Welcome to my story list, September edition.

This is a list of the imaginary or reimagined worlds I have been inhabiting over the past month. Whether via books, podcasts, tv shows or films, this is a diary of where I’ve been. They are the tales I have travelled and the (sometimes fictional) people I’ve met along the way. Let us begin.

1. Materialists [Film]

I entered the Materialists universe late one night with a cup of tea and (I believe) a mint biscuit. It looked like my kind of movie. Materialists is a modern romantic dramedy by Celine Song. It’s a classic love triangle. The sharp points of which are a pragmatic unapologetic woman, a loveable manboy, and a self-constructed gentleman. More than that, Materialists is a battle between comfort and aspiration, between what is and what could be, between a rattling old car and the possibility of calling for a driver. I loved it.

I think it’s the best acting from Chris Evans I’ve ever seen. I rewound the moment right after they (aka John and Lucy, aka Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans) kiss on the dance floor about 17 times. John pulls away, drops his head, and looks visibly afraid. You can literally feel his fear of being heartbroken by the woman he loves again. You can hear it in his voice later outside, when it’s all pitchy and high school boy like, asking ‘what is this, are we getting back together?’. Bless him. Bless this scripted man.

Since I’d only rented the movie for 48hrs on Prime, and wanted to make sure I got the most out of my $6.99, I rewound this scene for my husband (aka Gavin) the next day. I filled him in on my theory of this being excellent acting by Chris and said something like, ‘can’t you feel his pain?!’ Of course, he had no idea what the film was about, so admiration didn’t land the same. To rectify this, with some time on my hands and exactly 40 minutes remaining on the rental clock, I gave Gavin a speedy narrated tour of Materialists. Picking out key scenes, I talked loudly over the handful of moments he was able to watch, with sharp summaries and interesting insights. I can say without a shadow of a doubt, he did not like this method of watching. Not at all. He did however leave with new appreciation for his height.

2. Normal People [Show]

I know. I am late to the party here. I finally arrived at the Normal People doorstep **via my bookstore. I went to buy the book my book club is reading (more on this next month), and they didn’t have it. So I told the bookstore aficionado (aka Michael) that I was after something with British or Irish grit, some level of romanticising ordinary lives, and nothing too heavy (what can I say, I know my moods and I know what worlds I want to traverse).

Michael handed me Normal People by Sally Rooney, which I promptly put on my bedside table when I got home and switched on Normal People by BBC and Hulu. I told myself it’s because I’m currently trying to write my own book and I thought this was a good opportunity to research how words on a page translate to pictures on a screen, in real time. But really, its because I watched Paul Mescal on Chicken Shop Date.

Anyway, off I trotted to Sligo and Trinity College with my new pals Marianne and Connell, blissfully unaware that my heart was about to be ripped from my chest, never to recover. This is a photo I sent my friend (aka Linnea, real person) at 9:25pm on Friday night.

The Normal People love story is basically built on years upon years of small moments of two kids looking at each other. Each small moment of looking at each other, is built on mountains upon mountains of tension, due to these two kids being unable to say or believe The Big Thing. The Big Thing being ‘I love you, you eejit’ (they are Irish). Both of these darling angel gorgeous babies find it so hard to say how they feel, for fear of rejection. Even when one does say it, the other pushes it back in disbelief. I mean, break my heart over and over why don’t you, you silly sausages! While they might not always believe, I believe in them. I believe in Marianne and Connell. I believe they are somewhere, happily together, maybe in New York or Dublin, and I don’t want to hear anything different. Also. Jamie was the absolute worst. Total yuck.

3. The Mystery Show [Podcast]

I was led into the bright and bubbly world of The Mystery Show via another real life friend (aka Jess Hamilton, podcast extraordinaire herself) who knows what’s good. The Mystery Show is a collection of amateur sleuth adventures, led by effervescent host and producer Starlee Kine. There’s no case too small or obscure for Starlee. In fact, the nich-er the better. Over the last week, together, we have been solving the tantalising mysteries of a belt buckle’s origin story, the true height of Jake Gyllenhaal, and the overnight disappearance of a video store in Lower Manhattan circa 2005. Every shadowy nook and cranny has been illuminated, every character has been engaged with, and every side story given sweet sweet airtime. It’s been delicious.

The humans that make up the patchwork of The Mystery Show are the golden thread. They are all obscure, whimsical, quirky, full, and funny. What makes them ever cooler, is most of them are strangers that Starlee stumbles across on her quests for answers, highlighting to us all once again, that the world is full of wonder.

Frankly, would probably listen to a podcast of Starlee and her band of merry friends just laughing. There is so much recorded laughter in this podcast, that it makes me laugh. We really all are just having a great time. The worst thing about The Mystery Show, is that there is no more of The Mystery Show. It is only a 6-part podcast series, and that needs to be rectified pronto. The only mystery I am interested in solving now is the mystery of what could make Starlee bring The Mystery Show back. Rewards for information will be considered.

4. The Peak [Book]

Last month I almost finished The Peak, a new Australian spy thriller by Sam Guthrie. As such, I have been mentally living on and off in Canberra, Hong Kong, and frequenting Beijing for work trips. I’ll be honest, it has been very very difficult for me to commit to existing in The Peak with my whole heart, mind, and spirit, and not because the story isn’t excellent. It is. It’s just that even the slightest parallels to the book’s world and my real world tended to whiplash me out of the story, and plonk me back in my seat. I even looked up the author on LinkedIn and realised we were already LinkedIn friends. He works in a similar space in his day job. I then felt creepy for being so up close and personal to his central character’s teen angst. Which is just me being worried about some sort of imaginary global HR department.

For anyone who does not have anything to do with foreign affairs or trade or intergovernmental bits and bobs, I don’t foresee this as being a barrier you shall have to face. I recommend giving it a go. The suspense and twists and turns are really good fun. It also reminded me that we are multifaceted creatures and I am ridiculously impressed with Sam. I will finish it. I promise.

And that’s it for now kiddiewinks. Until next month!

Xx