Till the Cows Come Home - Sara Cox

Sara Cox is a UK radio/televison personality who has written this memoir about her childhood, spent mainly growing up as the youngest of five kids on her fathers farm, then later teenage years with her mother and stepfather  at the pubs they ran.   I enjoyed her stories, they brought back memories of the top of childhood I had, of being able to race round doing your own thing with no helicopter parenting.  4/5

Music Monday - Club Tropicana - Wham

Listening to this song brings me back to the teenage discos of the 80s.  I am reading Andrew Ridgeleys book about his experiences with George Michael and Wham.  Even though I remember reading tons of teenage hits magazines, I didn't know that they were best friends from when they were 12 at school, and George was the new boy.  For me they are the sound of the 80s and I didn't realize how it was only a few years for them in the spotlight before they split up in 1986. 

Letters from an Astrophysicist - Neil deGrasse Tyson

Neil deGrasse Tyson has written an amusing wee book that looks at the letters he has received in the past two decades, and his replies to them.  Hit intelligence and wit shine through, and I like the sensible streak that he demonstrates in his letters to the public, encouraging them in their interest in science.   4/5

Your Own Kind of Girl - Clare Bowditch

Clare Bowditch is an Australian artist and in this memoir she tells the story about her family, her eating disorder and her issues with mental illness.   Her stories about family life were easy to relate to and she has the gift of sweeping you along in her story telling and the book never felt rushed or forced.  4/5

Music Monday - Monsters - James Blunt

It makes me teary to watch James Blunt be teary with his dad.

Parasite

I was interested in seeing who won best picture, director etc at this years Academy Awards as I had seen a couple of the movies before hand.  Parasite had played at last years film festival, which I had missed due to scheduling but my boss had said was good.  I checked on my day off if it was still playing and it was, so I bought a ticket.  The cinema was mostly full, which was surprising on a sunny Thursday afternoon. 

I won't give too much of the plot away, but it is the story of a poor Seoul family, who inch their way into a rich families home by taking on jobs for them, and the impact it has on both groups.  It is original and clever, and took some turns that I did not see coming which was good, it is always nice to be surprised. 

I didn't leave the cinema thinking about this one, and for me it's a solid 4/5.

Emma

I liked the look of the trailer for this recent adaption of the Jane Austen classic Emma.  Emma is a 21 year old with a limited experience who fancies herself a match maker.  So she begins to meddle with those around her, taking a particular interest in her young friend Harriet Smith.  At first I thought that this film seemed a bit fussy, with grand houses that seemed too perfectly painted and garish, and a young Emma that was a bit too prissy and primped for my liking.  I am a bit of a fan of 90s Austen remakes with natural hair and make up, as I believe the young ladies would not have looked like they spent hours in a hairdressers chair with perfect locks and that their wardrobes would be somewhat limited as clothes and hats must have been expensive for some.

As the movie moved on, I began to warm to it more as more characters were introduced and the charm and wit of Austen became apparent.  She spins a good story and I think that the director did a good job of inserting the sly wink, the quick kiss and the subtle touch which make it all a bit romantic and realistic.  By the end I was charmed and thought that I would be happy to watch it all over again.  I loved that it looked English, and was full of characters that fit the part and that there were lovely stately homes and ramshackle farm houses and a most beautiful village for everyone to wander in.  I am going to say I enjoyed it enough to give it a 4.5/5 - almost perfect.

The Unwomanly Face Of War - Svetlana Alexievich

This is a translation of the original book which was published in 1985,  where the author travels through Russia to speak with the women who fought for the Soviets during WWII.  So many of them were just girls when they left their homes and families to serve the motherland to victory.  One of the first stories talks of a girl whose parents and siblings starve to death, and she is saved by eating horse pooh, and several types being able to tell that frozen is best.  It is shocking in our modern comfortable lives and hard to imagine how hard it must have been for these women to survive, the things they must have seen.   Now 35 years later these stories become even more important as these witnesses die and it is only their stories that remain. 4/5

Music Monday - Radio Gaga - Queen

I was super lucky and got to see Queen live last week.   Although Adam Lambert is no Freddie Mercury, they did a great live show and there is something magical about the whole audience singing along at the top of their lungs.  While Bohemian Rhapsody was pretty awesome I think that Radio Gaga is my favourite song.  Maybe because if felt as a teenager when it came out that they were singing for us.  So I sung loudly and clapped my hands and made my teenage self very happy.

Dear Girls - Ali Wong

Ali Wong is a US comedian who has written this book as a love letter of sorts to her two young daughters, and warns them at the start to not read it until they are 21, as she is kind of blunt about her early dating and sex life.  I think though that she hits the right balance, of being funny by coming across as honest and that her love for her husband and children is her priority.  She tackles issues she faces as a comedian in dealing with racism and sexism in the industry as well as in her personal life.  I might even search out her comedy special after reading her book.  4/5

Star Talk - Neil DeGrasse Tyson

I have tried reading  a few other books about the universe, stars and planets recently, and the science is pretty full of technical explanations way above my level of understanding.  This book takes it in small snippets and is full of interesting facts and information, and is easy to pick up and read in small bits.  I came away understanding a bit more than I had known before I opened the covers. 4/5

Music Monday - Feeling Good - Michael Buble

I was really lucky and got to see Michael Buble play live this weekend at a winery in the sun drinking wine, and I was feeling good!!!  He was an awesome entertainer  who sounded even better live, such talent and such a nice guy!  If you get a chance on the rest of his world tour I would recommend seeing him.