Eels, gangsters, peanut butter and a missing dog.

Hi all!
I can’t believe half the year is already gone. This means it’s time for me to tell you about 2 books and 2 films I liked, from the first half of 2026 (honouring a tradition I started a year ago).

Here we go.

Things I liked reading:

The Gospel of the Eels, by Patrik Svensson
I can’t stop telling people about this book. I liked it so much! Maybe it’s because I picked it up from a second-hand shop, not really expecting much and having no particular interest in eels. The author combines nature writing with memoir, telling us about his dad, with whom he used to fish for eels in the summer. I learned eels are incredible! And I really liked how his writing style was quite direct and matter-of -fact and at the same time poetic.

Bark Bark Girl, by Michael Furler
Comic book about a girl who loses her dog on purpose so she can have an excuse to miss an important maths exam. Honestly, everything was great. Dialogue, story, drawings. I have nothing to add, you should read it.

Things I liked watching:

The Peanut Butter Solution, 1985
There’s nothing I love more than a film that surprises me completely. I could never in my wildest dreams have predicted the turns this story takes. It feels like it was written by a child. It makes no sense but, at the same time, there is a child logic to it. I know a lot of people may not enjoy it for the very same reasons I loved it. But if weird films are your thing, I reccomend fully jumping in knowing absolutely nothing. Don’t even read the synopsis.

And, if you’d like to check out last year’s books and films, they are here:

and here:

Until next month,
Joana