Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1065920
7 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 23 DECEMBER 2018 TV, MUSIC AND BOOKS Mary Poppins returns In cinemas now Mary Poppins returns Mary Poppins is back on the big screen. Now an adult with three children, bank teller Michael Banks learns that his house will be repossessed in fi ve days unless he can pay back a loan. His only hope is to fi nd a missing certifi - cate that shows proof of valuable shares that his father left him years earlier. Just as all seems lost, Michael and his sister receive the surprise of a lifetime when Mary Poppins -- the beloved nanny from their childhood -- arrives to save the day and take the Banks family on a magical, fun-fi lled adventure. Mortal Engines Hundreds of years after civilization was destroyed by a cataclysmic event, a mysterious young woman, Hester Shaw, emerges as the only one who can stop London – now a giant, predator city on wheels – from devouring eve- rything in its path. Feral, and fi ercely driven by the memory of her mother, Hester joins forces with Tom Natsworthy, an outcast from London, along with Anna Fang, a dangerous outlaw with a bounty on her head. Based on the famous book, Mortal Engines is now in cinemas. Birdbox When a mysterious force decimates the population, only one thing is certain -- if you see it, you die. The survivors must now avoid coming face to face with an entity that takes the form of their worst fears. Searching for hope and a new beginning, a woman and her children embark on a dangerous journey through the woods and down a river to fi nd the one place that may offer sanc- tuary. To make it, they'll have to cover their eyes from the evil that chases them -- and complete the trip blindfolded. Birdbox is now on Netfl ix. Christmas Songs Are you fi nally ready to get into the festive spirit? Why not listen to some Christmas playlists to get in the mood. From Christmas Classics to Christmas Cocktail Jazz, Spotify's Happy Holidays genre has a playlist you're bound to enjoy. Your week will be festive and merry wherever you go, with a Christmas playlist just for you. I am > I was – 21 Savage After much teasing, 21 Savage has fi nally released his newest album 21 Savage's new album I Am > I Was. The album was due to be released two weeks ago but was delayed. The album is much more personal and more powerful than Savage's debut album, last year's Issa Album. Hoodie SZN – A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie has just dropped his album, Hoodie SZN, featuring the likes of Tekashi 6ix9ine, Young Thug, Offset, Tyga and much more. The long list of features gives the project less of a personal vibe, and it plays like a collective narrative with several stand out verses. Stream Hoodie SZN on Apple Music and Spotify now. Mabel Strickland – Editor: Sergio Grech The publication house, Horizons is launching the volume Mabel Strickland Bejn Storja u Miti Gabra ta' Kitbiet edited by Sergio Grech. Mabel has been politicaly active for a while, and this book gives detailed attention to this part of her life. She was a true Imperialist and could not understand how Malta could function without the English Colony. She opposed the Maltese Independence together with the politics of Mintoff. She was almost his shadow in the Opposition. This book sets out some questions about her role in the colonial and post-colonial life of Malta. For the fi rst time, her sister Cecili de Trafford, who for some time was very close to Mintoff, and thus Mable's antagoist, is also brought in the picture. The Maltese women's role in the political sphere is also being discussed. Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens Why not dip into a Christmas book this week? A tale as old as time, Ebenezer Scrooge, an old man, who is well- known for his miserly ways. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by a series of ghosts, starting with his old business partner, Jacob Marley. You might remember it from when you were young, but why not read the book again this Christmas. If Any Gods Lived – Michael J. Wilson The poems in Michael J. Wilson's collection If Any Gods Lived abound with a rush of emotions, from anxiety to desire to hectic contemplations of the narrator's mortality. There's an almost percussive aspect to the way that Wilson uses punctuation, and it accentuates the mood of these pieces even more – an immersive sensory experience channeled through text on a page. What to watch, listen to and read this week Movies and TV shows Music Books Mabel Strickland Sergio Grech