media & culture i consumed lately #1

aka: charli just wants to chat about all their favourite things

In an effort to feel less pressure about my Substack, I thought I’d start telling you about all the media I’ve enjoyed (or not) lately - please enjoy how inspired the name of the series is (maybe it will change - but probably not).

As a serial media and culture enjoyer of many kinds: film, books, TV, theatre, music, articles, even podcasts sometimes - it feels like a bit of a crime that I don’t share my thoughts as regularly as I should, so here’s my space for that. Let me know if you’ve also consumed these things and your thoughts, or whether you’re inspired to pick something up!

Books

For this first edition I’m going to catch you up on a slightly longer period, because my reading lately has been way more diverse than my usual reams of romances (no guilty pleasure here - sometimes I just need an escape!). I’ve also been having an audiobook phase, which come and go for me.

You can follow me on Storygraph: @charliclement_

Rosewater by Liv Little (hardback) - 4.5⭐

I’ve been meaning to read this since it’s publication and I’m sad I didn’t get to it sooner. It’s sharp, unflinchingly real, and hooked me easily. Often poems that feature in fiction plots let the book down, but they were a gorgeous addition that slotted in without friction.

Daydream by Hannah Grace (paperback) - 5⭐

I’ve read all of this trilogy, and found the other two good reads but not necessarily special. Henry has always been my favourite of the background characters so getting his own book was almost definitely going to be good for me, but the representation of neurodivergence was so close to my own experiences, as well as exploring mental health, family issues and found family. I think a lot of people write these books off as “just spice”, but I haven’t felt that with any of them, and certainly not here.

(Yes, I’m rating this 5 when other major books on this list get less. My ratings don’t mean something is the pinnacle of literature, okay?)

See Me Rolling: On Disability, Equality and Ten-Point Turns by Lottie Jackson (audiobook) - 3.25⭐

I listened to half of this months ago, and came back to finish it this month. There was nothing “wrong” with this - I just bought and started it when I was in quite a different place in terms of my consumption of disability books. Now, I tend to have a strong preference for more radical/leftist/political and anti-capitalist or intersectional disability books than this one. The focuses on employment, how productive we can be, and the purple pound for example are topics I tend not to engage in very heavily now, and a lot of the book didn’t make me think or feel very aligned. I especially would have liked more recognition of privilege.

If you want an overview of the landscape of disability alongside personal experiences, this may work for you more than me!

Yellowface by RF Kuang (audiobook) - 4⭐

I’m probably the last person to read this and rave about it, so maybe we won’t stick on it for too long, but I listened to this in the span of less than 24 hours. The way it drags you in even though you aren’t rooting for the main character is not something every author can achieve, and the way you end up second guessing if you should be rooting for them is especially uneasy and brilliantly done. It’s an incisive read on publishing, privilege, and white supremacy, and the audiobook narrator made it especially able to hold my attention to such an extent I didn’t want to stop. I did find that the ending felt slightly lacking and almost unresolved, which is why it didn’t get a higher rating at the end of it.

Enemies to Lovers by Laura Jane Williams (audiobook) - 3.5⭐

Williams’s fiction debut, One Stop, holds a coveted place on my favourites bookshelf to this day, but somehow this is only the second book of hers I’ve read. I really liked this, and was genuinely rooting for the couple (you would think you should always root for the main couple in a romance, but I simply don’t). Flo’s mental health and the discussions of loss, grief, and found family made this feel like it had more bite than some, and I related to both the main characters. If I’m going to recommend an easy romance read, this is a good one.

You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry (ebook) - 4⭐

This is the only Emily Henry I hadn’t read - somehow I missed it even though I’ve bought and read the last three immediately on publication - and now I’m really sad about that! It’s not my favourite of hers (that accolade goes to Book Lovers) but Poppy and Alex are a ridiculously loveable pair, and the pacing of this one was also right up my street. I also thought this one had much more humour than some of her other books, and I liked that, too! If you don’t know about Emily Henry, you might be living under a rock, but she’s one of my autobuy authors for good reason.

