What are we watching and/or reading?

With exams and deadlines and other miscellaneous stresses looming large of late, as a form of light relief we thought it might be nice to share what we are currently reading and/or watching in our spare time. After a brief and quite literal dash around the office in the Bill Bryson Library, here’s a selection of responses:

“I’m watching Bad Monkey on Apple TV. It’s a black comedy about a one-time detective who is now a restaurant inspector. Vince Vaughn plays the lead and it’s really funny”

Colin Theakston

“I’m reading The Shipping News by Annie Proulx. A widower moves to Newfoundland with his 2 young daughters to start a new life. I’m really enjoying it.”

Nancy Harber

“I’m enjoying a TV show called Atlanta by Donald Glover (AKA Childish Gambino). It’s a surreal comedy drama about the life of a rap star called Paper Boi set in, unsurprisingly, Atlanta”

Jill Forbes

“We’re watching season 2 of The Last of Us, based on the videogame of the same name. A post-apocalyptic survival epic. There are mushroom zombies.”

Charlie Hedley

“I’m reading An Abundance of Katharines by John Green. It’s about a guy who’s dated 19 women, all called Katharine. I’m also watching Our Dream Farm with Matt Baker, which I’m really enjoying”

Kathryn Elwick

“I’m reading the DCI Kim Stone series of books Angela Marsons. They’re very gritty (and moreish!), and there are loads! But I’m having to have a rest between each one with something else to break them up a bit!”

Carol Harris

“We’re watching Mythic Quest on Apple TV. It’s a comedy about a massively-multiplayer online role-playing game. It’s got the Wrexham fella, Rob McElhenney, in it. We’re watching it as a family and its keeping everyone entertained!”

Toby Reynolds

“We’ve just finished watching Boys From The Blackstuff on DVD from 1982. Its about unemployemnbt and relkated social issues in Liverpool in the early 1980s. It was thoroughly depressing. I was inspired to watch it after having seen the new theatrical version recently, which I much preferred! We’ve also recently seen 3 other great plays at the theatre – The Crucible at Shakespeare’s Globe, Dear England at The National Theatre and Titus Andronicus at The Swan Theatre in Stratford. The latter featured (for the non-Shakespeare scholars) multiple murders, cannibalism and at one point, mutilation with a chainsaw…!”

Ben Taylorson