I’ve had a lot more time on my hands recently since I moved into my flat on my own – and especially since I work four days’ a week and no longer have a commute beyond a 20-minute walk to work. I’m taking it easy at the moment and giving myself lots of time to just chill, reflect and do things just for me. Because of that I’ve had lots of time to catch up on my to-read pile, listen to podcasts, watch a ton of Netflix and tick off the long list of unread articles in my Pocket app.
I thought I’d start a regular feature where I list my favourites of what I’ve been eagerly digesting – I did try this as a newsletter previously and I may one day go back to that, but for now I’m going to try and pop it on the blog every month (or more frequently perhaps as I really am trucking through things at a rate of knots!)
N e t f l i x
I had a period of time where I wasn’t watching much Netflix but I’m now back at it with a vengeance and I’ve powered through a few series’ recently that I’ve recently enjoyed.
The Sinner – It usually takes me a couple of episodes to get into a series but I was totally hooked on this from halfway through the first episode (when you watch it, you’ll know). I must admit I powered through this in a single day – the acting was amazing, the storyline is brilliant and I’m very excited about the return of Bill Pullman.
Long Shot – This documentary about a man accused of murder and his brilliant defence lawyer was totally fascinating – I don’t want to say too much as I was so invested in the case, but it really is a rollercoaster ride.
Mindhunter – A lot of people recommended this to me due to my incessant love for true crime dramas and it didn’t disappoint. It took me a little while to get into it but it was definitely a good watch – it’s the story of two FBI Agents and a psychologist who attempt to profile serial killers in order to solve open cases.
A m a z o n
There are a lot of brilliant series’ on Amazon that you can watch for free if you have Prime (totally worth it). These two are two of the best series’ that I’ve watched in ages.
The Girlfriend Experience – This is not for the faint hearted if you’re something of a prude, but I found it a great watch. It features a trainee lawyer who discovers the world of the ‘girlfriend experience’ and becomes working as an escort whilst becoming mixed up in the goings-on at the law firm she’s interning at.
I Love Dick – I avoided this as I didn’t know how to explain to people what I was watching! But it’s absolutely brilliant and right up my street, despite the fact that I have no idea how to describe it. Essentially it features a married couple who move to an academic community in Texas and become obsessed with the professor, played by Kevin Bacon. I can’t recommend it enough, there are a lot of feminist themes and it’s so creative and fun to watch.
B o o k s | A u d i b l e
Most books nowadays I listen to on audiobook on Audible – I definitely get the most out of that monthly subscription and I’m always listening in the car or when I’m walking the dog. I do also want to get much better at reading in bed though so I can tackle my enormous to-read pile! (Less scrolling through Twitter needs to happen to allow this).
The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage – I resisted this book initially as I thought it was a prequel to His Dark Materials, but after hearing that you could read them independently (as – the shame – I haven’t read the HDM trilogy yet!) I snapped it right up. I loved every single second of it. It was written so wonderfully and felt like such an adventure, I was on the edge of my seat listening to it on Audible and I was disappointed when I finished it.
Find the Good – This was one of those books that came along just at the right time for me. It’s written by Heather Lende, an Alaskan obituary writer who shares the lessons and learnings she has discovered through studying other people’s lives (and deaths). It’s just so poetic and perfect and I had to keep reading back sections of it as the quotes were so wonderful; it’s a real treasure of a book.
Marlena – Marlena is the story of a young, teenage friendship and just perfectly captures the wildness and freedom of growing up and experiencing those firsts and sharing it with someone you are close to. It is so many things at once – sad, gripping, poetic and just so real and raw. I loved it.
P o d c a s t s
As you might know by now, I’m a total podcast obsessive, and whilst I have my favourites (The High Low Show, All Killa No Filla, Unexplained, In Sight and lots more) I’m always looking to discover new ones. A few that I’ve come across this month are:
The Priestess Podcast – This podcast is hosted by Julie Parker and features chats with inspirational women about all things spiritual and soulful. I came across it when she featured Rebecca Campbell (whose work I love) and her interview is really great.
Dirty John – I raced through this podcast as it was just so brilliant and different. The true story of a woman who meets a man and falls in love – and the deceit and betrayal that follows – warning, it’s very addictive.
What have you been bingeing on recently? Send me your recommendations!
