One of the things that my friends and I could spend hours doing is chatting about all the different things that we have been watching, listening to and reading. I always love hearing what they are loving, partly because I love listening to them ramble on about the things they are most passionate about but also because one of my favourite things is finding new shows, books and music to explore. Today I thought I would take inspiration from these wonderful catch ups and share what I have been loving ‘entertainment wise’ recently with you. I have narrowed it down to a few favourites and I hope it inspires you to maybe watch something that you haven’t seen before or pick up a new book.
So, let’s start with what I have been watching. My absolute favourite programme at the moment is the second series of the historical drama Victoria, which is aired on ITV. It is all about the early life of Queen Victoria, who is played by the fantastic Jenna Coleman, and shows the ups & downs of her reign with beautiful cinematography & all round brilliant acting. For me it has sort of replaced the hole that Downton Abbey left when it finished a few years ago. Victoria has a similar dynamic and is equally as cosy to settle down and watch. Any fans of a good, ‘cosy’ drama should definitely check this out, it’s brilliant.
Another of my ‘cosy programmes’ is, of course, The Great British Bake Off. What more do I need to say! I have to admit that I was a bit worried, to say the least, when the BBC sold out to Channel 4, but actually it still really works and dare I say I think the few changes they have made mean that it is an even better programme than it was before (controversial, I know)! As you all know, I am a huge fan of Noel Fielding and I think the new judges and presenters have settled in really well. Plus they have some brilliant contestants this year and the showstopper challenges have all been a lot more fun. It is a brilliant programme and if you have been holding off watching it because of the channel change, don’t! It remains the brilliant programme it has always been and long may it continue.
I have to admit that I am one of those people that will read a ridiculous amount for a few months and then not at all for the next few months. My want to read goes in waves and I hate to admit that I am in a bit of a reading slump at the moment. Having said this I can still pick up the sort of books that you can just pick up and flick through andy current favourite is the pocket-sized ‘The Little Black Book’ by fab business woman Otegha Uwagba. It is a brilliant book full of practical and inspirational advice for creative women who are in the workplace or own their own business in the creative field and has been so useful for me over the past few weeks as I try to find my way in the big adult world! From finances to public speaking this book is the perfect guide to building the career that you want and has even managed to keep my attention during the dreaded reading slump.
Another type of book that I have been really loving, much to my surprise, is a good cookbook. I have been trying to do a lot more cooking recently and so have been on the look out for some great recipes. My favourites to flick through at the moment are currently ‘Toast, Hash, Roast, Mash’ by Dan Doherty and ‘Tanya Bakes’ by YouTuber Tanya Burr. The former because every recipe involves egg in some form or another -YUM- and the latter because I am also really getting into baking, especially her gorgeous chocolate cookies! A few years ago if you had said to me that I would be reading cookbooks I would have said never in a million years, but here I am recommending them to you today and honestly, I am really happy to be able to do so!
When I finally get out of this reading dip, I will get back into reading more novel style books and one book I really want to read in the near future is ‘Wilde Like Me’ by one of my favourite YouTubers Louise Pentland (SprinkleofGlitter). She has such a bubbly, real personality and I can imagine that she will have poured herself into her first women’s fiction, plus the reviews are all incredible. Maybe someday soon I will be reviewing it on here, but for now I will be sticking to my cookbooks…
Now, onto what I have been listening to. A few months ago I visited my Uncle and he has a huge and inspiring music collection. I played him a few things that I have recently been listening to and as though he was the human Spotify he suggested a couple of things that I might want to try out. I went away with an album entitled ‘Bloom’ by Beach House and have been absolutely loving their sound. He was right, they are just up my street and I can’t wait to discover more of their music. Let’s hope my Uncle has some more recommendations, although if I don’t return his CD soon he may not have any for a while…
Alongside music I have also been really enjoying a good, free podcast and there are plenty of them around, let me tell you! In my opinion the best at the moment has to be Radio Wolfgang’s ‘The Heart of It with Estee LaLonde’. Love it! I mean you all know how much I love Estee, the Canadian blogger and youtube sensation, but this is just another level. In the most recent episode, ‘Makeup’ Estee spoke about her love of makeup, her surprise at her career path and also about the history of makeup, which was absolutely fascinating. All of the episodes so far, including one about Tattoos, have been absolutely captivating. If you haven’t yet had a listen I definitely recommend you do.
As you can see I have been enjoying loads of great entertainment recently and I hope you can find something in this post that takes your fancy, something new to try. If you have any recommendations of things that you have really been enjoying let me know and I will definitely check them out!
Love Holly x