I enjoyed this Grisham book - the tale of a highbrow lawyer who realises there’s more to life than money and changes his entire lifestyle to instead help the homeless. It’s quite an inspiring tale, particularly as the people involved aren’t holier-than-thou, they make mistakes and get sued for it!

Hmm, not my cup of tea really. I like Love Shack, and the album is stacked full of the quirky nature that makes that song fun. But, I think it’s all quite samey and aside from one instrumental at the end, it could basically be a 45 minute version of Love Shack, and I’m not sure I like it THAT much.

Really solid album from Kelly Clarkson. It occurred to me before I listened that I only really knew the singles and very little else about Kelly, but still managed to love her. This album just adds to that: great vocals, some great hooks, and a nice overall positive feeling about love, life and everything in between.

Apple Music recently launched public profiles so that you can properly share playlists. My profile is here, and it’s small at the moment, but I’m hoping to publish regular playlists. This first one, Oct 17 - Eclectic Selection, features songs that I have been listening to and loving over the past month in an effort to show just how mixed and bizarre my musical adventures can be. Some of the tracks are from albums that I’ve been listening to for On the Record, but others are songs I’ve listened to having been inspired by TV, film and musicals, as well as trying to play bass lines and generally listening to a lot of Beats1.

This is a far more traditional child’s adventure story than I had been anticipating. It took me a long time to get round to reading this one, despite it being so high up on the top 100 reading list I’m working through. At first, I wasn’t really on board with it at all - daemons and Oxford college and armoured bears. But the more I read, the more it grew on me.

There are some great elements, Bratt allowing some fabulous eighties references is great, and I quite enjoyed the juxtaposition between the twin brothers. But actually, not having enough stories means the film relies too heavily on minions being cute, or pigs scattering the land, or the unicorn sub-plot.

Love this album. I know it from old, one of my favourites, and it’s still up there. Just plain simple guitar rock, tortured souls but great songs, and some real gems including Wherever You Will Go and Things Don’t Always Turn Out That Way. Could listen over and over.

Wasn’t expecting too much from this – I’m totally on board with Miley reinventing herself whenever she has a mind too, but it was sold as an updated take on fifties beats. Odd. But actually it really works for me. I like almost all the songs, and they have a good, chilled out, mostly positive vibe.

Loved this. I don’t know a huge amount about Poirot really, but I’m hoping to read and learn more. This audiobook version is read by the two different narrators, and there’s a slight issue in that one is much better than the other, but still, the stories are the main focus and they are nearly always interesting.

I am adamant that if Cold as Ice was made today, it would sound totally legit and fit in with the current music scene. The rest of the album, not so much. It’s good but very seventies, very of its time. Things get off to a good start with Feels Like the First Time and Cold as Ice, but the rest of it is less memorable.

Was really looking forward to this after the genius of What About Us, and for the most part it totally delivered. It felt like a rollercoaster of emotions on the first listen, but it really grew on me on the second. With the documentary giving a bit of extra insight to some of the songs, as well, it really helps make this one shine.

This is a really interesting book, I think. Not totally successful but quite a thought-provoking piece of work. It’s stacked full of sub-plots that confront a lot of issues - empty nest syndrome, falling out of love with your partner, affairs, racism, getting older, the fickleness of celebrity, and at its heart, just plain mental health issues.

The murder mystery was good, I guessed a few names but got it wrong each time, and like all good stories, the answer was obvious when it was revealed to you. It’s not a happy story, but as with the TV series, the real joy comes from the team of misfits investigating. It was fun reading through the crisis of confidence Richard had, questioning his own methods. I think I said this in my last review, but it’s nice to read more about why he’s the way he is, whereas on the TV show you could never really delve into his inner thoughts.

Something about Johnny Cash’s deep and sultry voice just washes over you and wraps you in a comforting blanket – even when he’s singing about troubling topics. Prison, death, heartbreak, and just the occasional glimpse of love going right, this is a brilliant, if short, debut album.

Lovely album from Shania, it’s incredible to think it’s her first in 15 years. The songs veer from positive life-affirming pop to serious personal pain, but all with the sheen of pop-country that you come to expect from Shania. Never gonna beat Come On Over as an album, but an incredible return.

I wasn’t aware of the TED talk that brought the author into the public, but having read the book, I’m keen to seek it out. It’s an incredible tale of bravery amidst chaos, of losing your identity in the search for a better life, and of family loyalties and impossible choices. It’s really a heart-wrenching story from start to finish - that there are countries in the world like this, that those looking for help get ripped off at every turn, and that the end result isn’t a wonderful happy ending but just another step along a journey of huge adjustment.

The penultimate book in the Clifton Chronicles and at last it seems as though the threads are starting to draw together - and people are starting to get what they deserve. This book contains plenty of drama and twists and turns, but I must admit the endless scenes in law courts and boardroom meetings are starting to wear thin.

