Good things lately - soul music
Everything I loved in April, including books, music, TV, and a new podcast discovery
Woosh. It’s been a bit of an intense few days over on Substack! I had a little taste of weighing in on something topical, and while I’m glad I was brave enough to voice my opinion, I’m not sure I could stomach making a habit of it.
It was interesting to observe what happens to someone (myself) when they get involved in any kind of online drama. Honestly, I found it very stressful. I also noticed that my attention span for other things, like reading, almost disappeared for a couple of days. I don’t know what to make of it all. I think the biggest thing it’s taught me is to be really cautious about getting involved in anything like that, particularly if you’re a sensitive soul, and take good care of yourself.
I feel what’s in order now is something wholesome and positive, and what better way to do that than my April Good Things Lately! For any newbies (hi!), this is where I share all the stuff from the last month — art, media, anything really — that I enjoyed. I have a LOT to share, so here goes.
Music
It turns out, April was a pretty great month for music! I started writing songs again (yay), something I haven’t done in a long time, and while I haven’t written anything particularly good, it feels great to know that I can still do it.
I booked myself tickets to a couple of gigs — The Songs of Joni Mitchell in November, which looks incredible, and I’m With Her at the Barbican later this month.
But my biggest and bestest music discovery was the Soul Music podcast, which, it turns out, has been going for a long, long time. It is just the most beautiful concept. Each episode focuses on one great song and how it came to be. Did you know, for example, that Roberta Flack didn’t actually write Killing Me Softly With His Song? It turns out the woman who came up with the original concept and co-wrote the lyrics, Lori Lieberman, was left uncredited by, you guessed it, two men.
It was an early performance by Don McLean that inspired Lieberman to write the poem that became the song. Lieberman was in a relationship at the time with songwriter Norman Gimbel, who, along with his songwriting partner, Charles Fox, put the song to music. But when Roberta Flack heard the song and fell in love with it, Lieberman was left out of negotiations.
During each episode, you also get stories from different people, from all walks of life, and why that particular song means so much to them. I’m obsessed! And I honestly think it’s helping me to fall in love with music again. There are love stories, heartbreak and tragedy, and everything in between. It turns out, music really is important. Phew.
I was wondering how best to share this new discovery with you, so I’ve made a playlist of the songs covered, which I’ll probably keep adding to as I listen to more episodes. Feel free to follow it if that interests you!
Books
I read so many great books in April. My second attempt at reading Jane Austen’s Persuasion was successful (not sure what I didn’t enjoy the first time around). I finally got around to reading Elif Shafak’s There Are Rivers In The Sky and loved it! I can’t believe the amount of research she must have done for it. Minor Detail by Adania Shibli was a pretty painful but beautiful and necessary read. I enjoyed Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa (the ending really caught me off guard). I fell in love with Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, and now I want to read everything by her. After that, it felt appropriate to read Elizabeth Strout’s Tell Me Everything, which I had been sort of saving (there’s a similar kind of warmth to Strout’s and Patchett’s writing, I think). Initially, I struggled a bit with Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Virgin Suicides, but then really got into my stride and tore through the second half. And I absolutely raced through Olive by Emma Gannon, which I wanted to get to before reading her latest release.
I read and enjoyed two non-fiction books as well: We Need Your Art by Amie McNee and Daunt’s Dog Hearted: Essays on Our Fierce and Familiar Companions.
TV
I seemed to watch a lot of feel-good TV in April. I adored the third season of Love on the Spectrum. Last One Laughing UK was a riot. We wanted to watch the new season of Race Across the World, but accidentally watched Season 1 instead (which turned out to be great, and now we’re catching up on the current season, so all good). And we just watched the first episode of the new Taskmaster - what a great cast!
We finished Season 2 of Severance, probably the only non-feel-good thing I watched in April. I have mixed feelings about it. I loved Season 1, but felt like the second season was overly complicated and somewhat lost its way. Still great TV, overall.
Food
I’ve been cooking more this month! I’d like to shout out the MOB Fresh cookbook, which Adrien gifted me last year and which we’ve been using a lot recently (look at all those tabs). So far, we’ve particularly enjoyed the Sticky Aubergine Rice Bowl, Gochujang Egg Mayo Toasts and the Lebanese Moussaka. But probably my most surprisingly successful recipe, not being much of a baker normally, was a Clementine Almond and Olive Oil Cake, which was delicious!
Substack
Some great free reads:
No one cares that I used to be impressive by Amy Beecham
what to buy in M&S food by Anna Eleri Hart
Issue 116: My notebook ecosystem (as a book nerd) by
Lions and tigers and bears oh my. by Margaret Bennett
taskmaster by Gina Martin
Natural, Alternative Italian Beach Destinations by Katie Mcknoulty
The Best Writing Tip I've Ever Read by Linda Carol
How to be happy by Rebecca Nicholson
Three novels for May by Pandora Sykes
Last but not least
These tulips from M&S were only £3.50 and they’re gorgeous. I bought some yellow ones first, and they lasted about a week and a half, so I had to get more. Would recommend!
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett is another wonderful book x
So happy you're writing again xx