Well ending a month with a mini heatwave is one way to feel better about it. But I’m feeling more positive about the month ahead. Better weather plus the first steps of lockdown easing should make April a wonderful antidote to that horrible winter. Here’s hoping.

I read a decent amount this month and wrote two whole reviews! Excellent films watched include The Vast of the Night and Roma. And TV-wise I decided better-late-than-never and inhaled the first season of Line of Duty. I’m trying to give myself a week or two off before I start season two.

Better weather, lighter evenings, plus a dog who has decided she likes being carried in her doggy backpack again, mean we can start going for walks that are a bit longer/further from our house. I just have to be careful not to try to do too much too suddenly, or I’ll trigger a lupus flare. Gently does it.

And now for a relaxing evening watching a film with a puppy snoring at my side.

Books read in March

Peterloo: Witnesses to a Massacre by Polyp (art), Eva Schlunke (editor) and Robert Poole (research)
This comic uses the words of original testimonies and newspaper articles to bring to life the Peterloo Massacre of 1819. It’s a brilliant way of bringing this important moment in history to life.

A Bit of Difference by Sefi Atta
Deola, a Nigerian expatriate in London, is sent on a work trip to Nigeria that manages to coincide with her father’s five-year memorial service. She is forced to confront all sorts of realities about her life and the role of international charities in her native country.

Station Eleven by Emily St John Mendel
This was a weird book to read right now, as it’s a dystopia set during the aftermath of a global pandemic. The conceit is that it follows a travelling theatre troupe who tour the remaining settlements around Lake Superior, and I really enjoyed those bits. There are also a lot of flashbacks through the life of an actor who died on the day the pandemic reached Toronto, and several people connected to him, and I found them less gripping.

This Book Will Save Your Life by A M Homes
Richard is experiencing intense pain. His trip to the ER makes him re-evaluate his life. A middle-aged divorcee living in LA trading stocks from home, his daily life is managed by a cleaner, a personal trainer and a nutritionist. None of them are happy that he stopped at a doughnut shop on his way home from hospital, but it’s the start of a friendship that changes everything for Richard. This novel has a surreal humour that I loved.

The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer
Elinor has arrived in a small Sussex village to take up a new job as a governess. But accidentally stepping into the wrong carriage sets her on a path of adventure, intrigue, spies and romance. This was my first historical mystery by Heyer and I loved it.

#1960Now: Photographs of Civil Rights Activists and Black Lives Matter Protests by Sheila Pree Bright
Bright has taken a series of photographs of civil rights activists who were active in 1960 and they are presented here alongside her photos of recent Black Lives Matter protests. I would prefer to see this exhibition in a gallery to take in the images side-by-side. Maybe one day.