TV & Books

Posted by rbern Posted on April 15, 2022

People frequently ask for recommendations on TV programs and books – I’m happy to share my favorites. All links are external to this site and will open in a new window or tab.

TV SERIES FAVORITES (links are to the IMDB.com page)

  • HISTORICAL FICTION (in chronological order)
    • Troy: Fall of a City (Netflix) – Based loosely on Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem ‘Iliad’, this tells the story of the 10 year siege of the ancient city, in the 12th or 13th century BC, of Troy by the Greeks, after Paris, the young prince of Troy falls in love with the wife of a Greek king and elopes with her.
    • Vikings (Peacock) – Historical fiction based on the Viking, Ragnar Lothbrok, and his quest to conquer England in the 800’s.
    • Vikings: Valhalla (Netflix) – Follow up to Vikings, set 100 years later.
    • The Last Kingdom (Netflix) – Another perspective on the Vikings and their quest to conquer England in the 800’s.
    • Marco Polo (Netflix) – based on the famed explorer’s adventures in Kublai Khan’s court in 13th century Mongolia.
    • The Name of the Rose (Amazon Prime, movie) – Not based on a historical incident, but there are some real historical figures in the movie. Sean Connery and Christian Slater star as a Franciscan monk and his apprentice who arrive at a arrive at a conference, at an isolated abbey, in 1327, to find that several monks have been murdered under mysterious circumstances. To solve the crimes, Connery must rise up against the Church’s authority and fight the shadowy conspiracy of monastery monks using only his considerable intelligence.
    • Medici: Masters of Florence (Netflix) – Historical fiction based in Florence, Italy in the 1400’s.
    • Jamestown (PBS) – A drama about English settlers in America in 1617. Characters are a bit cartoonish, but the story is interesting.
    • Outlander (Starz) – Historical fiction, with a love story around the main characters. Based in America and Scotland in the 1940’s-1960’s as well as 1740’s-1770’s.
    • Frontier (Netflix) – Fiction (with a little history thrown in) based on the fur trade in Canada and America in the 1770’s.
    • Poldark (PBS/Masterpiece) – Fiction based on a British soldier who has returned home to England, after his time fighting in the American Revolution in the last 1700’s.
    • Harlots (Hulu) – Brothel owner Margaret Wells struggles to reconcile her roles as brothel owner and mother to her daughters, in 1700’s England. Interesting story, with battles between rival brothel owners.
    • Catherine The Great (HBO) – Historical fiction story of her reign in Russia from 1762-1796. After a coup to overthrow her husband, she took over and revitalized Russia, to become of the great powers of Europe. There are only 4 episodes of this show, which stars Dame Helen Mirren.
    • Banished (Hulu) – Fiction based on the British penal colony in New South Whales, Australia in 1788. British convicts have been sent to Australia as punishment for their crimes. As they try to live their new lives, they have to live with the new rules. The soldiers also have to adjust. Sadly, this show was canceled after 1 season.
    • Bridgerton (Netflix) – The eight close-knit siblings of the Bridgerton family look for love and happiness in London high society. Story is set between 1813 and 1827.
    • Hell on Wheels (Netflix) – Historical fiction, based in the 1860’s. Just after the Civil War and Lincoln’s assassination, is the race to build a railroad to the west coast. The main characters are the project leader (Colm Meany – Miles O’Brien from Star Trek), Cullen Bohannon, a civil war vet, and Elam Ferguson, a freed slave.
    • Deadwood (HBO) – Historical fiction, based on the town of Deadwood, South Dakota (before it became a state). At first, you might think that it’s just a bunch of crude jerks, but doing a little research on these characters shows that they were like that. Once you’ve watched the series, be sure to watch Deadwood: The Movie – same characters, but 10 years later.
    • The Gilded Age (HBO) – The series follows the conflicts surrounding the new money Russell family and their old money neighbors, the van Rhijn family, in 1880s New York City high society. Though a fictional story, there are a lot of historical events included. Entertaining series, with a lot of likable characters.
    • Downton Abbey (Amazon Prime) – Historical fiction based on a well-to-do family and their servants in the early 1900’s.
    • Peaky Blinders (Netflix) – A gangster family epic starting in 1919 Birmingham, England; centered on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Tommy Shelby. Though this family is fictional, some of the story is based on a real gang in the 1890’s. Read about it
    • The Durrells of Corfu (PBS / Amazon Prime) – Series based on the books of Gerald Durrells, about his family. Louisa Durrell is a widow, unsuccessfully trying to make ends meet in England in the 1930s. She uproots her 4 children and they move to the island of Corfu, off the coast of Greece. Interesting story that kept us interested the whole time.
    • All the Light We Cannot See (Netflix) – 4 episode series about Marie-Laure, a blind French teenager, and Werner, a German soldier, whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. Not a true story, but very gripping.
