Each month I’m using my ‘Five Favourites’ to share a book, a film, a TV show, a song/album and a random thing that I’ve loved. This month I’ve spent a bit of time in hospital having a leg operation (all sorted now thankfully!) but it has meant that I’ve had more time for marathoning TV shows and powering through my TBR. I’ve had a lot of favourites this month, which has made narrowing it down to just five very tricky, but here we go…
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
When reality gets hard, drifting back into myth and legend always manages to give me some perspective. These Nordic tales, expertly told by Neil Gaiman, are endearing, funny and help prepare you for the end of the world. What more could you really ask from a book? I raced through this one in a single sitting, but you could just as easily dip in and out and pick one myth at a time. I’d recommend them all.
Whiplash (2014)
It’s taken me a while to get round to seeing this film, but when it appeared on Netflix I finally made time and was blown away. It tells the story of Andrew, a jazz student whose aspiration to become the greatest turns into an obsession that is fostered and manipulated by his abusive studio band conductor. It’s hard to describe what makes it so compelling as none of the characters are particularly likable, but it’s beautifully shot and engrossing start to finish.
The Good Wife
While I was in hospital I went back to marathoning a series that has crept its way into being one of my favourites. When I started I didn’t realise that I had seven seasons to catch up on so I had assumed I’d drift away, but it is just such a smart show and so easy to just stick on and then wonder where your day has gone. In the show the main character, Alicia Florrick, is a lawyer and wife of a disgraced former State Attorney and we follow her journey from standing in the background by his side to taking on legal cases and growing in her own career. It can feel a little Single Female Laywer at times, but the cases are smart and there’s plenty of characters to root for or hate.
Vukovi – Weirdo
My most recent favourite is a band that I discovered while flicking through music channels on the TV (yes, I’m old enough that it is a thing I occasionally still do). This band were on Kerrang in a music video for a different song, but when I checked them out on Spotify I was most drawn to their most recent single Weirdo. They’re a four-piece, female fronted alternative band from Glasgow and the songs are catchy. I think they have their debut album coming out later in 2017, so it’s certainly one I’ll be looking out for.
Ava the guide dog
Back in 2015 when I was feeling very lost about my visual impairment and what to do, I decided to sponsor a guide dog. The dog I chose was named Ava (you can see her here) and I’ve been following her journey through puppy walking and school, to training and placement. She’s a golden labradoodle, which makes her hypoallergenic, and she’s such a cutie. I’m including her this month as a favourite because she’s just graduated training and she’s now been placed with her forever person and is helping guide the lady around London. I just think she’s amazing, and Guide Dogs for the Blind do such great work helping visually impaired people maintain their independence.
So that’s it for February, fingers crossed I’ll be back with another eclectic mix of favourites in March. Share your favourites in the comments below, or let me know on social media what you’ve been loving lately!
