What I’m loving this month...

AMY

I’ve been avoiding this doccie about Amy Winehouse for so long: I love her music, and I knew it would make me weep, and it did. It also had the small side-effect of making me want to punch everyone who ever had anything to do with her in the teeth, starting with her utterly disgusting husband, followed by her terrible parents, then pretty much everyone else in her life, other than her three oldest friends. Aside from all that, though, it’s a brilliant documentary and I would strongly recommend it!

ME

What’s so compelling about this autobiography (written with music journalist Alexis Petridis) is that Elton

John hasn’t tried to hide at all. It’s all out there: the excess, the pomp, the petulance, the parties – he hasn’t whitewashed anything. More than that, it’s hilarious. We all know about his sulky grandiosity, but Elton is also very aware of his own foibles. This is self-mocking, extremely funny and a great holiday read.

BEST CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

I’ve occasionally had to buy the Cape Times on a Friday when my craving for cryptic crosswords became too great, but I don’t like doing it because I don’t want to support that ‘news’paper in any way, obviously. Happily, my brother recently introduced me to this lovely app, and I haven’t looked back: 300 crossies for $3: a total bargain for a clear conscience and a good cryptic.

GLYNIS HORNING Brilliant freelance journalist Glynis Horning won Health Writer of the Year in the 30th Galliova Awards this year. The award is for a body of work rather than one specific feature, and this is the second time she’s won. Glynis dedicated her award to all who suffer from depression, the subject of one of her winning features (published in FAIRLADY in November 2018), and especially to her older son Spencer, who died on 15 September at age 25.