intertextu[allie]ties | issue 7

what I read, watched, and listened to in january 2025 (plus a glimpse at my new writing room!)

hello, dear reader.

Here we are nearly one month into 2025! Since it often feels like a cold, dark, and interminable slog, January has never been a favourite of mine. This year, however, I broke it up with a writing retreat midway through, which did wonders to brighten the gloom.

Together with two other writers, I stayed for a week in the 230-year-old Jampolis Cottage, which overlooks the ever-shifting Minas Basin in the pastoral community of Avonport. Administered by the Writer’s Federation of Nova Scotia, this residency program afforded us the opportunity to hide away from the rest of the world in this quiet refuge and work on our respective projects. In just five days, I wrote a little over 7,000 words in my novel-in-progress! A peaceful and productive holiday, it was certainly an energizing way to kick off 2025. Fingers crossed it portends promising things on the creative front this year… 🤞

I also discovered some great books, movies, and music this month – like a ghostly love story from a forgotten romance author and a sumptuous live album from one of my favourite pop stars. Read on for my January recommendations!

✍️ Allie

Some of the books, movies, and music that kept me company this month!

All reviews are out of five stars.  

This month, I read 3 books:

1. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Since this modern classic was originally published in 2001, I’m nearly a quarter of a century late to the party, but better late than never! The novel opens on Mr. Hosokawa, an important businessman and opera aficionado, who has travelled all the way from Japan to an unnamed South American country to attend a party in his honour for one reason only – the renowned soprano, Roxane Coss, will be the evening’s entertainment. But everything falls apart when terrorists interrupt the celebration with gunfire, trapping the partygoers inside the venue and cutting them off from the rest of the world for months. Often touted as Ann Patchett’s most beloved work, Bel Canto tells the story of an unusual hostage situation, the bonds that develop between captives and their captors, and the one language that transcends borders: music.
   

2. Orbital by Samantha Harvey | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 | For those who know me, it’s no secret that I love space. I’ve always been fascinated by the starry possibilities of that vast unknown. So, when I heard about Orbital, a philosophical novel that charts twenty-four hours aboard a space station orbiting Earth, I knew I had to read it. Winner of the 2024 Booker Prize, this slim volume is an exercise in wonder, luxuriating in dreamy descriptions of our planet as seen from above. Told from the shifting perspectives of the six astronauts who operate the spacecraft, it is also a moving reflection on what it means to be human when you are so far from the rest of humanity.
   

3. Tryst by Elswyth Thane | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 | This relatively unknown gem was recommended in a recent issue of one of my favourite newsletters, A Thing or Two with Claire and Erica, as “a 1939 ghost story that is more sweet than spooky.” Intrigued, I downloaded the e-book, and it totally swept me away! Authored by twentieth-century romance novelist Helen Ricker Beebe who wrote under the pen name Elswyth Thane, Tryst is an unconventional love story between tender-hearted Sabrina and war hero Hilary. When Hilary is shot on a secret mission in India, his dying wish is to see his home in England one last time. He returns to it as a ghost, which is how he meets Sabrina who has moved into Hilary’s abandoned estate along with her negligent father and overbearing aunt. Although she cannot see him, Sabrina can sense Hilary’s presence, their souls inexorably drawn to one another. This one is for all the old-fashioned romantics out there!

All reviews are out of five stars. Rewatches are indicated by an asterisk (*).

This month, I didn’t consume much television, but I watched a fair number of movies – 16 to be exact. Most notably: my favourite of this year’s award season so far (Anora); a satirical British documentary (Cunk on Life); and a delightful friends-to-lovers rom-com (Plus One). Here’s the full list:

1. Anora (2024) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Full review.

2. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Full review.

3. A Royal Affair (2012)* | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 | Full review.

4. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)* | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 | Full review.

5. Cunk on Life (2024) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Full review.

6. Palm Springs (2020) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Full review.

7. Plus One (2019) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Full review.

8. King Kong (2005)* | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Full review.

9. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)* | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Full review.

10. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Full review.

11. Emilia Pérez (2007) | ⭐️⭐️ | Full review.

12. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)* | ⭐️⭐️ | Full review.

13. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) | ⭐️⭐️ | Full review.

14. Watchmen (2009) | ⭐️⭐️ | Full review.

15. Daybreakers (2009) | ⭐️ | Full review.

16. Daredevil (2003) |⭐️| Full review.

One day, while perusing YouTube, this video was suggested to me:

The natural theatricality of her performance paired with the drama of the symphonic arrangement ticked all my musical boxes. ✅ I’ve since been listening to the entire live album, Dua Lipa Live from the Royal Albert Hall, which showcases a pop star at the top of her game. Dua Lipa released some of my most-played songs in 2024 and to hear her backed by an orchestra is a real treat. Let her sing the next Bond theme song!

When Michael and I moved into our home in August, we immediately earmarked a cozy corner room upstairs as a future writing space for me. Naturally, other things took precedence in those first few months of unpacking and settling in. However, after a recent round of home renovations, I am beyond thrilled to share that I now have, as Virginia Woolf called it, “a room of one’s own.” Behold!

before, during, and after.

The transformation from what the room once was to what it is now was a true team effort. My dad shouldered so much of the project – building, puttying, and sanding a new wall; installing the baseboard; adding electrical outlets; and mounting the new light fixture and curtain rod. Then, there was Michael, eager to assist my dad every step of the way, who also meticulously taped the room before I painted the walls and ceiling over the holiday break. My mom helped build the bookshelves, and I assembled the desk and chair, which were gifted to me for Christmas by my parents and in-laws, respectively.

To have a creative space of my own has long been a dream of mine and it looks exactly the way I always imagined it! I’ve already made excellent use of this room (I penned most of this newsletter sitting at my new desk) so, henceforth, when you picture me writing, dear reader, please picture me here.

my new happy place. 💚

Do you have a ✨happy place✨? It doesn’t have to be a whole room – it could be the sunny spot on your couch, the seat by the window at your kitchen table, or the coffee shop down the street from you. Sometimes, to get through months like January, we all need a special space that brings us joy. I’d love to hear about yours in the comments!