may round up
May might be my favourite month. Nature showed it’s best, most lush and green and colourful self these past few weeks.
What I Read
Love, Lobster & The Art of Moonlight Kissing by Karin Walker
The Wild Woman’s Way by Michaela Boehm (audiobook)
Salt Lick by Lulu Allison
Managing Expectations by Minnie Driver (audiobook)
I cheated by listening to half these books this month. Only by my own standards as I am confident not another soul on earth cares. I read Salt Lick very very slowly because I wanted to savour every single line of it, all the poetic nature descriptions, the erudite job Lulu Allison does of gently building the characters. Allison is an artist who lives and works and writes in Brighton. Little did she know when she crowd funded the publishing of this book that it would end up shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Literature. I think it deserves this nomination. It charts the lives of two inter linked characters who live in a post pandemic world (Allison started it before Covid and had to make alterations once she knew what a pandemic actually looked like) where most people have been forced to move from rural areas back into cities. Ivy grows up abandoned shopping centres and in through smashed windows and houses return to nature in the most stunning way. I adored the characters too.
MONTHLY FAVOURITES
Watched… I didn’t hate Conversations With Friends as much as some people. I like all that Sally Rooney has to say via her characters, I just preferred Marianne and Connell saying it, rather than Frances and Nick. I did however ADORE Miriam Margolyes on Up For Grabs with Alan Yentob. I also really loved American Honey, charting the life of drop out kids on the edge of society. This film was shot on a 4:3 camera which creates a lot of sky in each frame, that combined with a lot of lens flares and actors who were picked up at skate parks all around the country made the film a very raw authentic experience.
Listened… Esther Perel is back with a new season; new guests and a few returns to old couples.
Turned up for… Pinky Promise, Dance of the Tarot was a pleasure filled, sequin crusted sensation of a night. Saucy life drawing, naughty written word prompts, workshops and talks on all kinds of topics, cabaret and lots of dancing.
