DIARY: January 2020

My memory is absolutely shocking; this is why my Notes app is absolutely full to the brim, why I always have multiple to-do lists on the go, and why I have to write the plot points of the books I read down because I will have forgotten them by next week. For this reason, I thought it might be nice to start doing monthly round-ups at the end of each month, partly so you guys can see what I've been doing/eating/watching that month but also to help me remember. All too often I find myself not only forgetting the mundanities of everyday life but the really good stuff, too!

January in general is a tough month for me, but this year it has felt especially so. The first week or ten days are bearable; there's still the memory of Christmas and New Year and all the wholesomeness that came with it, you can still be excited to get out any new gifts you got and eat leftover chocolate, and for me I was very excited to buy new books and then go ahead and read them (you can read more about that here if you haven't already). But then January keeps going and going; the weather has been unendingly grey and taking pictures or doing any form of content creation seems to be an ongoing battle against the light which is poor enough to begin with. Waking up in the dark is no fun and it always means I have much less motivation to hit the gym which is one of the things that keeps me calm and relaxed. As we are finally schlepping it over the finish line into February I am breathing a sigh of relief, but am also nervous at the many grey weeks to come. Luckily, I'm off to St Lucia in February and I couldn't be more excited, plus I have planned lots and lots of travel this month so that is keeping me going through the remainder of the British winter.

On the other hand, work has been quiet as it always is at this time of year and I've managed to get lots of reading done which I've found to be very therapeutic, so there are always positives, too. My January reviews are coming out next week (though when they are up I will link them here), but I read some fantastic books this month which I am excited to share with you all.

I've also been to see a couple films. The first was Knives Out, which I was pleasantly surprised by. It’s a campy and old-fashioned whodunit with a modern twist. Daniel Craig investigates the death of a renowned crime novelist and has an exaggerated Southern drawl which amused me all on its own. Everyone in the deceased's family is under suspicion, and their entitled attitudes and questionable morality is shown up by the victim's nurse, a young immigrant woman who has a much keener sense of right and wrong. It's funny and entertaining but it also has a heart and a sense of its own politics, which I very much appreciated.

The second was A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, which I believe has come out in cinemas in the UK today, so thank you to Sony for allowing me to come to an advanced screening. It is based on an Esquire article that a journalist wrote about Fred Rogers - a beloved US children's television host who was on screens from the 1960s to the 1990s - and Rogers' effect on the cynical journalist's own life. If you'd like to read it I'll link it up here because I found it to be a really lovely read alongside the film. Some elements are fabricated, but the power of Mr Rogers' message is clear throughout; that we should be kind, that it takes work to be kind, that you must give children ways to express and deal with their emotions (something which is still so important today). Every time Tom Hanks was on screen I was basically crying; his performance is completely magnetic and magical, but the film never steers too far into sentimentalism or making a saint out of Rogers, and has some more surreal and unusual additions that I think only serve to make its message more powerful. I absolutely loved it and I can't wait to watch it again (and also cry in the comfort of my own home).

I went to see the Nam June Paik exhibition at the Tate Modern, too. I know almost nothing about art so prepare yourselves for the worst here, guys. It was an interesting look at an extremely influential artist who was one of the first to really include and use media like television for high art. Obviously a lot of it felt a little dated and familiar to us now, but the radical nature of his ideas at the time can surely not be doubted. And I always find it interesting how people predicted media would influence us in the decades that followed. Whilst it was a nice way to while away some time, I wouldn’t say it was a must-see, though.

Nam June Paik exhibition

I've been a bit stumped television wise recently; I feel like I've completely run out of things to watch. Or maybe I'm just becoming more picky with what I watch. I did enjoy the latest season of Grace and Frankie, though I suspect they are sort of running out of plotlines for that now, and I've been continuing with The Good Place, but I do think the earlier seasons had a lot more cohesion. Also shows like The Good Place work much better when you can binge them I think; a half-hour episode here and there especially with such a long mid-season break is not really satisfying in any way. I did watch Good Omens this month at the same time as I was listening to the book which was kind of overkill, but as I say in my January reviews, I actually think it works a bit better as a TV show. It retained a lot of the humour of the books and was deliciously over the top and exaggerated. David Tennant as the demon Crowley was particularly enjoyable. However, it wasn't a show I would find myself wanting to rewatch. When I remember I'm watching White House Farm, but mostly I've spent my lunchbreaks on Couples Come Dine With Me which is perfect(ly mad) television. I'm trying to watch less Real Housewives this year and only keeping up with the ones I've already watched (Beverly Hills/New York/Atlanta/New Jersey/Orange County) which is more than enough to be getting on with, but Vanderpump Rules is back which is my absolute favourite Bravo show. And watching less Housewives has meant I'm doing a lot more reading, which can only be a good thing.

So that is it for January! I wish there were more to update you on, but it's really been a month of hibernation and inhaling books which you can read more about later this week. Let me know if you enjoy these round-up posts and I will definitely do more in the future - for now, I hope you have a very happy February!