Shit I’m loving lately №1
a fortnightly round-up of what to watch, read, eat, listen to, and get absolutely obsessed with this week - curated by yours truly
Kate Winslet on How to Fail Podcast by Elizabeth Day was one of the most refreshing and comforting podcasts I’ve listened to in a while. Having loved Kate Winslet since her Titanic days and then in pretty much everything I’ve ever seen her in since, it was so wonderful to hear how much of a fucking great person she is too. So down to earth; so sure of herself; so mentally strong. If I could sum up the vibe of this podcast in a sentence, I would steal exact words from Kate herself: ‘The urgency I feel on behalf of the sisterhood is keenly profound’. A national treasure.
Big Small Talk makes my weekly dose of world stories, culture, and politics approximately 35734958 less depressing and difficult to grasp than the BBC does. I think the thing I love most about this podcast is that Hannah and Sarah-Jane are clearly incredibly clever and well-informed, and hearing them discuss everything with a female-in-her-30s lens is exactly the environment I’d like ALL of my news to come in. In particular, their recent coverage of P Diddy was fabulously delivered.
The Scandal by Fredrik Backman is, yet again, confirming that there is no book better than a book written by a journalist. I came across this read after seeing a photo of one of its chapters shared on Substack a few weeks ago in which the writing was so unique and clever that I ordered it immediately and dived in as soon as it landed on my doormat. It has not disappointed. It’s a complex story told through a multitude of different viewpoints but never once does it get confusing or feel slow. Gorgeous writing, incredibly important subject matter, and a great exploration of what it sometimes means to be a woman in this world.
In a similar vein, I adored this killer piece of writing by postcards by elle about rape culture. Elle so powerfully articulates the shared female experience of casual misogyny, sexual violence, and societal injustice, addressing the deeply ingrained rape culture that normalises the mistreatment of women. By blending personal reflections with well-known cases like Chanel Miller's, this piece is a raw, thought-provoking call for solidarity and change. I absolutely fucking loved it.
I’ve been making an effort recently to support small businesses instead of big corporations and, during my searching, I gratefully stumbled across two of the most incredible artists: Simply Katy and Maxine McCrann. Their work is breathtakingly beautiful and I’ve bookmarked some bits to order closer to Christmas (I don’t trust myself not to lose them before).
I’m five and a half months pregnant and have practically moved into these pregnancy leggings. But, even for those who aren’t expecting, the extra layer these babies offer your stomach is perfect for winter and my favourite new life hack. They are so soft and stretchy without being see-through and they have pockets. What more could you want!?
Autumn is upon us and I have basically turned into a hot cross bun. I have one every single morning with a cup of tea and more butter than is recommended in a week, let alone a single serving. No regrets.
Miley Cyrus’ latest D&G campaign because need I say anymore?
Monsters was something we whacked on because it was top of Netflix and we couldn’t be bothered to scroll for anything else. I went in with no expectations, but have been swept the fuck up in it. The 80s clothes (I’m obsessed with all the colourful Ralph Lauren), the acting (Chloë Sevigny and Javier Bardem are fabulous at playing two very non-fabulous parents), and the sheer hotness of the two lead actors (!!!) all make this one drama not to skip out on. And, yes, I’m aware of how problematic is it for murderers to be insanely hot in their TV adaptations (Zac Efron and Evan Peters I’m looking at you) but please allow me this little luxury because…just look at them. Ugh.
Well, apparently I’m having a Kate-Winslet-autumn because I went to the cinema to watch Lee this week; her latest biographical drama telling the story of Lee Miller, a model turned war correspondent during World War II. Kate Winslet is spectacular (and, in the most non-objectionable way it is possible to say these words - can we please take a second to appreciate her tits?! Phenomenal. It’s worth sitting through the full two hours just for the occasional glances at her incredible rack, tbh).
Mr. McMahon, also on Netflix. Tell me you grew up with an older brother and three boy cousins without telling me you grew up with an older brother and three boy cousins, right!? Wrestling was a thing in our household on Saturday mornings and yet, because I was so young during WWF’s heyday, the memories are incredibly hazy (other than that of my brother constantly ‘frog splashing’ me from the sofa). This Netflix docco was like nostalgic morphine pumped into my veins—the stage names, the stories, the smackdowns all came tumbling back during this incredibly well put together look into the controversies and life of Mr McMahon. Worth a watch if you ever sat in front of the telly on Saturday mornings watching grown men pretend to hit each other but have since forgotten how appalling for society wrestling actually was; both the fake beefs and the raging misogyny.
📚 British Vogue: The Biography of an Icon by Julie Summers
📚 Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
📺 A Very British Scandal on BBC One
🎙️ Louise Thompson on Grace Beverley’s Working Hard, Hardly Working podcast