My essentials: Amy Jo Camilleri’s cultural picks

1. Book

Books were my first love before I could even read. They make me tune out the world for a while and immerse myself into an imaginary one. Having read over 100 books in the past 2 years, it is extremely difficult for me to pick my all-time favourite. I love different genres, from fantasy to contemporary, from mystery to historical fiction. However, ‘The Hunger Games’ by Suzanne Collins will always hold a special place in my heart, because it was the book that changed the way I read.

2. Film

I love watching movies at the cinema, with my eyes glued to the big screen, and an extra large popcorn in my hand. Most recently I really enjoyed watching the murder mystery ‘Glass Onion’, the second film in the Knives Out series, with its clever twists and sharp-witted dialogue. If I had to choose my all-time favourite movie, it would be the 1998 version of ‘The Parent Trap’, which still moves me every time, even though I have watched it countless times.

3. Internet

I am a notorious multitasker when it comes to the Internet. I often find myself watching a BookTube video on my laptop, online shopping on my external monitor, whilst at the same time browsing through social media on my mobile phone. When it comes to watching TV, it is something that I associate mostly with evenings at home, when I spend some quality time with my family on the sofa watching comedy.

4. Music

I have to admit that I am a musical theatre fanatic. When I was little, I loved singing along with the classics such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables and Wicked, just to name a few. Since then I have discovered new recent favourites, and the list is endless! Some of my current favourites are Legally Blonde, Beetlejuice, Heathers, Come From Away, Six, Anastasia, Waitress and Newsies.

5. Place

Apart from the London West End, with theatres around every corner, my favourite place has to be the medieval town of Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace. It is impossible to resist the charm of this place, with its literary and theatrical connections. Ever since I visited it a couple of years ago, I have been wanting to go back to stroll around the streets and buildings which would have been familiar to the Bard.