Happy Thursday!
This post is a new one, and I hope to do it at the end of every month. Emphasis on HOPE.
The cute little “eyes and ears” title is my way of telling you what I’ve been reading, watching, and listening to. I LOVE a good recommendation for books, shows, and podcasts, so I’m hoping you do too!
Let me start by saying January’s list is a little long because, technically, it includes the end of December as well. I’m not going to try to deny that we Kissels love our shows . . . it’s basically the only thing we do in the evening once chores and workouts are done.
Alrighty, so here’s what I’ve been WATCHING lately:
The Undoing on HBO Max
Oh. My. Goodness. This is limited series, which means there are only six hour long episodes. We flew through this in three straight nights, and both Matty and I loved it! At one point, Matty commented that this show was made specifically for me! Without giving too much away, it’s about a family living in NYC and how their lives unfold after a tragedy. It had us on the edge of our seats until the very end, and you can’t go wrong with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant. Watch it, you won’t regret it.
I’m Sorry on Netflix
This is the polar opposite of The Undoing, but we still loved it. This is a comedy about a husband and wife living in LA with their daughter. It just kind of follows the daily life of two working parents and is HILARIOUS. The episodes are only about 25 minutes long, so it was perfect to watch one or two as a way to unwind and LOL before bed. Warning, while the show is so so funny, it’s also very much rated R!
Catastrophe on Prime Video
This is about an American man who goes to England for business and has a fling with a British woman who winds up pregnant. From there it’s very similar to I’m Sorry . . . JUST as hilarious and JUST as rated R! It’s not often Matty LOLs, and he does it a lot for this show!
Emily in Paris on Netflix
This is the cutest little chic show! It’s about a girl from Chicago who unexpectedly gets transferred to Paris for a year for her job. It’s cute, funny, and interesting to see how daily life in Paris might be. I’d give it a solid PG-13 rating. It was a great show to pass the time on the treadmill.
Virgin River on Netflix
This was an immediate hit for me. It’s about an LA nurse who decides to move to a remote town in Northern California after experiencing a tragedy. I love the scenery, characters, and story line. It very much reminded me of Hart of Dixie, and, in fact, has one of the same actors as a main character. I’d say Virgin River definitely is more of a drama than Hart of Dixie. The episodes are anywhere from 40-50 minutes long, and I even changed up my treadmill routine so that I could watch whole episodes three times a week. Also, I learned yesterday that this was actually a series of books first! So, I might need to start reading to get a preview of what’s to come later this year in season 3!
Phew! Still with me?
Ok, now let’s move on to what I’m LISTENING to lately.
Whoa. I loved this book! I borrowed the audio book from our local library and really enjoyed listening to it. I’ll listen to it when I’m alone in the car or I’ll put on Matty’s air pods while I vacuum, fold laundry, and prep meals. This story is about a lawyer whose husband has been in jail for years after being arrested for multiple murders. When murders with similarities to her husband’s victims start again, the FBI asks her to help with the case. There’s twists, there’s turns, and I never saw the ending coming!
I know I’m going to sound like a broken record, but I loved this book because it kept me on my toes. It’s about a couple whose infant baby is taken from her crib while the couple is at a dinner party next door. I found the characters interesting, and enjoyed the different points of view. Just when I thought I knew how it was going to end . . . I actually didn’t!
Almost done, I promise!
And finally, what I’ve been READING in January.
This one had been on my list for awhile, and I was so happy when it was finally my turn to get it from the library. It’s about a man and a woman who randomly get stuck in an elevator together during a power outage, and by the time they get out she’s agreed to be his date to a wedding he’s standing up in that weekend. One thing leads to another and they start a little fling . . . or is it just a fling?! It’s basically the perfect little chic lit book, and I really enjoyed it.
I enjoyed The Wedding Date so much that I jumped right into the next book (of five) in the series . . .The Proposal. I have to say, I didn’t love it. The main character was one of the supporting characters in The Wedding Date, and I found it hard to like him. It was all a little cliche, in my opinion, and I had a hard time finding a lot of the situations believable. I was pretty disappointed that I didn’t love it, and now I’m not sure if I should carry on with the rest of the series or not. #decisionsdecisions
This was definitely the most interesting book I read this month. It’s about a young boy who is the sole survivor of a plane crash. The story alternates between present day Edward and different passengers on the plane. I’d call this book heart wrenching, and really shows how Edward being the only survivor affected him, his extended family, and the family members of those who died in the crash. It makes you think if being the sole survivor is a blessing or a curse.
Wow! I promise that I interacted with my children and husband this month! As the girls get older, it’s getting a little easier for me to multitask and get more reading in. It doesn’t hurt that I’m in the middle of a streak of really great books!
I hope this helps you find something to read, watch, or listen to . . . and if you have any recommendations for me, PLEASE comment and let me know.
Have a great weekend!
XOXO
Ooh, fun things to look forward to, Mol, thanks! I’ve been making more of an effort to read lately and my favorite book so far has been High Achiever by Tiffany Jenkins. She’s a co-host of the podcast Take it or Leave it (which I haven’t been loving as much as I used to but I continue to listen each week). In the book she tells the story of how she became a drug addict and then how she overcame the addiction. It’s pretty colorful and some parts are disturbing but I couldn’t put it down!