How are we half way through the year now?! Going through this pandemic has truly made time a confusing concept. Anyway, today I am here with a little (or maybe bigger than I expected) round-up of all the things I have been reading, watching and listening to over the past month. Expect a selection of great series to get stuck into, intriguing podcasts to fill your walks and commutes with, and a brilliant album that I can’t get enough of.
Read:
I have read less than usual this month, or at least have been a lot slower reading the books than usual; I wasn’t sure why until I was making a list of everything I have watched this month, and realised that the balance has skewed far more that way! So although I don’t have a lot of books to tell you about, I have really enjoyed what I have read and can’t wait to share them with you.
How Do We Know If We’re Doing This Right? by Pandora Sykes
My latest non-fiction read is a selection of essays by journalist and podcaster Pandora Sykes, exploring different aspects of modern life, from wellness to binge-watching to careers, posing the question of: is there a way of doing this right? The short answer: probably not, as everyone is different, but I particularly enjoyed the ‘Get The Look’ chapter about modern fashion consumption. It is a very well-researched and well-written book and worth getting your hands on a copy, as it has recently been released on paperback.
The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
I’m currently half way through my current read, a novel about an American family, flashing back to moments of their lives to explore why the four daughters have all ended up in very different situations to each other. I have started to really get into this one and the characters are becoming very interesting, so I will keep you updated!
Watched:
As mentioned above, I have a lot to tell you about what I have watched this month. I’m splitting it into three little sections; the shows I have watched at the theatre, tv series and finally my favourite film of the month.
The Show Must Go On! At the Palace Theatre
At the beginning of the month I went to a wonderful show to celebrate theatres finally being able to reopen. The Show Must Go On! took place over five days as a concert in support of the theatre industry with performances from sixteen different musicals, from my favourites Les Mis and Mary Poppins to shows that haven’t even had their first West End performance yet, like Back to the Future! It was amazing to get a taster of everything the West End has to offer and a recording of it will soon be broadcast on Sky Arts, so stay tuned for that! Read my full review of the show here.
Les Miserables: The Staged Concert at the Sondheim Theatre
As I just mentioned, Les Miserables is my favourite musical ever, so I couldn’t resist going along to the current socially-distanced concert run when I spotted a cheap seat online. The staged concert edition of the musical was devised in 2019 with an all-star cast as it temporarily relocated to the smaller theatre next door, but has been revived over the summer as it is possible to open as a distanced show. As always, I was blown away and cried through the encore!
I’ve watched quite a few TV series this month, as a couple of my favourite series have been back and given me a new episode each week – it’s so exciting to have that to look forward to!
Firefly Lane | Netflix
The best drama series I watched this month (and for quite some time, to be honest) was the Netflix original Firefly Lane starring Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke as two best friends who are inseparable despite their different paths of life. I was hooked on this series from beginning to end as each episode ends with a dramatic cliffhanger. It flips between three pivotal times in the characters Kate and Tully’s lives; as teenagers in the 1970s, starting their careers in the 80s and the ‘present’ in their forties in 2003. The show captures the time periods so well using incredible fashion and music choices to make the show come to life.
Glow Up, Season 3 | BBC iPlayer
A break from drama series, I have recently loved watching the latest series of my favourite reality show, Glow Up. A competition to find the best makeup artist, the MUAs tackle challenges on the set of shows such as The Crown and Peaky Blinders to creating social media content and looks found in the windows of high street stores. You will be blown away by some of the talent of these makeup artists, the unique and original ideas are really awe-inspiring!
Trying, Season 2 | Apple TV
Apple TV’s sitcom Trying, about a couple living in London who are trying to adopt a child after being unable to have one of their own, has come back for a second season this month and it has to be my favourite show that I am currently watching. I thought the first season was good, but it has seriously got even better – each episode that comes out on a Friday is potentially the highlight of my week! The main two protagonists, Nikki and Jason, portrayed by Esther Smith and Rafe Spall, are loveable and hilarious while this season has also delved further into the lives of their close friends and parents.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series – Season 2 | Disney+
I had my reservations about the very long-winded titled High School Musical: The Musical: The Series on Disney+ – how could it be as good as the original film series? But I was won over when I finally watched the first season a couple of months ago, just in time for its second series with episodes uploaded each Friday. There’s drama, suspense, romance, friendship and most importantly, the most amazing performances. They have managed to capture the same feel-good spirit that exists in the original trilogy and I love the mix of original songs and new music throughout.
I also finished watching Back, a sitcom on All4 starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb which was wacky and brilliant with laugh-out-loud moments in every episode, and started watching the Netflix sitcom After Life, which took a bit of getting into but does become very witty and profound.
In The Heights
My favourite film this month has to be In The Heights; this will come as no surprise to anyone who knows how much I love a good musical though! Created by Lin Manuel Miranda who is of course also the brain behind Hamilton, it is the perfect summer feel-good that you definitely need to go and see – although be warned that the songs will be in your head for days!
Listened To:
Album | Olivia Rodrigo: Sour
After watching the first series of HSM: The Musical: The Series, I was absolutely blown away by Olivia Rodrigo’s talent (as she portrays the main character, Nini), so when I realised the hit song Drivers’ Licence was by her I became obsessed with her music. Her debut album Sour was released in late May and it is a must-listen. I particularly love the opening track Brutal, an ode to my teenage self, Good 4 u, so powerful and uplifting and Deja Vu which has a brilliant chill sound.
Podcast | Katherine Ryan’s Telling Everybody Everything
My favourite podcast this month is by comedian Katherine Ryan, where she tells everybody everything about the latest stories in popular culture, or occasionally in her own life, before sharing some insights sent in by her listeners. I love this podcast because it is both informative and hilarious, but especially because of her very unbiased and balanced way of telling news-stories; Katherine has a great knack of telling them and being both witty and non-judgemental, making it really interesting to listen to.
Podcast | In Writing with Hattie Crisell
This month a friend recommended to me the podcast In Writing, where host Hattie Crisell interviews writers about their careers and writing processes. I tend to gravitate towards comedy podcasts so this was a different choice for me but a great one. She speaks to writers of all kinds, from editors like Alexandra Schulman, novelists including Anna Hope and Kiley Reid and even discusses writing stand-up with my favourite comedian, James Acaster; there really is an episode for everyone in this podcast. I’ve only listened to a couple of episodes so far but can’t wait to listen to more over the upcoming months because the format is really interesting, so I would recommend it to any budding writer.
That’s everything that I have been reading, watching and listening to in June! Let me know what you have enjoyed this month in the comments, I’d love some recommendations for July!
