Entertainment roundup

What to watch, read and listen to this August

As a result of the success of my entertainment round up in July. I thought I would share with you my entertainment roundup for August. Hopefully, this post will give you some ideas for ways to entertain yourself, rest with your chronic condition and subsequently help you step outside your pain.

*p.s. Don’t forget Amazon have their own subscription service called Amazon Prime Video. It has movies, TV series, comedy shows, originals and documentaries all in one place. If you are interested in a Prime Video subscription please do click my link and at no extra cost to you I will earn a small commission!

Entertainment Source: Books

Hey fibromyalgia fighter

Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh

Although I find reading tricky as a result of being a full time mummy, this book was actually unputdownable! It was a thriller/crime novel based on two character with sinister and dark back stories. All of a sudden, the stories become entwined and a game of ‘kill for me, kill for you’ entails. The characters are very well presented and you really get into the mindsets of the different characters. Also the plot line is very compelling and, although it felt like a lot of the story gets wrapped up in the final quarter of the book, it kept me guessing till the very end though.

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

Reading is an act of self care for me and, most importantly, helps me to slow down and pace with my chronic condition. Without doubt, Lisa Jewell is one of my favourite authors to rest and pace with and subsequently reading her books fill me with immense pleasure. This book explores two characters who come together to make a podcast about their shared birthday. However, things take a dark turn when the podcast turns into a biopic of one of the women’s troubled and disturbed life story. Ultimately, the podcaster falls completely under the women’s spell which has disastrous consequences for her family. What is true? Who is lying? What lies are exposed? You’ll have to read to find out!

As well as the review of Steve Cavanagh’s book review, she has also done a review of this book and agreed with my star rating!

Entertainment source: TV shows

Painkillers on Netflix

Painkillers is an entertainment drama, based on the Oxycontin epidemic in America and in detail it explores how the drug came about, the ruthless ways in which the drug got approval. In particular it also looks at how the drug was sold to doctors and patients alike and the devastating consequences it had on the lives of many, many Americans who became addicted to this dangerously addictive substance. On the whole, The Guardian agreed with my rating of the show and with spectacular performances by adult Simba in the Lion King Matthew Broderick and ‘Crazy eyes’ in Orange is the New Black Uzo Aduba, this is a must watch piece of entertainment this Autumn. Owing to Aduba’s performance, the Guardian comment that “Aduba as Flowers is actually the centre of the show.”

Entertainment source: Films

Oppenheimer

In the debate, Oppenheimer vs Barbie, my husband and I opted to go and see Oppenheimer as it was a much anticipated film. While this may be true, we were not looking forward to it being 3 hours and 1 minutes long. The acting by Cillian Murphy though was incredible and it really suspended your disbelief. There were some striking scenes and some harrowingly tense moments to keep you on the edge of your seat however overall the film lacked the dramatic flare we were anticipating. There were lots of characters introduced that were hard to keep up with and the dates shifted about quite a bit with no reference to it in the film. It did feel like you had to have a working knowledge of the story in order to fully enjoy it. Worth a watch but be prepared to be a little underwhelmed.

Although Empire Online slightly disagree with me and gave it the full 5 stars, in terms of the cast though they agree with my findings. They state “Oppenheimer features Nolan’s most impressive cast yet.” They end their article by saying “A masterfully constructed character study from a great director operating on a whole new level. A film that you don’t merely watch, but must reckon with.”

Entertainment source: Podcasts

My First Five Years

My First Five Years is a podcast that explores all the important parenting topics from 0-5. It covers parenting hacks, entertainment ideas for kids, social, emotional and mental health and lots of useful advice.

There was a most interesting episode recently about how to navigate the summer holidays and it gives simple ideas for activities you can do that don’t cost an arm and a leg. It’s all presented in a fun, bite-sized manner from real parents with real experiences. Additionally, they also have a really useful app by the same name found on Google and Apple, which highlights key skills your child will learn based on their age. Most importantly, it then gives you relevant activities you can do to help them with these skills. It is often a point that is overlooked that mothers instantly know what activities to do with their child at home so I find the ideas really useful. I’ll go more into this app in a later blog post but for now here’s the link to it.

Mummy the Fibro Warrior Top Tip

1. Try a new book, Tv programme, film or podcast too see you through painful and tiring days.

If there is one takeaway I’d like you all to remember today is that reading is great for the soul. TV and Film are restful activities that can help you switch off and not focus on your health conditions and podcasts can help lift your mood. Find what entertainment works for you and your lifestyle. I need you to know you are doing the best you can, your child/children love you just as you are and you are Mummy the Fibro Warrior.

Until next time,

x

p.s. Have you read any good books lately? Have you watched Painkillers? How about Oppenheimer or Barbie? Do give me and my readers some recommendations for good books, film, tv and podcasts in the comments below!

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