2020 Favourites: Books, Podcasts, TV - and Link Up

It's been a grim and tumultuous few days in the UK. We are now "Plague Island", banned from going to more than 40 other countries. In tier 4, London and the South East, where I live, Christmas plans are in tatters after the government banned the mixing of households, late last week.  We're told to stay at home. So with that in mind, we'll be holed up watching TV and reading. Here are my 2020 favorites for TV, podcasts and books. Plus there's a look ahead to what's coming in 2021.

TV FAVORITES

One of the best things about TV in 2020 was the range of broadcasting available from other countries. This was essential with so many productions slowing to a halt because of filming restrictions.  I loved some of the quality programmes from Scandinavia and France.

Borgen (Netflix)

Chez Mutton we particularly enjoyed discovering some of the garlanded Scandinavian TV dramas, notably Borgen. Who would have thought Danish political life could be so thrilling?  Superb acting, story lines and production makes this a real winner.  Netflix has commissioned a fourth series which will be fascinating, as there will have been quite a big gap between seasons three and four.

Call My Agent  (Netflix)

I was genuinely gutted when this comedy finished because it was such an invigorating little shot in the arm. Life at a French casting agency, with some very big French stars appearing as themselves. 

Home for Christmas (Netflix)

Here's a seasonal recommendation.  I don't normally like Christmas films and programs, making an exception for Love Actually, because they're too schmaltzy. This Norwegian comedy drama is mostly gentle with occasional bite, and plenty of wry observations. 

The Fall  (BBC, available on Netflix)

We had somehow never seem this but loved the cat and mouse games between Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) and serial killer Paul Spector (Jamie Dornan). 

The Last Kingdom (Netflix)

This was our Game of Thrones fix after the final episode, as it certainly has the requisite fight scenes, drama and costumes. Series 1 is a bit low budget but it soon picks up. The drama covers the Viking invasions of Britain and the Saxons' attempts to win back their kingdoms. At the centre of the drama is Uhtred of Bebbanburg who has a foot in both camps, having been born a Saxon and kidnapped as a child by the Vikings.  

Normal People (BBC)

One of the big hits of 2020 making stars of Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones. The shifting fortunes of a relationship between two young people, noted for its sensitivity and reality.

The Queen's Gambit (Netflix)

By the time this came out we were all getting a bit desperate for another quality drama so I think it received perhaps more universal acclaim than it deserved. True, the costumes and performances, and the uplifting ending, are fantastic. But I found myself pondering for a long time the question of why the chess playing heroine inspired such devotion from her friends when she gave so little in return.

The Morning Show (Apple TV)

Apple's big blockbuster series with Jenifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. A bit over the top in terms of acting but the stars seemed to be having fun. An enjoyable romp.

Unorthodox  (Netflix)

A glimpse into a community seldom seen on TV, and beautifully done. Based on a true story, Unorthodox is the story of a young woman, Esty, who flees life in the Hasidic Jewish community in New York for Berlin, where she starts a new life. 

Our Yorkshire Farm (Channel 5)

We love the Yorkshire shepherdess Amanda Owen and this boisterous series about life at her family's farm where there are nine kids and hundreds of animals. Uplifting. 

Emily in Paris (Netflix)

In an ordinary year, an amusing little trifle;  in 2020 it came along at exactly the right time and was a refreshing shot in the arm.  Frothy nonsense with no real character development, but fun nonetheless. Paris has never looked more beautiful. 

Win the Wilderness (BBC2)

The outcome to this strange little series has been more engrossing than the actual show.  At the start of the year we saw several British couples competing for the chance to win a wilderness home on Ose Mountain in the wilds of Alaska. The series ended with Mark and Emily winning the house and elderly owners Duane and Rena Ose planning to relocate to somewhere warmer. But it later transpired that after Rena died, Duane married again and was determined not to give up the home he built. A rescue helicopter was called in amid reports that Duane, 78,  had broken his back. He was taken to hospital but later released after suffering from a bladder infection and dehydration. It seems as if he has given up his claim to Ose Mountain. 

TV And Films That Didn't Float My Boat

Little Fires Everywhere (Prime): Slow. 

The Undoing: yes the coats were wonderful but in each episode there were several minutes of boredom and a feeling "will this ever end?"  

Reboot of All Creatures Great and Small (Channel 5). It's had excellent reviews but I had too much invested emotionally in the original series for this to work. Find the original series on YouTube.

1917: unusual take on the First World War but lacked emotional heft and firepower.

What's New for December and 2021

One to Miss

The Wilds (Sky): interesting premise: a group of teenage girls crash land on a remote island. But it's very patchy with limited tension or hooks. 

