Weekly Blog Posts

• BOOKISH POST – Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

When I released my recommendations for books to read, I included Malorie Blackman’s YA series even though I barely took any notice of it as a kid. I definitely read it but I don’t think I paid much attention to the themes. It came out when I was 13 so I should have worked out what was going on. I suspect that I was just bored by the romance. I’ve never been that into doomed romances. I’d already bought a copy ahead of the TV show’s release and I decided it was time to go back to it. To see if the second read was more successful, check out my review.

• TUESDAY REVIEW – Just Mercy (2019)

Something great has happened since the Black Lives Matter movement started showing the world that they were here to be heard. Companies have realised that this isn’t just going to go away quickly. It has forced people to rethink some things and take some positive action. This includes making certain resources available to people for free. Documentaries and films are being offered for free streaming so people can learn more This 2019 film is one of them. Read my review to see why I’ve been recommending that people watch this.

• BOOK REVIEW – Heartburn by Nora Ephron

I took a quick break from my new anti-racist TBR to read this month’s book club pick. We chose this book at the end of May but I’d been putting it off for ages. It no longer felt like the right thing to be reading. It all seemed quite meaningless, which is quite a thing to think about this story. After all, it is based on the real story surrounding the end of Nora Ephron’s second marriage. A devastating tale that saw her find out about her husband’s affair when she was 7 months pregnant. Head over to my review to see if it was worth breaking off from my TBR.

• TBT REVIEW – The Princess and the Frog (2009)

My current focus of amplifying melanated voices doesn’t just mean embracing non-fiction and documentaries. It means embracing the representation of non-white people in all areas. Films and television are slowly getting more diverse but it’s not great. We need to show Hollywood that there is an audience for Black stories and films. And not just films like Black Panther or Green Book which both offer Hollywood friendly examples of what it is to be a Black person. It’s been over 10 years since Disney first introduced their first non-white princess but it really doesn’t feel as if Hollywood has moved on much. If you’re feeling nostalgic then check out my review.

Just Read

• Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

I managed to get through this in a couple of days, which not only got me back on track with my reading schedule but also knocked another book off my new TBR. I bought a new copy of this book back in March and had intended to read it before I watched the TV show. Being me, that never happened but the last few weeks have changed. It felt like the right time to break this open.

Currently Reading

• If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

I watched the film adaptation of this book last year and loved it. I don’t think it got the attention that it deserved at the Oscars because it was bloody beautiful. I decided to make it the next stop on my anti-racist journey. I imagine James Baldwin will come up quite a bit and this seemed like a great place to start.

Recently Purchased

I was a bit naughty this week and bought a few books. Waterstone’s had a deal that you could get double points last weekend and double points meant getting to money off quicker. They were all books that had been sat in my basket for ages, so it’s not as if I forced myself to find something. They won’t get read for a while because of my current focus but I’m glad I have them.

• Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan – This just sounds amazing and it was the perfect purchase for Pride month. An Irish woman in Hong Kong, the banker who likes to spend money on her, and the woman who might actually prefer spending time with.
• The Truants by Kate Weinberg – I bought this not because I was convinced that it would be good but because I was curious. Any book that is compared to Agatha Christie has a lot to live up and, in my experience, they usually can’t. We’ll see if this one can.
• Wonderscape by Jennifer Bell – Waterstone’s Children’s Book of the Month sounds great. Kind of like Ready Player One meets Bill and Ted’s Most Excellent Adventure. I’m willing to give it a chance.

Recently Watched

• TV:
  • Noughts and Crosses – I watched this all last Sunday and I’m not really sure what I think. I think it was really well-made and well cast. I think it was powerful and important. But, I have some doubts. Some of the changes to the novel were disappointing and some of them were successful. I worry about the ending and I worry about just how dystopian it was. It seemed a bit too hopeful and far-fetched because of it and I worry it might dilute the message for some people. Still, it was a great thing all round.
  • Rick and Morty– Netflix sent an email out this week telling me that season 4 had finally arrived. I was excited. I sat down to watch the whole season only to find the episodes stopped after 5. I know that when the show appeared on TV there was a gap but what the fuck Netflix? Get your act together. The first 5 were pretty good. I wasn’t much of a fan of the first episode but they picked up. I just need the next 5 to get here pretty quick.
  • Drunk Histories UK – I think the whole Drunk Histories premise is genius. It has everything you could want and is so funny. I’ve been going through the UK version and it’s impossible not to laugh.