The Viewing Files 2025

I may have no life but somehow despite the odds I still manage to watch an awful lot of TV.  At least it certainly looks that way going by my rather long list of TV shows that I have enjoyed this year. Can it really be that many...

 

SAS Rogue Heroes

 

Maybe it's Jack O'Connell Irish accent or maybe it's him being all rugged and manly and swearing a ton but this show about how the SAS came into being is totally action packed and a ton of fun.  Even more surprising it's based on real people and real events.  Really though I'm here for some swoony feels.

The North Water

 

More Jack O'Connell only this time he's a sailor and it's the freezing Arctic and not the desert and Colin Farrell is on form as whaler who you really don't want to get on the wrong side of.

The Gold

 

A true story of how a bunch a people stole 26 million pounds of gold bullion. Of course the cops are on the trail...

Reacher

 

One was good, 2 was so-so and 3 was even better.  All I can hope is that season 4 doesn't follow the even number pattern.  The lone man hero is such a vibe.

The Queen's Gambit

Who knew that a show about a chess genius could be so good.  Riveting stuff and the clothing is to die for.

Dept Q

 

Matthew Goode as a scruffy, sarcastic tormented detective left dealing with cold cases no one wants?  Sign me up yes and please. 

Lynley

Posh boy totty teams up with a new disgruntled partner to solve crimes and it's all just so pretty and relaxing and just the thing to wind down with after a long day of work.  Would you believe that actor playing posh boy use to be the rugged, long hair swoony Viking in Vikings Valhalla?  I kid you not.

Cooper and Fry

 

More crime solving duos.  I'm sensing a pattern here...

The Institute

 

Finally a show where Ben Barnes doesn't die.  Or not yet.  Supernatural thrills from master that is Stephen King and it's just brilliant.

Schools Spirits

 

More supernatural thrills only this time it's a bunch of ghosts who are trapped in the place where they died... and it's their high school.  Quirky in a dark kind of way, oh and there's a big mystery too.

Wednesday

 

Dark, demented and quirky and so me in every way.   Season 2 was even better than 1.

Foundation

 

Just when you think it couldn't get any more complicated it does.  Mind blowing in every way.

Slow Horses

 

The fact that Gary Oldman hasn't won an award for this is insanely criminal.  In fact the whole show should be winning all the awards it's so wonderfully good. 

Book Talk 2025

And here we are 238 books read.   How I managed that I have no idea.  You would think I have no life...

 

As for the stats

74 Chick Lit    

38 Non fiction 

31 Crime

27 Paranormal fiction 

10 Thrillers

11 YA

10 General fiction

8   Graphic novels 

8   Contemporary romance

7   Children's fiction

6   Audio books

4   General fiction

4   Science fiction 

4   Fantasy

 

Non fiction, crime and paranormal fiction all went up hugely which is not that much of surprise considering all the lovely new authors I discovered, while audio books took a big dive downwards thanks to me not being able to find that many that appealed and everything else stayed pretty much the same.  I did manage to keep a good mix of genres and even read some classics which was very much outside my normal comfort reading zone.  Even more surprising I actually enjoyed them.  Then again it was Austen so I was probably always going to like them.  Still I'm pleased that I finally managed to read them and in the year of her 250th birthday..  All in all I pretty happy with the way things went.

 

As for favs...

All The Plans 2026

A new year and new list of plans.  Some old and some new.  Because yes I can never have a enough to do or making enough list.  List Girl strikes again it seems.

 

As for the plans...

 

Reading

 

Do we really need to even ask?  Probably not.   Reading is pretty much my go to thing.

Gardening

 

Weirdly I've actually already started on this... and that's despite the crazy up and down weather we've been having.  So far the plan is to finish the weeding of which I'm about two thirds through already, lay down some compost, plant some more seedlings and cross fingers all goes well

101 Things In 1001 Days

 

Why yes I have actually started this.  Amazing as it is.  Still I've got a long way to go and only and few months to do it all in.  I'm getting tired just thinking about it all.

Writing

 

Still on the list.  Sadly all writing pretty much stopped this year.  But despite that I'm hopeful for this year.   I just need no distractions...

Get Fit and Healthy

 

Was going well until it wasn't but I'm determined to get back on track. 

Watching and Reviewing

 

One thing that is actually going well.  I just need to keep up the good work and finish watching about a thousand odd movies...

Moving On

 

One of those big plans.  The kind that involves packing up our lives and moving house.  Of course we need to find said house first...

A Birthday Ending In Zero

 

And finally the big one.  Or at least one of the big ones.  And since it's pretty much just me I'm planning all sorts of nice little things for a whole week of birthday celebrations.  Naturally cake and lots of presents will be involved.  Mostly because I'll be buying the cake and presents for myself.  Mmm that present list is starting to look just a tad long...

Oh Christmas Reads, Oh Christmas Reads...

Well I pretty much know what I'm going to be doing for the month of December...