I Have Sore Misgivings

The big Christmas Day newbie on Netflix is Bridgerton from Shonda Rhimes (Grey's Anatomy). I'm in a minority on this but I loathe dramas where the ladies wear poke bonnets. Anything vaguely Jane Austen and I'm outta here. If Mr Mutton insists I'll give it a try #openminded

I'm also a bit lukewarm about the prospect of Midnight Sky (Netflix), George Clooney's directorial debut. Normally I love films about space and aliens but this one has had poor reviews.  Clooney is a scientist trying to warn astronauts returning to Earth of a mysterious global catastrophe.

I'm Looking Forward to.....

Motherland Christmas Special (BBC2 and iPlayer) - I love this spin on motherhood where the mothers (and a stay-at-home dad) are the stars and the children are an inconvenience. 

The Killing:  I mentioned in a previous Friday Favourites that I was longing to see The Killing, the crime drama that launched the Scandi Noir phenomenon.  Well, The Killing is back! Sky and Apple TV. 

Mank (Netflix): David Fincher re-evaluates 1930s Hollywood through the eyes of scathing wit and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish "Citizen Kane." Starring Gary Oldman, Lily Collins, Amanda Seyfried

Behind Her Eyes: Thriller from the studio behind The Crown (Left Bank Pictures). Landing in 2021, a new psychological thriller limited series which features the talents of Simona Brown, Eve Hewson, and Tom Bateman.

Halston: biopic starring Ewan McGregor documenting the rise of the fashion designer Halston. Ten episodes are set to release at some point in 2021 with filming having started in November 2020.

Favourite Podcasts

Fortunately with Fi and Jane: laugh out loud observations from UK broadcasters Jane Garvey and Fi Glover, who belie the notion that there's no humour in the lives of middle aged women. Each podcast features a guest and some of the questions (and answers) are riveting. Latest guests include Dawn French, writers Robert Harris and Maggie O'Farrell and Bananarama besties Keren Woodward and Sara Dallin, who rendered Fi and Jane a bit star struck -  they were both fans in the 80s.

The Dating Game Killer (Wondery): In 1978, Rodney Alcala won a date on the popular TV show, The Dating Game. What no one knew was that he was a prolific serial killer in the middle of a cross-country murder spree. 

The Man in the Window:  in a similar vein is this fascinating series about the serial killer known as the East Area Rapist and Golden State Killer, Joseph DeAngelo, who committed at least 13 murders, 50 rapes, and 120 burglaries in a spree that was eventually detected thanks to painstaking research on a family tree DNA website. 

Tracks  (BBC Radio 4):  The final series of the ambitious drama by Matthew Broughton which started in 2016. 

My Favourite Books in 2021

I had to look at Amazon to see all my Kindle purchases - a sobering experience! I read a lot of books but in the main I wanted light reading, nothing too deep, so I didn't read too many literary novels. Mybad. 

Fiction

Monogamy - Sue Miller:  A haunting meditation on love, marriage, fidelity, betrayal, and loss

Queen Bee, Jane Fallon: shenanigans when a woman upsets the "Queen Bee" of an exclusive gated community

Queenie - Candice Carty-Williams: outstanding debut and a strong young woman heroine for our times

Playdate - Alex Dahl: lots of twists and turns when a little girl goes missing

Small Pleasures - Clare Chambers: set in the 1950s, a story aching with things never said and loss

Non-Fiction:

Me, Elton John - autobiography: surprisingly open, full of anecdotes and humour 

Rosemary, the hidden Kennedy daughter - Kate Clifford Larson 

Unnatural Causes - Dr Richard Shepherd: the recollections of a Home Office pathologist

Love to know what your favourites were, and if you disagree with any of my misses! Let us know in the comments. 

There's a final post for 2020 next Wednesday when I unveil the 2021 Is This Mutton annual survey, and there will be a last #WowOnWednesday link up for anyone with posts to share. Hope to see you then! In the meantime, have a safe and Happy Christmas. Happy holidays!

Sharing with  Fabulous Fridays at Lucy Bertoldi,  #iwillwearwhatilike at Not Dressed as Lamb,  Shelbee on the Edge Turning Heads at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, ChicandStylish at Mummabstylish, Stylewithasmile at Stylesplash,  Topoftheworldstyle at High Latitude Style, Confident Twosday at IDoDeclaire,  Curated by Jennifer 

Now it's time for #WowOnWednesday, the link-up where bloggers find new readers, and readers find new blogs to read! 

Last Week's Readers' Favourites - Most Clicked 

Shauna from Lipgloss and Lace with her post "Holiday Essentials." How gorgeous does she look in these tartan (plaid) pants?

Penny from Frugal Fashion Shopper with her post "What are you wearing for Christmas?" Now that it's just the two of us, probably a Christmas jumper and jeans for me  (although I won't wear the jumper during the cooking). Penny showed us some options and explained her rationale. 

