July has been markedly different from June here in the UK. Gone are the sweltering heatwaves for the most part, and in their place we have humid days with rain and even a few impressive thunderstorms for good measure! It’s been a much slower month for me on the writing front, too. I’ve made some small amount of progress, but that’s just how it goes sometimes. If the creative juices aren’t bubbling, it’s best not to force them!
This month, my writing flow has been somewhat lacking, so I’ve not achieved a great deal really. Hush has very much taken a back seat this month as I seek to get Stocking Stuffers ready to go. The all-new short story that I’m writing for it is making real progress at this stage. I still need to write the remaining three drabbles to round that section out to 31 drabbles. Then it will be the mad dash for formatting and seeing if there’s time and scope for any further short fiction pieces to add in as well.
My daily drabbles are still ongoing. We’re in excess of 200 written this year now, so based on my new approach mentioned in last month’s update, that’s two books worth of 100 drabbles ready to go. They’ll still need editing, formatting, designing and covers so these will be a way off yet. I might just hold onto these until sometime next year when things calm down a little bit.
The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa
Another fun read from a Japanese author. This one follows a young boy dealing with the grief of losing his grandfather who owned and ran a second hand book store. An unnamed cat enters his life and takes him on a mystical journey to rescue books. Along the way they teach that books should be read and enjoyed, savoured. Not read once and displayed, or rushed through to consume the maximum number. It’s an entertaining read that I really enjoyed.
Phyllo Cane and the Clockwork Cabaret by Sharn W. Hutton
Having read the previous books in this series this one was a must read for me. It picks up where the series left off, with Phyllo preparing to head out with a different circus troop in the hopes of uncovering his special skills within the magical circus community. With the Clockwork Cabaret, he has to quickly learn the mechanics and the magic required. Phyllo finds himself caught up in a plot involving the Crows, a magical Mafia of sorts. In unpicking the whole mess, he also discovers a secret about his past and the passing of his mother that throws his present and future into turmoil. I’m excited to see what is in store for Phyllo in the future!
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
After a pretty good run in my early journey into Japanese fiction, this one was a little bit of a miss for me. I loved the idea of a little backstreet Tokyo café that allows people to travel back in time to talk to someone. There are a host of rules that must be followed, including drinking their coffee before it gets cold to return. It’s an interesting premise, but unfortunately the fact that the rules are reiterated over and over, it pulled me out of the story too much.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
Following the wonders of The Passengers on the Hankyu Line, I was excited to get started on this book by Arikawa. It charted the story of Satoru and the street cat he adopts. Over time, he realises he cannot keep the cat and seeks to rehome it, unwillingly. As they travel Japan in a silver van, seeking a home for the cat, Satoru always finds a reason not to leave the cat with someone else. While, in theory, it should have been an uplifting story of love for a pet and the reconnections Satoru makes along the way, sadly, I found this one rather bland and slow-moving. None of the characters are particularly engaging, which surprised me following the previous work. Not one I’d pick up again.
The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne by Jonathan Stroud
This is a fun YA adventure through a post apocalyptic Britain filled with danger and dastardly deeds. Scarlett is a lone wolf making a life for herself in a dangerous, ruined world. She’ll willingly help herself to that which isn’t hers if it means surviving. She has and will kill to save herself. Albert Browne, on the other hand, is a naïve boy with no awareness of the world with secret psychological abilities. A series or circumstances throw the unlikely duo together in a fight to survive in very different ways. The first book in a series, this was a really fun read with characters I loved getting to know. I look forward to what the series has in store moving forward.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
I definitely need to watch more of the classic movies, and this was one that’s been on my radar for a little while. It’s a dark comedy parody of the arms race and Cold War era. It’s a fantastic view of what might have been. I can’t talk about this film without mentioning some great cameos from James Earl Jones and Slim Pickens. But we need to talk about the leading men. Peter Sellers playing three different characters including the titular Dr. Strangelove was just brilliant. His comedic timing and style really added something to the film. But the real star of this for me is George C. Scott. Known for serious acting, including Shakespeare, this was a real shift for Scott. I first saw him in A Christmas Carol, which has become an annual staple in my house. His performance was incredible. It’s over the top and fully hammed up, yet is perfect for the film. A wonderfully madcap movie that I loved!
The Dead Zone
The Dead Zone is another Stephen King piece that I’ve yet to actually read. But I’m aware of the film and the starring role of Christopher Walken. Following a car accident, Walken’s character develops the ability to see a person’s past or future by touching them or one of their possessions. As a result, he aids the police in uncovering murders, protects a boy from a tragic accident and even stops a dangerous politician from becoming the president. It’s a great film, dark and gritty with a fantastically satisfying conclusion.
Poor Things
Poor Things is a whirlwind of a film. A postmodern reimagining of Shelley’s Frankenstein, it follows the story of Bella Baxter, a young woman whose body was found by Dr Godwin and implanted with the brain of her unborn foetus. What follows is a journey toward emotional and mental maturity and her journey of self-discovery. The cinematography is stunning, using black and white, fisheye and eventually colour. There’s even a little bit of steampunk thrown in there for good measure. While there are plenty of adult scenes, it still holds up as an impressive film.
The White Lotus (Season 3)
If I thought seasons 1 and 2 were filled with debauchery and unpleasantness, season 3 certainly upped the ante. With a couple of big hitters in Jason Isaacs and Walton Goggins added this season, things are much more tense. The supporting cast are suitably unpleasant for the vast majority, save for a few, and their stories are expectedly over the top. Rich, pampered guests who think nothing of expecting the world and living their desires out without a care. It ends with a bang that leaves me looking forward to what may come in season 4, though it might be a way off yet.
Ted Lasso (Seasons 1-3)
A little late to the party, I’ve been bingeing Ted Lasso this year. While this wasn’t fully watched this month, it was finished in July. I’ve loved every moment of this series. It’s a fun series looking at the “inner workings” of a football club, but not from a technical perspective. It’s all about the lives of those involved, players, coaches and owners. There are huge character arcs with massive development of some characters as this underdog team strives for the summit of the Premier League. With a stellar cast including Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein and Hannah Waddingham, it makes for a wonderful series that, if I didn’t already know is returning for a fourth series, could comfortably end with the third season.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Time for another gaming revisit. I’ve played this quite extensively in multiplayer, but never got very far in single player. So this time I set out to create a character I’d really enjoy playing as and set out on an adventure. I’m not too far in this time round, but am loving it. Stunning visuals, great storytelling and I love the D&D mechanics – so much so I want to start playing the table top game myself! Might see if I can find an online/video group to join and play this.
Two Point Museum: Fantasy Finds
Two Point Museum expands with the new Fantasy Finds DLC to add a new layer of zany humour to the game. Centred on well-trodden fantasy tropes and D&D themes, this expansion sees players gathering fun and fantastical exhibits from a new map.
New mechanics involve building a part of explorers with skills reminiscent of Dungeons and Dragons, while new visitors and exhibits make for a really fun addition to an already brilliant game.
Borderlands
With Borderlands 4 set to release soon, it seemed a good time to really dive into the earlier entries in the series. First released in October 2009, you could be forgiven for expecting it to feel dated in 2025, but it’s anything but. Thanks to its cell shaded art style, over the top voice acting and crass dark humour, Borderlands is a fun looter-shooter filled with interesting enemies and challenging bosses.
Not quite as productive a month as I’d have hoped for July on the writing front, but small gains were still made. I’ll be back at the end of the month with my reflections on August!
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Steven Smith 