Downton Abbey – The Grand Finale (2025), directed by Simon Curtis

It is 1930 and great change is in the air, even among the upper echelons of English society, but possibly not quickly enough for Lady Mary. She and her racing driver husband have divorced, which makes her persona non grata in her social set. At Downton Abbey some of the older generation are struggling to cede control to the next, both upstairs and downstairs. Lady Cora’s American brother has money troubles following the stock market crash, further threatening the family fortunes. Perhaps a visit from Noel Coward can save the day? It’s all pretty low stakes, with the costumes and set design taking centre stage. The actors do their best with a very average and self-indulgent script, but it’s nice to see most of the familiar faces from the TV show one last time.

How to Survive 1985, by Tegan Bennett Daylight

In this sequel to Royals, teen Shannon and her friends once again face a time dilemma as they find themselves in Sydney forty years in the past. It poses the question – were things really better when your parents were your age …or ten times worse? The answer is, of course, both – in different ways for different people. In echoes of Back to the Future, Shannon gets to meet her mother as a teen and has to decide how much to tell her about the future and how much she can influence it. Her previous time loop experience in the shopping centre proves helpful in navigating the past as she looks for her friends so they can work out how to get back to their own time. It’s cleverly done, with warmth and wit, but that’s probably enough now.

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, by Juno Dawson

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is the official advisory body to the British government on magical matters but is largely a secret unknown to ‘mundanes’. The feminine power of witches dominates the magical world and five women who were inducted into the coven together in their teens are among the most powerful. A civil war sparked by a rebellious warlock has divided the five friends in different ways. Eight years later a new dark threat could draw them tighter again or drive them further apart. Ostensibly a dark fantasy tale, it soon becomes clear that this is actually a highly political novel that cleverly tackles the modern culture war over trans rights. It is a gripping story that occasionally tips into overly educational, while trying give an understanding of all points of view. This sometimes comes at the expense of plot – the total ignorance of mundanes to all things magic is hard to swallow, especially given the official government role.

The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans

Now in her 70s, Sybil Stone Van Antwerp has been a prolific letter writer for most of her life. Retired from a distinguished career in the law, she now has even more time to correspond with friends, family, neighbours, renowned authors, businesses and garden club rivals. Over a period of several years we discover Sybil’s life and loves, joys and griefs through her letters, notes and emails, and responses to them, as well as in a series of unsent jottings to a mysterious Colt that read more like journal entries. This is a warm and comprehensive portrait of a very real woman, who makes mistakes and makes amends, in a masterly use of the epistolary style.