I always love hearing what other people are watching, reading and listening to; so I thought I would do a round-up of some of the things I’ve been into this Summer. I am always looking for new ideas, so I would love for you to share some of your favorites with me in the comments. This post ended up being pretty long, so I will do my best to summarize!
Watching
These are a mix of shows that I watched on my own and some Matt and I watch together. We are always looking for new ones, so please share your favorites!
Candy – This is based on true events and is honestly pretty disturbing but I loved that it had Jessica Biel in it and also Justin Timberlake makes an appearance. I also love shows based on a true story, so I binged this one and would say it is definitely worth watching but just know it is pretty F’ed up. You can find this one on Hulu.
The Summer I Turned Pretty – I just absolutely loved this one as I think many others have. It’s total teeny bopper, but somehow also appeals to an older audience. It’s a beautiful setting and a cute plot. This show is based on a book series that I haven’t read and you can totally watch it without reading the books. It is a trilogy and there will be another season. You can find this show on Amazon Prime.
Southern Charm – I’ve watched this show from the early days and have just always enjoyed it for reality tv. This new season is pretty “meh,” I’ve just watched a little bit here and there.
Trainwreck – Matt and I both watched this. It is a mini series on Netflix about the reproduction of Woodstock that they did back in 1999. I really never even knew they tried to do this and the whole thing is one big $hit show and pretty entertaining to watch.
The Most Hated Man on the Internet – This is another documentary (Matt and I both watched) on a guy that is a total tool and considered to be the most hated man on the internet. He reminded me a lot of Joe Francis from Girls Gone Wild. Anyway, I thought the documentary was well done and worth the watch.
Red Oaks – This is an Amazon prime series that is based in the 1980s at a Country Club called Red Oaks. Its a fictional, comedy-drama based on a college age kid getting a summer job at the country club and trying to figure out his next steps in life. There is romance, drama and some good humor. We are still finishing this one up. We just watch it periodically and it has 3 seasons.
Reading
I have been on quite a reading kick lately. I do a mix of reading books and listening to books on my audible membership. I love having an audible book going for times that I am in the car, getting my eyelashes or nails done or sitting in my office working and want to listen to a book on tape. But I also love reading a physical book (or sometimes my Kindle). It is not uncommon that I have one of each going on at the same time. So here is a run-down of some of the books I’ve gone through this summer.
I am going to start with the ones that I loved the most and then go down from there…
The Last Thing He Told Me – I will start with this one because I feel like this book is the one that got me back into a reading kick this Spring/Summer. I loved this story so much and I couldn’t put it down. It is a great mystery and was part of Reese Witherspoons book club. It is about a wife searching for answers about her husband, Owen’s, disappearance. He left behind one note that read – Protect her. Her refers to his 16 year old daughter and the story follows the wife and daughter trying to discover the truth behind Owen’s past. This is definitely one to read.
The Nantucket Hotel – This is one of my favorite Elin Hilderbrand books to date…maybe just behind her Winter Book Series that I love the most. Its light and fun with just the right amount of drama following the enormous renovation of the Nantucket hotel. New British owner and billionaire , Xavier Darling, has goals to make the Nantucket hotel the only hotel to receive a 5 key rating. The story follows the staffing and running of this new hotel with twists, humor, romance and even a touch of supernatural. I highly recommend picking this one up.
Meant to Be – From Amazon…“A chic, history-inspired summer read [that] strikes a careful balance between simply retelling the true story of JFK Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette, and crafting an entirely new one.”—Bookreporter. This story is based off the true story of JFK Jr. and Carolyn, but I loved reading this fictional piece. Emily Giffin does a great job touching on history but also setting a romantic plot about two people trying to figure out, against all odds, if they are truly meant to be. I really enjoyed this one.
The Younger Wife – I’m not sure how I came across this book, but it definitely sucked me in. It touches on sensitive topics such as abuse, so I will warn you of that. Stephen is a renowned heart surgeon who’s wife can’t make her own decisions and is living in a nursing home and he’s ready to marry a new, younger woman. His two daughters think she is just after his money and begin learning their family may have more hidden secrets than they may have ever realized and so does the younger wife. The story kept me guessing and wanting to keep reading one more chapter.
Local Woman Missing – I will say this was one that I couldn’t read when Matt was out of town. It spooked me and involves kidnapping of children so just want to warn you of that. It was suspensful and kept me wanting to read more the whole time. From Amazon…In this smart and chilling thriller, master of suspense Mary Kubica takes domestic secrets to a whole new level, showing that some people will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried.
These next four were all books I enjoyed listening too but didn’t love as much as the ones above. I will just give a quick Amazon summary for each of these.
The Paris Apartment – From Amazon…Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there. Jess begins to dig in. Everyone’s a neighbor. Everyone’s a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.
