Fiction to look out for in 2025. I want to diversify a bit more in the fiction I’m reading so this is a handy list. 📚

Going to treat myself to a new Mac Mini for my birthday this month and trying to decide how much internal storage I want/need or whether to just buy an external SSD.

🍕 Making pizza for lunch because why not and adding anchovies, lots and lots of anchovies.

📺 Finished watching The Diplomat (Season 2, 2024) ★★★★½

A rectangular image with a review of the television series The Diplomat (Season 2). The show poster is on the left and the review on the right side. Across the bottom is a rating of Poor Okay Good Great with Great selected. The review reads: The first season of this had me hooked and the second didn’t disappoint. Keri Russell as the Ambassador who doesn’t want to be one, Rufus Sewell as her charismatic husband who still wants to be one, Rory Kinnear as an erratic UK prime minister, and Allison Janney giving C.J. Cregg vibes! What more could you want. The ending of the final episode was possibly my favourite bit of the whole season; few words, powerful music and the long shot adding drama, brilliant! Great set up for season three.

I know people love fireworks but look after your pets tonight and keep an eye out for dogs or cats which might have bolted from home in fright.

Finally caught up on my tv reviews, now to do the missing movie reviews. Then I can check my stats for the year.

I’ve been hanging onto my X account as some people I follow haven’t migrated elsewhere. I didn’t delete as I don’t want anyone else getting the username. However, the time has come to remove the content and just keep the account name. Decided to buy Cyd and use it to archive then scrub the account.

📺 Finished watching Obituary (2024) ★★★★

A rectangular image with a review of the television series Obituary (Season 1). The show poster is on the left and the review on the right side. Across the bottom is a rating of Poor Okay Good Great with Great selected. The review reads: This is a brilliant bit of dark comedy in the way only the Irish can deliver. An obituary writer is suddenly switched to only being paid per obituary so what else do you do in a small rural town when you have bills to pay? You ensure there are obituaries to write. Siobhan Cullen as the lead is outstanding, caught up in an older mystery murder she discovers she has a panache for ridding herself of problems and getting paid for doing it. You’ll want to binge this one.

📺 Finished watching Time Bandits (2024) ★★★½

A rectangular image with a review of the television series Time Bandits (Season 1). The show poster is on the left and the review on the right side. Across the bottom is a rating of Poor Okay Good Great with Good selected. The review reads: Loosely based on the movie of the same name I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. Lisa Kudrow was great and it was an ensemble cast which worked well together. The surprise appearances by Shaun Micallef amused this Australian. He was the last person I expected to see popping up. Cancelled after this one season it's still worth watching. The season is self contained and you're not left hanging. Music is composed by Mark Mothersbaugh, a founding member of Devo.

📺 Finished watching Territory (2024) ★★

A rectangular image with a review of the television series Territory (Season 1). The show poster is on the left and the review on the right side. Across the bottom is a rating of Poor Okay Good Great with Okay selected. The review reads: I think it was maybe aiming for a Succession or Yellowstone vibe but set in the Australian outback. The elements were there, a cantankerous patriarch playing children and grandchildren off against the other, the children wanting approval, and everyone wanting to run the world's biggest cattle station in the Northern Territory. It tried to have a lawless undercurrent but some of it simply wasn’t believable. There was a setup for a second season but not sure I’ll be back if it eventuates. This was a close run between Poor or Okay and I went with Okay because of the stunning locations in the Australian Outback and the way Indigenous Australians were represented as the traditional owners of the land.