A cooking series from a British favorite baker, new novels that provide contemporary narration of classic books and memorable events in history. A new television series taking us on the road and inside the world of politics with female journalists at the lead, a beloved American cookbook author who lives in France has a sale you won’t want to miss, spring sales on clothes and more abound and so much more.

Books

—Great Expectations: A Novel by Vinson Cunningham

Already a bestseller, released on March 12th, this Great Expectations is not the Great Expectations novel you read in high school lit class. Drawing inspiration from the political campaigning of 2008, Vinson Cunningham’s novel Great Expectations is “about David’s eighteen months working for a Senator’s presidential campaign. Along the way David meets a myriad of people who raise a set of questions—questions of history, art, race, religion, and fatherhood—that force David to look at his own life anew and come to terms with his identity as a young Black man and father in America”.

—Help Wanted: A Novel by Adelle Waldman

Receiving praise from New York magazine, Vogue and more, Adelle Waldman’s writing and story-telling in Help Wanted has been described as unparalleled [in its] wit and astute social observation to the world of modern, low-wage work. A humane and darkly comic workplace caper that shines a light on the odds low-wage workers are up against in today’s economy, Help Wanted is a funny, moving tale of ordinary people trying to make a living.”

—How to Solve Your Own Murder: A Novel by Kristen Perrin

Being released this coming Tuesday, March 26th, How to Solve Your Own Murder takes us to England in 1965 and “teenage Frances Adams is at a country fair with her two best friends. But Frances’s night takes a hairpin turn when a fortune-teller makes a bone-chilling prediction: One day, Frances will be murdered. Frances spends a lifetime trying to solve a crime that hasn’t happened yet, compiling dirt on every person who crosses her path in an effort to prevent her own demise. For decades, no one takes Frances seriously, until nearly sixty years later, when Frances is found murdered, like she always said she would be.” Many booksellers including Barnes & Noble have listed the book as one of the most anticipated, and I can see why. I am definitely intrigued.

—James: A Novel by Percival Everett

If you have read (or taught) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (count me in this group, especially the latter), Percival Everett’s new novel (he also wrote Erasure which was the novel adapted into the Oscar winning film American Fiction), the newly released novel James is one to read. In fact, I think it would deepen the understanding but also provide far more contemplation to have read the novel that first introduced us to Jim as he is known to Twain readers and now James. Rather than told by Huckleberry Finn, the story is told by James, and when he “overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide on nearby Jackson Island until he can formulate a plan (the plot’s details of events remains the same). Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father, recently returned to town. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and too-often-unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond”.

Critics across the spectrum have been eagerly anticipating this novel, and based on first reviews, it is being well received. I look forward to reading it.

—The Self-Employed Life: Business and Personal Development Strategies That Create Sustainable Success by Jeffrey Shaw

To anyone else who is running their own business, even if and perhaps especially if you are your only employee, I recommend reading this book by fellow solo entrepreneur Jeffrey Shaw. My copy arrived this week and I read through it in one day, staying up well into the night to finish. I will be rereading it this week as there are copious worthwhile ideas, insights and inspiration to consider for running a business as well as living a life that is not only sustainable but deeply enjoyable and providing quality you are proud of that your customers/clients/readers/etc. appreciate.

British Finds

—Gardening with Colour at Coton Manor by Susie Pasley-Tyler

I want to thank a TSLL reader for bringing to my attention this newly released gardening book a handful of months ago. Stepping onto the grounds of the English garden owned and tended to by Susie Pasley-Tyler, readers will discover 10-acres of inspiration for gardeners of all stripes. Coton Manor Garden was voted winner of the UK’s Favorite Garden in 2022 by garden visitors in conjunction with the English Garden magazine and National Gardens Scheme, and in this new book Pasley-Tyler “charts how her passion for gardening developed and imparts the knowledge learnt, mistakes made and above all the sheer delight to be gained from this creative and restorative pastime.”

