Books & Screens

 

There has been a lot of watching, listening AND reading since my last list. A traveling husband, a case of Covid over the holidays and two 10 hour flights will make this happen.

I’m going way back - to the last time I did this, which was October. I’m talking about things you may not have seen. (Like I’m not going to tell you I watched The Crown or Yellowstone.) There’s bound to be something in here for you - my tastes span lots of genres. The only one I don’t do is Hallmark feel-good stuff. You won’t find that in here.

And I’m going to share my wintry Spotify playlists too, since the last batch was a big hit. 😉

REading…

Really good one. It’s in it’s 28th year and I had never read it, but heard about it. It’s very good and thoughtful. It’s an international best seller by a Brazilian author, Paul Coelho, and combines mysticism, magic and wisdom in a tale of self discovery. It follows Santiago, a shepherd boy who is in search of a worldly treasure. It’s about following your dream.

I read this one for my travel book club, and it was really good. It took me a while to get used to the jumping back and forth in time, but then I was hooked. It’s become a best-seller in historical fiction. It is based on the true story of Lucrezia, the third daughter of the grand duke of Florence in the 1500’s, and her struggle for survival in the renaissance court. Captivating.

This was a real page turner and I enjoyed it. It was a pretty fast read and is by Lisa Jewell who is known for her suspense novels. It’s about three families living in one house, with very dark secrets. Be careful who you let in…

This was on Oprah’s list a few years ago, and is truly an amazing book. I thoroughly recommend this. It kept showing up on my Goodreads app with the highest rating of all the books on my shelf. And I got a lotta books on that shelf…

It’s the parallel stories of two sisters starting out in Ghana, on the African coast. One is married off to an Englishman and stays in Africa as his wife, the other is captured and sold into slavery and ends up in America. It goes through the next 8 generations of their descendents. It tells about those who were taken and those who stayed. I think everyone should read it.

I just finished this one and it’s in my Posh Box giveaway this time. It’s a great story and a really fast read. Lots of witty, snarky dialogue, which I was in the mood for, after the other serious dramatic books. It’s the story of a literary agent, and a book editor who are thrown together in a series of coincidences. They realize they might not be exactly who they think they are, in the stories of their lives. Delightful.

watching…

Well. This was not what I thought it would be but I was riveted nonetheless. It is a dark but excellent story that takes you on a roller coaster of emotion. A therapist (Steve Carell) is held prisoner by his patient, who reveals himself to be a serial killer. He wants help to stop his homicidal urges. Wow. The therapist’s survival hinges on his ability to unwind the patients’ disturbed mind. The therapist is also dealing with the recent death of his wife and his estranged son. On Hulu.

 
 

This was very good - I was familiar with the true story, but didn’t know exactly what happened. It stars Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain as co-working nurses. She is shocked when he is charged with dozens of murders of his patients over 16 years, two states and nine hospitals. She ends up aiding in his arrest. On Netflix.

 
 

This was a little historical fiction piece, a romantic drama about the man who built the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel tower. The government wants Gustave Eiffel to design something for the 1889 Paris World Fair. Along the way he becomes reacquainted with a childhood sweetheart, and it threatens to get in the way of his spectacular creation. Now on Amazon Prime.

 
 

This was very good and the ending was completely out of left field. I was not expecting that at all. Really good. Starring Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde, it is the story of a 1950’s housewife living in a utopian experimental community, in the desert. She begins to worry that his glamorous company could be hiding disturbing secrets. Are they? Now on HBO Max.

 
 

This was very interesting and creepy. The bizarre yet true case of the Murdaugh family in South Carolina, where the lawyer father is investigated for the murder of his wife and son. The family dynasty starts to unravel with accusations of fraud, deception and murder. And the trial is now actually going on. On HBO Max.

 
 

I wanted to love this. I usually like Wes Anderson films and this had that vibe, and it has a great cast. But I couldn’t get into it. It’s based on The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie and takes place in 1950’s London when a smash-hit play is being made into a film. Plans come to an abrupt halt when a member of the cast is murdered. Now on HBO Max.

 
 

This was also a movie that I couldn’t really get into. I watched the whole thing, and despite having great actors and wonderful costumes and scenery, it was hard to follow and fell flat for me. It is set in the 1930’s and stars three friends who witness a murder and uncover an outrageous plot. It is based on a true alleged plot that most Americans know nothing about, a coup to overthrow Franklin Roosevelt. Now on Hulu, HBO Max and Amazon Prime.

 
 

I love this social satire series. (Say that 3 times fast.) I’ve heard that others didn’t like season one at all. I’ve also heard other folks like one and not the other. I like them both. I just love Jennifer Coolidges’ character, and am so glad she won a Golden Globe for her. This season is set in Sicily in a gorgeous hotel, with beautiful guests and a LOT of disfunction going on. The privileged guests’ week gets darker and more complicated as their week in paradise moves along. Now on HBO Max, Hulu and Amazon Prime.

 
 

I love period pieces and this one was great, in my humble opinion. Good actors, great costumes and great sets. It is the prequel to the original movie from 1988 (starring Glenn Close and John Malkovich) - the early years of the narcissistic rivals and ex-lovers, Pascal and Camille. They are experts at using seduction to exploit and control others. Lots of twists and turns. On Starz and Amazon Prime.

 
 

I watched this series with Chip, because again, the mob. And to my surprise it was very good. Good story and not as quite as violent as Breaking Bad. Starring Silvester Stallone, it is the story of a mobster who serves his time in jail - 25 years - without squealing. And for his troubles, the boss sends him to set up shop in Tulsa. He starts to realize that his mafia buddies don’t have his best interest at heart, and so he starts to build his own crew. On Paramount +.

 
 

This was a great documentary, produced by Mary McCartney, who spent much of her childhood here. It’s the untold story of the Abbey Road Studio, including interviews with musical geniuses and movie producers. Star Wars scores, the song “Goldfinger”, music from Elton John, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd, and of course all the Beatles’ groundbreaking albums, were all recorded here. Wonderful. On Disney+ and Amazon Prime.

 
 

Woah Nellie. I did not see this one coming. But like the first movie I talked about, I was riveted and watched the whole thing. It stars Ralph Fiennes, Anna Joy Taylor, and Nicholas Hoult. This comedy/horror/thriller has a young couple going off to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant, where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises. On HBO, Hulu and Amazon Prime.

other mentions -

If you have not watched last falls’ Fixer Upper - The Castle (on HBO Max or Magnolia Network), Hollywood Houselift (on Amazon Prime), Dead To Me Season 3 (on Netflix) or Emily In Paris (on Netflix) - all are good.

The Glass Onion; A Knives Out Mystery was not so great. I didn’t really like the first one either. Best part is Daniel Craig’s character. (on Netflix)

And if you like paranormal sci-fi stuff, 1899 was really good - hard to follow but good (on Netflix).

On My Radar -

The Servant Season 4 (Apple TV)…..The Pale Blue Eye(Netflix)…..The Banshees of Inisherin (HBO)…..For The Love Of Kitchens (HBO)…..Growing Floret (HBO)…..Everything Everywhere All At Once (Amazon Prime)

Last But Not Least 🎶

my wintry playlists for short chilly days and long blustery nights…

Thanks for tuning in and I hope this list gave you a few things to enjoy! Next time we will be talking about aging parents and dementia. Can you relate?

Also don’t forget to subscribe if you are not, to be entered into the giveaway!

 
Books and ScreenGray MaherWorldly Pursuits12 Comments