Welcome to a rather late post today! Sorry it’s a few hours later than normal, but I forgot until this afternoon that this post needed to be written and posted! Today, we’re doing a classic roundup of some of my recent favourites, be it books, TV shows, games, anything. This one’s going to be a bit brief because work was pretty full-on in my last few months, because I was trying to complete a qualification that took up a lot of my time after work. So, I didn’t get that much done. But we’re going to chat about what I did manage to enjoy, and you can share your recent favourites in the comments section!
Books
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier. Du Maurier is definitely in contention for one of my favourite authors of all time. Her stories seem timeless, and they’re so engaging. Frenchman’s Creek features a dashing French pirate, who of course sweeps our (married) protagonist, Dona, off her feet. Just… give me more!
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Not for anyone who has triggers related to mental health, The Bell Jar is a raw and touching book, beautifully written by Plath. Plath, of course, suffered her own mental health issues throughout her life, and I think this personal experience is what makes the book feel so authentic. It’s an incredible piece of fiction, but definitely not for everyone.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. I got this book in Hachette’s Feminist Book Box, and I loved it. The writing was fabulous, and really pulled me into the world of the story. The narrative itself was touching and engaging, and there were some amazing characters in here as well.
Klara and the Sun – Kazuo Ishiguro. I do enjoy the odd speculative fiction, and Ishiguro is a writer that I follow, so I was really excited about this, his latest release, and it didn’t disappoint. The premise was really interesting, and I felt like it touched upon a lot of issues and discussions that are likely to come to the forefront of conversations surrounding technology and AI in the next couple of decades.
TV
Glow Up (BBC3). I discovered Glow Up I think through the adverts on iPlayer, and I managed to watch all 3 series. It was my go-to show for watching right at the end of my day to wind down and get ready for bed. The MUAs are all great, and it’s not a bitchy reality show at all; they all get on well and it’s pretty wholesome! And there’s some amazing makeup looks on every episode.
The Great British Sewing Bee (BBC). So after I finished Glow Up, I needed something else to take its place as my end-of-day wind-down, and this was my pick. I’ve seen the most recent series, but not the older ones, so I put those on. I have to say, I prefer the show now that Esme is a judge and Joe Lycett presents, but the older series are definitely still worth a watch, and nice and wholesome to end a day on.
Films
The Dreamers. I don’t watch many films, but I did watch this a couple of months ago and enjoyed it. I will say though, it’s not for anyone looking for something wholesome. If you want more debauched, The Secret History vibes, then you’ll probably like this.
Games
Beyond Eyes (PS4). This is a cute game that I started playing a couple of days ago. The player character is a young blind girl, looking for her cat, Nani. The game takes a really interesting approach to simulating blindness: areas are not visible until the player has visited them. This is a great way to know where you’ve already been, as the area that gets cleared as you walk around is quite limited. Another great touch is the mistaken sounds. Noisy things are visible from further away, but sometimes as you get closer, it transforms into something else, showing Rae misinterpreting some sounds from a distance.
Websites/Apps
Notion. I’ve said it before, but here I am, saying it again. I’ve recently revamped my home page and blog page with inspiration from the Notion subreddit, and they’re now much more functional. I’m still working on getting my library pages sorted, but hopefully that will be done soon too!
Pokemon Go! Yes, it’s old news, but I redownloaded it recently and I’ve been enjoying it! I log on fairly often to check out what’s around me, and there’s definitely been some big updates since the app was last popular. There are now more PokeStops and Gyms, and a much better range and wider variety of Pokemon around as well (gone are the days of only finding Pidgeys!).
Food/Drink
I’ve been really into iced tea recently, as the weather’s got a bit warmer, but I am also very partial to Costa’s Ruby Hot Chocolate. In terms of food, I don’t think I’ve branched out much lately, but I always love a good curry, and I’m trying to get back into cooking because right now I’m home alone (so someone’s gotta produce the meals!) and on Monday, I’m moving to London!
What have you been enjoying lately?
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