ozz which is some kind of genius and worth a listen for that alone. And actually, it was a bit of a revelation! It’s good, credible rock, and just the right side of heavy for my metal tastes. It was also a lot more existential than I was expecting, more emotional even. The Mother Earth song really surprised me for its themes. Overall, a really great album. RIP Ozzy!

I do enjoy Rob Thomas’ music and this album was much more of the same. It’s very short, so there’s not much time to get invested in it, and there aren’t really many highs and lows. From the start, it’s just good grown up pop music, and definitely pleasant to listen to. I like all of the songs, but none of them massively stand out. In fact, the only one that did was the last song on the album which is great in itself, but doesn’t really feel like a good finish - presumably it was put there because of the title. But small complaints for an overall good record.

This is an incredible BBC production of the classic dystopian book, and the cast really put their all into it. Peter Cushing does a great job with the quiet, understated character, who has to express doubt to the audience subtly. I find Donald Pleasance endlessly captivating as well, so it’s a shame his role was so short-lived in this. Meanwhile, because the production is so old - black and white and some pretty rubbish camera work, plus some apparent aging of the tapes - it adds to that dystopian feeling and the general tension that just ramps up and up.

I honestly just love these Sweetpea books. They’re dark but they’re funny and oddly relatable, and ultimately, we’re cheering for a vigilante so it’s not all bad. This time our Sweetpea is navigating a long term relationship and a large in-law family who all come with problems of their own. I did like the twists and turns of the relationship, as Rhiannon opened up more and more, and got nothing but support in return. Lovely. And then the awful two twists at the end, which hopefully lead us directly on to the next book.

This really felt like it was setting up a new generation of stars, as Seabrook is pretty much as together and full of kindness as it can be, so now we need a new set of enemies-to-lovers to root for. It’s essentially night versus day and even though everything is pretty predictable, it’s still quite fun to go along for the ride. Lots of bright and breezy songs in this one and that West Side Story vibe that sees you right to the end… in which we are set up for potentially another sequel and another supernatural genre to enjoy.

At this point, you know what you’re getting from these TV movie musicals, and the direction of this one was very much highlighted at the end of the last. We’ve had zombies, we’ve had werewolves, and now we’ve got aliens, all differentiated by their hair colour. This was fun, more of the ‘us against them until we realise we have more in common than we think and all eventually get along’ story, some medium to good songs, and tolerable dance routines. I don’t think it’s as good as the first two movies, but it’s plenty watchable.

I’m always wary of these posthumous Michael Crichton books, but this one seemed to be pretty credible and was helped by the hand of James Patterson, who isn’t always my cup of tea, but definitely knows how to help tease out a story from existing material. I did enjoy the book, the tension is fierce, the action frantic, and it’s always more difficult when you’re enemy is mother nature. There are areas that don’t feel fully fleshed out, and you can tell this isn’t entirely MC’s work, but ultimately it’s a really good thriller that is more than worth a read.

My job involves a lot more meetings and scheduled phone calls than it used to, and although that is all managed through the calendar app, I’ve found jotting down the upcoming schedule on paper can be really helpful for me getting organised and prepared for the day ahead. I’ve tried a few different planners, initially starting with just a simple ruled notebook, and then moving on to the more dedicated planners for this exact purpose. I think I’ve found the pinnacle of these planners, made by Clever Fox.

It’s such a well known story but this must have been one of the first adaptations of it. Obviously, it’s a tragedy, and it’s told very well in this film - although it’s a little drawn out and long, three hours! The actors inhabit their real life characters very well, although Anne is a bit high pitched, she definitely gets the restless quality. The steadiness of Otto and the irritability of everyone else. The tensions ramp up, the stakes get higher, you feel it growing all the time. There were a few liberties taken in the service of the film but ultimately it’s very respectfully done.

This is just amazing - Brian May joined Andrea Bocelli on his tour for this incredible performance of Who Wants to Live Forever… the only good thing to come out of the Highlander movie. I have not given Brian May enough credit for his vocals before!