My favourite non-fashion post: "Boho Sustainable Fashion Brands" by Jennifer at Curated by Jennifer. She put a lot of work into bringing us an exciting range of brands.  I've been more committed this year to avoiding fast fashion and trying to buy from smaller independent brands.  More on this in 2021.

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This Year's Christmas Sweater - and Link Up

 

I've got a handy tip for you this week when it comes to Christmas jumpers/sweaters.  My 2020 buy came from a children's department so was only £20.  I was hoping to find a pink jumper to wear with my brocade skirt. Most of the jumpers seemed to be black, navy or blush pink.  But a last look at M&S revealed a charming and thick pink jumper with silver reindeer, in the kids' department. 

The same thing happened last year when I was trying to find a pair of gold ankle boots.  Nothing anywhere, until I found a pair in the Boden children's section.  They were half the price of normal boots.  

No Glam Vibes 

I'm not feeling any glam vibes at all this Christmas in terms of wanting (or needing) to put on the glitz. So the skirt was cast aside in favour of jeans, which is a better look for the jumper because it's quite sloppy in size.

I don't know about you, but without any parties or major gatherings, I'm looking forward to wearing comfortable clothes over the festive break without the need to break out sequins - except for the ones on a Christmas jumper.

This is my much loved (by me!) Christmas nativity crib which came from John Lewis last year.  Our tree is around 12 years old, which reduces the carbon footprint of an artificial tree quite substantially. In all honesty I prefer the look of a real tree but I can't be bothered with getting it home or vacuuming needles for the next six months.

I love the look of white artificial trees when decorated in one color, which I've seen a lot of this year. But I still like my tree and the traditional decorations bought over the years which include a glass bird I bought in Oberammergau, Germany, where they have a gorgeous Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas shop that's open all year. 

The new buys this year are the garland behind the tree, which lights up (Amazon) and the wreath in the dining room, from Ella James.

Christmas jumpers seem to be quite divisive in that people either love them or are a bit sniffy about them. As I said last week, I like the prettier types with a bit of sparkle rather than the novelty ones. This year the Fair Isle jumper has crept into the Christmas sweaters category, and they're very tasteful. Too tasteful for me to wear as a Christmas jumper!

Any new buys for you with Christmas decor this year? What does your tree look like? Do share in the comments. 

Outfit and make-up: Reindeer sequin jumper, out of stock, Marks and Spencer;  Magic Jeans, Marks and Spencer. Make-up:  Vitamin enriched face base, Bobbi Brown; R& R eye cream, StriVectin; Darphin Melaperfect hyper pigmentation foundation; Charlotte Tilbury Mini Miracle eye wand concealer;  Charlotte Tilbury Brow Lift in Supermodel; Nars blusher in deep throat; Eye of Horus Goddess eye pencil in purple;  Rumi VolumeCare mascara; Byredo lipstick, semi-formal. Nothing was gifted for this post. 

Sharing with Top of the World Style at High Latitude Style, Chic & Stylish at Mummabstylish, #LinkupOnTheEdge  at Shelbee on the Edge,  #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings, Thursday Moda at Elegance and Mommyhood, Turning Heads Tuesday at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish,  Style with a Smile and Stylish Monday at Stylesplash, Style Six at Coast to Coast, TFF at Doused in Pink, Fancy Friday at Nancy's Fashion Style, Fabulous Fridays at Lucy Bertoldi, Beauty by Miss L Link Up, #iwillwearwhatilike at Not Dressed as Lamb,  Confident Twosday at IDoDeclaire and Curated by Jennifer 

Now it's time for #WowOnWednesday, the link-up where bloggers find new readers, and readers find new blogs to read! 

Last week's favourites:

Who could resist these pictures of Amy with her color co-ordinated Christmas tree and grandchildren? Amy, from Amy's Creative Pursuits, has set a very high bar! Visit her post here. 

Darlene, from Aquamarina Style, was spot on with her post How to Style Sweatpants for the Holidays.  I'll probably make an effort on Christmas Day with a few sequins but the rest of the time I'll be wearing something comfortable, and Darlene's cheetah-print pants with red looks both festive and stylish. 

My favourite non-fashion post was from Mary Katherine at MK's Adventures in Style. Her post 

A Tale of Two Penpals really resonated with me, as I'm sure it will with you, because I had a lot of penfriends from around the age of 11.  MK met her penfriend on holiday, when they were seven, and the two little girls agreed to write.  Fifty years later, they're firm friends, meeting up and still writing.  A wonderful story. Did you have any penfriends and are you still in touch with any of them?

