This month, I’ve been …

Reading …

The Story of a New Name – Elena Ferrante
I confess, I’m completely swept up in Ferrante’s yin/yang story of Lenu and Lila. Ferrante is a spellbinding storyteller, weaving plots around and within plots like the kind of super-complicated crochet only Lettice and Stacey can do. Now at the end of volume 2, all I know is that I might have to ration the third and fourth books, because it will be too, too sad when there’s no more to read.

Second volume in Ferrante’s Neapolitan quartet

Amphigorey – Edward Gorey
The wonderful librarians at the Tate Library in Brixton leave books lying on the tables like a trail of literary breadcrumbs through the building. So this rather round pigeon was there doing I can’t remember what – anyway, it stopped as soon as I opened the pages of Amphigorey, a collection of 15 works by cult American writer and illustrator Edward Gorey, and fell into his wonderfully surreal and strangely disturbing world of Victorian wenches and Edwardian ruffians, all most definitely Up to No Good.

It’s pre-Lemony Snickett and more twisted than Gaiman, but if you enjoy them, you might also enjoy this. I did – volume 2 is on the way.

Amphigorey: Vile, villainous and wonderful, darling.

Watching …

Get Out
Is so, so good. Everyone should watch this film. It’s so smart and witty and terrifying and thought-provoking.

Nine Lives
On the other hand, no one went to see Nine Lives at the cinema last year, so now it’s on Netflix. So if you’ve ever wanted to see Kevin Spacey play a cat ARE YOU SERIOUS TAKE MY MONEY, then this is for you.

If – if – you like cats and Kevin Spacey (and if you dislike both of them, I’m sorry but we can’t be friends any more) then this is a most enjoyable Sunday evening, undemanding romp. Ted and I chuckled and squeed through it. (Paws!)

(And if you do like Spacey and cats, you should watch it for two excellent cameos – one human, one … not. Trust me.)

Riverdale
Gets better and better.

Listening to …

Empire Records – Sløtface
Great name for a band formerly known as Slutface. (Nice upgrade, btw.) Great band. Great Norwegian punky pop. If you like the Breeders and Veruca Salt, this’ll be right up your vei, so to speak.

Green Light – Lorde
Well, who knew the NZ popstrel had this in her? This sleazy anthem will have you chucking on the lurex, throwing crazy-hair moves on the light-up dance floor and reaching for the glitterballs as you belt out the chorus. “I’m waiting for it, that green light, I want it!”

You know you do, you filthy disco sløt.

As the World Caves In – Matt Maltese
This is the end-of-the-world barnstormer we need right now. Oh, how I need this song right now. It’s the one to play after the atom bombs fall, as Richard Hawley and I drag our shellshocked selves outside into the post-nuclear light, swigging the last of the Campari from the very, very back of the drinks cabinet and lurch together through our destroyed city for one last dance as nuclear fallout gently settles on our pale, misshapen limbs.

(Yeah yeah, so I might be being a *teensy* bit melodramatic, but when if the end of the world comes, play this. It’ll cheer you up. I promise. #planB)

Oh, and one final thing – if you’re on Spotify, I’ve put some 2017 tracks including these (and a few from late 2016 plus one cheeky wildcard) onto a 2017 playlist on Spotify. Find it here or search for me – username: linniekin. Enjoy!