Wanna read a random list of stuff I’ve done recently with no extra info? Nope, didn’t think so! At the very least, you want to know what I thought about it, right? Whether there’s anything there that might help you, I don’t know, decide which book to read or movie to see?

Well, the short answer is – YES, you should do and do/see/read them.

Being the amiable(-ish) kinda girl that I am, I pretty much enjoyed every single one of the below, more or less, which is maybe the only reason I have to not have ACTUALLY reviewed any of them.

Not a single one. I always think, immediately after an event, or final page, or discovered song, right, I’ll review that – and then promptly don’t get round to it.

WHAT, I ASK YOU, JUST WHAT KIND OF WRITER AM I?

One who has wayyyy more ideas for blogposts than I ever seem to have time to write, that’s what. I admit it.  I have serious blogger guilt. And this goes further than just being a self-obsessed millenial with nothing else to do.

Isn’t the whole point of blogging to share ideas?

In this spirit, in true (cringeworthy, yes) millennial style, I even take photos of pretty much all the restaurant food I eat and find myself making mental notes throughout movies, so I can reference them later.

I also find myself mentally making notes of what it is I like about books, even as I’m reading them – how “real” the characters are, how beautiful the writing, how honest the storytelling, how well they captured that mood or event.

For the most part, I’m also gauging whether they live up to the reviews and hype I’ve inevitably read up on before downloading to the Kindle or watching on Netflix or bought on iTunes or *gasp* actually GONE OUT to the cinema to see.

And yet, I hardly ever ACTUALLY MANAGE TO WRITE THE THING.

Frankly it’s hard enough to find time to even make a list.

Maybe the simple act of writing down ALL THE THINGS will free up some space and time (literally and mentally) for me to actually sit back and consider what I actually thought about something.

I know the world is JUST HANGING on my every word (nope) to see my views on the latest Coen Brothers’ outing, but even though probably no-one will read my thoughts except me, I like to think that, as a journalist who’s interested in a BILLION things, it makes sense to record experiences and reactions to things.

It’s not about showing off or obsessively making notes (after all, a quick look at the list below will disavow you of the thought that I live in any way an especially exciting or noteworthy life).

But what’s the point of personal blogging if not to share experiences and thoughts? Especially about cultural things that other people might enjoy?  

Especially when one of the things I most love about blogging is that it opens up your eyes to a whole world of other bloggers.

People who have done, seen, read, tried the same stuff as you – or stuff you’d love to try but are too busy/scared/poor/disorganised ‒ and whose reviews and tidbits only serve to enhance the experience when you actually get round to it.

Where would I be without those reviews of books, films, restaurants or events?

I mean, I also work on a restaurants and hotels magazine – writing about some of this stuff is pretty much literally what I do for a living.

And yet, I hardly ever manage to apply that experience to my own life.

I hardly ever manage to pay back all those bloggers or Google searchers; anyone who may wish to come across my blog, and for that fleeting moment, go “OMG YES, that’s mildly interesting” or “OMG yes that’s exactly what I wanted to know” (that’s what I think when I read a great blog, anyway).

There comes that blogger guilt again. I need to pay it forward, people. Not to mention practising actually writing stuff.

So, in an attempt to at least make amends, or a start, at reviewing some of the good things I’ve had going on recently, I’ve made some lists (with pictures, to make it pretty).

Maybe it will actually spur me on to tell you whether you should read/see/listen/do any of the stuff anytime soon…that is, if you haven’t already read/seen/listened/done it all already….

Films watched for the first time in the past few weeks

Books read recently

Restaurants/bars I’ve been to recently

Places travelled to in the past few months

Music I’ve discovered

Shows I’ve seen

Other vaguely significant (to me) stuff I’ve been up to