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A London Exhibition, Christmas Jumpers and a Haircut - and Link Up

Have you got your Christmas jumper yet, ladies? Above is a melange of my three most recent jumpers (sweaters).  The pic on top right dates from 2017 and the full post, featuring other blogger friends resplendent in reindeers, is here. The other two are from 208 (left) and last year (bottom right).

Making Plans for 2021 - and Link-Up

 

It's been a hard slog 2020 hasn't it? England came out of its second lockdown just a few hours ago, and we've now gone into a tiering system.  My area, London, is in tier 2. It means no socializing with others in our homes, except for a 5 day spree over Christmas where three households can spend time together;  restaurants are open, but only for parties from the same household;  pubs can open but only if they sell "substantial meals," and gyms and non-essential shops are reopening.

I have a couple of things to look forward to in December.  This Friday my company has given us an extra day off, a "care day," and I've booked to see the Tracey Emin and Munch exhibition at the Royal Academy, and to have my hair cut in the afternoon.  I'm thinking of having a shorter cut again, like I did two or three years ago. My hair color has to wait until later in the month - I felt the cut was more important.

On December 28 we're going to the Lyceum to see Bill Bailey. Only the largest theatres are opening because they have to operate at just 50% capacity to allow for social distancing.

We usually host John's children and their spouses and granddaughter on Boxing Day but they're going to John's first wife this time.  We were invited, and we socialize quite a lot in normal circumstances with Lynn and her partner, but that would have meant four households being together.  Now I'm pretty sure MANY people will flout the rules on that: one of my mum's friends always has 18 around for lunch and will still be doing so - but I haven't dodged any of the rules all year and won't start now.

So at present we'll be seeing the kids on the 29th instead. My mum is a long way away in Plymouth and it's easier for her to go to my brother's nearby on Christmas Day as there's no way she would get on a train to London with the risks that involves. Plus she has a broken wrist, so has limited use of her right hand. 

2021 - Bring it on! 

It looks as if the tiering system will be in place until Easter - basically when the vaccine is rolled out to the elderly, the most vulnerable and NHS and care workers. But I am full of plans for all the things I want to do next year.

Holiday Mania

We were lucky to have a UK holiday in September where we spent a week in the Lake District and enjoyed wonderful weather. But I missed my Greek holiday.  Skiathos is now booked for June - we won't have been there since 2018. What do you think of my shorter hair then?  Love to know your view on longer or shorter before I get my hair cut this week.

I have an additional three week holiday next year, my sabbatical, so I'm thinking about Peru, Bolivia and Argentina.  Japan has always been on my list but seeing the blossoms means going in February and we won't be out of the woods Covid-wise by then. 

Stand Up Paddle Boarding Anyone? 

There are also three things - at least - I plan to do next year, two for the first time.  Stand up paddle boarding, white water rafting and horse riding in nearby Epping Forest.

You can paddle board on the beach in Skiathos where we'll be staying but I want to learn how to do it before we go there so that I can paddle elegantly across the bay  (I hope!). 

The Olympic white water rafting centre is not too far from us so that's an easy one to tick off the list.

I did horse riding when I was young a few times, using my pocket money, but it seems horrifically expensive for an hour's trot around the forest so I may forego that one.

I'll still be walking a lot - it's now become engrained as a habit, which is fantastic, but I won't put myself under the pressure of doing the Walk 1000 Miles challenge because - fingers crossed - I will succeed some time in December for this year. 

What plans do you have for 2021? We're all going to go crazy, I reckon.  Do tell in the comments.

Sharing this post with Top of the World Style at High Latitude Style, Chic & Stylish at Mummabstylish, #LinkupOnTheEdge  at Shelbee on the Edge, Anna at Muttonstyle, #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings, Thursday Moda at Elegance and Mommyhood, Turning Heads Tuesday at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish,  Style with a Smile and Stylish Monday at Stylesplash, Anna at the GlamAdventure, Style Six at Coast to Coast, TFF at Doused in Pink, Fancy Friday at Nancy's Fashion Style, Fabulous Fridays at Lucy Bertoldi, Beauty by Miss L Link Up, #iwillwearwhatilike at Not Dressed as Lamb,  Lizzie in Lace  Ask Suzanne Bell and Confident Twosday at IDoDeclaire

It's time for #WowOnWednesday, the link-up where bloggers find new readers, and readers find new blogs to read! 

Last Week's Favourites

Laurie from Vanity and Me with her Black Friday Edit 

Penny from Frugral Fashion Shopper with her post "Ageing Well."

Rena from Fine Whatever with Would You, Could You? Puffer Jacket and Hiking Boots  Well, as someone who puts on hiking boots every day, I'd like to say yes, but you should see the state of them! Puffer jacket, definitely! 

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