Dolly All the Time, Boudica, Paris Apartment, and so much more!

What's the difference between Fall and Autumn? Nothing, except how they are spelled! 

Like just about everyone else, I love Fall and it is in full swing finally in Colorado, with cooler nights, some rain, and gorgeous golden trees, with a few reds, like my burning bush.

I'm bringing in the geraniums and begonias from the back deck to their home in my office where they will winter. Snow on the mountains this morning, frost on the agenda for tonight. Love it!

Here's what I've been reading:

 Dolly All the Time, by Annabel Monaghan - five stars for this relaxing, fun romantic comedy set in Rhode Island in a beach town. It has elements of Pride and Prejudice--rich guy falls for working woman, obstacles are eventually overcome, love reigns. Definitely a feel-good read, without any annoying characters but just a lot of charm.

Boudica: The Life of Britain's Legendary Warrior Queen, by Vanessa Collingridge - a super interesting nonfiction look at the legends as well as the archeology surrounding Boudica. There actually isn't enough factual material to focus just on Boudica, so the author did a deep dive into the history of Rome and the expansion of their empire into Britain as well as a complementary deep dive into the indigenous tribes of Britain and how they dealt with the Roman invaders. 

Boudica and Her Daughters, statue in London

The book did go on a bit longer than I would have liked, especially at the end where she is drawing parallels to Margaret Thatcher and Princess Diana, but I was totally enthralled with the comparisons between Boudica and Queen Elizabeth I. Mostly though, I loved reading about Iron Age Britain and how the history of the region didn't begin with the Roman invasion, which was a point the author made frequently and strongly! 

The Paris Apartment, by Lucy Foley - since it is the season for spooky reads and I enjoyed the author's The Guest List a few years ago and it was available at the library, I struggled my way to the end of this 3-star mystery. 

The premise is great--Jess, a Brit whose luck has run out, shows up at her half-brother's ritzy apartment in Paris and discovers that he is nowhere to be found, simply disappeared. With virtually no money, virtually no cell phone data left, and an enormous chip on her shoulder, Jess sets out to find out what happened to her brother Daniel. She encounters an apartment house full of creepy people and dives into the seamy underbelly of the Paris elite. It was a good story but I found myself eager for it to end--not a good sign--as I just didn't enjoy being around any of the characters. Jess was sympathetic but pretty hard to relate to.

What I've Been Watching

Just discovered Mr. Iglesis, which is so much fun. The title character, played by standup comedian Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias, is a history teacher at a LA high school. He champions his less-than-honor-role students, who are bright but not privileged like many of their peers. Think Welcome Back, Kotter meets Abbott Elementary and you'll get the vibe.

Baseball Playoffs

Now that the Yankees are out of it, and the Rockies were never in it, we are cheering for the Milwaukee Brewers. Of course, tonight we will be shifting between the Broncos and the Brewers, so it is a pizza night!

Sense and Sensibility 2026

On Sunday, I'll be going to see the new Sense and Sensibility movie with friends from my JASNA region. I haven't read any reviews so I will be going in with an open mind that is already telling me that the Andrew Davies version from 2008 is going to be very hard to beat.