    • Call the Midwife (Netflix) – Chronicles the lives of a group of midwives living in East London in the late 1950s to late 1960s. I expected this to be a bit boring, with birth after birth all being the same – it is anything but boring. Every birth offers a challenge of the physical birth, family dynamics, or living conditions. There are a number of story lines that permeate the episodes.
    • For All Mankind (Apple TV) – In an alternative version of 1969, the Soviet Union beats the United States to the Moon. As the stories unfold, you can truly imagine that it could have gone that way, if the Soviets did indeed beat the USA to the moon. This was created and written by Ron Moore, who was also the executive producer and writer for Outlander, Battlestar Galactica, and some of the Star Trek series.
    • The Americans (FX) – Early 1980’s cold war drama starring 2 Russian spies who are living in America, under cover. If you lived through this time period, you can relate to the situation.
  • HISTORICAL – Rulers of England; not always 100% historically accurate, but fairly close
    • The White Princess (Starz) – Elizabeth of York, the White Queen’s daughter, and her marriage to the Lancaster victor, Henry VII in the late 1400’s.
    • The Spanish Princess (STARZ) – The story of Catherine of Aragon and her marriage to 2 of the Tudor kings, in the early 1500’s.
    • The Tudors (Netflix) – Historical fiction based on King Henry VIII of England in the early 1500’s.
    • Reign (CW/Netflix) – Historical fiction based on Mary, Queen of Scots in the mid 1500’s.
    • Gunpowder (Netflix) – Historical fiction based on the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 to kill King James I, who has been persecuting Catholics. Kit Harrington (Jon Snow, from Game of Thrones) is one of the creators and star of this 3 episode series.
    • Victoria (Amazon Prime) – The early life of Queen Victoria, from her ascension to the throne at the age of 18 to her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert. 1837-1901.
    • The Crown (Netflix) – Based on Queen Elizabeth II in early to mid 1900’s through present day.
  • HISTORICAL – American Revolution; not always 100% historically accurate, but fairly close
    • TURN: Washington’s Spies (ABC / Netflix) – George Washington’s spy network during the American Revolution, in the late 1770s.
    • John Adams (Amazon Prime – originally HBO) – Historical fiction about the life of John Adams, 2nd president of the United States.
    • Franklin (Apple TV) – Michael Douglas stars as Ben Franklin, in the 8-episode story of his trip to France to seek support for the American Revolution (1778-1783). NOTE: Since this story takes place in France, there is a lot of French spoken – be ready to read the captions, while you watch.
  • HISTORICAL – WWII (based on true stories)
    • Band of Brothers (Netflix) – The story of Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and their mission in World War II Europe, from Operation Overlord to V-J Day.
    • The Pacific (Netflix) – Follows the lives of a U.S Marine Corps squad during the campaign within the Pacific against the Japanese Empire during WWII. (only 1 season)
    • Masters of the Air (Apple TV) – During World War II, U.S. Army Air Force airmen risk their lives flying B-17 “Flying Fortress” heavy bombers from England to destroy Germany’s ability to continue the war with the 100th Bomb Group, a brotherhood forged by courage, loss, and triumph.
    • The Bloody Hundredth (Apple TV) – Documentary based on the real lives of the 100th Bomb Group (followup to Masters of the Air). Narrated by Tom Hanks.
    • World on Fire (PBS) – A story of the effects of World War II on the lives of ordinary people from all sides of the conflict.
    • Mrs Wilson (Masterpiece) – True story based on the life of Alexander Wilson, a WWII spy. After his death, his wife discovers that he wasn’t what he seemed to be. Only 3 episodes.
    • The Imitation Game (Netflix, movie) – During World War II, the English mathematical genius Alan Turing tries to crack the German Enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians while attempting to come to terms with his troubled private life.
    • The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Starz, movie) – Billed as a true story about a secret British World War II organization; the Special Operations Executive. Founded by Winston Churchill, their irregular warfare against the Germans helped to change the course of the war, and gave birth to modern black operations. Ian Fleming (author of the James Bond stories) and actor Christopher Lee were both members of this group.
  • HISTORICAL – based on true stories
    • The Law According to Lidia Poët (Netflix) – Forbidden from practicing law, a woman works behind the scenes, with her brother who is an attorney, to solve crimes. While doing so, she also prepares an appeal to overturn the court’s decision in this true story of Lidia Poët, Italy’s first female lawyer. NOTE: this show appears to be in Italian, but dubbed with English. Based on a true story.
    • The Dig (Netflix) – This is a movie, based on a true story, about an archeologist (starring Ralph Fiennes, who played Voldemort in the Harry Potter series) who is excavating some farmland and finds artifacts of incredible historical significance. This is a nice movie, for when you need something easy to watch.
    • All Creatures Great and Small (PBS) – Set in 1930s Northern England, based upon a series of books about a Yorkshire veterinary surgeon, written by Alf Wight under the pen name of James Herriot. It’s a nice series, with interesting and likable characters.
