Hello Feb
Exciting news, my latest novel is back from the editor. Waiting on publishing date. I've also joined a book club. Our first read is God of The Woods, which I reviewed recently here. Love book talk!
I may have been late to the party, but I am so glad I got there eventually.
What I’m Reading :
Caledonian Road is a masterpiece of a novel written in a style that feels reminiscent of Martin Amis. O’Hagan carves us up a little post-pandemic attitude. A slice of the nation read. The characters are that winning combo of self-absorbed and self-destructive yet strangely compulsive. In some places, the scope of the novel feels almost Dickensian, with character names to match (Big Pharma). Snatches of recent events thread through this fictional narrative, bringing back a sense of shock and disgust as we realise, just before each event, what is about to play out—Did that all really happen? Did we forget it so soon? Fiction with a backdrop of reality. Don’t leave the decade without grabbing yourself a copy.
Recently, I’ve also been reading.
LITERARY: I am loving Rachel Cusk’s Outline Trilogy. Part biog, part fiction, a snapshot of characters and events. Small fragments of elegantly crafted prose trip from Cusk’s pen, the observational ink never running dry. This is the kind of writer’s notebook every author wishes they had squirrelled away in their own tote bag.
What I’m Watching, TV :
I’d avoided watching the TV series Sexy Beast—the Ray Winstone film is so iconic. I guess I wasn’t alone, as the critics panned this 2024 offering, and the ratings were low. But this is no sad shadow of a Ray Winstone remake. It’s a prequel. Think Sopranos with an East End twist. I’m truly mystified by the bad reviews. This show works like a dream, a bad one, but this is gangland territory. There’s Gal, the leader of the pack, a self-confessed thief but a good guy at heart (played by James McArdle). Gal’s psychotic, hot-headed, but loyal-as-a-dog friend Don (Emun Elliott) cuts an unnerving presence. But pales in comparison to his evil-eyed witch of a sister, Cecilia, played so perfectly by Tamsin Greig—the matriarch of a slot machine empire. Then there’s Gal’s love interest, the gorgeous Sarah Greene. The chemistry is palpable. This is an overlooked gem of a show. I’d give it five stars for the acting, that chemistry, and a story arc, which just does not give up.
Recently, I’ve also been watching:
Netflix. Amazon Prime: Upper Middle Bogan, by the same team who brought us Colin from Accounts, so you know it makes sense in that left-field Aussie way. The first series was released in 2013. There’s a little teeth-gritting to be done during the pilot, but once you get into the flow, it’s a fun lighthearted watch.
Apple TV: Severance, one of my favourite shows of 2022, is back. This dystopian corporate nightmare has a wonderfully surreal edge. Season Two started off slow and a little visually bland, but the premise, the acting and the intrigue are all as on-point as ever. If you like The Truman Show or Black Mirror, this one is for you.
What I’m Watching, Film :
The Brutalist: Adrien Brody stars as Holocaust survivor László Tóth, a once-celebrated architect attempting to build not only his life in the USA but iconic structures. The acting is incredible. Brody’s performance is so raw that, at times, it’s painful to watch. There are some wonderfully cinematic sequences. The visit to the Carrara marble quarry is a Fellini-style story world all of its own. As a film, this is a huge achievement, but there are also holes. The ending felt thrown on and expositional, and is that stock footage of Venice? It won’t be, but… it could be. There are odd details that never play out (two discussions about hair dye?) In the penultimate confrontation, I found myself so busy wondering how Tóth’s wife was manoeuvering that I stopped engaging with the action. Wouldn’t an earlier hint of this possibility (no spoilers) have been a good idea? The sense of place is also lacking—America doesn’t look like America (it was filmed in Hungary). It’s absolutely worth a watch, but I would only give it four stars out of five.
Additional delights this month: A Real Pain was kind of fun. Kieran Culkin is predictably magnetic with those compulsive mannerisms I could watch all day. This is a road movie with a twist—a mini-bus coach tour to honour Grandma. Jesse Eisenberg plays the awkward straight guy, striking a neat contrast to Culkin’s exuberant but loveable nutcase. It's a small but solid film in the same kind of vein as Sideways. A pleasant way to while away a few hours.
Free Reads:
Sweet & Cosy Mystery
Bargain Books:
Mine is The Insider’s Club.
For Mystery and Crime:
Middle-Grade Books:
Mine is Paws for Thought