What We Were Loving in 2024
Hi Caddyshackers!
It’s January, it’s warm, it’s time for an easy, fun style blog post. In previous years we listed some of our favourite books, movies, series, documentaries, music artists, podcasts etc. and we are going to do the same this year, reflecting back to what we were loving in 2024.
You might agree with some of our favourites (or not), or maybe pick up a new favourite. But we gotta be honest here, there might be more than one in each category… it got a little hard to choose!
Let’s get to it!
BOOKS
The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner by Grace Tame
Review from Goodreads:
Grace has never walked on middle ground. From a young age, her life was defined by uncertainty - by trauma and strength, sadness and hope, terrible lows and wondrous highs. As a teenager she found the courage to speak up after experiencing awful and ongoing child sexual abuse. This fight to find her voice would not be her last.
In 2021 Grace stepped squarely into the public eye as the Australian of the Year, and was the catalyst for a tidal wave of conversation and action. Australians from all walks of life were inspired and moved by her fire and passion. Here she was using her voice, and encouraging others to use theirs too.
The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner is Grace's story, in Grace's words, on Grace's terms. Like Grace, it is sharply intelligent, deeply felt and often blisteringly funny. And, as with all her work, it offers a constructive and optimistic vision for a better future for all of us.
Caddyshack Review:
As in all things, there are two sides to every story, and reading Grace’s memoir certainly opens your eyes to the role media outlets play in the portrayal and betrayal of an individual.
“I have borne and sat with immense grief and pain that has been passed down to me that has led me to my own conclusion. And that is: every perpetrator of abuse is someone’s someone, but every survivor of abuse is someone’s someone too”.
In 2021, Grace’s name became well known, as the recipient of the “Australian of the Year” award for her advocacy of sexual assault survivors, particularly those who were sexually assaulted in institutional settings. Grace’s story is bold, brave and breaking all in one.
“I spent my entire life running, trying to find secure ground, searching for a home in other people and other places, only to discover that my home was with me all along. It is in the innate voice I have; that each of us has; that grounds and connects us with others by way of sharing truth. It is our collective power that breaks the walls of silence. May these words bring you home”.
Grace has set up the Grace Tame Foundation to campaign and fund initiatives which work to prevent and respond to the sexual abuse of children.
Fake by Stephanie Wood
Review from Goodreads:
Women the world over are brought up to hope, even expect, to find the man of their dreams, marry and live happily ever after. When Stephanie Wood meets a sweet man who owns a farm and property, she embarks on an exhilarating romance with him. He seems compassionate, truthful and loving. He talks about the future with her. She falls in love. She also becomes increasingly beset by anxiety at the lavish three-act plays he offers her in the form of excuses for frequent cancellations and no-shows. She begins to wonder, who is this man?
When she ends the relationship Stephanie switches back on her journalistic nous and uncovers a story of mind-boggling duplicity and manipulation. She also finds she is not alone; that the world is full of smart, sassy women who have suffered at the hands of liars, cheats, narcissists, fantasists and phonies, men who are enormously skilled at deception.
In this brilliantly acute and broad-ranging book, Wood, an award-winning writer and journalist, has written a riveting, important account of contemporary love, and the resilience of those who have witnessed its darkest sides.
Caddyshack Review:
A riveting, engaging, candid and honest personal story and broader exploration of how deception operates in relationships. Offering insightful analysis of the emotional and psychological effects of being deceived, this book will resonate with many as it addresses universal themes of trust and identity, referencing wider global stories of a similar nature.
MOVIE
All Of Us Strangers
We are just going to start this one by saying Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal and really that’s enough said!
The Guardian gave it five stars and wrote:
“This deeply personal portrait of newfound love and a traumatic past, is an emotionally wrenching masterpiece.”
From the Guardian: Scott plays Adam, a screenwriter wrestling with a script drawn from his past. It’s not going well. Our first glimpse is of his face, reflected in the windows of his flat as he gazes listlessly at the London dusk, a wide-open sky massed with clouds as deep and dark blue as grief itself. Adam immerses himself in the music of his childhood – 80s queer pop classics by Pet Shop Boys and Frankie Goes to Hollywood – and picks through a box of family treasures that provide a link to the distant past. But he seems disconnected from the rest of the world – something that his echoing, neatly impersonal flat in a nearly empty Ballardian tower block only serves to emphasise.
If you like behind the scenes insights and to see more great chemistry between the two leads watch this.
Our oldest team member was not only thrilled with the movie, but enjoyed the step back in time to her life soundtrack circa 1985 with The Power Of Love and Is This Love.
DOCO
I Am: Celine Dion
It was hard to miss the build up to the release of the documentary ‘I Am: Celine Dion on Amazon Prime’.
It was an incredibly vulnerable and unguarded chronicle of her struggle with a rare neurological disorder, stiff-person syndrome (SPS) which has no cure.
Celine absolutely adores being the queen of the power ballad and her whole life has been so defined by it, so to see that taken from her was heart wrenching. We shed a few tears for sure.
Good to see her singing at the opening ceremony of the Olympics though! May that herald the start of a come back.
TV SERIES
Fake
Hands down this Australian series Fake (see book that inspired it above).
This was absolutely riveting, tense and possibly a little triggering, vindicating and insightful, if you’ve ever been in a relationship with a deceptive manipulator.