I know a few of Nelly’s main singles but from this album I was only aware of Ride Wit Me (which I love). The whole album has a similar feel, a sort of chilled out vibe rather than angry rage rapping, and that makes it a really nice listen. It’s not all as strong as Ride Wit Me, but still I liked it.

Was looking forward to this album and it mostly delivered, although I was curious about the tone. Kicking off with an empowering anthem then switching immediately to a weepy ‘I’m nothing without you’ song is a bit weird. Demi gets quite personal, and there’s some good songs, but I didn’t enjoy the one with ridiculous amounts of swearing.

On the surface, this film is very much like the CHiPs remake - an old school television show, revamped and turned into a film. It’s superficial, good looking, with a lot of base humour and, you know, body jokes. HOWEVER. Baywatch is actually a good bad film, whereas the more I think about CHiPs, the more I dislike it.

I left a bit too much of a gap between reading the previous book and this one so that I couldn’t remember all that had happened, and was grateful for any and all catchups that were mentioned in the book. You’re thrust straight into the action after the cliffhanger from the last book, but it’s all soon resolved and the story continues onwards.

Really enjoyed this album – didn’t know very much about The Cranberries going in, other than Zombie. It’s all so very Irish, great accents, great instruments, and a lilting pain that pervades even through some of the more upbeat stuff. Perhaps some of the songs were a little samey, but overall a great album.

Great to hear The Killers again, such a distinctive voice and some great songs to go along with it. I didn’t really like the title track so the album got off to a very inauspicious start but it picked up as it went along, and I quite enjoyed the rest of the piece.

Recently, I’ve been trying to watch more educational television alongside all the more sensational Netflix stuff or traditional half-hour comedies. This desire has meant checking out a lot of BBC Four and BBC Two, and I really enjoyed the four-part factual show on the latter: World’s Busiest Cities. Presented by Anita Rani, Dan Snow and Ade Adepitan, the show delved into what makes four very different cities across the globe tick. After the first episode, I was a bit confused about what the aim of the programme was – it felt a bit like a random selection of insights into a city that didn’t necessarily tie together. However, after watching more episode, I realised that the randomness of it actually was the point. These cities are huge and sprawling and you never know what you’re going to find around the next corner.

Now that Rhyme and Sachs have been partnered up for a while, it’s nice to see new characters getting a look in. We’ve got Pulaski, who was featured previously but really steps into the new boy role here, and of course Kathryn Dance, who gets her own spin off series after this first appearance.

Been waiting for this film ever since the first trailers appeared, and there was so much fuss over it - the first proper female led superhero movie in a long time. I was supremely glad to see it, and not only because it was a good film but also because it didn’t stand out for me for being a female superhero movie. In fact, it stood out only in so much as it was a great superhero film and certainly the best one that DC have made in a considerable amount of time.

I listened to the audiobook of this, mostly because of the fabulous narration by Robert Glenister but also because I knew I wouldn’t have time to read the book before the TV show disappeared off the iPlayer. Now I’ve caught up, I’m really glad my hand was forced because this was a surprising and unusual take on the detective genre.

Not sure you’d have got me listening to an album that kicks off with an 11 minute song this time last year, but I’m all on board now. Very similar to the first Bat Out of Hell, this is piano rock opera at its finest, but I think if you pushed me I’d have to say I preferred the first album to this. All good though.

This is a pretty good album to chill out to but I was expecting more of it to stand out than it did. The fun game of “who is going to guest on each song and what are they going to sing” only lasts for so long. I really like Feels with Katy Perry, and the Nicki Minaj song was good, but otherwise it wasn’t as memorable as I’d thought it might be, considering the calibre of talent on it.

Surprised to find this film, hadn’t heard of it despite a relatively good cast, and it popped up at exactly the right time to be the perfect film for our viewing needs. It was your usual heist-doesn’t-go-quite-right-or-does-it film, not particularly ground-breaking in its plot and plot twists, but it was a lot of fun.

Really love this album, there are so many tunes on it, it’s a real collection of genius. Pink has always been kinda inspirational and her recent thoughts on just being yourself and proving you’re awesome by getting on with it and ignoring the haters just add to the weight behind great songs like on this album. Can’t wait for the new one.

Didn’t know this band before listening, but actually really enjoyed this one. They have a sort of blend of established guitar bands, like Muse, The Killers and Stereophonics, which kind of makes it a new take on a very saturated genre. Good stuff.

I’m working my way through the Lincoln Rhyme thrillers, some of which I’ve read before and some of which are new. This one I came to fresh and what I’m astounded by is how each presents a new set of challenges for the crime scene crew in Lincoln’s townhouse. Part of the draw to come back to the series is to find out what’s happening in Lincoln’s personal life - both romantic and health-wise - but I’m impressed that the crimes are never formulaic.

This was a good film, very much in the same vein as the other John Carney ones, although not as good as Begin Again, I’d argue. It was intensely eighties, and portrayed an Ireland that is sometimes hard to fathom, but I did enjoy how the main kid kept adapting his look as he watched more and more pop videos.

