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Books to take you around the world through a culinary history, a caper set in England as a favorite series continues, and a novel that has critics offering praise. Two favorite everyday clothing brands are offering steep reductions on their fall collections, a new British series debuts, and a limited French series on Netflix will definitely stir conversation of who the fictitious bio-pic is inspired by. Still there is more!
Books
—History of the World in 10 Dinners: 2,000 Years, 100 Recipes by Victoria Flexner and Jay Reifel
Combining travel and food and history, History of the World in 10 Dinners sounds like a delicious way to learn, explore and to be inspired to try something new in the kitchen. Being released next Tuesday, “in ten chapters—each an important moment in food history, from Ancient Rome to Al-Andalus in Spain, from the Ethiopian Empire to nineteenth-century New York City—the authors pair menus with immersive retellings of historic culinary breakthroughs, and present the ingredients and modern techniques adapted for today’s kitchens to allow cooks of all abilities to entertain with dishes that were created and enjoyed hundreds of years ago but remain relevant to today’s food tastes and values.”
—The Wren, The Wren: A Novel by Ann Enright
Also being released on Tuesday, from Booker Award winning author Ann Enright is her new novel The Wren, The Wren. Editors are excited about its release that tells the story of Nell McDaragh, who “never knew her grandfather, the celebrated Irish poet Phil McDaragh. But his love poems seem to speak directly to her. Restless and wryly self-assured, at twenty-two Nell leaves her mother Carmel’s orderly home to find her own voice as a writer (mostly online, ghost-blogging for an influencer) and to live a poetical life. As she chases obsessive love, damage, and transcendence, in Dublin and beyond, her grandfather’s poetry seems to guide her home.”
British Finds
—Flowers for Mrs. Harris, theatre, Riverside Studios
A tremendous thank you to TSLL reader who knows about my upcoming travel plans to England and shared the news of this theatrical production in London opening soon. Coming to the Riverside Studio stage for a short run this fall, opening later this month and running through early November is the musical version of Flowers for Mrs. Harris. Starring Olivier-award winning actress Jenna Russell, who has TV credits in Gentleman Jack and Call The Midwife, you may remember Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (starring Lesley Manville), the movie adaptation of the same Mrs. Harris, and the same novel by Paul Gallico (published in 1958). Well, if you are going to be in London this fall, and enjoy this story, be sure to pick up tickets. 🙂
—Mrs. Sidhu Investigates, AcornTV
Premiering this coming Monday on AcornTV, Meera Seal stars as Mrs Sidhu, a caterer with a taste for solving mysteries. Her sleuthing turns into an unofficial partnership with dour DCI Burton (Craig Parkinson), who reluctantly accepts that together they make the perfect pairing to fight crime. Have a look at the trailer and look for a new episode (there are four of them) every Monday. The series has two seasons, so hopefully, the second season will kick off shortly thereafter with the remaining four episodes.
—Thursday Murder Club, book #4: The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
A favorite series continues with its fourth book, written by Richard Osman, the Thursday Murder Club. Being released this coming Tuesday (my copy is already preordered!), is a crime for the quartet to solve – The Last Devil to Die. “An old friend has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing. The gang’s search leads them into the antiques business, where the tricks of the trade are as old as the objects themselves. As they encounter drug dealers, art forgers, and online fraudsters—as well as heartache close to home—Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim have no idea whom to trust.”
Francophile Find
—Class Act, Netflix
A fictitious biopic, no doubt inspired by a handful of various French politicians over the years and decades, this limited series on Netflix, Class Act, just premiered yesterday. Follow the life story of the “relentlessly ambitious working-class man, Bernard Tapie, who becomes one of France’s most controversial public figures”. Check out the trailer below.
A Parisian lawyer experiences a life-shaking event to begin the series, Le Code, which inspires him to devote his life to helping those forgotten by justice. The first season is now on MHChoice, and both seasons are available on TV5Monde.
