The whole picture: February 2021

Another month in lockdown done and dusted. Still, there's 'light at the end of the tunnel', thanks to the planned lockdown lifting dates. Is anyone else fed up of the phrase 'light at the end of the tunnel' yet? It's like the 2021 equivalent of 2020's 'unprecedented situation'. I digress - as with last month, I haven't left my hometown, seen any friends or been anywhere exciting, so I'll keep this as a brief summary of the things I've been up to within my own four walls.

What I've been reading in February

After getting back into reading in January, February has been a bit slower - I've only managed to complete five books, and my aim of clearing my to-be-read shelves by May is slipping away from me. 

• Two For Joy by Helen Chandler - The problem with having a to-read pile which is literally years long, is that sometimes a book you've already read finds its way back onto it - and you're a decent way through it before you realise it's all sounding a bit familiar. The fact that I got so far through it without sounding familiar tells you all you need to know about how unmemorable this book is. An average romantic story about not particularly likeable characters, awkwardly written at times.
• Tell It To The Skies by Erica James - What I expected to be an average easy read turned out to be a hugely compelling story, told across several decades. Beautifully written, the story of Lydia's troubled upbringing goes from drama to mystery, before all is explained in the final pages, set in modern-day Venice. Thoroughly recommend.
• The Book of Echoes by Rosanna Amaka - Never judge a book by the cover, or even the first few pages. I was ready to give up on this one when the opening chapter focused on the spirit of a woman who escaped the slave trade haunting London's docks - as I mentioned last month, I struggle to read anything that involves the supernatural. Perseverance proved worthwhile though, as spirits quickly segued into the stories of two contemporary young black people, each overcoming their own struggles, growing up in Nigeria and Brixton respectively. It's very much a book about race, with themes that ring stronger than ever (a mention of the unsuitability of some of the statues dotted around London feels particularly prophetic, given events of the last year).
• Lovers & Newcomers by Rosie Thomas - This story of a group of retirees and near-retirees, who all move into a country estate together having been friends since university, could have been significantly shorter than the 500+ pages it covers. It's refreshing to see a contemporary novel focusing on the lives, loves and problems of the older generation for once, rather than 20 and 30 somethings. Their individual stories are skilfully recounted and interwoven, all emerging around the centrepiece of the unearthed burial site of an Iron Age Princess - a factor made all the more interesting by my recent watching of The Dig. 
• Hemingway's Chair by Michael Palin - Another victim of my years-long to be read pile, I picked up Palin's first novel with the intention to read it ahead of my trip to Cuba... in 2018. Three years and one global pandemic later, I cracked it open, with high hopes given the author,  and I'm sorry to say, I was disappointed. Impressively, it manages to be simultaneously dull and far-fetched, telling the story of a Post Office worker's life in a small village, his obsession with Hemingway, and... well, that's where it all gets a bit weird. 

As I write this, I've just read the first few compelling pages of The Zanzibar Wife by Deborah Rodriquez - stand by for a review of that one next month.

What I've been watching in February

• To All The Boys: Always and Forever - Yes, it's cheesy, but teenage high school rom-coms like this are right up my street. After loving the first two films, I was keen to see this third instalment, but found it a bit disappointing. The storyline echoes that of The Kissing Booth 2, and Lara-Jean's dilemma over which college to attend doesn't really warrant a whole film. That said, the ending is left wide open for a college years sequel, so fingers crossed for a follow-up film with a new setting to freshen it up. On the plus side, I've added The Little Cupcake Bake Shop to my new York itinerary, when I finally visit.
• The Late Show - Following my philosophy that anything starring the fantastic Emma Thompson is worth a watch, I chose this film to fill a quiet afternoon, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thompson plays an American TV host, whose career is about to come to an end, with Mindy Kaling as a (too) keen new writer on her show.
• The Judge - A lawyer returns to his hometown for his mother's funeral, where he reconnects with his estranged family. While he's there, his father - the town judge - is accused of murder. A watchable film that encompasses both comedy and sentiment, though it definitely could have been significantly shorter than its 2h22m runtime.
• Leap Year - I put this one on in the background while doing some baking, and it did the job. Entirely predictable, from the moment a high-flying, high-fashion American woman sets foot into a tiny village pub in the Irish countryside, and encounters the unwelcoming barman. You can probably already see where it's going, can't you? 

• Crime Scene: The Vanishing At The Cecil Hotel - A four-part Netflix documentary series telling the true story of the disappearance of student Eliza Lam at the infamous Cecil Hotel in LA. Without giving too much away, it's creepy, fascinating and compelling... until the final episode when the majority of the evidence is explained away.
• Sex and the City - I've been powering my way through all of the original SATC series, ahead of the release of the new mini-series. As I waded through it, I couldn't help but wonder... how did this series ever get so popular? Unlikeable characters, unrealistic lives... I know it was groundbreaking in its content when it was first released, but in 2021 it comes across as outdated (and I don't just mean Carrie's dresses).
• Wonder - A lovely, feel-good family film about a young boy born with facial deformities who starts school for the first time, and faces difficulties interacting with his peers. Nothing groundbreaking, but worth a watch.
• Finding Alice - This TV series seems to have split opinion, and I'm firmly in the 'what was that?' category. I'm a huge fan of Keeley Hawes, but this six-parter about a widow dealing with the aftermath of her partner (not husband - I thought that was going to be an important plot point, but apparently not) is a meandering story with too much going on to really focus on one aspect. I was holding out for a spectacular twist in the final episode which would make the six-hour time investment worthwhile, but it whimpered out without much fanfare. That said, it's been commissioned for a second series, so someone out there must have enjoyed it.

My March playlist is looking pretty meaty already - I've got Behind Her Eyes lined up on Netflix, as I loved the book when I read it a few years back. I've also heard good things about Ginny & Georgia, Firefly Lane and Moxie.

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter to keep up with my latest adventures (I should be so lucky).

See also - what I got up to in:

• January 2021: Not a lot going on
• December 2020: Sewing, mud and Christmas cards.
• November 2020: Scarecrows and Christmas lights.
• October 2020: London, baby!
• September 2020: Seals, beach huts and ice cream.
• August 2020: Cream tea, rooftop jaunts and sunflowers.
• July 2020: Castles, wildflowers, and a return to blogging.