It’s a must see to get an understanding of how emotional abuse and gaslighting operates.
Watch Asher Keddie and David Wenham on The Project as to why we ignore red flags.
My Lady Jane
Also, we have to include My Lady Jane. In a not-so-subtle nod to the Catholic-Protestant rift during the Tudor dynasty and as a wider metaphor for the discrimination against minorities, the England of My Lady Jane persecutes Ethians, humans who can shape-shift into animal forms at will, and segregates them from Verity, or human, society.
SO GOOD. We are sad it will only be the one season! WHY when we were left with a cliffhanger?
MUSIC
It’s not a 2024 release but one of our all time fav mini songs features the lyrics “Am I pregant? Am I gregnant? Is there a possibly that I'm pegrant? Could I be pregonate? Am I pegnate??” These are typos people have put into Yahoo asking if indeed they might be pregnant.
Canadian singers Lubalin and Charlotte Cardin turned these questions into this sweet little song and we have been crushing on Charlotte’s smoky voice and lyrics ever since.
Also shout out to the fabulous soundtrack to My Lady Jane (see above).
2024 was the year of live music for our team. You can say we were in our live music era.
From weekly local gigs at Dicey Riley’s, La La La’s, Towradgi Beach Hotel Fridays, Waves, UOW Unibar, and North Gong Pub Sunday Sessions supporting; Dribs // Cheeky Leash // Taj // Dear Seattle // DICE // Skeggs // Gflip // Lime Cordiale // Autumn Sunset // Roomates // The Midnight Tides // The Tin Knees // New Calyptus // Battlesnake // Mickey Kojak // Deadshowws // Scatter Light // Creeping Jenny // Blackout Fun Club // Gia Ransome // Astrovillain // Business Doing Pleasure // Quite Like Pete // Clueless // Circadia // Earl Gray // Merci, Mercy // Psychedelic Porn Crumpets // Nice Biscuit // Hot Machine // Ocean Alley // Pacific Avenue // The Rions // King Stingray // Maisie Petters // The Beaches // Middle Kids // Infinity Song // Sunder // Hoon // Private Function // Rattlegun // Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers // Sevilles // The Grogans // Hockey Dad // Echidnaica // Mt Maze // The Summer Guppys // Datting Kane // The Sweaty Bettys // Courtesy Bus // The Chordroys // Bronte Alva // The Colliflowers // Sophian The Band // Butterknife // Bad Neighbour // Stop Asking // Raised As Wolves // Great Gable // Kitschen Boy // Maybe in May // Aleksiah // Graxe // Moaning Lisa // Fan Girl // Ah Honey // Lime Cordiale // Amends // Good Pash // Philadelphia Grand Jury // The Sooks // Surely Shirley // and more…
To festivals: Port Kembla festival // Art After Dark live music at the Wollongong Art Gallery // Gong Crawl // Gaze Fest // Yours & Owls festival // Illawarra Folk Festival at Bulli // Changing Tides Festival // Live from the Lawn
To big stadium tours: Taylor Swift Era’s tour // Jonas Brothers // Fred Again
And not forgetting Sound of Music at the Arcadians, Tom Jones at ICC Sydney, Ed Sheeran Candle Light Concert, The Life and Music of George Michael at the State Theatre, Thelma Plum at the Sydney Opera House (and again at Anita’s), La Boheme at Merrigong, Fleetwood Mac Legacy at Anita’s Theatre, John Butler at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre and the Echoes of Pink Floyd Tour.
We just want to finish by saying Angie McMahon, the Light Dark Light Again record was therapy. Go have a listen, if you’re not already there.
Also a throw back to an ultimate Angie favourite.
APP
Stardust
We thought we would pop in a new section this year featuring an app. And the winner is Stardust.
Stardust is a free cycle tracking app that integrates science, ancient wisdom, astronomy and artificial intelligence to help you find contentment, manifest goals, and befriend your body.
Sample snippet:
You’re a different person every day.
Give a warm welcome to your period (*slow clap*). Levels of estrogen and progesterone are low. Your skin and stomach might misbehave. This too shall pass.
CYCLE HOROSCOPE
Rising estrogen levels mean increased cerebral firepower. Start planning your next vacation. Or your next snack. Honestly, anything.
You are ovulating today. Thy egg hath been released. Idea: Give yourself an Ovulation Vacation. Prepare a tropical drink with a mini umbrella! Take the day off work. Your body worked hard to get here and you deserve a little treat.
The elevated progesterone continues, leading to food carvings. Go HAM on some ham. Or a vegetarian substitute. Or whatever feels necessary for your wellbeing.
While we’re on periods, here is another song. Blood Magic is the soundtrack for your cycle and the book, 'Period Queen,' the manual for your menstrual superpowers.
The EP begins with ‘Your Blood is Amazing’ - an anthem to celebrate period power, and the four songs that follow, cycle in a perfect circle.
PODCAST
Shameless plug. It’s our podcast On The Couch which we released in July 2024. Huge effort, lots of learning, totally worthwhile to get the voices of our amazing guests out into a wider audience.
ON THE GRAM
📢We have been working hard over on our Instagram page to give our followers regular sex positive content.
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We hope you enjoy some of our favs as much as we do.
We have a fantastic line up of guests for the On The Couch in 2025 as well as some big blog plans.
We will see you back here soon!
Peace, Love & Protection