The Power Couple – I did really enjoy this one. From Amazon… Rebecca and Brian Unsworth appear to have it all. However, the Unsworths’ marriage isn’t as perfect as it seems. After two decades together, they’ve drifted apart, talking little and having sex even less. Seeking to revive their strained relationship, they decide for their twentieth wedding anniversary to take their two kids, Kira and Tony, on a European getaway. They have a blast…until one night in Barcelona when Kira doesn’t come home from a dance club. She’s gone. Abducted. The Power Couple is both a fast-paced, globe-trotting espionage novel full of surprising twists and a nuanced look at modern marriage—the challenges of balancing career, parenthood, sex, and love.
What Happened to the Bennett’s – From Amazon…Jason Bennett is a suburban dad who owns a court-reporting business, but one night, his life takes a horrific turn. He is driving his family home after his daughter’s field hockey game when a pickup truck begins tailgating them, on a dark stretch of road. Suddenly two men jump from the pickup and pull guns on Jason, demanding the car. A horrific flash of violence changes his life forever.Later that awful night, Jason and his family receive a visit from the FBI. The agents tell them that the carjackers were members of a dangerous drug-trafficking organization—and now Jason and his family are in their crosshairs. The agents advise the Bennetts to enter the witness protection program right away, and they have no choice but to agree. But WITSEC was designed to protect criminal informants, not law-abiding families. Taken from all they know, trapped in an unfamiliar life, the Bennetts begin to fall apart at the seams. Then Jason learns a shocking truth and realizes that he has to take matters into his own hands.
Never Have I Ever – From Amazon…From New York Times best-selling author Joshilyn Jackson, a twisting novel of domestic suspense in which a group of women play a harmless drinking game that escalates into a war of dark pasts. In this game, even winning can be deadly….Amy Whey is proud of her ordinary life and the simple pleasures that come with it – teaching diving lessons, baking cookies for new neighbors, helping her best friend, Charlotte, run their local book club. Her greatest joy is her family: her devoted professor husband, her spirited 15-year-old stepdaughter, her adorable infant son. And of course, the steadfast and supportive Charlotte. But Amy’s sweet, uncomplicated life begins to unravel when the mysterious and alluring Angelica Roux arrives on her doorstep one book-club night.
These next 3 are all biographies that I enjoyed and listed to on audible. I love listening to biographies on audible because you get to hear the author tell the story. I loved all 3 of these but I would have to say if you listen to just one of them, listen to Matthew McConaughey’ book, Greenlights. He does a fantastic job and I love his diary-style writing and the way he reads the story is amazing.
Going There – This is Katie Couric’s story. From Amazon…This heartbreaking, hilarious, and brutally honest memoir shares the deeply personal life story of a girl next door and her transformation into a household name.
Greenlights – From Amazon… Discover the life-changing memoir that has inspired millions of readers through the Academy Award®–winning actor’s unflinching honesty, unconventional wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction.
Loving Fully – This is the story of Mallory Ervin. Mallory is a digital influencer, best selling author and a former contestant on Amazing Race. From Amazon…In Living Fully, Mallory shares her personal story of overcoming the unhealthy and damaging patterns in her life and shows listeners how to trade this for something completely new and more rewarding.
Listening
Here’s a list of podcasts I’ve been into lately. Again, I love listening to these while in the car, on walks, traveling, etc.
How’d She Do That Podcast – I love listening to Emily Landers. She puts out a new podcasts weekly and does a fantastic job interviewing women small businesses. I love what she has done with her podcast and have several favorites. I love one of her newest with Sarah Tucker, but also her interviews with Dondolo, Julia Amory, Little English, Weezie, Mignonne Gavigan, Lyndsey Zorich of The Avenue, and Cristina Lynch of Mi Golondrina. She has over 100 wonderful interviews.
What the Fab – This is a podcast that I enjoy mostly as a blogger. She has a variety of podcast topics, but I pretty much just listen to her podcasts that talk about the business part of blogging. She is very knowledgable and shares a lot of her experience and wisdom in the blog world.
Betrayal – This is a great podcast about a woman who thought she was living her fairy-tale life with her husband until she finds out she has been living in a marriage full of betrayal and deceit. This story is about Jenifer Faison who speaks candidly and vulnerably about her life and uncovered the unthinkable. Please note that this podcasts contains sexual assault.
Murdough Murders – Surely you have heard about these murder cases in South Carolina? This podcasts follows all the details of the investigation and trial of the Murdough family if you love a good murder mystery. There are also some great documentaries out now following this story as well.
Up and Vanished – Similar to the one above, this followed the murder of beloved GA school teacher, Tara Grinstead.
Preppy Podcast – This is a similar podcast to How’d She Do That that I spoke about above. Patricia does a fantastic job interviewing small businesses, influencers and female entrepreneurs that are keeping the modern, preppy lifestyle alive. Here’s a few I have loved…Teggy French, Nashville Tash, Addison Bay, Carly of College Prepster, and Lucy Grymes.
Phew, that was a lot. I hope this was helpful. I am always looking for new recommendations, so please feel free to leave me your favorites. I would appreciate it so much. Matt and I are always looking for new shows to watch together or movies. And I love a good podcast or book recommendation.
