LISTEN
Billie Eilish has been on my radar for a while now. The cool young things in our office are obsessed with her - and have been ever since she first hit Auckland for a promo tour in 2017. Her music has been all over the radio ever since, so I was somewhat surprised and confused to learn she's only just released her debut album. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? hit streaming services last month and is an impressive debut with one of the coolest opening tracks (Bad Guy) I've heard in a long time. The song has already topped the charts and I'm picking it to be a highlight at next week's sellout show when Eilish performs at Auckland's Spark Arena on Wednesday night.
WATCH
When Netflix suggested I watch its latest true-crime deep dive The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, I was sceptical. What could it possibly reveal that hasn't been reported a million times before? And, at first, it didn't deliver anything more than a highly stylised rehashing of events. But as the series progresses, it cleverly manipulates viewers to examine all sides of the story - convincing you of one theory before flipping the script and making you doubt everything. Most impressive is the access the film-makers have secured, convincing just about everyone ever involved in the case to speak to them. It's a slow burn but ultimately well worth a watch.
READ
As an avid reader, I love nothing more than discovering a new author and the treasure trove that is their back catalogue of previous releases. So when a friend recently recommended Irish author John Boyne's compelling saga The Heart's Invisible Furies, I was delighted. The book, first published in 2017, is one of the best things I've ever read, taking readers on an emotional journey through bitter heartache and prejudice, balanced with moments of tenderness and genuine hilarity. I'm now eagerly devouring his other titles - including last year's release A Ladder to the Sky. Boyne will be in town next month for the Auckland Writer's Festival, to talk about his latest release. Tickets are on sale now.
DOWNLOAD
If you're watching Game of Thrones but haven't downloaded our podcast yet, you're seriously missing out. Well, maybe not seriously, but you are missing out on some quality Thrones chat as we attempt to analyse the latest series and predict the ultimate ending. Sure, sometimes we can't remember people's names, or where they're from, or how they're related to anyone . . . But that's all part of the fun. Look for The Worst Game of Thrones Podcast in the World on iTunes and iHeartRadio. New episodes every Monday.