Read

Atomic Habits
Originally published in 2018, ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear still remains at the top of best-selling self-help books of all time and is often described as ‘the user manual for upgrading your life’... And I couldn’t agree more! If you’re someone looking to make positive changes in your life - whether it’s related to health, productivity, relationships or personal growth - this read might be exactly the key you need to help you unlock your full potential. ✨
Recommended by: Pam, Social Community Manager

The Guest List
By No.1 bestselling author Lucy Foley this is an epic murder mystery - A wedding on a remote island, what could go wrong?
Recommended by: Ailsa, Resident Engagement Manager of Moda, New York Square

BOOK REVIEW: Welcome to the Club
Being Northern, and being from Manchester specifically, means that an affinity with the music scene is part of our birthright. The music we’ve made has defined eras and changed lives - but one thing we’d fallen victim to was having the same stories told, time and time again, seemingly not moving forward from well-worn stories of the Happy Mondays, The Smiths, and Joy Division.

Enter DJ Paulette, a queer Black woman pioneer of the music scene, Manchester-native and rule breaker. We are incredibly lucky to be sharing her timeline, and be given the opportunity to read her incredibly affecting, inspiring memoir Welcome to the Club: The Life and Lessons of a Black Woman DJ.

Not only does this book serve as a time capsule containing stories of perseverance, triumph, highs and lows, it chronicles the making of a legend that spans decades. It is also an invaluable piece of work for anyone in need of women of colour role models in the largely male dominated industry, and finally, it is a handy manual for those wanting to forge their own path and make their mark as a full-time DJ - despite the odds.

Within the first few lines, DJ Paulette shares that despite wanting to write, she was discouraged a few times along the way and, “deflated, I put my writing dreams to bed.” We must rejoice, then, that the need to share one’s story triumphed above all else and now we are able to read her words and learn from her wisdom.

DJ Paulette remarks that her story starts “in Manchester in 1992 with the backdrop of the Aids crisis, section 28, recession… and finishes somewhere in the present after Little Simz and Kendrick Lamar headlined and closed Glastonbury festival.” What a remarkable feat that DJ Paulette has persevered and been breaking barriers for such a significant amount of time.

Welcome to the Club doesn’t cut any corners. No detail is spared about the road travelled in order to play some of the most prestigious clubs in the world including the Hacienda, and the pilgrimage back to Manchester from the “Ibiza bubble”, in search of “a crusade to stake my place in the history of the culture itself”, landing sets in Manchester’s bars such as Tariff and Dale and Albert’s Schloss, eventually - and deservedly - becoming a local celebrity.

“Hard graft”, Paulette calls it. Well, true, though a little later on in the book, she blows the journey wide open, emphasising the importance of love and community alongside hard work. “How did I land so well? By following my heart and my passion … by taking the advice of others yet treading my own path. … My family and friends’ support network has been crucial to my survival.” It is hard to imagine any reader being unaffected by such honesty and vulnerability.

I’ve spent a lot of time around electronic dance music and know first-hand how difficult it can be to encapsulate the very specific energy of those darkened rooms and the energy within them.

DJ Paulette’s words in Welcome to the Club are electric, completely transporting me back to the joy of the dancefloor. She describes nights full of “funk, soul, hop, disco and house music” filling ears for hours on end and it’s an image of total elation. I am lucky enough to have experienced one of DJ Paulette’s sets before, and it won’t be the last.

Welcome to the Club is an essential book that educates us all, despite how much we may feel we already know about liberation, activism, equality and the music scene as a whole. It’s a reminder of the superiority of the North and the creativity that has defined it for generations and continues to run through our very streets. DJ Paulette’s voice is remarkable and if we’re lucky, this won’t be the last we hear of it.

DJ Paulette — in search of “a crusade to stake my place in the history of the culture itself.”

DJ Paulette’s Welcome to the Club is published by Manchester University Press and was published on 23 January 2024.

Watch

Saltburn
I feel like this one needs no introduction… but if you’re putting off watching then just go for it. P.S. Don’t watch with your dad like I did!
Recommended by: Millie, Marketing Manager
Watch now on: Amazon Prime

May December
Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman together at last in this strange, slippery film which will leave you thinking about it for a long time to come.
Recommended by: Thomas, PR Manager
Watch now on: Sky | NOW TV

Based on a True Story
American comedy thriller set in glamorous LA. Everyone’s questioning who the local “West Side Ripper” taking down girls in the neighbourhood is, but when a broke couple come close to the truth, they decide to create an alliance. Think “You” meets “Flight Attendant”... just watch it!
Recommended by: Millie, Marketing Manager
Watch now on: Sky | Amazon Prime | NOWTV | Apple TV+

The Brothers Sun
Story of a Taiwanese triad leader and his family; wife Michelle Yeoh, and his two sons – one an assassin and the other who enjoys improv classes. When their dad is shot in Taiwan, his assassin son moves to LA to protect his mum and brother, who’s been entirely sheltered from their truth until now. Gruesome but hilarious… martial arts heavy if that’s your thing!
Recommended by: Millie, Marketing Manager
Watch now on: Netflix

The Fall of The House of Usher
The latest from Mike Flanagan, based on various works by Edgar Allan Poe. If Succession was a horror series…
Recommended by: Ailsa, Resident Engagement Manager of Moda, New York Square
Watch now on: Netflix

One Day
Warning - this one comes with heartbreak. You might have read the book or watched the Anne Hathaway move in 2011 and know what’s coming. This is Netflix’s take with a 14 episode “mini”-series. After spending one night together, Emma and Dexter go their separate ways, but life keeps throwing them back to one another, in a decade spanning friendship.
Recommended by: Gabby, Marketing Manager
Watch now on: Netflix

Hullraisers
Incredibly funny and down-to-earth sitcom based on a struggling actress, her sister and their police friend who are navigating life together in East Yorkshire’s Kingston upon Hull.
Recommended by: Louise, General Manager of Moda, New York Square
Watch now on: Channel 4

Buy My House
For a totally bingeable, borderline trash TV with some interior p*rn, watch Buy My House! It’s basically like an American Dragon’s Den but with houses, where sellers come and pitch to investors to buy.
Recommended by: Millie, Marketing Manager
Watch now on: Netflix

Fellow Travellers
Gay romance set across many decades beginning in the buttoned-up and suspicious world of 1950s’ Washington DC.
Recommended by: Thomas, PR Manager
Watch now on: Amazon Prime | Paramount+

Griselda
If you enjoyed Narcos, this one’s for you! Pablo Escobar met his match in the form of Colombian drug wife, turned leader. The power might just get to her head, but Sofia Vergara looks fabulous doing it...
Recommended by: Georgia, Senior Designer
Watch now on: Netflix

Listen

The Fast & The Curious
Greg James, Christian Hewgill and Betty Glover head up this F1 themed podcast. A great listen to set you up for the 2024 season!
Recommended by: Ailsa, Resident Engagement Manager of Moda, New York Square

You’re Wrong About
Going behind the media coverage to reassess the events and public figures we’ve all decided we all know everything about – from Princess Diana to Amy Winehouse and everyone in between.
Recommended by: Thomas, PR Manager

If Books Could Kill
This one might be controversial if you’re a fan of a cult classics, but this podcast debunks best sellers and explains why they suck.
Recommended by: Stewart, Leasing Manager of Moda, Holland Park

Our second lifestyle publication is here covering new hot spots, interior inspo, tips on getting the most out of your weekend and everything inbetween. Whether you're a resident or a local, The NBHD contains all you need to like the Moda life. Check it out here.