BOOKS: “Reading for fun” somehow becomes the phrase used for reading outside your degree-work at Oxford, which I feel is kind of sad. Jorge Borges is an author I would recommend, even politely implore, anyone to read, especially his dazzling short stories. You put the book down and realise that you were stolen away to a twisted, magical place but have no idea how you got there. Many of his short stories deal with time and quite profound philosophical questions, but read effortlessly.
FILM: I think the last ï¬lm I saw at the cinema was the Alan Partridge ï¬lm which shows how often I get out. It was well worth the visit though. Great comedy that isn’t cruel but still has the right amount of edge – a hard balance to strike. Scrolling through the memory reel, one of the best ï¬ lms I watched recently was The Intouchables, in which a young underdog inadvertently becomes the carer of a wealthy paraplegic and a profound friendship forms between the two. It’s incredibly warm, tender and funny.
MUSIC: Ahhh music! I tend to get obsessed with songs or albums and play them on repeat until I hate them, wait a few weeks, and then return to them with even more love. One album that really got me in this way last year was Channel Orange (ask my ex-housemates), specifically the bit in Pink Matter when the slap bass makes an appearance. As for music in Oxford, Tama Sumo was excellent at Cellar last week – it was the best kind of night. People loving life and music with all the joy and none of the pretension.
