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Finished reading: The Devotion Of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino 📚

A good spin on the classic detective story. Recommended in book group at work. I’ll definitely look out for more in this series.

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Got lucky with our tickets for the snooker. Appears (if I’ve interpreted the order of play correctly) that we’ll be watching local boy Gary Wilson vs former World Champion Stuart Bingham 🤩

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Just spent an hour thinking about and then practicing how I write my name. How’s your day going?

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Crocs. With heels. I have now seen it all 😲

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Finished reading: Prophet Song by Paul Lynch 📚

Brutal. The atmosphere the author creates had me on edge throughout. I think it benefitted from reading over a short period in a few big chunks.

There was a point where I had to put it down for a while and give myself space to sit with what had happened. I doubt that will be a feeling I forget any time soon.

Totally get why this won the Booker.

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But I'm a Cheerleader, 1999 - ★★★

Timeless. Ridiculous. So much plastic.
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Never seen the Tyne so high. Left work today to find parts of the path along the Quayside on the Newcastle side of the Swing Bridge blocked off by flood defences 😮

View of the Tyne running high under the Millennium Bridge.
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Bend It Like Beckham, 2002 - ★★★½

Take out all the scenes with the creepy coach and this could be a 5-star film.
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Part of building better creative habits is making sharing easier. Now that I can post here directly from Feedbin and Keep let’s see what happens…

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I picked up Issue 12 of Own Your Web at just the right time. This week’s focus for me is establishing a rhythm for my creative practice, whether that’s writing, sketching or printing.

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How to Have Sex, 2023 - ★★★★

I’ve been trying to articulate how I felt come the end of this film. Helpless is one way to describe it - I could see what was coming and couldn’t do anything to stop it. I realise I also feel culpable, like so many of the so-called friends who aren’t looking out for each other. I’d like every 16 year old to watch this before they head off for that holiday.

Read More

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Past Lives, 2023 - ★★★★★

Just brilliant. Excellent script. Fantastic acting. Subtle directing. Keep having to remind myself this is a debut from Celine Song 🤯
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Currently reading: Prophet Song by Paul Lynch 📚

Oof, this packs a punch. Only ~100 pages in but I can already see why it won the Booker.

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This comma butterfly was out making a point today, hanging out on a local wildlife sign that only told us to look out for peacocks and tortoiseshells

Comma butterfly with wings closed sitting on an info sign. Words visible are “Flutter by”.
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Dune, 2021 - ★★★

I enjoyed the first half, but when the action moved out into the desert it all got a bit too broody for me. And as the foresight/dream sequences increased I started to get bored.
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Finished reading: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke 📚

Excellent. A complex narrative balanced by an easy style made this a pleasure to read.

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Young Adult, 2011 - ★★

This won’t be leaving a lasting impression, but it fitted my requirements for the evening’s entertaining - 90 minutes of uncomplicated entertainment.
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“The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.”

A warning from Mary Oliver.

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I’ve just deleted my recurring ‘Publish weeknote’ task from Todoist. Every week it’s been slipping and it’s time to admit that frequency doesn’t work for me. I think I’ll try monthly updates for a while and see if that’s sustainable.

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The 355, 2022 - ★★

Flawed in many ways but entertaining.