—Prue Leith’s Cotswold Kitchen cooking series

To live in the UK and be able to watch this new series! Prue Leith does not take a break in the off-months of the British Bake-Off as evidenced by her new cooking series available on iTV that kicked off in February. Filmed entirely at her home in the Cotswolds, “joined by her husband John and a cast of special friends, including Sandi Toksvig, Alison Hammond and chef Tommy Banks, each episode is a unique culinary adventure. Beyond the kitchen, Prue celebrates her personal food heroes both locally and beyond.  And husband John gets to grips with a varied mix of country activities on offer in the Cotswolds. The series is a celebration of food, friendship and fun – with easy-to-cook recipes for every occasion.” Take a tour of their house (FT) that they built on the property near their previous home (they sold and downsized just before the pandemic and were building their new home during the pandemic), and psst, dog lovers, she has a fondness for Cavaliers as they are captured in some of the pics.

Watch an interview with Prue below:

Cookbooks

—Good Eggs: Over 100 Cracking Ways to Cook and Elevate Eggs by Ed Smith

As someone who has an egg every morning and will not turn down an egg cooked in its many forms, this cookbook just looks like delicious fun with a staple of a food item I cannot live without. The new cookbook Good Eggs by Ed Smith shares “over 100 recipes and ideas that make eggs the star of the show. Whether you’re partial to fried, poached, boiled, baked, scrambled or set, in this definitive book you’ll find all the inspiration you need for breakfast, brunch and beyond. From everyday classics to reinventions of old favorites with surprising twists, Good Eggs is a collection of delicious and dependable dishes that will take your eggs to the next level.  From simple eggs with a twist, such as Fried Eggs with a Crisp Cheese Skirt, Savoury Eggy Bread, and Kimchi and Blue Cheese Omelettes, to essential global classics such as Huevos Rancheros, Eggs Bhurji and Menemen, as well as eggs that cater for large groups, this fun and inventive cookbook is for egg-lovers everywhere.”

Film

—Shirley

Being released today on Netflix, Shirley stars Regina King as Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress, the film depicts the 1972 presidential run of Chisholm. Have a look at the trailer below.

Francophile Finds

—Patricia Wells Provençal Home Treasures Sale

Oh my goodness ?. As I shared with TOP Tier Members last week in the monthly Ponderings . . . post, this is a very special sale not to miss. I feel fortunate to have been given advanced notice of the sale by friends of TSLL Susannah and Hugh Cameron, the owners of Chez Pluie who are running and managing this sale of Patricia and Walter Wells’ treasures from their Provençal farmhouse which they have recently sold to live full-time in Paris.

This unique sale of the vintage and antique treasures the Wells found and welcomed into their home in Vaison-la Romaine in Provence over the past 40+ years is one of a kind (read about my time with the Wells’ during the cooking class in Provence at this beautiful farmhouse tucked into the hills in this post – photos and videos).

And the sale begins today (Friday) at 11:30 Eastern time (8:30 pacific). You can peruse the catalogue of all of the items up for sale here, and when the sale begins, I have no doubt items will move swiftly. With the NY Times including a brief mention of the sale here, any Francophile who loves brocantes no doubt is aware of this sale, so if you find what you love, scoop it up.

All items are shoppable for purchase on Chez Pluie’s website here.

A wonderful happenstance I will always remember of the Wells is running into both of them, Patricia and Walter, the day after cooking class had concluded at the well-known brocante sale in L’Isle sur la Sorgue. And what item were they buying and negotiating for with the vendor? a ceramic confit pot that looked very similar to this one (they have many, so I doubt it was exactly this one, but they really do love shopping at brocantes and have wonderful taste). Often, they would spend weekends searching for treasures and their taste is impeccable.

Garden

—Bunny Williams: Life in the Garden by Bunny Williams

Having read Bunny Williams’ book about her house that she remodeled in Connecticut along with the garden, An Affair with a House (Thank you Elizabeth B for gifting me with this treasure!), I am looking forward to reading her latest book, entirely focused on that garden – Life in the Garden. Released earlier this month, Williams’ 18th century manor house in NW Connecticut is “a popular stop on the Garden Conservancy circuit. Her property boasts a parterre garden, year-round conservatory, extensive vegetable garden, orchard, woodlands, an aviary with exotic fowl, and a rustic poolside Greek Revival–style folly. Each section of the garden is accompanied by a directory of featured plants—from native ferns and succulents to a wide variety of flowering specimens.

