My last blog post of the year 2020 has been written multiple times and deleted just as many. I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to say about the closing of this bizarre year, nothing makes complete and utter sense to me anymore. But lying in bed last night I thought about all the ways I managed the weirdness, insecurity and uncertainty of 2020 and how I somewhat stayed afloat by distracting myself, learning and unlearning, filling my cup with new information, more knowledge and personal stories. Here follows a blog post with some of the books, films, documentaries, podcasts and music that helped me get through 2020 in their own special way.
Books
- The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read: I think this was one of the first books I read this year. Highly recommended by many, the author is a renowned psychotherapist who touches on our relationships with our kids and how to have a good connection with them. Worth reading whatever age your kids are.
- Know My Name: One of my absolute favourite memoirs ever, I had to stop and take breaks when reading this. Channel Miller was sexually abused, her case made public and scrutinised by millions, while she was known as Emily Doe and her abuser as a ‘good guy’ from ‘a good family’. Her story of trauma sheds light on a culture that protects perpetrators and a criminal system that was never made to protect the vulnerable.
- The Book of Longings: What a fantastic novel, I devoured it in just over a week, fascinated by this version of Jesus’ life where he has a wife and she is woke AF! Storytelling at its best. I have ordered this author’s previous masterpieces The Invention of Wings and The Secret Life of Bees.
- Untamed: Eye-opening and full of aha moments, Glennon Doyle has to be one of my favourite truth-tellers of all time. Her previous books are great but this one is made of magic. As an alcoholic, bulimic married woman with three kids, she always felt there was more to this life. So she allowed herself to be still, followed her heart’s desires, divorced her husband, married a woman and wrote this book on what it is like to be a woman today, she touches on racism, sexism, patriarchy and other issues we have collectively faced this year. Men should read this.
- Normal People: My best friend urged me to read this and I am glad she did. The love story of two people over the years, beautifully written, I read it in three days by the beach. Massive and successful distraction.
Music/Podcasts
- Elvis’ 68 comeback Special: I have been a huge fan since the tender age of 13 when most of my friends were obsessed with boy bands. His comeback in 1968 always lifts my spirits so during this year I watched the mesmerising performances with my boys and relied on his beautiful voice to bring back some positivity during the gloomiest of moments.
- Ludovico Einaudi: I discovered this composer’s music at the beginning of the year when I needed an alternative to classical music while writing and trying to stay clam in a noisy house with three kids.
- Brandi Carlile: I have known and loved her voice for quite a few years now but this year I spent many hours playing her songs in the house and in the car. One of my favourite female artists.
- Stevie Nicks: Do I really need to say anything more? Every song, every poem, every interview.
- Beyond the Self podcast: Africa Brooke keeps putting me in all kinds of difficult mental positions with her wise no-bullshit thinking. I first began following Africa when I found a video of her talking about Imposter Syndrome, something I have found to be fascinating and very true for me, and then about wokeism on Instagram, a long but interesting discussion on worshipping online personas.
- The Guilty Feminist podcast: I’m not sure how I came across this but I absolutely bloody love it. Everything about it is brilliant. The live show vibes, the big speeches, I love this hilarious confession of feministic insecurities, hypocrisies and fears we all have.
- The Fairer Cents: I am only just dipping my toe into the pool of limiting female money mindsets so my podcast quest is not over. However I have listened to three episodes so far and like the fact that many issues they tackle involve people of colour and non-binary people not just women.
- Happy Place: I am a massive Fearne Cotton fan and her podcast Happy Place was one of the first interviews podcasts I loved almost three years ago when I relied on podcasts to listen and learn. She’s had major names on this season’s show like Deepak Chopra and Gabby Bernstein and Robbie Williams.
- Tony Robbins’ chat with Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx: There are hundreds of episodes worth listening to with the mighty Tony Robbins but this one interview stuck in my mind because it’s an amazing story of success and an inspiration to those who want to do it their own way.
- Fool Me Twice: Online dating isn’t something that would interest me but something about this podcast stuck with me because it’s all about online dating AND scamming which is bigger than you think, can happen to anybody and has serious mental repercussions. Fool Me Twice is created by a woman whose mother was a victim of online scamming.
Films/ Documentaries
- American Murder The Family Next Door: I am a massive true crime fan but this documentary hit a nerve not just because of the heinous and fucking disgusting nature of the specific crime but also because of the way it is made. The entire content is made up of real life footage, Facebook posts, messages and news reports. No interviews, no dramatisation, no voiceovers.
- Diana In Her Own Words: I thought this was an old documentary, one of many you will find on Netflix on Diana, her life and death. It’s not. 1991 recordings of Diana were used as voiceovers to popular photographs we have seen over the years, specific moments in her life we know very well. A scene that stuck in my mind was an image of her on her wedding day and the words ‘That was one of the worst days of my life’ blaring from the tv. She was younger than I am now when she died, so her words and actions have had a newfound impact on me. The Crown is also an absolute favourite.
- Stateless: Cate Blanchett co-created this eye-opening and difficult-to-watch series about the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers and the state of the camps they are held in. The story follows four characters from different backgrounds who represent the personal and collective pain of over 70 million human beings.
- Forrest Gump: An absolute favourite of many, it was about time I watched it with Georgie and James who wanted to watch it too. It’s a two and a half hour movie so I wasn’t sure how they would or could follow a story for that long. I kid you not, they didn’t budge until the very end. I loved rewatching it with them, talking about moments in US history and singing soundtrack 60s and 70s songs.
- The Social Dilemma: Massively interesting, even if it does leave you scarred and scared. Our constant worries about the use of social media are cemented with this documentary I would highly recommend you watch especially if you have kids.
- Ratched: I was eagerly anticipating this series and was not disappointed when it premiered this year. The performances are near perfect and I haven’t seen settings and costumes like that since Mad Men. Excellent, disturbing and shocking in every way. Ratched is a nurse in a psychiatric hospital in the late 40s. Beat that!
Being more mindful, practicing yoga and letting go of control have also been lifesavers this year and I am grateful for the lessons learned even though I, like all of us, was literally forced to stop spinning but the ultimate therapy for me-apart from seeing a real therapist, which is something else I started doing this year- was the words I read between pages, the voices I heard speaking their truth and the sweet melodies that filled me up, leaving no space for the bullshit.
Love ya x