Shopping
—Banana Republic Friends & Family Event, 40% off
More savings to be had, and this time on all new fall items. The discount is already taken off automatically at check-out, so no promo code necessary. I shopped a few items below, and will share that I scooped up the coffee/ivory striped tunic shirt below as again, that color speaks fall to me and after the discount, I was paying fewer than $60. Have fun shopping and saving!
Oversized Stripe Tunic (more colors)
SHOP THE SALE:
—J.Crew Icons Only collection w/Lauren Hutton
Celebrating their 40th anniversary, J.Crew has launched its Icons Only collection. Be sure to use the promo code SHOPNOW to save 30% off many full price items. I am quite liking their rolled neck sweater in navy and ivory (below).
—Portland Leather Tote, Fall Sale (25% off)
If you are looking for classic, well-made leather bags, wallets and totes that offer a simple design, be sure to check out Portland Leather Goods (yep, that’s Portland, Oregon!). Their fall sale is currently happening, so be sure to use promo code FALL25 to save 25% off.
Crossbody Tote (more colors available)
—Ralph Lauren Stripe Tote (three colors)
A classic that can be sized two different ways, and is available in three different stripe colors.
Peaches and dahlias are having a moment right now at Le Papillon, and I am here for it!
Wednesday found me in the kitchen nearly all day, both taping tomorrow’s episode of The Simply Luxurious Kitchen cooking show (two new recipes will be shared and yep, it is all about peaches!), and by the end of the day, all the peaches had been prepared, peeled, pitted and either turned into their final creation or capable of being turned in to something delicious later on. As I shared in the weekly newsletter, I was seeing peaches in my dreams. So. Many. Peaches. And oh my goodness, am I grateful for them all. Mostly because the 3-five gallon buckets worth reserved for my neighbors to enjoy were all picked up and taken to my neighbor’s homes which afforded me the opportunity to meet new neighbors as well as catch up with long-time known neighbors. The gift of the harvest gave in so many wonderful ways.
Speaking of the cooking show, I shared with TOP Tier Members in the A Cuppa Moments, but I want to remind everyone that after tomorrow’s episode, a new cooking show episode will air every OTHER Saturday through Saturday November 25th, concluding with the holiday episode, so a total of seven episodes in season 6 will be shared this fall. Look for some savory dishes to be shared beginning on September 30th to inspire you to cozy in and enjoy a delicious and filling meal.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend and thank you for stopping by today. Below are a few articles you might enjoy and a new video showing a preview of an upcoming film that looks to be a worthwhile one to watch this fall.
~How to live longer without pursuing, but rather enjoying life [NPR]
~How learning from failure can be the key to success [Positive Prescription]
~Food for thought about diamonds, are they really worth the investment? [Old Money]
~9 great places for breakfast in Paris [Frenchly]
~Staying in Paris? Here are 12 of the Best hotels in the city, and #11 on the list is one I recommend as well (check out my visit here). [Frenchly]
~A new exhibit will open tomorrow (September 16th) at London’s Albert & Victoria museum and tickets are now already hard to come by (psst, plan ahead, well ahead). Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto is the exhibit, and here is a review. [The Guardian] Learn more about the exhibit here.
~Coming in November, a new film directed and starring Meg Ryan and cop-starring David Duchovny, What Happens Later. Have a look at the trailer below.
~Explore last week’s This & That: September 8, 2023
The return of a favorite drama series, two cookbooks about pasta, because . . . why not? Many more books about an array of topics – fiction and non-fiction – French food and building a happier life, as well as a unique caper and much more. Shopping finds I love and recommend, fine cotton pajamas made in Italy, a fun comedy film that will definitely be in my upcoming plans to watch and much 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.
