It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these! I’ve been in a season of refilling my creative well, mostly with a lot of TV and films. This was a bit of a novelty for me, because I don’t usually like to spend more time in front of a screen than I have to, but it felt really good to give my brain something different to chew on. My taste has been all over the place – some favourites have been The Pitt, Heated Rivalry, SAS Rogue Heros, and Abbott Elementary. They’re all a different kind of story and have different approaches to their storytelling, but I thought they all did a good job with what they were trying to do.
From the Bookshelf
One of my favourite reads of the month was WHEN WE WERE BIRDS, the story of a Rastaman forced to break religious taboo by taking a job at a cemetery and a woman who’s maternal line has the ability to deal with – see, hear, speak to – the dead. It occupies one of those speculative genres that’s a bit tricky to pin down: you might call it a grounded ghost story, or literary fantasy, or magical realism. The complicated family dynamics throughout really scratched an itch for me.
I also thoroughly enjoyed SORCERY AND SMALL MAGICS by Maiga Doocy. The magic system is really cool, I fell in love with Leo and Grimm from the first page, and I was utterly bereft to realise book two hasn’t been published yet.
From the Garden
The delights of early spring are starting to emerge. I’ve spent a while trying to cultivate some brightness for this dreary time of year, but my efforts have been hit and miss. Crocuses simply refuse to grow in my terribly soil, and nothing came of planting wood anemones or alliums, but daffodils seem to thrive, so I planted several more varieties last autumn.
Snowdrops, snowflakes and wild primroses all contribute to the distinctive colour pallet of February: white, yellow and a bright, fresh green. I’ve also added primrose cultivars that mix it up a bit with jewel tones, although the month of heavy rain has left them a bit raggedy.
We’re also starting to get enough sun that indoor seed planting can start. So far the sweet peas have been germinated on damp kitchen roll, and I’m eyeing my windowsill space to work out who can go next.
Beatrice Morgan 