Films

I went to two big concerts in four days in August, and when my therapist asked what I was going to do with the void after I didn’t have an answer. The answer turned out to be, go to the cinema four times in eight days. I’m going to catch you up on those - mostly because I haven’t watched much since and because I had opinions.

You can follow me on Letterboxd: @charlibeth

Twisters (2024) - 4⭐

How does a film about tornados somehow have too many tornados? I don’t know, but that’s how I felt. I did really enjoy this - the chemistry of Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Tyler (Glen Powell) was just right and we love anything that’s a manifesto for women in STEM, let’s be real. But the pacing was just a little off in places, where it felt like we were thrown into another tornado instead of eking out some of the character and plot development.

Coraline (2009) - 4⭐

No one needs a review of Coraline, really - it’s a hyped classic and rightly so - but something I do want to mention is the addition of the Rebuilding Coraline mini-doc they added for the anniversary cinema re-release. An autistic dream to learn more about how they made the puppets and the animation, and honestly, I’d pay good money for every film to show us that afterwards.

Kneecap (2024) - 5⭐

I was legitimately desperate to see this - my local cinema showed it about four times and I jumped at it (though it seems to have done well as they’re showing it again now). It’s probably my favourite film of the year so far - so brilliantly done as a call to action on indigenous languages and protest, and I especially appreciated the way it also talked about generational trauma and the Troubles in Ireland, too. I didn’t know until after that the actual band members played themselves - you could tell me they were seasoned actors and I wouldn’t have blinked. It’s hilarious and edgy and I want everyone to see it.

Blink Twice (2024) - 3.5⭐

I mostly went to see this because it was National Cinema Day and it was £4 and I’d already seen three films in the space of a week, but that’s okay! I really wanted this to do more than it ended up doing. The unease and way it kept my attention in the build up was great, but it felt much weaker, quicker and ultimately less consequential than I wanted in the end. But, for a directoral debut, it was really engaging and made some interesting choices, and was worth a watch.

Theatre

There sadly hasn’t been as much theatre in my life as I’d like lately - and the show I’m about to talk about was the filmed version in the cinema - so here’s my own reminder to go and book something!

NT Live: Prima Facie - 5⭐

This was a rewatch for me, having seen it a couple of years ago last time it was released to cinema, but it’s no less horrifically enthralling a second time. If it’s safe for you to see it (please do check the trigger warnings), you absolutely should. Jodie Comer is phenomenal, but the way it is staged and choreographed aligns to enhance her performance so well, and both times I’ve left choked up and wondering how two hours had passed. It’s genuinely a piece of genius and I’m so glad it exists.

Articles

I love an opinion article, a long-read, pieces that make me think. I’m currently trying to actually remember to collate and save them, rather than moving on with my day - we’ll see how that goes - but for now here’s one I think you should read.

The headlines will tell you about councils going bust. Let me tell you what that means to me by Michaela Makusha

I’m lucky enough to know and love Michaela, and I always love what she writes, but as a fellow Brummie who is calling for the arts, culture and library cuts to be withdrawn, this was especially good. It’s a gorgeous piece about the cultural powerhouse that is our city, and how it is being decimated piece by piece.

Podcasts

Podcasts, like audiobooks, are something I go through phases of, I’ll be honest. For me, audio only doesn’t always align to my ADHD brain, but I have to share this one with you.

Overthinking It by Spacetime Productivity

I listened to this full season in one day, and it has lowkey changed my brain chemistry. I’ve been thinking a lot since listening about my social media consumption and my creativity - including coming back to Substack and just doing what I want, so this article quite literally exists due to this pod. So, say thank you to MJ and Anna (or don’t, if you hated it, I won’t force you).

So that’s what I consumed lately - I really enjoyed putting this together and getting to reflect on everything instead of just moving on which is something so easily done in such a fast-moving world when it comes to media consumption.

Maybe I’ll bring this back next week - or knowing my ADHD brain, maybe not 👀