This is so good. Imagine there being a film focused on a woman’s mental health and her finding herself, albeit with the support of a good man, but ultimately understanding her place in the world and that it isn’t just about romance. And that film is over 80 years old! So good. The mother is wonderfully awful, Bette Davis coming out of her shell is glorious to watch, and lovely Jerry being endlessly lovely. And that ending quote is iconic for a reason - so heartbreaking.

After the snooze-fest of the last film, I was looking for something a bit more upbeat. This one did make me nervous because that’s a lot of children, which isn’t my favourite film subject, but Steve Martin means it was worth a go. It was actually really good! Considering there are at least 12 kids in it, it was very watchable, very funny, just kids getting up to mischief and a family trying to hold it together. I’m interested in the sequel too, as it seems to add Eugene Levy to the mix and that can only be a good thing.

Hmm, I thought this might be good, although if I’m honest I only watched this because it had Emma Roberts in it. I couldn’t get past the twenty minute rule, because it was so dull. The main character was not at all likeable and very up himself, and Freddie Highmore so desperately wanted to be John Cusack but couldn’t pull it off. Otherwise it just seemed to be a movie about a kid choosing not to do his homework.

The third outing for DSI Grace and his team, and the characters are really starting to develop. Lots of personal lives start creeping into this story, not least an update on Grace’s missing wife. Meanwhile there’s a good mystery going on, it’s always a little bit disappointing when the answer is ‘it was twins!’ but this one is told pretty well and unwinds at a good pace. A bit of danger at the end, and everything is resolved in time to move on to book four!

Objectively this is a terrible film. It doesn’t really make any sense, even if you go with the fantasy plot of being able to transfer your luck through kissing. Why are McFly in this? It feels like McFly propaganda at several points, and boy, if I never hear Five Colours in Her Hair again it will be too soon. Lindsay Lohan seemed fine but apparently had many drug-related meltdowns while making this film which surely didn’t help matters. But I have to admit to enjoying it. It was a tired and loopy evening anyway, so it fitted perfectly and was pretty entertaining for the mood I was in.

I hadn’t really heard of the Bosstones before, until they showed up on TOTP with the excellent song The Impression That I Get (although the studio performance wasn’t all that great). Decided it was worth a punt on the full album, and I’m glad I did. This is a fun record, a sort of unique genre of ska mixed with rock, boppy rhythms interspersed with hard vocals and rocky riffs. The Impression That I Get is a standout but the rest tries its best to live up to it, and I think this will get a good few listens in the future.

I remember reading some consternation about this album cover, that Sabrina might be conveying a subservient and less than healthy message to her more impressionable fans. I don’t totally get the fuss, and certainly not after listening to the album, where Sabrina displays a pretty much consistent contempt for men. They’re childish and silly, and easily manipulated, and the whole thing comes across as a bit mean. The songs are okay, although there are no surefire hits like there were on the last one, so for me, it’s a bit more leave it than take it.

I must have bought this after watching the Apple TV adaptation, so it’s been sitting in my to read pile for quite a while, but I finally got around to it. It’s written really well, you get drawn in and want to know what’s happening and what’s happening next. A good legal drama is hard to find, so this works very well. Ultimately the ending is a little bit disappointing as it gives you no closure, just like the TV show, but the author himself admits that’s kind of the point. Sometimes life doesn’t get wrapped up in a nice happy bow of conclusion!

I loved this so much. Right from the start it’s a lot of fun, really great snappy dialogue with plenty of heart and plenty of wit along the way. The cast are great, and there seems to be exactly the right chemistry with everyone. Considering it’s a slightly odd premise, it really gets to you - the burgeoning friendship between the stripper and the dork - and by the end you’re really hoping everything works out okay. It’s sweet and silly and really just perfect.

I liked the set up to this story, the Doctor landing in a medieval Worcester and having to figure out what’s going on in the city. It was fun when the Doctor was getting arrested and someone else had to come to his rescue for a change. I sort of lost the plot with it as the story went on, the motivations didn’t quite work for me. But it doesn’t really matter, it’s just fun to spend time in the Whoniverse and enjoy another adventure with the Doctor and his temporary companions.

