If you enjoyed Enola Holmes and/or Miss Scarlet & The Duke, I have a new series you will delight in, as well books on all sorts of topics: living younger, knowing when to walk away, finding the courage to step out on your own in business, a cookbook from a beloved and bestselling British cook with recipes for the special occasions and everything in between, a French cookbook for the classics updated into the modern repertoire, the return of a favorite British series set in France that involves antiques, classic, yet signatures staple accessories to finish any outfit and much more.

Books

—52 Ways to Walk: The Surprising Science of Walking for Wellness and Joy, One Week at a Time by Annabel Streets

If you are looking to invigorate, or make more appetizing, walking as a regular pastime and exercise, be sure to explore Annabel Streets’ book that was released last February – 52 Ways to Walk.  “With its thought-provoking and evidence-backed weekly walk routine, 52 Ways to Walk will encourage everyone to improve how they walk, while also encouraging them to seek out new locations (many on their own doorsteps), new walking companions (our brains age better when we mix up our fellow walkers), new times of the day and night, and new skills to acquire while walking.”

—Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away by Annie Duke

Annie Duke’s new book Quit came recommended to me from a long-time reader of the blog Edel, who is in the middle of her Ph.D studies and a book she began reading to accompany research she was involved in. Released this past October, Quit “draws on stories from elite athletes like Mount Everest climbers, founders of leading companies like Stewart Butterfield, the CEO of Slack, and top entertainers like Dave Chappelle. Duke explains why quitting is integral to success, as well as strategies for determining when to hold em, and when to fold em, that will save you time, energy, and money. You’ll learn:

• How the paradox of quitting influences decision making: If you quit on time, you will feel you quit early
• What forces work against good quitting behavior, such as escalation commitment, desire for certainty, and status quo bias
• How to think in expected value in order to make better decisions, as well as other best practices, such as increasing flexibility in goal-setting, establishing ‘quitting contracts,’ anticipating optionality, and conducting premortems and backcasts”

—Small World: A Novel by Laura Zigman

From bestselling author, Laura Zigman’s new novel, released this past January, Small World is a story revolving around two adult sisters, both newly divorced and having decided to move in with one another. It is this “unlikely cohabitation—not helped by annoying new neighbors upstairs—[that] turns out to be the post-divorce rebound relationship Joyce hadn’t planned on. Instead of forging the bond she always dreamed of having with Lydia, their relationship frays.” A journey that only sisters can journey through and with Zigman’s signature humor paired with keen sensitivity, critics are enjoying her latest work.

—Two Weeks Notice: Find the Courage to Quit Your Job, Make More Money, Work Where You Want, and Change the World by Amy Porterfield

If you have seriously been considering for quite some time stepping away from your traditional 9-to-5, before you take the step to be your own boss, read successful entrepreneurial Amy Porterfield’s book for key skills and approaches to build a foundation for success. Two Weeks Notice is being released this coming Tuesday – the 21st – and in her book she shares, “Why you don’t need to know exactly what your business is going to be to get started, Tips to navigate the 5 most common boss traps, including self-sabotage and “superwoman syndrome”, How to use your 10 percent edge to build a foolproof marketing plan, The keys to set up your business to avoid trading your time for money, How to craft your first offer and overcome the fear of putting it out there.”

—Young Forever: The Secrets to Living Your Longest, Healthiest Life by Dr. Mark Hyman

After listening to an interview with the author of now 18 books, Dr. Mark Hyman, I am interested in picking up a copy of Young Forever for myself. At 63-years of age, Hyman “challenges us to reimagine our biology, health, and the process of aging. To uncover the secrets to longevity, he explores the biological hallmarks of aging, their causes, and their consequences—then shows us how to overcome them with simple dietary, lifestyle, and emerging longevity strategies.” Being released on the 21st, perhaps this is a book that has piqued your interest as well.

British Finds

—The Madame Blanc Mysteries, season 2, AcornTV

I am so happy to see this series has been renewed, and beginning on February 20th, enjoy the second season when it premieres on AcornTV. Technically, the second season was released with their first holiday/Christmas episode this past December (which I recommend watching), but now, look for new episodes to become available each Monday. Have a look at the trailer for the new season below that is set in France, but involves British expats. The Madame Blanc Mysteries has been described as the marriage between Antiques Roadshow and Midsomer Murders, and I can see why.

—A Table Full of Love: Recipes to Comfort, Seduce, Celebrate and Everything Else in Between by Skye McAlpine

Film

—The Librarian of Burned Books: A Novel by Brianna Labuskes

Described as a novel fans of The Paris Library and The Librarian of Burned Books will enjoy, The Librarian of Burned Books revolves around the events of WWII, and involves three woman who believe in the power of books to triumph over the very darkest moments of war. Look for the book to be released this coming Tuesday.

—Marlowe

Released last Friday, and while not loved by critics, if you enjoy film noir, you may just quite enjoy Liam Neeson and Jessica Lang in Marlowe. Set in Bay City, near LA during the 1930s, Marlowe (Neeson) is “a brooding, down on his luck detective hired to find the ex-lover of a glamorous heiress.” Have a look at the trailer below.

Francophile Finds

—Charcuterie: Pâtés, Terrines, Savory Pies: Recipes and Techniques from the Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts by Ferrandi Paris

—Death in Brittany, by Jean-Luc Bannalec, Brittany series, book 1)

If you, like me, are patiently waiting for M.L. Longworth to release a new Provençal mystery in her series, you might want to check out this French mystery series that begins with Death in Brittany. Originally written in French and translated for English readers, the series centers around “Commissaire Georges Dupin, a Parisian-born caffeine junkie recently relocated from the glamour of Paris to the remote (if picturesque) Breton coast, is not happy when he is dragged from his morning croissant and coffee to the scene of a curious murder. The local village of Pont-Aven-a sleepy community by the sea where everyone knows one other and nothing much seems to happen-is in shock. The legendary ninety-one-year-old hotelier Pierre-Louis Pennec, owner of the Central Hotel, has been found dead.” I think I will be diving into this series for my cozy-mystery fix.