Shannon, Your neighbors are quite lucky to have shared in your bountiful peach harvest. Intrigued by the article and will watch the documentary about diamonds, “Nothing Lasts Forever,” on Netflix. Of course they are beautiful, but have often questioned the wisdom in spending an inordinate amount of money on real diamonds when presently simulated ones often look comparable. The only real diamonds rings I own are two inherited from my mother so are of priceless sentimental value, not huge and flashy but designed in beautiful settings. On another note, looking forward to the movie directed by and starring Meg Ryan. Enjoy those peaches. 🍑🍑🍑
Judy,
The documentary looks interesting. And as you shared, sentimental value is priceless, but otherwise, why diamonds? Thank you for stopping by today and wishing you a wonderful weekend. ☺️
Wonderful roundup as always. I’m intrigued by the new Meg Ryan movie and have already investigated the musician who provided the song heard in the trailer, David Boman. Great stuff! Enjoy the last days of summer and all of those peaches!
Thank you for stopping by Alexandra. The film does look interesting, doesn’t it? Wishing you a wonderful final week of summer as well!
PEACHES!!!! OMG, you took me back to our first house on Vancouver Island, Shannon, a whole lot of years ago. We knew we had fruit trees — 2 plum, 1 cherry, 1 nectarine, 2 peach, 1 apple, 1 pear, lots of blackberries & raspberries, but were in no way prepared for what that meant. We didn’t get many of the cherries before the birds did, but that summer was one of those ridiculous bumper-crop years for fruit you get now & again & it got so bad we couldn’t even give it away. When people saw us they’d hold their hands up in surrender and BEG us to not give them anymore. I’d never made jam before. I made quarts of jam. I’d never preserved anything before. I was preserving fruit like a mad woman. I was working full time & didn’t have time to make pies. I made something like 21 fruit pies (not all at once) & we ate them, gave them away, froze them (the only thing as good as a ripe sun-warmed peach right off the tree is peach pie in December). The next summer was a bad fruit year, weirdly enough, but we were still eating jam & preserved pears & peaches from that first summer & didn’t care. The photo of your peach tree gave me flashbacks! Savour every bite 🙂
Mmmm….sounds like a delicious problem to have! ;). Thank you for your gift of story and delightful experience. Couldn’t help but smile reading your post.
Thank you for your story. It made me smile – and well, chuckle a bit… I could imagine the 21 fruit pies… 😉
Have a nice weekend! 🙂
Shannon congratulations on your bumper peach harvest. What a treat for you and your neighbours. Enjoy ,as next year’s ctop might be smaller. Remember I mentioned to you that a good crop happens every other year. The tree needs time to recover. Alas, I missed most of my harvest as I left for England and they were not ready. But my friends helped themselves and when I returned I was lucky to fill a trug.
Not sure if I can catch Mrs Sidhu investigates. I love Meera Syal( not Seal). One of our highly accomplished actresses and writers If you’re interested you might like to explore two comedy series. “Goodness gracious me ” and “The Kumars” at number 53/ or 73( I think!)
While in England my friend gifted me Richard Osman’s ‘Last Devil to Die’ so can’t wait to dive in.
Bernard Tapie’s life was like a movie. I’ve followed his story for years. For a seemingly wealthy man he died and has left his widow with an exorbitant debt. Should be good viewing if done well. Unfortunately I don’t have Netflix .
Looking forward to your peach recipes. Bon weekend. Kameela😊
Kameela, thx for the information about on/off fruit years — I always thought it had something to do with weather! One thing we always have in abundance here are Himalayan blackberries, which are actually a designated invasive species to the island. The berries are delicious, but, man, they grow in huge tangled hedgerows & have thorns like scimitars. I detest them because getting rid of them is almost impossible (& you get torn to shreds in the attempt) but they grow so aggressively you can’t just ignore them or they’ll take over your entire yard in a season. To add insult to injury, birds eat the berries & then poop purple all over your house & windows. LOL!
Susanne you’re welcome. You made me smile as I am THAT mad woman preserving gallons of fruit each season 😄.
