CRITICS’ RECOMMENDATIONS

The Tokenhouse

I was seeking sanctuary away from the sardine crowds, and the monotony of the high-street stores of Nottingham’s City Centre, when I first stumbled upon The Tokenhouse, an independent, family-run gift shop on St Peter’s Gate, tucked just a few streets away from Old Market Square. It didn’t take much convincing for me to venture inside - there were Jellycats in the window!

The Tokenhouse was a breath of fresh air away from the hustle and bustle not only of the city, but of student life. Its warm atmosphere took an instant weight off my shoulders. For me, a trip to the centre is now incomplete without stopping by. And I never leave empty-handed.

With anything from funky socks, to cottagecore-esque crockery, to delicate jewellery, you will find the perfect gift at a reasonable price for any occasion, whether for yourself or another, within a ten-minute sweep of the shop. And of course, there’s not much like the dopamine high that comes with choosing your favourite Jellycat and taking one - if not several - home with you, and their collection does not disappoint.

If you’re a lover of the cute and quirky, The Tokenhouse isn’t one to miss. The

Tokenhouse is located on 4-6 Saint Peter’s Gate

Eva Hughes-Sutton

Gossip Girl (2007-2012)

Watching attractive, well-dressed people whispering venomous rumours about one another isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Yet the unattainable and wealthy characters of Gossip Girl are enchanting.

The show takes place in the ‘most famous city in the world’: New York City. Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen, the main stars of the story, are opposite in appearance and personality. Blair’s ‘Queen Bee’ status, dark hair, and Audrey Hepburn-inspired outfits, are a stark contrast to the messy, fun, and golden-blonde Serena.

However, they are both disgustingly rich, and embroiled in exposed scandals that rattle NYC’s elites - someone is posting all about their secrets on a gossip page. An anonymous someone.

The show has a light-hearted mystery as we wonder who gossip girl is. The pace is mixed, at times very fast and elsewhere more slow-going. It embraces themes such as love, friendship, loyalty, and includes enemies with impeccable fashion-sense.

Characters frequent designer boutiques, walking out with items worth more than our student loans. For students who are living in places such as Lenton, the Manhattan-deluxe skyscrapers can act as a form of escapism. There is such privilege on display but still It’s difficult to resist watching such a riveting show. Gossip Girl is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer

Bethan Beddow

Before the Coffee Gets Cold (2015)

As a novel of warmth, reflectiveness, and comfort, Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is impossible not to love.

This book presents a coffee shop in which people can time travel. However, as in all time travel fiction, there are er, as in all time travel fiction, there are rules, the most crucial one being that the traveller must return to the present before their coffee goes cold. There are four parts to this novel, each providing the narrative of different people. Each character wishes to go to an emotional moment in their past, including Kei, who wishes to speak to her unborn child, and Kohtake, who longs to find a letter from her husband with Alzheimer’s disease.

This is a wonderfully emotional read which I feel would be well-suited to lovers of Sweet Bean Paste by Tetsuya Akikawa. It’s the perfect book to cosy up with on a cold day (of course with a cup of coffee), and get completely lost in, making it ideal for students in need of distraction. The short length and simplistic yet stunning writing style also means that one may devour this charming novel in a day, when you long to escape from a world of intense studying. Before the Coffee Gets Cold is available at all good bookstores

Hayley Lawson

Brazil (1985)

Directed by Terry Gilliam, Brazil can be a strange film and has a story that veers away from reality more than once, but this is not reason to be discouraged. Michael Kaman’s excellent score is paired with colourful characters, an element of absurdity and a sinister depiction of a hectic and grasping autocracy.

George Orwell and 1984’s influence is certainly clear, but Brazil is grounded much more in satire than dire warning or prophecy. It depicts a government more chaotic than it is domineering. The state that exists “somewhere in the 20th century” may be a monolith, but it is one of impenetrable incompetence, not cold and efficient totalitarianism. In the world of Brazil people do not disappear due to acts of heroic resistance but simple administrative error.

This is a society sustained by indifference, denial and an endless trail of receipts and paperwork. It is fragmented, obsessed with superficial beauty and desensitised to terror. I found Brazil enthralling. It is stylistically distinct, brilliantly acted and genuinely disturbing. It is a classic of British cinema, and it cannot be recommend highly enough. If you like the surreal and dark, this is certainly a film to watch. Brazil is available to stream now on Disney Plus and Amazon Prime.

Daniel Evans

The Secret History (1992)

The Secret History explores the lives of a group of college students who have been corrupted by the indulgent ideals of ancient Greeks and Romans. This book is bound by hedonism, deceit, manipulation and murder.

Author Donna Tartt examines the human condition set in an academic environment pervaded by guilt and morality. The story focuses on six students attending the fictional, highly prestigious Hampden College, a liberal arts college in Vermont. The six characters are all drawn together by their all-consuming love for Classics.

Tartt draws your focus as a reader with the mysticism of elite education, academia and pseudo-intellectualism. Tartt is able to maintain a constant air of tension and suspense in the atmospheric, secluded Vermont landscape. The group stray away from the moral codes of modern society, isolating themselves from any form of modernity and favouring classical antiquity instead.

This book is unavoidable on social media due to its long-lasting presence and popularity with book influencers so if you haven’t picked up a copy of this, what are you doing? This is some of the best writing from a contemporary author and has influenced the entire Dark Academia genre of art, media and writing. The Secret History is available at all good bookstores.

Natalie Howarth

Prince - Purple Rain (1984)

The arrival of ‘Purple Rain’ in 1984 firmly cemented Prince’s place as one of the greatest artists of all time. Critics say the primary way to identify greatness is through observing how well music ages. ‘Purple Rain’ is an undisputed classic that has proven the test of time.

In the 1980s, an album so raw and provocative had simply never been seen before. The sublime blend of pop, rock and funk distinguished it from all other albums at the time.

Prince delivers several iconic moments throughout. The masterpiece starts off at a hundred miles per hour with Let’s Go Crazy - a tune calling on people to drop whatever they are doing and just enjoy themselves. Prince also embraces vulnerability in tracks like The Beautiful Ones, expressing his difficulty in finding true love with the most attractive people.

While music is subjective, it would not be an outlandish statement to say that the best song on the album is Purple Rain itself. The 8-minute ballad serves as a fitting end to a concise body of work, tackling themes of love and the afterlife.

The influence of this album on modern day artists gives everyone a reason to revisit and recognise its genius.