media & culture i consumed recently #2

apart from getting sucked into the MAFS hype, what else have i been watching, reading & digesting?

I’m going to be so real right now: I got sucked into Married At First Sight lately. There’s maybe an essay coming on that sort of topic soon, but for now, basically - I’ve been watching old seasons and it’s well and truly eaten into my whole goal of mindful consumption.

I also had a pretty long flare-up where reality TV is much easier to consume and books and films fall down the list, but we made it through! I’ve really enjoyed lots of the media I have consumed - so let’s go through it!

Books

The audiobook phase has continued - I’m pretty sure it’s going to slide off soon, but it’s really helping me with my focus, so we’ll see. Books recently have been a super mixed bag and I’m learning my lesson of not just picking off the BookBeat home page because of my decision fatigue… Let me give you the rundown!

You can follow me on Storygraph: @charliclement_

The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore (audiobook) - 1.75🌟

I’ve heard this hyped up for the longest time, and as we hit autumn I succumbed to it - as we know, I’m extremely partial to a romance and I also love Gilmore Girls, which everyone has consistently compared it to. But, I found that I didn’t connect with the two in this book; it was too quick and I found myself fatigued with the spicy scenes. Maybe I would have fared better with a print copy of this one, as sometimes audiobook pace can change connection, but I really wasn’t feeling it.

Out of Office by A.H. Cunningham (audiobook) - 2🌟

This had some similar issues for me as the previous book, I really didn’t feel connected to the two at all and didn’t believe in their relationship; there was just an underlying lack of conviction for me. The bisexuality inclusion was interesting because I appreciated it being there, but it also felt generally like an afterthought. I did really enjoy the discussions of gentrification and loving life outside of work.

I really didn’t like the male narrator, and think that was part of my difficulty with this one, so again, perhaps the format was an issue here.

I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue (audiobook) - 3.75🌟

I saw this one in an independent bookshop a while back and then it was recommended to me on my audiobook app (I use BookBeat!) so I picked it up. I found this super intriguing and I’m enjoying leaning into books with less reliable narrators, but I also found it a little bit lengthy by the end. The middle was really strong and then it petered off slightly. I think this bought up a lot of really interesting ethical questions and thinking about how people can be variously flawed and vulnerable, and I did find that very valuable as a read.

Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood (audiobook) - 4🌟

I’ve been following Lucy for the longest time, so I was ridiculously excited to watch her get her book deal. Most of her content since the announcement has made me sob because it’s so lovely.

I’m not normally into this sort of genre, to be perfectly honest, but I really loved this. I highly recommend the audiobook, as the narrator was amazing, and I loved the weaving together of pop culture, cosiness, and thinking about burnout and loneliness in a witchy context. My mum read my hardback at the same time and she is a very witchy type, and she really enjoyed it too - and she’s the most ringing endorsement I could imagine for this particular book.

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood (audiobook) - 2.75🌟

Two Can Play is an audiobook exclusive novella from Ali Hazelwood, and I was extremely excited for it as Hazelwood is one of my autobuy authors. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t read them because they are all super unique or complicated, I just love a romance and how she writes her main characters, but… this was honestly super forgettable. I wanted to love it so much but I didn’t find myself connected to the characters until a couple of chapters before the end. For a little four hour read, it’s still fun and tropes in it are pretty classic, but I’d recommend a lot of other Hazelwood books before this one.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata (paperback) - 4🌟

I feel like I’m absolutely the last person to read this, and I’m a little annoyed at myself for it! This is a super short book but it packs in a lot of discussion about capitalism, societal expectations, and - from my point of view, anyway - being autistic in a non-autistic world. Keiko is never officially described as autistic, but it’s pretty much evident from the first pages, and there is some discussion about her family wanting her to be “normal” throughout. I think this is one that is a must read and probably will be a classic later down the line, and it’s so interesting to get lost amongst the way we see the expectations set on Keiko and those around her, the way she should want “better” or “more”.

Films

I seem to have this issue where I watch loads of films one month, then don’t want to touch a film for a month after. So, this area has been pretty thin, but I’m starting to feel the bug again now! Stay tuned for issue 3 of this series on that one.

You can follow me on Letterboxd: @charlibeth

Anyway, me and my sister went to do my first ever double bill today, which was the one and only…

Paddington (2014) - 4🌟

Can you believe I’ve never seen these films? I’m not sure why! We wanted to see these two ready for the new one, and I’m glad we did. I will say - what is it with kids films and everyone being an orphan? But I loved this as a discussion on found family and it’s a very cosy one. An excellent Sunday watch.

Paddington 2 (2017) - 3.5🌟

I didn’t expect to go into this film and it to end up being a pretty incisive commentary on the prison industrial complex, but… here we are? I think the only reason I didn’t like this one so much is because I felt like the pacing wasn’t quite as good as the first (and let’s be honest, I was probably also just feeling my hyperactivity going at this stage). Hugh Grant is hilarious in this one and the final scenes are so well done.

Theatre

Becoming Nancy (The Rep Birmingham) - 4.5🌟

Me and my friend Sophia headed to this show for free thanks to the Rep’s 16-25 membership scheme, and I’m so glad we took a chance on this piece of brand new theatre! Becoming Nancy is set in a school in the 70s discussing queerness, racism, and bullying, and is just a show of such joy and love. The talent is absolutely immense, the choreography is phenomenal, and the music is great too. We highly recommend - it’s on at the Rep until 2nd November.

Podcasts

Skip the Small Talk with Ellie Middleton

One of my favourite people in the world started a podcast! This pod is exactly how it feels to voice note with Ellie - one of the most insightful, lovely, joyous humans you could have in your life. I love that we’re getting some long-form Ellie, and the latest episode is our book club with THE Jordan Stephens - get on it!

That’s it for this edition! I love writing these and properly reflecting on what I’m doing, so let me know if you’re liking them too and anything you think I’d love!