Read a lot this month, specifically in the last few days, because I rewarded myself - I finished a first draft of my second novel - with a number a romcoms by Liz Tomforde, Abby Jimenez, Julie Soto and Ali Hazelwood (I get the Ali Hazelwood hype now). I still have a number of romcoms left to read, but they’ll have to wait until I finished the edit I’m currently doing. Before those romcoms though, I struggled through another book I assumed I’d love and read in a matter of hours, Ties by Domenico Starnone. There was a great quote in it though ‘Bravo, you make me so proud of having loved you’, which obviously, is sarcastic. Then I whipped through, but did not particularly enjoy, my third Françoise Sagan, The Gigolo, which is a very short collection of very short stories. However, I was remunerated with my first Ottessa Moshfegh, very quickly reading My Year of Rest and Relaxation, which I absolutely loved and would happily read again. I also listened to The Accomplice by John Grisham, which is a Theodore Boone novel, while on a long drive, and then finally read Intimacies by Katie Kitamura. I liked A Separation, so I was hoping to like this too - and I really did. It almost creeps up on you in a way, which I suspect is what happened to the protagonist, everything around her beginning to converge without having realised it was converging during the entirety of the novel. I get the hype now! Last, but not least - as in, I started it on Saturday and finished it yesterday, Sunday 29th Sept - I read Intermezzo, Sally Rooney’s latest novel. I have a catchup scheduled in with a friend to talk about it because I have so many thoughts, but the main thought I have is that she gets better and better. I still think Beautiful World is my favourite of her four so far, but Intermezzo feels both like a step up and also like Sally (as if she’s my pal, ha) has decided to write what she wants the way she wants to and she’s almost saying take it or leave it. I told a friend last night that I already have plans to read it again soon. But maybe I should just wait until the paperback comes out.
Watched Hello, Dolly! for the first time, without realising the Louis Armstrong song I’ve listened to for years is from the musical of the same name! I also watched the 1999 gem, Drop Dead Gorgeous, which stars a very young Kirsten Dunst and hilarious performances from Alison Janney, Denise Richards and Kirsty Alley. Chimp Crazy, an HBO documentary I watched with my sister and brother-in-law might be one of the wildest things I have ever seen - I didn’t watch Tiger King, but it’s directed by the same guy. I finally watched Encanto, and can now say with certainty that Coco is better. Fight me. I rewatched one of my all-time favourite films the 2005 (and superior; again, fight me) Pride and Prejudice with my sister and loved it even more, and on the plane home I also re-watched the ultimate plane film, Crazy Rich Asians, for which I really need a sequel, though not a musical, which I heard they’re doing (please God, no). I thoroughly enjoyed watching the 2020 series of The Great Pottery Throwdown, and have two things to say about it: #JusticeforAdam and #JusticeforSal. The strangest thing I watched this month was probably Sonic 2, as in, the blue hedgehog. I watched it because my nieces and nephews wanted to, and that’s all I have to say about it. Well, that, and that I had no idea Idris Elba was in it until I heard his very recognisable voice. Look at you doing films for the the kids Idris, shoutout you.
Listened to the rain sounds still, as part of the work with me videos on YouTube. I also listened to a lot of musical soundtracks because my sister and brother-in-law love them. While editing my own novel I’ve been enjoying a lot of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, as in the guys from Nine-Inch Nails, although I haven’t been listening to Nine-Inch Nails, but I have been listening to their score/soundtrack work, which includes ‘Hand Covers Bruise’ from The Social Network soundtrack - an eerie but also strangely emotional song. I’ve also been listening to some more Khruangbin, who I tend to only listen to when I’m doing edits (from my editor), but it was nice reading music, or background music to have on while cooking or just lounging around. I was also introduced to SMOSH Reads Reddit Stories, which is a podcast whose purpose is in its title, and I’ve found highly entertaining, because other people’s drama usually is. I’ve also been adding some music to my Best Classical playlist. I have this hope that one day I’ll randomly be invited to watch an orchestra record a score for a film. Not sure how exactly that’s going to happen, but I’m holding out hope.