The good news is that my first week back at work was better than I was expecting. It’s been busy but manageable. The bad news? I haven’t exactly done well with reading this week. I’ve been horribly by other things this week. I’ve not been turning off my computer until about midnight every night and that’s really not a good time to pick up a book. I got some done last night and I’ll try and get some serious reading on today. However, I have a bit of stuff to sort out. Namely applying to a few jobs. Before Covid-19, my boss basically told me that they might not be able to afford to keep me on, so I’m a little worried that, when all of the furloughed staff come back, they might suddenly decide that they can’t keep me on. It’s always good to get ahead with new jobs and, thankfully, people still need marketing people in a pandemic. Now I have real-life experience, it might even be easier than last time.

Weekly Blog Posts

• BOOK REVIEW – The Truants by Kate Weinberg

Oh look, another female author writing about a murder has been compared to Agatha Christie. What a huge surprise. Seriously, this has to stop. For one thing. very few writers have the same talent for plot that Christie has. For another, it shows a huge misunderstanding of the Queen of Crime. In fact, this whole book felt really patronising towards Christie and her novels. I hate the kind of literary elite who look down on her as being cosy crime. If you’re enjoying this rant, check out my review to hear more.

• TUESDAY REVIEW – How to Build a Girl (2020)

The adaptation of Caitlin Moran’s novel sounded great on paper. Written by the author, directed and produced by women, and starring Beanie Feldstein. The film, set on a council estate in Wolverhampton, felt like a huge fuck you to Hollywood. My only reservation came from hearing Feldstein’s accent. It wasn’t the worst attempt at a British accent by an American actor but it was a bit of a miss for me. Still, that wasn’t going to put me off. Ideally, I’d have read the book before I watched it but I just didn’t want to wait. Read my review to find out if I’ll be moving the book up my TBR now.

• BOOK REVIEW – The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 1: Apocalypse Suite by Gerard Way, Gabriel Bá

Last weekend, I binged watched the whole second series of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. Now, I don’t think the show was quite as good as the first series but it was still solid entertainment. I’d never read the comic book before watching the show but had always been intrigued. When I needed a quick read for this review, I decided it was time to see what all the fuss was about. Head over to my review to see if I enjoyed it as much as the show.

• TBT REVIEW – How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)

Not all TBT films are going to be solid choices. I only picked this film because I couldn’t face watching Almost Famous. God, that film bored me to tears when I first watched it. Instead, I watched the first Kate Hudson film I found. Luckily, it was one in which she had dreams of being a journalist and having some man trouble along the way. If you’re feeling nostalgic then check out my review.

Just Read

• The Truants by Kate Weinberg

I spent a long time last weekend finishing this book. Was it worth it? Probably not. This started out really well but it just kept getting worse. It was a little dull, very obvious, and a little pretentious. I know a lot of people love it but it just did very little for me.

• The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 1: Apocalypse Suite by Gerard Way, Gabriel Bá

I love a good comic series when I’m looking for something to review. This took an hour or so to get through. It was fun but I think my reading benefitted from having knowledge of the show. Volume 1 doesn’t reveal as much as I expected it to.

Currently Reading

• The Spectrum of Sex by Hida Viloria and Maria Nieto

Have I read any more of this? No. Will I? Yes. I’m just so bad at getting into non-fiction. You can’t read it in the same way as fiction. It’s not the kind of thing to sit down with before bed as you’re dropping off.

• Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan

I started this last week and I’m slowly getting through it. Not that it’s terrible. If anything, it’s too good for me. I’m just not doing a good job of sitting down and reading. It might be the heat.

Recently Purchased

I bought one book this week and it was only because I felt so smug about not buying new books. It was The Women’s Suffrage Movement by Sally Roesch Wagner

Recently Watched

• TV:
  • The Umbrella Academy – I watched Season 2 last weekend. It was pretty good. I’ve not always been a huge Robert Sheehan fan but he is great as Klaus.
  • SugarRush – Yes, another ridiculous baking show. What can I say? I love it.
  • The Thin Blue Line – A classic BBC comedy that I used to watch when I was younger. Although, watching it again only proves that I didn’t remember any of it.
  • Making the Cut – Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum have their own fashion show and, though I’m not completely sold, it’s good to have on in the background.