snapshot 2.2

It was such a boring week. It was such a perfect, boring week. No crazy weather. No close family members in the hospital. I am hoping for a lovely boring February, and really for the rest of 2025. Just good books, decent weather, and good health! And I scored an early copy of Anthony Horowitz’s Marble Hall Murders this week, and that was excellent! I loved Magpie Murders. I loved Moonflower Murders. And I can’t wait to dive back into Susan Ryland’s world!

currently reading: this one is out Tuesday. This is not a drill! Alton Brown’s book of essays called Food for Thought is hitting stores on Tuesday, and it’s so fantastic! These stories are funny and insightful and honest. Brown is open to talking about his life, with stories ranging from childhood to modern day. He talks about going to culinary school, making Good Eats, traveling. There are chapters about the foods that made him and the ones that almost broke him. I was almost crying at work, I was laughing so hard at Son of Blob. If you are a fan of Brown, of Good Eats, of smart food writing, or of Food Network, then you will want to buy this book as soon as you can. I was so grateful to get an early copy of this one, but I will definitely be buying the audiobook for it also, as it is narrated by Brown, and I can’t wait to listen to him tell his own stories.

I am also reading The Real Pink Panther, the story of the Pink Panther movies and their enduring legacy. I was just a kid when I first saw one of the Pink Panther movies with Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau, and I was immediately hooked. His comedy was genius, but there was a humanity to the character too. But as a kid, I mostly liked how he walked into things. This book is a deep dive into all the films and the genius of Blake Edwards, Peter Sellers, and everyone else involved in the movies. If you’re a fan like me, you’ll want to check it out.

I am also listening to a new thriller, The Business Trip, and it’s crazy. Two women seem to have disappeared after a flight to Colorado, and I’m still trying to piece together exactly what happened. This one has a host of narrators, so it’s easy to know exactly who is speaking with each chapter, but there is just so much I want to know. I will be listening to this one tomorrow to find out what happened on that business trip. It’s bananas!

up next: with Valentine’s Day coming fast, look for lots of rom coms. I was offered an early copy of this one and I couldn’t resist, based on the title alone. Are you ready? I Got Abducted By Aliens and Now I’m in a Rom Com. How could I turn that down? And beyond that, watch for new Linda Holmes, new Curtis Sittenfeld, and a new Finlay Donovan book. There are so many good books to read this year! Oh, and did I mention that I got an early copy of the new Anthony Horowitz? Marble Hall Murders will be out in May, and I can’t wait to start reading this one. And once I do, I will be waiting impatiently for the PBS adaptation. But first, I read.

And speaking of reading, I signed up for the American Cancer Society’s Read Every Day Challenge, for every day in February. If you want to donate to my fundraiser, you can click here to go to my Facebook page for it. Or you can donate directly to the American Cancer Society, if that feels better for you. I am tired of hearing about people suffering from this disease, and if that means I have to read every day, then I will.