With oodles of photographs—printed on two different specialty stocks—[they] illustrate every aspect of the garden in different lights and seasons; during big parties and intimate gatherings. Throughout, the revered designer shows us how she incorporates nature in her interiors: in stunning floral arrangements, unique tablescapes, and elaborate holiday vignettes—where a rescued bird’s nest commands as much attention as a prized collector’s item.” A wonderful gift for the gardener in your life and definitely a book for your library as well if you too are a gardener. 🙂

Shopping

—Amazon’s Big Spring Sale

For the first time, Amazon is having a Spring Sale that is very much like their annual Prime Day in July. The main items on sale now through the 25th (March) are not only their brand items (Kindle, Fire, etc.), but also spring items many are shopping this time of year. I have shopped just a few things that caught my attention that TSLL community might be interested in (see below), but you will want to click through on the link to shop all that is on sale.

—Boden Sale, up to 50% off

Spring sales are prevalent this time of year, and Boden is no exception. Looking for a jacket, a colorful top or maybe some go-to jeans? They have what you are looking for and at steeply reduced prices.

Mid Rise Slim Leg Jeans, on sale (four lengths, 28″-34″)

Textured interest crop jacket, 50% off

Laura Jersey Midi Shirt Dress (many different prints and colors), on sale

—The Gaia Pant, Sweaty Betty (no more the Gary!)

Wahoo! Wahoo! Wahoo! Last fall, I shared that the Gary pant from Sweaty Betty was what I have been looking for for quite some time when it came to a comfortable pant that wasn’t a legging to wear while walking the pups or to wear around the house for leisure. Having had the opportunity to try the pant on while I was in London in one of their shops (I purchased the black as navy in tall was not available). Why? They are long enough (they have to length – 27″ and 29″) and they have a flattering fit with light fabric that hangs well and is super comfortable.

HOWEVER, last fall, many of the sizes and favorite colors were gone and not being restocked (I was eager to welcome a navy into my weekly workout wear). Reaching out to Sweaty Betty, I inquired about when the Gary would return, and they said, it would not. What!? Well, what they didn’t tell me was that they were rebranding the pant, and changing the name to Gaia. And voilà that is what we have now and finally I can purchase the tall navy Gaia pant that I have been wanting to have in my wardrobe for walks. It is en route as I type.

If you too are looking for that leisure pant that just fits and flatters, I am confident you will not be disappointed with the Gaia (aka the Gary). 🙂

The Gaia pant in navy (four colors)

—J.Crew Annual Spring Sale, 40% off site-wide

Yep, the spring sales are a buzzing up a storm right now!

Como Woven Straw Tote (for colors for the straps)

SHOP THE SALE:

—Joseph Leather Loafers (two colors)

A timeless hue and fit and style, and while an investment, a shoe that you will have for a good long time. I would pair this loafer (I love that it is narrow, but also classic in design) with ankle skimming jeans or pants and wear quite frequently.

—Shirtini’s New Shirt Dresses

Spring and Easter and dresses that are light in print colors but also classic and comfortable are what came to my mind when I spied Shirtini’s new collection. Shirtini does shirt dresses very well, having one still in my closet from four years ago that I wear every spring and summer, and they have four new prints to peruse.

Blue Floral

Pistachio Stripe

Limoncello

China Blue Stripe

Television

—Girls on the Bus, Max

I am a sucker for a political drama series, and with this Girls on the Bus series on Max, loosely inspired by Amy Chozick’s 2018 novel (she is co-creator of the series), but clearly going in a different direction as this reviewer shares, I look forward to tuning in. Starring Melissa Benoist, Christina Elmore, Natasha Behnam and Carla Gugino as the four female journalists [who] find friendship, love, and scandal as they follow a parade of flawed candidates in an unpredictable presidential campaign, this 10-part series looks entertaining and definitely will be a conversation starter during this election season. Have a look at the trailer below and watch it now on Max.

Spring has arrived! And this past weekend and the first half of the week were gorgeous here in Bend. Temperatures will be cooling down now, but that is a good thing too as it prolongs the blooms of so many bulbs that have begun to say hello and ensures the blossoms don’t happen too soon as no doubt we will have some chilly days ahead.