I don’t have Himalayan blackberry but I do.have a battle with our regular . Luckily they’re on the edge of our field but they creep into areas you don’t want them to. Blackberry.poop on white linen sheets is not funny. I do.get that from time to time. Have a lovely werk😊
Am an enormous fan of Portland Leather having made my first purchase in Seattle at the market. A devotee to this effort, and having numerous “seconds” I’ve never been able to identify any defects. Strongly recommend. Durable, practical, stylish.
Thank you for a lovely post, will need to check out those BR icons. We just got a flyer in the post today regarding BR home. Interesting. Hope all have a wonderful weekend and week ahead.
Thank you very much for sharing your experience with Portland Leather Abigail. Their quality sounds dependable and timeless. So good to hear!
A nice T&T!:-)
What caught my eye:
– Oversized Stripe Tunic;
– Stella Cloud Clutch – … not that I need any more shirts or handbags. I just found these two pieces so classy and elegant;
– Meg Ryan’s film.
I have to mention the cute photos at the bottom of the blog page – here you can insert an extra large smile :-)). Nelle and Norman are the sweetest. I see that they keep sharing the same chair, so that one cannot really say if there is one dog there or two…;-) It is so cute that you take them both on the paddle board – does Nelle like it? I bet she does.
Have a good weekend, and give the pups a big hug on my behalf! And now I will watch the cooking show – another unusual Saturday around here, so I am doing myself the benefit of a very enjoyable perusal of TSLL. And yes, I am having a cup of tea. Bien sûr!
Isabel,
Wishing you a wonderful Saturday and grateful you chose to include perusing TSLL! Ah, yes, thé IG pics. ☺️ Nelle is happy wherever Norman is and regarding the paddle board, she would always rather be running on land somewhere, the curious soul that she is, but she hops right on the board and is full of wonder with all that drifts by us on the water. Grateful they both want to join me. 😌 Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for stopping by.
Shannon, those peaches look so tasty. I can imagine the scent of the warm fruit. I need to harvest my apples as they are starting to fall. I’m intending to make them in to Apple pie mix ready for the colder months. I’m glad you spotted the exhibition at the V&A as when it was mentioned on the news I thought of you. Lots of lovely bits trip in to this week.
Portland Leather makes fabulous bags. I ordered one online during lockdown from what they called a “Seconds Sale”. The discount was terrific and I was expecting to receive a bag with a few flaws. However, when it showed up it was perfect. I ordered another bag from one of their “seconds” sales and again, it was perfect. What I like about their totes is that the handles are attached to the bag with grommets (or some kind of metal hardware); they’re not sewn on. I live in NYC and go shopping on foot, as I have no car. The Portland tote can handle a lot of heavy stuff and I don’t worry about tearing off the handles!
The crossbody tote shown above has sewn on handles. If you want a sturdier bag, look for the ones with metal grommets.
Jenna,
That is awesome to hear! Thank you very much for sharing all of this detail for us to keep in mind when shopping.
Flowers for Mrs. Harris was a sweet read and would most likely be a wonderful production. As for me, I will be viewing Mrs. Sidhu today. I do love the Thursday Murder Club series and am looking forward to the next release. Word on the street is that Steven Spielberg bought the rights and I cannot wait for his adaptation of that zanny group of characters to be released.
~Michelle
Michelle,
Well thank you for sharing this news of the rights being purchased. That will be a fun watch! I too will be sitting down to enjoy the first episode of Mrs. Sidhu Investigates tonight. A wonderful end of the first day of the last week of summer! Enjoy! and Cheerio!
Michelle I hope you enjoy Mrs Sidhu. Meeta Syal is one of our ( British) best loved comedic actresses. Very talented lady. Her semi- autobiograpucal book’Anita and Me ‘ was realised into film and the book is included in the English literature curriculum.A dear friend gifted me ‘The last devil to die’ whilst in England. Can’t wait to dive in. Have lovely week . Kameela 😊