—Liaison, AppleTV+

Premiering today on AppleTV+ is a French series Liaison. With six episodes in season one, the series centers around “two agents — and former lovers — who must work together to combat international cyberattacks threatening the United Kingdom while also confronting the buried secrets of their destructive relationship.” Have a look at the trailer below and turn on the subtitles. 🙂

Shopping

—Altuzarra Small ‘A’ Belt (four colors)

—Altuzarra ‘A’ Belt, regular size (three colors available)

—Rectangular Serving Tray with Glass Bottom, Cassandra’s Kitchen

—Stella McCartney Cream Asymmetric Embellished ribbed cashmere and wool sweater, 40% off

Television

—The Law According to Lidia Poët, Netflix

An absolute accident but a show I am tickled I stumbled upon earlier this week. If you enjoy Miss Scarlet & The Duke and/or Enola Holmes (the films on Netflix), I am very confident you will appreciate this new series. Set in Turin, Italy, so turn on the subtitles, The Law According to Lidia Poët is based on a true story. Lidia Poët was indeed the first women to practice law and become an attorney in Italy. Poët was born in 1855 and “two years after graduating from the University of Turin’s law school in 1881, she was admitted — much to the shock of Turin’s all-male legal community — to Italy’s bar. Poët practiced law for three months before being disbarred at the instance of the monarchy’s attorney general, who claimed that women had no place in a court room. That’s when her legal career ended, but a national discourse ensued, and finally, in 1920, at the age of 65, Poët was readmitted to the bar.”

The new Netflix series is based on her struggle and determination to not be minimized in a culture that has yet to recognize that women might want more beyond the traditional roles in 19th century Italian culture. I have watched two episodes so far and thoroughly enjoy Lidia’s character (and the hats, oh yes!). There is more nudity in this series, but tastefully and laxadazically so, as a matter-of-fact place in a scene, not to sensationalize. With each episode a crime is investigated, a client works with Lidia and resolution occurs by the end. Have a look at the trailer below.

—Sharper, AppleTV+

Another new series premiering on AppleTV+ tonight is Sharper and with its star-studded cast, the premise is a caper to keep audiences on their toes. A con artist targets Manhattan billionaires. Seems fairly straight-forward, but it is a thriller, so I am not sure I will be watching as it may keep me up at night. But I wanted to share with you. Check out the trailer below.

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Welcome to Friday!

This week on the blog has been full, both with five posts shared this week as well as behind-the-scenes.

With a new podcast episode focused on Signature Style, sharing 8 strategies for simplifying to amplify our spring wardrobe, a doubly lengthy February Ponderings post and a Motivational post contemplating the difference between Being Settled and Settling, I do hope you have enjoyed perusing what has caught your interest.

As far as behind-the-scenes, we’ve been updating a few things, so you may have noticed the blog has moved a bit slowly as of late when moving from one post to the next and may have even gone down temporarily. This was expected and now all is complete! Wahoo! Nothing changed for your reader experience (except for returning to the swift upload pace you have become accustomed), but all is now as it needs to be to continue to run and perform as you have been enjoying this past year. Thank you immensely for your understanding and for your patience as we made these updates.

The past week brought a skiff of snow on Valentine’s Day which called for a walk with the pups and some wonderful serene moments transpired (I will be sharing these videos on March’s A Cuppa Moments). As this week was a week off from regular French classes, I took advantage of having four extra hours to work a bit more on the blog, wrap up taxes for 2022 and examine what schedule will work best moving forward. Not necessarily ‘fun’ stuff, but necessary and to have it checked off brought much calm to my mind and being. I look forward to stepping back into the language learning journey come Monday morning.

If you are looking ahead to a long three-day weekend, I hope you have a wonderful and restful few days off. And if only two days await your delight, I have no doubt they will be lovely as well. Thank you very much for stopping by today and until Monday, bonne journée.

~10 Terrific places for Tea for Two in Paris [Frenchly]

~David Lebovitz’s podcast episode with Heather Stimmler sharing the Secrets of Paris

~How to celebrate a house’s birthday [The Grit & Polish]

~Change made easy: how to get unstuck by doing what you’re already doing [Tiny Buddha]

~5 misunderstandings made about introverts because they’re quiet [Introvert, Dear]

~An intriguing article on the topic of middle age – Whatever happened to it? [The Guardian]

~A thoughtful article on optimism about women in the movie world [The New York Times]

~If you love vintage finds, be sure to take a tour of this interior designer’s Welsh cottage [House & Garden UK]

~The allure of birding, I totally get this [Hello Gloria]

~6 Ways to empower yourself to conquer your dreams [Pick the Brain]

~A language expert’s top three tips for learning French [The Local, subscription required]

~If you will be in Britain this February, snowdrop gardens to visit [The English Garden]

~Gardeners’ World is releasing a new compilation of segments today on BritBox to help bide our patience until March 17th (when the new season premieres!).

~Take a tour of Jennifer Lopez’s kitchen and outdoor spaces as she answers Vogue’s 73 Questions (and listen to the birds!)

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~Explore last week’s This & That: February 10, 2023

~Please note: TSLL is supported by you, readers who take the time to stop by (merci!), peruse and sometimes welcome into your life mentioned and recommended finds. Affiliate links are present in today’s post and may earn commissions for TSLL when you purchase. View TSLL’s full Privacy Policy here.