I don’t remember when I picked this book up but it could have been around the time of watching and reading Just Mercy, as it’s in the same vein. This time, rather than hearing tales of injustice from EJI founder Bryan Stevenson, we’ve got the direct memoir from someone who suffered those injustices. It’s absolutely infuriating from start to finish and you can only look on in incredible admiration that someone can sustain their hope for such a long time. An absolute must-read.

Dipping back into the world of the Doctor, and I loved this one. It was set in a futuristic shopping centre which was interesting in itself, however as you might imagine, there was an alien element about to intervene and present a pretty danger to humankind. It’s up to the Doctor to intervene, and he does that with some excellent sidekicks. It was nice there were a couple of callbacks to previous episodes of the show, as we’ve seen the Nestene Consciousness before, and it really felt like this linked into the wider Whoniverse.

The premise of this book is completely intriguing and captivating, and when you layer on Liane Moriarty’s incredible talent of writing right to the heart of characters, and giving details that make you entirely believe them as human beings, you’re in for a treat. I couldn’t imagine how to deal with a situation like this, so it was fascinating to read through how it all panned out. My only complaint was the ending, it all wound up a bit fast, whereas it might have been nice to spend a bit more time after the memory came back as well. But overall I loved it.

There have been a few games being talked about recently that could be competition for the Sims, at least one has fallen by the wayside, but inZOI has finally come to fruition. It was just recently released on the App Store for Mac, so I immediately downloaded it only to find it wouldn’t work on my hardware. Luckily there was no quibble about getting a refund, and I found a friend with a better laptop to do the downloading for me. Not a great start, but eventually managed to get playing. Even with the higher specification, and after turning down some of the graphics settings, the game is pretty laggy but I can see why. The graphics are outstanding, incredibly realistic and well done - beautiful scenery, sharp designs and realistic movement.

I resisted this album for quite a while because I wasn’t happy about a track list that was quite likely to break my website. Actually, it’s not too bad with emojis or asci characters instead of titles, and so I gave in and decided to forgive the band their idiosyncracies. It’s something of a concept album, all ethereal and spacey, talk of humanity and planets and instrumental moments and more. It’s a specific mood but I actually quite liked it. I listened whilst walking through some woods and that felt quite fitting! Very listenable but probably not their best work.

This popped up in Apple’s new releases list, possibly as the deluxe version came out, so I listened to it as new but it’s actually from 2024. Regardless, it’s a pretty good country album - Lainey has that strong Southern accent but uses it well and draws you in. There are a couple of clever tracks in there too, and some good storytelling. It’s more traditional in terms of heartbreak and alcohol but it’s also not that far away from the more pop style country artists too. A good blend and a good album.

I had heard good things about this film so was quite looking forward to it, especially with it being led by Florence Pugh who is fabulous as Yelena - vulnerable but dangerous. I wasn’t expecting this to end up being the best Marvel movie for a long time, if ever! It’s so good and I think that’s because it’s entirely character driven. There’s not even the traditional ten minutes of special effects that really have no impact on the film at all. It was all about this collection of misfits, reluctantly working together, and finding out a lot about themselves along the way.

After reading Sue’s memoir recently, I was intrigued by this follow up that centres on the hallowed tennis grounds of Wimbledon. It’s a bit of mish-mash of stuff, Sue’s memories, a history of the tennis tournament, and details of some of the biggest stars that have graced the courts, alongside more recent bios of players. The chapters do jump about all over the place a little bit, but equally, it’s such a joy to spend time in Sue’s mind like this, she has so much knowledge and insight, and it’s just a privilege to have it shared with us!

You know what you’re getting with a Sarah Morgan book - a good cast of characters in a difficult situation and eventually finding some romance along the way. This time we have a celebrity hiding out at home, dealing with old wounds and rekindling old friendships, whilst also having to deal with a pretty big secret. I really enjoyed the book, it’s a nice summer read that you can whizz through relatively easily, and of course it comes to a satisfying ending.