I was kind of in two minds about Carpool Karaoke branching out on its own. It works brilliantly as a sketch on the James Cordon late night show, but to stand on its own two feet? How would that work? Could it sustain a longer show? And what would it be like without James? Well, the answer is that for the most part, it’s still as brilliant as it was before. There are some niggles, but the overall result is an entertaining and still laugh out loud funny programme.

This video came as a complete surprise to me. I didn’t know that Josh from Drake and Josh was a video blogger, although I did know that he had got all thin and had fallen out with Drake about the wedding. Sad times. Except not sad times because that meant we got this amazing video. So much to love about this, but of course the reunion itself is the main thing. The joke about the wedding is wonderful, and the bonus appearance at the end too. Plus I love that Alexa gets a say in it.

I’m still quite new to the whole bass playing thing and I’ve been looking around the App Store for instructional apps. Whilst the scope is limited for bass guitar itself, the arena of musical tuition is incredible. I so wish these things existed when I was a kid and was trying my hand at all kinds of different instruments. For now, though, I’ve settled on Yousician, an app that covers four instruments including bass. They have instructional video and exercises that can pick up your playing and make sure you’re doing it properly. Of course there are badges and rewards, and a daily goal, but for the most part, Yousician is just a good encouragement to pick up the bass each day, learn something new, and get a bit of practice.

I was highly anticipating this, but it didn’t quite work for me. No question Janet Jackson is fab but as a whole, it was all just a bit eighties and the songs never quite seemed to go anywhere. A few of them were too repetitive and although not a bad listen, I wouldn’t pick this out again.

First listen through this was a bit disappointing – it doesn’t really stand out like previous singles and albums have, and it’s not as inspirational as previous work. However, second listen was better, there are some good ideas on there and it’s quite a chilled out album to relax with. The single Rain grew on me after many listens, so I reckon this album is also a grower.

I’ve attempted watching this before and was a bit too grumpy to look past the clip-clopping coconuts. This time round, I was right on board and that made all of it quite a lot of fun. I don’t think this film is as good as Life of Brian, and it certainly felt a lot more disjointed and random (even more random than you expect Monty Python to be!).

The one thing it is easy to forget when you have a blog is that people are occasionally reading what you’re saying. It really shouldn’t be a surprise when someone says “Hey, why don’t you try this food, I know you’re trying to taste new things, I saw it on your blog.” I wasn’t keen, if I’m honest, because this thing is called liquorice root. I don’t like liquorice, and it looked like a tree branch, which I’ve not previously had a fondness for eating either.

The first twenty minutes of this were great, setting up interesting ethical and moral questions alongside the unmistakable tension and suspense that a movie like Alien does so well. Unfortunately, once the action actually started, it was just too much grossness. That’s all I can say.

I can’t remember where I heard of the Serial reading app, but I downloaded it a while back and left it sitting on my phone for a while before I had time to play around with it. After finally investigating what it has to offer, I can’t now decide how I feel about it. As with all the best apps, Serial Reader offers up a simple solution to a problem you didn’t know you had. Classic works, from esteemed authors such as Charles Dickens, H.G. Wells or Philip K. Dick, are broken down into manageable bite-size chunks and delivered to your device in “issues” – twenty minute blocks to help you work through the task of reading.

I’ve heard this a few times, obviously, but somehow I’d forgotten that there were just so many great tracks on here. It’s a fab album from start to finish, and I can understand why Mr C loves it so much. Listened to this just in time to start enjoying her new stuff too!

At first, I was optimistic about this one - I liked the style and the different guests bringing unique voices to various tracks. Unfortunately, it still all managed to sound similar - and a couple of the songs were just like Closer with Halsey. Good but not great.

A quirky little true-ish story, this one. Totally adorable in places, moving and sad in others. Pretty much everyone under the sun made a bonus appearance in this film, so I was forever pointing at the screen trying to remember their names. But distractions aside, the story told within is so simple, tender and emotional that it’s hard not to like it.

Just as advertised, this was a totally different take on the superhero genre. I had a moment at the start wandering where this fitted into the mess that is the X-Men timeline, but then I sort of had to give that up. James Mangold has said he mostly ignored the universe and just told the story he had to tell, which I think is a bit weird (why enter a universe if you don’t want to engage with it?) but the end result is still a fascinating watch.

I sort of can’t sum up my feelings about this film, it was so good. It’s just over two hours long, but quite honestly, it took us about four hours to watch because we had to keep pausing and rewatching the awesomeness. The David Hasselhoff bit, the Zune, Baby Groot being adorable, Drax being hilarious, it was all just brilliant.

After the exploits of the last book, where Rhyme and Sachs were somewhat out of their comfort zone in the country, this time they’re firmly back in New York. Instead, the foreign nature of the crimes comes to their door as they are dealing with Chinese people smuggling racket, and hunting the mastermind behind the whole thing.