February 17, 2026 – SparklyPrettyBriiiight

(courtesy Bloomsbury Publishing) We live in troubling times. Hardly a news flash there; one glance at the nightly news is enough to traumatise you with updates on the creeping annihilation of climate change, the democracy-decimating horrors of fascism and the possibilities of new pandemics, fresh wars and death and violence Continue Reading

Movie review: The Pout-Pout Fish

(courtesy IMP Awards) Based on the book of the same name by Deborah Diesen with art by Dan Hanna, The Pout-Pout Fish is of those films that comes with a fairly simple premise but which becomes so much more thanks to clever writing and some mischievously inventive animation. Adapted from Continue Reading

Book review: Lie With Me by Philippe Besson

(courtesy Penguin Books Australia) While it’s an immutable fact that we exist in the here and now, for better or worse, we are always living in the past to some extent. It’s impossible not in many ways since who we were and what we did are intrinsically woven into the Continue Reading

It’s time to move on … Thoughts on Shrinking S3, E1-6

(courtesy IMP Awards) I am lucky to have a wonderful family. Well, “Congratulations you!” might well be the response from most people but what on earth does this have to do with a review of the first six episodes of Shrinking third season? As it turns out, quite a lot Continue Reading

Why is he in space? Behind-the-scene sneak peek of Project Hail Mary

(courtesy IMP Awards) SNAPSHOTAstronaut Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) awakens with no memory of himself or his mission. He deduces he is the sole survivor of a crew sent to the Tau Ceti solar system in search of a solution to a catastrophic event on Earth. In his search for answers, Continue Reading

Book review: Escape to Seahaven Bay by Nicola May

Recovering from great trauma is never easy. It’s there in the word really; “trauma” even sounds hard and brutal, and so it stands to reason, that moving on for it will not be quick, easy or trouble-free. For a book devoted to the wondrous idea of second chances, Escape to Continue Reading

The short and the short of it: What is life without social media? Quiet Life asks the question

(courtesy IMDb) SNAPSHOTA social media meltdown forces Geoffrey to reassess his life and values. Quiet Life was awarded the BAFTA for Short Form at the BAFTA Television Awards 2025. (courtesy BBC YouTube) You’re barely into the approximately 11-minute delight that is Quiet Life, directed by Rith Pickette to a screenplay Continue Reading

Movie review: She’s the He! #MGFF26

(courtesy IMDb) Identity cuts to the core of who we are as people. But for something so intrinsic to our sense of self and expression, identity is often twisted into all sorts of unrecognisable shapes by societal pressure, familial expectations, bullying and bigotry and even our personal journeys to figuring Continue Reading

Book review: Palm Meridian by Grace Flahive

(courtesy Hachette Australia) Reading, done right, is often a seismic trip to all kinds of extreme emotions. Often in the same book too, which is what Palm Meridian by Grace Flahive achieves with an effortless ease, reducing us to side-clutching bundles of laughter one minute before grabbing our heart, giving Continue Reading

Songs, songs and more songs #134: Pattie Gonia & Imogen Heap, Qveen Herby & THOT Squad, Jacob Collier, Absolutely + Metric

(via Shutterstock) I love music … but I don’t just love any music. I want music with presence, the kind of music that strides forth with energised music, lyrics that don’t play cute and timid and produced by artists who want to say things in unforgettable ways. These five artists Continue Reading

Come on a wild adventure at camp … thoughts on Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical

(courtesy First Showing (c) AppleTV+) If you’re of a certain age, you will be well acquainted with how good Peanuts specials are for your heart, your mental health and your general sense of glowing wellbeing. Three of the most well-known of the 52 animated specials in existence are A Charlie Continue Reading

Book review: Here and Beyond by Hal LaCroix

The short and the short of it: Grief and letting go in the digital spotlight in Light Hearted