Norman and Nelle joined me on the front porch a couple of times these past few days, one moment captured above, and just to be able to enjoy this outdoor space was a moment I deeply savored after not being able to for the past six to seven months. The gift that the cycle of the seasons give us, an opportunity to strengthen our appreciation muscle. 🙂

This weekend we (Norman, Nelle and I) are welcoming friends who also have two cavaliers to Le Papillon for a small dinner party. As the pups already know each other, it will be a chance to sit down, relax, knowing the dogs are happy and we are happy (and well-fed) as well. 🙂

Along with hosting the first dinner party of the year this weekend, I look forward to being back out in the garden no matter how chilly it might be, and if you haven’t already checked out this month’s gardening post, be sure to pop by as I share the 15 tools and gear items that I recommend to begin the season well and ready to go.

On a gardening note, with the annual Trug Preordering on TSLL window happening April 1-7 here on the blog (view last year’s sale and offerings), as you know I select different styles of Trugs each year to diversify the offerings for your collection, this year, one of the Trugs will be the unique and wonderfully handy Harvest Trug (you may have seen Monty Don carrying this in the last segment of the premiere Gardeners’ World episode last Friday). And I share this with you because these are not available on Thomas Smith’s website to customers and Robin (Tuppen, the owner) shared he would make them available to us. So grateful! So along with the traditional Trugs (I will share the sizes that will be available on April 1st), the Harvest Trug (learn more about the size here and see below) will also be available for purchase during this limited window. (And don’t forget! If you are a TOP Tier Member, you can save 10% off your order.)

Let’s move along to the first weekend of spring! Below I have posts and videos, many of which are spring inspired (but not all), and wishing you a couple of days full of time without looking at the clock, nibbles to tickle your tastebuds and always many everyday moments to savor. Thank you for stopping by today, and Uuntil Monday, bonne journée. ??

~Sharon Santoni and her team at My French Country Home now officially have a travel website full of traveling tips, recommendations and itineraries along with the tours they’ve been offering for years! Have a look here.

~April is near, and in Paris, it becomes a special place to be. Discover what to do in the City of Light during this time if you will be visiting. [Hip Paris]

~Go behind the scenes at Sissinghurst Castle & Garden to see what they are up to when spring arrives. Take my tour in photos and video of Sissinghurst, toured in April 2022 (see below).

Spending the Afternoon at Sissinghurst Castle Garden in the Spring

~Perhaps you too heard about the subtle dropping of the news that the Duchess of Sussex is stepping back into the world of the internet, some place she had found quite a bit of success with her blog The Tig pre-Prince Harry.

~Andie MacDowell continues to look fabulous well into her mid-60s, and in a new interview she shares she does it [Harper’s Bazaar]

~Step inside a Normandy chateau completely refurbished, and while modernized, definitely keeps tradition in mind. The greenhouse, oh my! [Architectural Digest]

~If you appreciate the quality of Dyson in either their vacuums (love, love, love my cordless stick vacuum and it’s on sale during Amazon’s Spring Sale!) or hair dryers, a heads up, as they have a new hair dryer becoming available this May. Learn more about it here and put your name on the list to be notified when purchasing becomes available here.

~Well, I had no idea about this lovely hack and have now made it a bit simpler to open my camera on my phone, with a simple double tap on the back! Learn more here [WSJ] or here [Apple].

~Maisie Williams who stars as Catherine Dior in The New Look, shares in a brief interview why she was drawn to the role and introduces us more specifically to Catherine and her story. By the way, I am nearly done reading Miss Dior, the biography that largely inspired the series and focuses primarily on Catherine, and I HIGHLY recommend it. [AppleTV]

~Easter is just over one week away, and if you celebrate in one way or another, maybe this year finds you in Paris, and if so! Here are things to do on Easter while visiting. And savoring delicious chocolate has to be one thing to do (it is for me at least ☺️), so here is a list of French Chocolate you can buy. 🙂 [Frenchly]

~Coming in May, the first of two parts of Season 3 of Bridgerton. Here is a sneak peek at a scene with the stars of season 2 at the forefront.

~Explore last week’s This & That: March 15, 2024:

More than a few wonderful new series are set to premiere, a debut novel that looks intriguing as well as the day gardeners have been waiting for since this past October! A film for Francophiles, a film to inspire and watch in awe and a film to remind us of our humanity and all the good that there is amongst us. Also, sartorial finds for spring from shoes and sandals, coats, jeans, handbags and more, and a beautiful vintage painting to scoop up if you are looking for a piece of Normandy to welcome Le Printemps. And still, there is more . . . 

~~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.