- I was on the phone to my mum the other day,
and I was saying to her how
it just feels like time is going so much faster
as I'm getting older.
And she was like, "Yep. That happens."
And I'm like "No-o-o, why is it May?"
Ahh!
These favorites videos are getting longer and longer
every month, and so let's just get into it.
Books.
First up, in April I read "Moranifesto" by Caitlin Moran.
I love Caitlin Moran, I think she's great.
Also, I've been carrying this around all month.
I've just ruined the cover, it's disgusting now.
This is basically Caitlin's political manifesto
of what she wants the world to be like.
It is mostly a lot of her columns
from over the last few years, in book form.
So if you've read most of her columns from The Times online,
then you've probably read most of this book anyway.
There's just like a few other extra things for the book,
but I really enjoyed it.
Her writing is always really, really funny.
Although, it is a massive book
and a bit awkward to lug around at times.
"Graffiti (and Other Poems)" by Savannah Brown.
Savannah is a YouTuber, she is a friend of mine,
and she self-published this little book of poems!
And it's illustrated by Ed Stockham.
I'm not massively a poetry person, but I loved reading this
because I just had Savannah's voice in my head
as I was reading it all.
It's absolutely wonderful,
and I know that Savannah has worked really hard on this,
and I'm so proud of her.
And then finally, in April I read
"Mind Your Head" by Juno Dawson.
It's super easy to read and has loads of diagrams
and illustrations in it.
I think it is a great mental health 101 book
for all ages.
It's got loads of facts in it,
but it's also really reassuring,
and I definitely think it's helping
breaking down the stigma around mental health.
This next favorite is sponsored, it is the app Best Fiends.
They got in touch, and I knew about them already
because Dodie has been playing their game constantly,
and so I downloaded it being like "Okay, what is this?"
And yes, I am now addicted.
I was meant to film this video this morning,
but I didn't because I was procrastinating all morning
just lying in bed playing the game.
You have these little bugs,
and you have to defeat the evil slugs
that have taken over the world by matching together
the same colored little icons.
And you can collect rewards,
which help you grow your little creatures
and evolve so they can become more powerful.
What level am I on?
I'm on level 44,
but I have been stuck on that level for so long,
I can't get past it!
I think I'm just gonna go back to easier levels
and get all of the points so I can evolve my creatures
and make them stronger so I can beat level 44.
So tomorrow, the 8th of May, is Mother's Day
in the U.S., Canada, and Australia,
and for 24 hours Best Fiends
is giving you exra in-game currencies if you just click
the little Mother's Day love heart in the game.
(robotic beeping)
So this is the crazy world that we live in,
and where am I?
I'm up to...
Level 44.
I'm not gonna show you 44 because I'm really bad at that
and can't complete it.
36. Okay, so we have to eight slugs, open two boxes,
and collect 40 of those purple mushroom things.
Start! Like this.
Ooh.
No! This way!
There we go.
Aah! No, no, no, there we go.
(triumphant laughter)
Why am I so easily satisfied?
Well, totally failed that round.
Got a key though, I can unlock something.
What? I got a new character, yeah!
Whisper. Aww, she's so cute.
So I'm on level 44, but there are 450 levels,
and they add new ones like every three weeks, so hah...
♫ Procrastination station ♫
But if you want to play the game,
then you can click the link in the description
to download it, or you can get it in the Apple App Store,
or Google Play.
So let me know what level you can get up to
and see if you can beat my amazing 44, what?
Next, podcasts.
What?
I am super late to the party, but oh my God, "Serial".
"Serial" is a podcast by This American Life,
and it's like one story told over a series of podcasts
of this journalists who investigates this murder case,
and did he or didn't he do it?
Ah!
The way that it's produced and put together is so intense,
and it makes you care about the littlest things
being like, but who called who at 3:46,
and who made the call at 6:52?
Yeah, I used to listen to that very cheery podcast
about murder, when I went for my morning runs.
