Finished reading: The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles 📚

I read this with anticipation having loved the author’s previous book, A Gentleman in Moscow. Sadly this just isn’t anywhere near as good and I can’t quite put my finger on why. Underwhelming.

I listened to an interview with the new England coach yesterday and I’m hopeful for our chances at the Women’s T20 World Cup… but ask me again after we play the West Indies today 🏏

Molly's Game, 2017 - ★★★

Just fine for a Sunday night movie.

I really think more of a distinction should be made between a missed penalty and a saved penalty ⚽️

📺 Finished watching Wednesday (2022)

I delayed starting this because I’m stubborn and was convinced I wouldn’t like it. Two friends kept raving about it though and I finally caved… happy to admit I was wrong

Uncut Gems, 2019

In summary: men shouting.

Not giving this a rating because I only made it half way. The prospect of another hour of the same noise did not fill me with joy.

Finished reading: Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie 📚

I enjoyed the relationships and the range in this story (across both time and geography). However there were a few too many episodes that had the right people in the right place at the right time that felt obviously engineered.

I am always over ambitious about what I can do on Friday afternoons

Me and my Dad moved a shit ton (I think that’s the technical term) of soil over the past few days. If anyone needs me in the next couple, I’ll be sleeping!

Two huge green bags full of soil. A wheelbarrow in the foreground

Post-dinner nap time; Mum, Dad and dog have all nodded off. Good job I have a book

Red Notice, 2021 - ★

Needed something mindless after a hard day working in the garden… this was certainly that.

On my way to stay with my parents for a few days to help Dad with some work in the garden (digging out and replacing soil in the veg plot). Looking forward to some home comforts but feeling slightly apprehensive about not being in control of my own time

This morning in the park

frosty brown leaf sitting in grassclose up of lime green lichen on a stickfrozen pond with 2inch chunks of ice sitting on the surface

I knew there would be a day when all the beer bottle tops I’ve collected over the years would come in handy. It’s poker night and we’ve got chips coming out of our ears

📺 Finished watching Kaleidoscope (2023)

I really enjoyed this series. I watched it in the order suggested by Netflix but I’m really interested to see how it plays out watching the episodes either chronologically or in a different non-chronological order.

Cooking tea tonight was a relay; I started and my wife finished. Somewhere along the way we got our wires crossed and ended up eating both tonight’s meal and tomorrow’s lunch as one dish 😆

It was super windy here last night (80+ km/hr). Saw this on my walk this morning. The sign reads “High Winds. Mixed medium. Artist: Mother Nature (Temporary Installation)”

Stone gate post fallen across pavement. Hand written sign describing scene as art work

Went to Whitby to play hockey. We lost. Beaten by a better team on the day. Fish and chips and a pint as a consolation prize

Plate of fish and chips in foreground with pint of beer behind

Finished reading: Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency by Olivia Laing 📚

As with every other book I’ve read by Olivia Laing I’ve come away with a list of artists and authors, and their work, to follow up on.

The Farewell, 2019 - ★★★

The central relationship between grandma and granddaughter was enough to keep me engaged in this story. And I found myself on a similar journey to Billi, learning to appreciate the differences in familial, and particularly intergenerational, relationships between eastern and western cultures.

I’m a little bemused by references to the film as a comedy-drama. There’s humour in it for sure, but it’s bittersweet and I think to call it comedy is a stretch.