The next installment in the adventures of Uhtred, and this time we’re heading back north to try and capture the original castle. As always, I swing wildly during these books, sometimes thinking they’re quite boring and I might just give up but then getting sucked in to the next part and relaly enjoying the more human moments. This story is pretty tense and more entertaining than I was expecting so I definitely stuck with it to the end and will move on to the next one soon!

I think I’m still quite early in the game but the premise is wonderful - you run a small mobile bookshop in various locations around a cosy seaside village. Each day, you choose which books to fill your shelves with and then run through the day helping the customers. Some of them browse and buy on their own, some of them don’t find anything they want, and others require a helping hand.

I love how easy this game is to play. Your sole aim is to connect small houses to bigger buildings, using the limited amounts of road tiles that you’re allowed. As time passes in the game, you’re given rewards such as roundabouts, motorways and traffic lights to help ease the traffic routes, but the aim of the game is to be efficient and make sure the little cars are getting from the little buildings to their little destinations. It’s simple, effective, and addictive.

Probably not one of the best war films I’ve seen, but I do like all the train action (minus the incessant screeching of the whistle). It probably doesn’t get off to a good start for me because I’m not a big fan of paintings, so the whole endeavour seems a little bit pointless to me. So much anger, death and destruction for a bit of paint on canvas. But I get the concept - stop the Nazis being greedy, etc - and that makes it a bit of an adventure worth a watch if there’s nothing else on.

A great movie, this one, with a stellar cast. Two headstrong women going up against each other, whilst also facing into the ideas of aging in Hollywood/Broadway, and the next generation coming up to step into the acting shoes. Lots of interesting themes covered but more than anything, this is two great performances - Bette Davis as Margo is everything and owns the screen, but Anne Baxter’s Eve is fascinating, starting timid, growing in confidence and devilry, until eventually the tables are turned on her. Excellent film, well worth watching.

This film is perfect. Pretty much every single sentence, every scene, every moment is spot on - funny where it can be, heartbreaking in the right moments, but warming overall. Tim Key really has this character done well, lonely and chatty and nonsensical but with his heart in the right place. And the two musicians play it perfectly - I love, as well, that Carey’s character doesn’t come back or there’s no big dramatic gesture at the end. This is real life, even in its slightly fantastical state. I could watch this over and over, I loved it. Five stars aren’t enough.

It is astonishing to me that Sultans of Swing can be on a debut album. It’s such an iconic, accomplished piece of music - the riff that gets right inside your head in the best possible way. Incredible. The rest of the album is good to, I mean, it’s exactly what you’d expect from Dire Straits - fab guitars and sultry vocals for some great songs. But the Sultans steals the show, for sure.

I’m becoming something of a Tom Grennan fan - he has good tunes and have seen a couple of festival performances that are very energetic and inspiring (and shirtless). It’s all in the music though, this is great pop with excellent beats and a voice that can equally do belting power as well as the softer lilting ballads. This album thankfully has more of the former, as we like a bit of positive energy at the moment, and as a whole it’s a really good listen.

Having watched the BBC series telling the story of the Brink’s-Mat robbery in great detail, a small obsession with this true crime has been growing. This is the first book I’ve read on the subject, and as this was by the same author who made the show, it’s pretty similar in content. A few extra details here and there, but generally speaking it details the facts behind the drama, which was pretty faithful considering there’s a lot we don’t know even now. A good read!

Wow, what a ride this is! It starts out pretty slow, and the first hour is a lot of set up and remembering and getting up to speed. I do think it does quite a good job of reminding you what’s going on and what’s happened across the whole series, which some (cough, Marvel) don’t do so well at all. Lots of flashbacks, actual glimpses of previous films, it doesn’t make you feel like an idiot for not remembering thirty years of movies.

I don’t mind it when a writer diverts from the normal expectation of their writings, and this one is quite a change of pace from the thriller writer. Rather than agents and detectives saving the world, we’re following three very different characters as they navigate the terrifying and tragic world of WWII London. It’s quite slow paced, and I feel like it could have been a lot shorter, but the underlying story is interesting and these are three characters I’d really like to have spent more time with.