What This Week #2

Here we are again already. Happy Sunday. Happy February!

I’m noticing and appreciating the slight but perceptible shift in season here in the UK. Another half-step away from winter. Snowdrops are everywhere, searching no longer necessary. The light throwing glowing, golden patches on the morning wall. Hope and potential stirring. Don’t rush, don’t push, but trust. It’s all coming.

I hope you’ve enjoyed some reading, watching, listening this week. Whatever floats your boat, fills you up, helps you relax and feel more like you. Come share in the comments.

Here’s my culture week in brief(ish).

Reading:

Light Rains Sometimes Fall by Lev Parikian—this week I reached the end of a yearlong read of this wonderful book. Parikian documented his daily walks in 2020 across his British versions of the 72 Japanese microseasons. I loved paying closer attention on my own walks, watching the seasons gradually shift just as he described. I was sad to say goodbye, but glad to share the joy, my copy already in the post to pay forward a happy nature year with Lev.

I’ve also started Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor this week, and I can already tell it will become a favourite.

Watching:

The Swimmers (Netflix)—this is a brilliant film telling the true story of the Mardini sisters, who fled Syria in the hope of starting a new life in Germany. It’s shocking, moving, and ultimately uplifting with younger sister, Yusra Mardini, competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics for the Refugee Olympic Team. It is beautifully filmed. Some of the images took my breath away. It’s the most realistic depiction I’ve seen of the harrowing journey refugees take to escape, and I’m sure even this is a sanitised version.

The Lying Life of Adults (Netflix)—we all knew this was coming after last week’s read! It’s a six-part TV series, in Italian with subtitles. The show sticks very closely to the book, but the characters felt a little more relatable and rounded out on screen. The ’90s soundtrack is fantastic. Much more about this in my recent newsletter, There’s something about Ferrante.

Happy Valley (BBC iplayer)—after a meticulously planned viewing campaign to rewatch the past series and let the new episodes mount up so I could watch straight through to the finale (weekly episodes, BBC?!), this was the week I finally started series 3. Now I’m as ready and ridiculously overexcited to watch the final episode tonight as everyone else. Sally Wainwright and Sarah Lancashire, amazing women at the height of their powers. Hats well and truly off.

Honourable mention this week to Sort Your Life Out (BBC iplayer). My nine-year-old and I have a random but wonderful shared love of decluttering programmes.

A huge thank you to all those who added their recommendations last week. Definitely worth a read through the comments if you’re looking for ideas. There were some great suggestions in all genres. My reading list grows ever longer.

So what this week for you?

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Includes affiliate links to Bookshop.org, an excellent bookselling website supporting indie bookshops.