What I'm Watching and Reading in 2026

 The updated version for 2026 that will undoubtedly be forgotten, so not updated! We are just back from our annual trek to Cabo San Lucas, where I sit under a palapa and read alllllll day. I love it. It's my extreme happy place. When thinking about why I don't read more at home, when it's one of my main leisure items while we're away on vacation and the answer: too many distractions! So, I need to set aside time to read. 

Television

1. Full Swing Season 3 (Netflix) - This was my least favorite of the seasons so far. It felt like they were trying to make stuff that wasn't actually interesting seem interesting.  
2. Veronica Mars (Netflix) - I never watched this when it was on in the early 2000s. It has a 90s feel to it and it's full of high school drama. I loved the move A Bronx Tale when I was younger and I immediately recognized Eli/Weevil from that movie. Currently in season 2. 
3. Survivor 49 and 50 (Paramount+) - Watched all of 49 and in the process of watching 50 now. Colby is still a hottie and Christian is as entertaining as ever.
4. Boston Legal (Disney+) - watching random episodes while doing data entry. James Spader is a draw for me.
5. Law & Order (Disney+) - I started doing a re-watch while working and turns out JB wants to watch too, so now we're watching this together instead of...
6. New Tricks - an older British show about pensioners (retired cops) who get called back to work on cold cases. 
7. The Pitt (HBO/Max) - I watched a couple of episodes and then concluded that this is not a show to have on in the background. It needs your full attention.  
8. The Mentalist (Disney+) - I watched this completely when it originally aired, so this is a re-watch. Enjoying it as much as I did then.  

 

Movies

1. Placeholder - I'm sure I've watched something, but need to check.

 

Books

1. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride - I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It's set in the 1930s with a wide cast of characters. The main character is a Jewish woman named Chona, who is the heart of the neighborhood. It made me think about a comment I saw somewhere about how whoever controls the women, controls society. 
2. Five Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King - This is a collection of short stories that are mostly enjoyable for what they are. The last one was strange and SUPER meta re: delusional thinking about getting a book published, etc. It annoyed me so much that I think it prejudiced me when I read Writers & Lovers next. I'm not sure why I checked these out. I'm guessing it's because my friend Michelle who reads/listens to books constantly must have recommended the author. 
3. Writers & Lovers by Lily King - Parts of this book are too meta with the whole angsty writer writing a book, will it be good enough, blah blah blah. There's a lot of themes of death too. It's fine, I finished it, but I was a little annoyed about it about halfway through and almost stopped.