I always start these lists and rarely make a comprehensive list, but that's okay. I am going to post this as of 6/25/25 and then just update it as I add to it.
Television
- Emily in Paris (Netflix) - Kind of silly and a bit raunchy. The situations are ridiculous, but you get to see Paris as a constant backdrop, so that is a plus. Also, you get lots of French language! The main character seems to be desperately trying to channel Audrey Hepburn. It's a little weird.
- Kim's Convenience (Netflix)- Rewatched all season
- Lincoln Lawyer (Netflix) - watched all seasons. Season 2 featured a location that I used to frequent because it was a client's restaurant! This show is a love letter to LA. It has so much great scenery. Most of the food tips are right on (with the exception of La Monarca, no thank you).
- Andor Season 2 (Disney+) - the comparisons to the current state of the country are fire.
- Survivor 48 - A pretty good season overall. Fun to watch.
- Elsbeth (Paramount+) - I love Elsbeth Tascioni. This makes me want to rewatch The Good Wife, and possibly even dive into The Good Fight, which I haven't seen.
- Matlock (Paramount+) - We're only a few episodes in at this time, but so far, loving this too.
- Boston Legal (Disney+) - This was recommended to me by a fellow Rotarian. I may have watched some of this before. It's aged a bit, but I still find James Spader appealing.
- The Resident (Netflix) - Starring Matt Czuchry from The Good Wife. I love the characters. It's a little gory visually (lots of operations with graphic images), but fun to watch.
Movies
I participate in an online trivia league that has a brief trivia batch based solely on one topic - 90s Rom-Coms! So, that's why you'll see a lot of these on the list.
- Rear Window (Netflix) - still in my top 10 movie list! Grace Kelly is beautiful. Although, I really noticed how LB was negging her the whole movie, which was a turnoff.
- Boomerang (Paramount+) - This is a time capsule of the early 90s and a who's who of Black actors of the time! The acting is pretty terrible, but it's still fun to watch. Halle Berry is maybe 25-26 and looks like a baby! She is cute and not yet in her sexy 30s. Definitely had some laugh out loud moments.
- Never Been Kissed (Disney+) - They have somehow managed to make Drew Barrymore look plain in the first 10 minutes of this movie. You get to see a 20 year old Jessica Alba as a mean girl and wow some of these kids cruel.
- While You Were Sleeping (Disney+) - The part that really hit me was how sad she was to lose her newfound family.
- Out to Sea (Amazon Prime) - Ooof, so bad and so not a romantic comedy. Brent Spiner singing lounge-type tunes as the cruise director. It was not good. Do not recommend.
- Two if by Sea (Amazon Prime) - How did this movie get made? The plot is boring, the acting is just so-so.
- Sliding Doors (Amazon Prime) - I remember watching this when it came out and thinking it was really cool. It still kinda holds up. Gwyneth Paltrow is SO young and skinny in this. The story is fine, although you just wonder why on earth multiple women want to be with that loser boyfriend. Like how???
- Born Yesterday (Amazon Prime) - Absolutely horrific acting. The story is also really bad. I know it's a remake, but it was hard to watch.
- The Favor (Amazon Prime) - You get to see a young Cora from Downton Abbey and a really young Brad Pitt with a hard body in this. It's has a silly plot and weird dream sequences. I think the main point is still vaguely relevant. Even when you're married, you still want to feel that something you had with your high school make-out partner. And when you've been with someone for a long time, it's sometimes hard to get that rush again. Even if you love them.
- Hope Floats (Disney+) = Yet another Sandra Bullock film with a very young Mae Whitman with that distinctive face!
- Notting Hill (Max) - I watched it more closely this time. It's like the whole movie is centered around Julia Roberts' smile, which is kind of weird.
Books
- The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin - A re-read of a childhood favorite. It still 100% holds up!
- Figgs & Phantoms by Ellen Raskin - Clearly I was on an Ellen Raskin tear. Still good!
- The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon by Ellen Raskin - I don't remember reading this as a kid. It was okay, but a little quirky, as is her way.
- Circe by Madeline Miller - This was recommended to me by a friend in my networking group ages ago. I really enjoyed this book. It has a slow build, but draws you in. I was sad when it ended. She has a feminist flair in her writing that I kind of love.
- Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams - Also good, kind of sad.
- Galatea by Madeline Miller - Good and a bit intense. It makes you think about women in society. It's a short story, so read this in one sitting.
- Hotter in the Hamptons by Tinx - As I described this to my roommate for the weekend, this is a trashy summer novel. It tried a little too hard to be "sexy" and kind of failed, but I still finished it.