What I'm...

 Reading:

I'm currently listening to Richard Armitage read Charles Dickens' David Copperfield. I'm over two thirds the way through and doing this on the back of reading Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead. A book based on the former, I'm loving have somebody tell me this long and involved story. Armitage is a master story teller as he takes on all of Dickins's characters - and you can hear in his voice that he's having a blast. I used to have an English lecturer who used to bring Dickins to life. There should be more of it. 

On paper/ kindle, I'm just between books, having just finished Clare Keegan's amazing All The Small Things. This was only 80 pages long, but Keegan's words pack a punch. This one comes highly recommended. 

And so I'm trying to decide what read next. Our book group book for next month is Jane Harper's Exiles. I've still got about half of Sally Rooney's Beautiful World, Where Are You? This one has been very slow going. 

Maybe I should pick up something else from the To Be Read pile. 

Watching:

Wednesday night is Ted Lasso and Sanditon night. I love both for very different reasons. 

After the gym, I put on a movie. CODA, on Apple TV. 

This film is incredible, and it deserves the Oscar attention it received, where Troy Kotsur won the gong for Best Supporting Actor. Kotsur is the first deaf actor to win this award. 

The film tells the story of Ruby, the only hearing person in her deaf family. Ruby is trying to get on at high school, as well as working with her family on their fishing boat and acting as the family translator. But Ruby wants a life of her own, and Ruby wants to sing. Helped by a teacher, Ruby begins to see there is a lot more to life. 

Hunt out this film if you haven't seen it. I cried off and on for the last half of it. 

Emilia Jones, who plays Ruby, is wonderful. She's also in one of my favourite English films, What We Did On Our Holiday, where her relationship with her grandfather, played by Billy Connelly, is thoroughly joyful. That she can sing. tThis isn't suprising as her father is Aled Jones, the Welsh singer who was huge in the eighties and 90s - but she is no nepo-baby. Emilia Jones is going to be one to watch. 

Her family is rounded out by her mother, played by Marlee Matlin and brother, played by Daniel Durant. It was great to see another view point. 

If you've missed this, do check it out. It's a warm fuzzy of a film with a great script and an interesting point of view. 

And now the cat is sitting next to me demanding I get off my office chair and play with him, before he takes up his bed, on said office chair.

Today's song: