What I’m reading, watching & listening to

It’s been a while between these posts so thought it would be time for a group chat on what we have all been listening to, watching and reading so that we can share the good stuff. A water cooler moment in out non existent offices if you will. I’ll start shall I? Good one.

I have been off my reading game for some time now…I was doing SO well and then started a book that I have had trouble with…Bridge of Clay and once I started this I just couldn’t get into it and so got stuck.

I have heard so many great things about this book though…and won’t give up on it but for the moment, I am going to set it aside and comeback to it when I have more time to sit and read. It needs time and right now I don’t have a lot of it!

What I have just finished reading is this cracker… Daisy Jones & The Six.I absolutely LOVED this book.

Rob actually read it first as he was stuck on a book that he wasn’t enjoying so I told him to read this one…it was light and he might get out of his reading rut with it. This is set in the 70’s in the LA and the states based on a fictional band similar to someone like Fleetwood Mac (but you seriously think they MUST be real) and follows their rise. Such a great read with fabulous female characters in particular, great exploration of addiction and such a wonderful colourful insight to a time and place that you feel such a part of. The writing style is really interesting too: interview that flicks between the characters and I just loved it. I think that Reese has bought the rights to it (of course she has) and it will become a TV series…it is MADE for that and I can’t wait to see that come to life. There is a Spotify Playlist for it too which is bloody brilliant. I also loved all the sing lyrics at the back…so clever!

I was sent this beauty for the girls which I have really enjoyed. A great read for young girls (say 8 plus as they start to become aware of body image etc).

Great messages and tools and wonderful illustrations – this would be a great present for a young girl or a great tool to have available for young girls to read.

Speaking of reading…my mate Megan from Children’s Book Daily released this one last month.

This is such a great tool and guide for parents to use to raise children that will love to read. Great insights, tools and tricks as well as so many amazing books shared to help us getting our kids to read. This would be something I would add into a baby hamper present that’s for sure. So proud of Megan creating this that will help so many families out. He blog is also an amazing tool, this is a perfect extension of that in a easily accessible format. Well done lady!

You can check out all the books that I read/have read over the past little while on this hashtag #babymacreads on Instagram. I am stoked that I have just finished my 12th book for the year…let’s hope I can keep the pace up. I adore reading and always get sad when I get out of my groove.

Ok watching…well this has been limited as I have been so busy with work and starting my days at 5am most days that I get to 9pm and just collapse into bed…it’s VERY boring…just ask Rob. Here are some of the things we have watched over the past little while and some that are on my to-do watching list. Of course there has also been binge watching reality TV that is my dirty little secret. Think Very Cavalleri, Kardashians, Real Housewives of Bev Hills and NYC. Many thanks Bravo for the good times.

Also! This doco on Netflix: One Strange Rock. We watched this one with the kids and loved it. I learnt SO much in just the first episode. Harper (9) loved it, Daisy pretended she hated it but I think enjoyed it and it completely went over Maggie’s head. Great to watch as a family.

We started watching this favourite series of mine again Detectorists which I just love. The quirky English humour and slow pace of this show is so endearing…a perfect little quiet show to watch and comfort you. I watched it on Netflix but I just saw it’s on iView too.

One last series we watched on Netflix was this one: SALT FAT ACID HEAT which is shot beautifully and I just loved to learn new stuff and see different food from around the world. I really enjoyed the host too – would recommend if you love food as much as I do!

Things that I have on my TO WATCH list are these three:

Dead to Me (Netflix)

Street Food (Netflix)

Wine Country (Netflix)

And here’s a few things that I have been listening to. I rediscovered my love for an old soundtrack to Northern Exposure (man I loved that show so much) when I found the playlist on Spotify. One of my favourite songs from it I have been turning up FULL BORE (I always said full ball but that’s not actually the expression who knew?!). I love a little opera. Turn this up as loud as you can when you are watching the sun rise on a winter’s morning and you will feel the simple beauty of life.

Chants d’Auvergne Vol. 1: No. 2, Bailero

My brother actually helps me find cool music that I love and he sent me these two tracks which I am loving. Slightly different to opera, but on high rotation nonetheless.

YOU LITTLE BEAUTY by Fisher

Cola (club mix) CamelPhat & Elderbrook

And I like this one too: Mi Rumba by Sofi Tukker & ZHU

As well as our podcast of course!

So that’s what I have been up to, need to get some more reading done of course…new order of books has been placed and I am looking forward to getting stuck into them. But tell me…

What have you been reading?
What have you been listening to?
What have you been watching?
TELL US EVERYTHING.

Comments

  1. Jan Campbell says

    A good read is ‘ Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Brunt.
    I’m not watching much, but have enjoyed Travels With My Father on Netflix.
    Mrs C x

  2. You really need to create your own spotify playlist we can all subscribe to Beth

  3. Dead to me is fantastic!

  4. I enjoyed Wine Country and just finished Dead to Me tonight – loved it and can’t wait for the next season. I really liked Christina Applegate in it even though I’ve never really been a fan of hers. Pretty quiet on the reading front although I just finished Auggie and Me (follow up to Wonder) on my 10 year old’s recommendation!

  5. Listen to podcast Interview with Andrew Denton

    Such sensitive, interesting, funny, moving listens

  6. I enjoyed Dead to Me it was great. Also Versace (the murder of Gianni) was superb, a bit dark, in places, but addictive. Best book – the Muse I loved it.

  7. Anne-Maree says

    I’ve just finished ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ by Celeste Ng – easy read but hard to put down. Also just finished ‘Afterlife’ on Netflix – really loved this quirky thought provoking series by Ricky Gervais – highly recommend. Wine Country & Dead to Me are next to watch – which one first????

  8. Stick with the Bridge of Clay. Myself, and my book club mates also had trouble but it picked up after a while and was worth it. Good luck.

  9. I’m a teacher librarian, and so have had the fortune to meet both Markus Zusak and Megan Daly in the last couple of months. I found Bridge of Clay to promote reader resilience! In that it also took me a long time to get into it, but I did enjoy it. And I met Markus and he is divine. So now I love it 😂 Loving your book recommendations, Daisy is my next book after the ridiculous non fiction pile I have.

  10. Oof I couldn’t read Bridge of Clay either and I typically LOVE his books.

    • I don’t know whether to give up – it’s on hold while I start something else I think. Might wait till Christmas holidays!

  11. Best thing I’ve read in a while is Back, After the Break by Osher Günsberg, a searingly honest, funny and endearing account of life in the media (music, radio and television here and overseas), mental illness and addiction. Well written and entertaining, which given the subject matter is quite a feat. I was so glad to know that he’s alive and well because there were times in the account of his life that a happy ending seemed unlikely.

  12. Michelle says

    I too can’t get into Bridge of Clay. I’ve tried a few times but again have put it down. Thoroughly enjoying The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and I also have The Tailors Girl in my bedside table. Please share your Spotify playlists with us! I need help in the music department as I’m a bit of a dab when it comes to tunes!

  13. MATE!!! I cannot get enough of Daisy Jones & The Six but also don’t want to plough through it and then have it all be over. Hurry up Reese with the tv series please!!

  14. I’ve just watched an Australian reality TV show on Netflix called “Instant Hotel”. It follows 6 couples around Australia to their places which are listed on AirBN or similar. They rate each other on house,location, cost etc. i liked it bescsye it feels like part travel show, part home decorating show and he characters are interesting too. Easy 30 min episodes for mindless TV watching!

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