The Crumbs #3

Slow Horses, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Alta, Maré by Rafael Cagali: what to read, watch and eat in October

Photo by Andrew Crowley for The Telegraph

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I’m bracing myself for all things pink. As someone who lives with metastatic breast cancer, every day is awareness day for me, although I’ve just had the results of my scan, and I’m delighted my cancer remains asleep.

If you’re tempted by the pink products in the shops, read the small-print and make sure they’re actually donating a decent portion of their sales to charity, like Asda, Fairfax & Favor and Pom Pom London.

I’m taking part in two campaigns for BCAM, one of which involves going to Parliament (stay tuned). In between, I’ve got various restaurant bookings and some theatre plans too. Here are this month’s recommendations…

---

The Crumbs

Everything I’m loving right now…

What to eat:

— Lobster rice (below) and build-your-own lamb tacos at Maré, the brand new restaurant near the seafront in Hove from Brazilian chef Rafael Cagali of Da Terra. Lots of fun dishes, some Brazilian touches and a very nostalgic soundtrack.

— Sardine empanada (below), mushroom fideos and a grilled hen of the woods mushroom so good it tastes like meat, at the also-brand-new Alta in Kingly Court, London, from chef Rob Roy Cameron. This makes my top 10 meals of 2025.

— Crab on toast, cured chalk stream trout (both below) and grilled mackerel at Margo in Glasgow, where I went last month for the Tour de 4 cycle. I’ve wanted to go to Margo for ages and it exceeded expectations.

---

What to watch:

— The Summer I Turned Pretty on Prime. I’d ignored this until someone referred to it as Dawson’s Creek for Gen Z, from which point I was hooked. Apart from the compelling love triangle between the teenage main characters Belly, Jeremiah and Conrad, it turns out there’s also a whole storyline about a character with metastatic breast cancer. It’s handled really well, and the show is as addictive for millennials as it is for teens.

— Slow Horses on Apple TV. Jackson Lamb is back! I binged seasons one to four of this British spy thriller about a team of misfits based at the fictional Slough House, and I’m enjoying season five so far. If only they weren’t drip-feeding the episodes weekly…

— The Morning Show on Apple TV. Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s hit show about the behind-the-scenes events at a chaotic US TV channel. Season four has just hit, and there’s a strong presence from the odious Stella (played by Greta Lee).

---

What to listen to:

— Missing in the Amazon, the brilliant documentary podcast from Guardian journalist Tom Phillips (who I went on my Gap year with, 25 years ago, but that’s another story). Tom bravely investigates the murder in the Brazilian Amazon of his friend, fellow journalist Dom Phillips, and indigenous protector Bruno Pereira. Absolutely fascinating, and brilliantly reported.

— Main Character by Lizzie Frainier on Audible. A memoir on dating, through the lens of romcoms, narrated by Lizzie herself. So much of it resonated with me and my dating years, and I really enjoyed Lizzie’s beautiful narration.

— No Filter with Australian writer Clare Stephens, who talks boldly about sibling rivalry, taking career leaps, and knowing when to call it quits.

---

What to read:

— Cuckoo by Nell Frizzell. When Nancy’s father dies, she finds out that not only does she have a half brother she never knew about, she’s also pregnant. I loved this book – it’s beautifully written and it talks about motherhood and birth in a way I’ve not read before.

— This Motherless Land by Nikki May, who also wrote the brilliant Wahala. When Funke’s mum dies in a car accident in Lagos, she’s sent to England to live with her aunt’s family. There she meets her cousin Liv, and we follow the two women as they grow into adults. It’s a beautiful, moving read.

— I’ve also just finished Elizabeth Day’s The Party. It’s the gripping story of what went down at the high-society party of Ben, a school friend of Martin Gilmour, who is now at the police station, facing questioning. It’s written in Day’s usual clever, sharp style, and I’ve just finished it in time for the follow-up, One of Us, which is out now. I’ll let you know what I think.

What are you watching, reading, loving right now? I’d love to know, so please do comment below. And if you enjoyed this post, please give it a like so I know you’re reading. Thanks!