Now I finished it, but I will say nothing,
in case you haven't listened to it.
Another podcast that I've been really enjoying
is "CTRL, ALT, DELETE" by Emma Gannon.
Emma is a blogger and a writer,
and she has a book coming out soon,
and her podcast is where she interviews loads of cool women
about what they're up to,
and they just have like really nice chats about creativity,
and work, and life, and ah!
So good.
And Emma is great and I met her recently,
and she's just an absolute babe.
What's next?
Films?
Films, let's do films.
"Jungle Book" and "Captain America".
Oh. My. God.
Oh my God, oh my God.
They were both incredible. Incredible.
"The Jungle Book" just made me cry,
I was just like taken back into the magic of childhood,
but it was also like really scary.
The little boy, Neel Sethi, who plays Mowgli
was just absolutely adorable and so cute,
but also just really good, like he had to act to nothing,
like he wasn't reacting to anything,
he was just on a green screen with all these fake creatures.
I mean, I'm impressed.
The cast of that was incredible, and just the CGI, amazing,
and my heart was thumping the whole way through.
"Captain America: Civil War."
I love Marvel films, I love the Avengers.
I was a bit nervous about Civil War
because of Spider-Man being in it, and I love Spider-Man
and I was like, is it gonna be good?
Is the new guy playing him gonna be good?
Is he gonna do Spider-Man justice?
And oh my God, yes!
Spider-Man isn't in it for that much,
but when he is in it, his dialogue is spot on.
They just use him perfectly to set him up
for the next Spider-Man film.
Another person who was brilliantly set up,
was Black Panther.
Such a great character, such an amazing costume.
Oh my God.
And then And-Man just -- like, the line up!
When they did the line-up of like the two sides,
like ready to fight each other
and you just saw every character,
I was just like, yes, yes, yes, yes!
(laughs)
It was just, ugh, it just made me so excited.
Superheroes, man.
I went to Playlist Live in Orlando, Florida
at the end of April, which was so much fun.
If you want to know more about what I got up to
whilst I was there, I wrote a blog about it,
which I'll link in the description.
Also, I may have gone shopping beforehand
because I wanted nice new clothes to wear there,
and so I've got some fashion favorites.
Playlist Live, for me,
was a bit of a playsuit and jumpsuit extravaganza,
or if you're American, rompers and jumpers.
This is one of the jumpsuits.
It is amazing, it's got a little strappy thing,
and like really long, wide-leg...
I just love it.
It makes me feel tall, and cool.
This playsuit number, which is shorts,
and it's got this wonderful like bow tie thing
around the neck, halter-neck thing, and a v-neck,
and it makes my boobs look great.
And they're both from Topshop, and I love them.
What else? What else?
Ooh, "Kimmy Schmidt" season two is out on Netflix.
Love that show.
Sometimes I get like way too into dramas and fantasies,
and big seasons where you have to think a lot,
so "Kimmy Schmidt" is great
because you don't have to think a lot.
I'm just thoroughly entertained.
And finally, music!
Got some music favorites this month.
My friend Lauren released a new single, it's called Kicks,
and it's amazing, and I listen to it in the mornings,
and I just get pumped.
♫ Tell me where
♫ Hey
♫ Where you get your kicks
♫ Is it from kickin' me around
♫ Cause it feels like that somehow ♫
Also, if you watch the music video to it,
our very own Doddleoddle is in it,
you can like spot her dancing in it.
I went to a gig with Lauren of this woman called Allie X,
never heard her music before, but I was just mesmerized
by her performance on stage.
She kind of reminded me of Elphaba from "Wicked",
if she did pop music.
Right, I have no idea how long this video is gonna end up
in the edit, but I hope you enjoyed it.
Please give the video a thumbs up if you did.
Let me know your own favorite things from this month
in the comments, and don't forget to subscribe
because I make new videos every week.
And I'll see you soon.
Bye!
(soft techno music)