(5 minute read)

You can learn a lot about a person by looking at the books sitting on their book shelf. The same goes for what is on their Spotify playlist and their “recently watched” shows on their streaming homepage. When my children were little all of the books on my shelf were non- fiction parenting books. Our VHS collection consisted of Disney animated movies, Spongebob, Batman, and Brady Bunch reruns (I had to expose them to one of my childhood favorites). My music playlist on the cds in the car were movie soundtracks like Tarzan and Mulan. I can remember when it shifted into Backstreet Boys, Jojo, Fergie and Beyonce. Those days are long gone. Today I thought I would give you THREE recommendations of my favorite Books, Binge worthy Shows, Podcasts and Song titles. It will reveal a lot about me. No shame here, I own my preferences.

THREE BOOKS:

“Follow the River” by James Alexander Thom, historical fiction (my favorite genre). This story takes place in 1755, pregnant Mary Ingles is captured by the Shawnee Indians. It is quite a tale of one woman’s strength and will to survive.

“Why We Write About Ourselves” by Meredith Maran, non-fiction. This book has been the springboard leading me to many authors of books I have loved. She interviews a couple dozen authors (of both memoirs and fictional novels). 

“Me Talk Pretty One Day” by David Sadaris, collection of essays. I laughed out loud so hard I was crying several times reading this book.

     It was very hard to only choose 3 books, these represent what I like about reading: everyday silliness to make me laugh, learning more about people (especially writers), and fascinating stories that put me in the shoes of women living many years ago.

THREE “BINGE-WORTHY” SHOWS:

“1883” on Paramount + A Yellowstone prequel does not nearly describe how wonderful this is. It has romance mixed into history which I love. Writer Taylor Sheridan is amazing.

“Outlander” on Netflix. Based on the books (which I read after watching), this series is full of adventure, history, romance, fantasy, and keeps on giving… My favorite season is the first. I do not love the later seasons as much. 

“Gilmore Girls” on Netflix. This sweet show about a quirky mom and daughter from a couple dozen years ago is just soothing innocent fun. I did not discover it until Covid isolation, and now I still go back and watch episodes again just for some comfort.

    That was really hard picking 3. I left out so many other faves like Schitz Creek, Parenthood, Game of Thrones, The Last of Us, Anne with an E, Heartland, Fleabag, and of course, The Office.

THREE PODCASTS:

“Kelly Corrigan Wonders,” With over 250 episodes to choose from, new content each week, this favorite author/mom of mine brings on a wide variety of guests and tackles many important topics. Her interviewing style is thoughtful with her conversations always making me think deeper about life.

“Smartless,” Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett are three friends who invite their celebrity friends on the show to chat. Their humorous banter and stories make you feel like you’re just hanging around with them.

“Fly On the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade,” Need I elaborate? These two comedians talk with other SNL alums with all kinds of backstories. 

THREE SONGS:

“Shine”  

Laura Izibor’s song makes me smile, sing along, and dance. Reminds me of a time it was played at the Ironman finish line when I was waiting for my husband to come in. I love when a song takes me back in time.

“It’s a Beautiful Day” or “Home” 

Michael Bublé sings these two songs in my kitchen on Alexa very often. One makes me dance around and the other makes me think of how much I love home. I hope one day to see him live!

“Rainbow” 

Kacy Musgraves and I sing great harmony on this song with beautiful lyrics. A great message we all need to hear once in awhile. 

    Well, there you have it. I love romance, laughter, and history in my reading, listening, and viewing. I hope you check some of these recommendations out!