AUGUST REVIEWS

What I've Been Reading

Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris 

Is there anything better than a new book by one of your favourite authors!? I think not, and Sedaris hasn't published anything brand new for some years. So this was eagerly awaited and totally worth the wait. Much has happened since we last caught up with our friend, COVID, Black Lives Matters, Hurricanes, and the death of Lou, his father. Sedaris is getting older and things get darker, especially with these topics, but he still finds humour in every situation and there are many laughs to be had. He definitely remains one of the funniest writers out there, and he just gets better and better. Now the cover of the book is pretty horrific (a very evil looking clown!) but I will forgive him for that.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

I really wanted to love this but I didn't. I didn't hate it, maybe my expectations were too high. I like Osman's humour, wit, and intelligence and they were definitely in the book. I also liked the premise of intelligent retired elderies fighting crime and murder. But something just didn't sit with me, a lot of characters, a lot of fill...a lot. I loved Agatha Christie when I was in my early teens but haven't really revisited procedural books since. There was a lot of set up in this, so I will give the second one a go at some point and see how I feel. 

Abracadabra by Robert Dessaix

Dessaix's latest is a collection of talks from conferences and festivals, and all written with his usual flair and intellectual wit. From riffing on Enid Blyton - soo good - to languages and audiences, Dessaix tells it like he sees it.

Bright Stars: great artists who died too young by Kate Bryan

This was a good book about artists ranging from Caravaggio and Vermeer to Basquiat and Haring and many in between. A few pages on each with some lovely examples of their work and mostly concentrating on their pivotal works. Sad seeing so much talent leave us so soon.

Lyrics by Bryan Ferry

This was a bit disappointing. A few pages and intro by Bryan and then just lyrics printed, going album by album. I would have liked a little insight and information on each one, but that was not there.

What I've Been Watching

Hacks S2 

I bloody love Jean Smart and she is brilliant in this sharp comedy about an ageing comedian who is paired up with a younger writer in an effort to revive her career. There is the usual generation gap funny business, but it also addresses what happens to women when they start to age. S2 picks up where S1 left off, the girls heading out on the road. Hilarity ensues with Laurie Metcalf playing the part of their roadie.

Joanna Lumley's Great Cities of the World

Joanna Lumley's travel series are great, this one was great but all too short. Three episodes around three cities: Paris, Rome, and Berlin. Whilst she did show us some of the expected sites of those cities, she mainly concentrated on the road less traveled, and unusual sites. It was pure joy, especially given I have travelled to Paris and Rome myself.

Miriam Margolyes: Australian Unmasked

Miriam travels around Tasmania, Victoria, and South Australia to find out whether Aussie's still get a fair go. It was quite the eye opener and Miriam was her usual rascally self.

The Professor and the Madman

This was based on one of my all-time favourite books, The Surgeon of Crowthrone, and it is about the writing and editing of The Oxford English Dictionary. This sounds rather dull, but it is anything but that. James Murray was the main compiler/writer of the dictionary and he organised helpers. He found a helper in Dr William Minor who was in an asylum after being classified as a homicidal maniac and murderer. Minor was a prolific contributor, and quite the character. In the film Sean Penn plays Minor and he is good, but the whole film just lacks something I cannot put my finger on. Mel Gibson as Murray didn't help things. If you haven't read the book, it is a good solid movie, if you've read the book it is a bit disappointing.

The Twelve

This was a brilliant Australian jury drama starring the always brilliant Kate Mulvany, also Sam Neill, Marta Dusseldorp, Brooke Satchwell, an Brendan Cowell. It follows the trial of Mulvany's character for the murder of her niece. And whilst that is obviously the main storyline, it also follows the day to day lives of the jury members and all the things that may or may not influence them sitting as jury members. Fascinating insight into twelve people that hold the life of the convicted in their hands.

Masked Singer

Look, this is a guilty pleasure! But I like it. I like trying to guess who the singer is, the woo hah around the show shits me to tears, but what can you do, lol!

Better Call Saul
I caught up with the final 2 seasons of this fave. Bon Odenkirk is utterly brilliant in this. And we start to see the downfall of Jimmy McGill into Saul Goodman. Rhea Seehorn as Kim Wexler is the unsung hero of this song, she is magnificent. No spoilers for those that may not have watched this, but the worlds of Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad do start to overlap as promised and the ending of the show is quite refreshing.

What I've Been Listening To

Olivia Newton-John 

Listened to a lot of Olivia after her death. I have a few of her albums, Greatest Hits and of course, Xanadu.