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November is one of my favourite months! It is a month where I celebrate my birthday, do my Christmas shopping and soak up the beginning of the festive season. To celebrate my birthday this year, I am heading to see the wonderful Amble at one of their three sold-out nights in the 3Olympia. I bought the tickets earlier this year, so it has been a long time coming.
The top of my ‘to watch’ list at the moment is Rivals on Disney+. I am a huge fan of David Tennant, so I am very excited to sit down and more than likely binge-watch the whole series. I always mention Portia MacIntosh’s books when I am asked what I am reading. They are easy, light reads which suit me perfectly when I want to switch off. Her latest release You Had Me At Chateau is next on my list.
There’s so much to look forward to this month with the likes of Gladiator II and of course, Sharon Horgan’s Bad Sisters coming out – both of which I have on my watch list. I’m also incredibly excited for Paddington in Peru and Say Nothing, a new Disney drama set during The Troubles. On the reading front, I just finished Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo (which I loved!) so next up is Coco Mellors’ Cleopatra and Frankenstein. She released her second book – Blue Sisters – earlier this year but I thought I’d start with her debut – I read an essay she wrote for British Vogue this summer and was immediately drawn in by her story so I have high hopes.
Other than that, I’m looking forward to a second showing of Hamilton at the Bord Gáis (it’s just so bloody good) and a weekend at The Johnstown Estate – their spa is blissful. I love the run-up to Christmas but as an introvert, I find the constant socialising a little draining at times so I’ll be laying low while I still can!
There are so many good films out at the moment that I’ve been itching to get to the cinema and watch – Small Things Like These (I read the book and have no doubt Cillian Murphy will do a fantastic job), Heretic (I got goosebumps at Hugh Grant’s portrayal of the villain in the trailer), Gladiator II (Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington… need I say more?) and, of course, Wicked (which I will be singing along to!).
As far as events go, I’m tagging along to this really cool Reader’s Day in Dublin City Library with some friends, where two of my favourite crime authors Tana French and Lucey Foley will be chatting all things books alongside some other big names.
And speaking of books, I’ve already filled my to-be-read list for November on GoodReads. Right now, I’m reading an absolute pageturner, The Apollo Murders – written by a real astronaut who makes some shocking revelations about what really occurred during The Space Race in the 1970s. Next up will be Sally Rooney’s new Intermezzo to see which side of the mixed reviews I land on, and finally, Catherine Ryan Howard’s The Nothing Man, a riveting crime thriller about a serial killer in Ireland which I’ve heard great things about (but honestly, I’ll read anything Howard writes!)
I am hooked on The Diplomat – with season two just out. I’m desperately trying to hold back and not binge the whole thing in one go. I just love everything about Kerri Russell in this role, and the dynamic between herself and (on-off husband) Rufus Sewell is just electric, so complex and intriguing. On the flip side, for a perfect nonsense-escape, I watched the Fall Guy the other night and thoroughly enjoyed it (available to rent on Apple TV) — the “Taylor Swift in the Truck” scene is cinematic gold (IMO)! Books-wise, I just finished The Life Impossible by Matt Haig and enjoyed it (enough) — mostly for the atmospheric off-beat Ibiza setting. For a feel-good light read, You are Here by David Nicholls is spot-on.
I have two photo books I have my eye on right now. One is Heaven and a Hard Place by Irish photographer Frank Keane (just out, frankkeanephoto.com) and the other is the new fashion book by the brilliant and iconic Martin Parr, Fashion Faux Parr, published by Phaidon.
I am probably the last person in the entire world to see this but I am finally going to see ABBA Voyage in London before it closes at the end of November (although as I am writing this I have just noticed they have added extra dates so maybe it is not closing after all!). I am not a mad ABBA fan but have only heard good things about the show and feel it is a bit of a once-in-lifetime experience so we got tickets for my pal’s birthday. Now whether or not we will get dressed up in ’70s gladrags for the night out remains to be seen…
I’m booking ‘The Irish Writers Handbook’ at Dublin Book Festival, which is a sort of ‘how to get published’ talk from expert Irish publishers with tips on editing and writing now. It’s on Saturday, November 9 at The Printworks in Dublin Castle.