Hello July

Summer's here—the perfect time to grab yourself a cracking good read. With links to free and bargain books and a few recommendations, get out that sun hat, slip on those sunglasses, sit back and enjoy

Jul 01, 2025

Link to ARC read Kinder https://dl.bookfunnel.com/nlv0ulayfy

What I’m Reading:

The Universe versus Alex Woods — This is one of those quirky, feel-good stories with a memorable character that will make you smile. Young Alex is stopped at the UK border with the ashes of Mr Peterson in the passenger seat and a large bag of weed in the glove compartment. The narrative then shuttles back through Alex’s life, tracing how everything veered off course the day he was struck by a meteorite. If you liked The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, this one is for you.

What I’m Watching, TV :

The Gold — a two-part BBC series about the Brink’s-Mat gold scandal. Based on the true story. The writing by Neil Forsyth is right up there with Succession: clever, idiosyncratic, and character-driven.

More watches — Netflix’s Department Q is another fantastic watch. A detective so grumpy he’s relegated to the basement and cold-case obscurity—only, of course, he and his hand-picked team of misfits start dusting off those files and solving the mysteries. Mysteries that are edge-of-the-seat brilliant.

What I’m Watching, FILM :

28 Years Later — I rewatched the others before going to the cinema, just to get myself back up to speed, but actually, you would be fine with no prior knowledge. 28 Years Later stands pretty much on its own, with wonderful performances from Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes. A little bit of Heart of Darkness going on. A little bit of humanity in unexpected places. Some interesting use of fractured archive footage, but… I’m not buying the baby storyline, although the ending gave me a shiver I wasn’t quite expecting!

More watches: Columbus by Kogonada was an unexpected treat. Released in 2017, it was an indie hit and is now available on Prime. If you like arty and thoughtful, this one’s for you. The son of a famous architect gets stranded when his dad is hospitalised in an out-of-the-way American town—Columbus. A place known for its architecture. A journey through some wonderful buildings and heartfelt emotions. Worth a watch.

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