    • The Durrells (PBS) – In 1935, Englishwoman Louisa Durrell’s life has fallen apart. Her husband died some years earlier, leaving her with financial problems and troubled children. She suddenly announces that the five of them will move from Bournemouth to the Greek island of Corfu. Based on the autobiographical stories of Lawrence and Gerald Durrell.
  • FICTION – some history thrown in, but no definitive historical storyline
    • Game of Thrones (HBO) – If you haven’t heard of this one, you’ve been living in a cave on a deserted island. Fiction based on various families and their quests to rule the kingdom. Experts have determined, based on clothing, weapons, etc., that the timeframe is in the 1400’s-1500’s.
    • House of the Dragon (HBO) – Prequel to Game of Thrones, set almost 200 years prior.
    • Wheel of Time (Amazon Prime) – Set in a high fantasy world where magic exists, but only some can access it, a woman named Moiraine crosses paths with five young men and women. This sparks a dangerous, world-spanning journey. Based on the book series by Robert Jordan.
    • The Frankenstein Chronicles (Netflix) – Re-imaging of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein.
    • Sanditon (PBS) – Charlotte Heywood, a spirited and impulsive woman who moves from her rural home to Sanditon, a fishing village attempting to reinvent itself as a seaside resort, in the early 1800’s. This is a Jane Austin novel, that she wasn’t able to finish before she died.
    • Godless (Netflix) – 1880’s American West story about outlaws, cowboys, and a town made up almost entirely of women.
    • Ripper Street (Amazon Prime / Netflix) – Detective series, based in the late 1800’s, just after the terror of Jack the Ripper.
    • The Alienist (TNT/Netflix) – Newspaper illustrator John Moore meets with criminal psychologist (alienist) Dr. Laszlo Kreizler to investigate a serial killer in New York during the late 1800’s. Dakota Fanning is one of the stars.
    • The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) – Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship. The first couple episodes move at the speed of paint drying. If you can get past them, the story has intrigue.
  • SCI-FI
    • Star Trek Series
      • Star Trek
      • Star Trek: The Next Generation
      • Star Trek: Deep Space 9
      • Star Trek: Voyager
      • Star Trek: Enterprise
      • Star Trek Discovery (CBS – All Access, not available on regular cable) – Newest Star Trek series; if you don’t watch this, you don’t belong in the nerd club with us cool kids. Timeframe is 2 years before Kirk, Spock and the rest of the originals.
      • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
      • Star Trek: Picard (CBS) – At the end of the 24th century, 14 years after Jean Luc Picard has retired from Starfleet, androids are causing trouble and Picard’s personal mission is to get to the bottom of it. As a die-hard Trekker, I have to watch, but it seems like there is a whole lot of talking and every so often some random, frantic action. So far, I’m thinking that this would have been better as a 90 minute movie, than a series.
      • Star Trek: Star Fleet Academy – coming in 2025.
    • The Orville (Fox) – Satirical take off on Star Trek. Much goofier than Star Trek, but entertaining enough.
    • Stranger Things (Netflix) – When a young boy disappears, his mother, a police chief, and his friends must confront terrifying forces in order to get him back. NOTE: The Duffer brothers who created this are from Durham, NC (they went to Jordan High) and have a number of Durham references in the show.
    • Once Upon a Time (ABC/Netflix) – Total fiction, with appearances by every fairy tale character you’ve ever heard of – definitely some twists on their personalities. Interesting for a couple seasons, then seemed like they were just recycling story lines.
    • A Discovery of Witches (AMC) – Witches, daemons, vampires, and humans all coexist. Diana Bishop, historian and witch, accesses Ashmole 782 and knows she must solve its mysteries. She is offered help by the enigmatic Matthew Clairmont, but he’s a vampire and witches should never trust vampires.
    • Westworld (HBO) – Imagine a world where your wildest desires can be fulfilled, with the help of human-like androids. But, what if something goes wrong. This is based on the 1973 movie, of the same name, staring Yul Brenner. NOTE: Evan Rachel Wood is one of the stars – she is from Raleigh, North Carolina.
    • Man in the High Castle (Amazon Prime) – This story shows a world where the Allied Powers lost WWII and the Nazis & Japanese each own a good portion of the United States, with a section in the middle as the demilitarized zone (neutral). The main character obtains a movie reel showing the world as we know it and searches to figure out where that came from and what it means.
    • Castle Rock (Hulu) – Based in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine, there is a battle of good vs. evil. If you recognize the name of the town, they you are probably a Steven King fan – this story is based on his works and includes references to many of his stories. Tim Robbins and Sissy Spacek are two of the stars. If you are fan of the show Vikings (see above) note that Bill Skarsgård, one of the stars of this show, is the brother of Gustaf Skarsgård, who plays Floki in that show.
    • The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix) – Explores a group of siblings who, as children, grew up in what would go on to become the most famous haunted house in the country. Now adults, and forced back together in the face of tragedy, the family must finally confront the ghosts of their past, some of which still lurk in their minds while others may actually be stalking the shadows of Hill House. Interesting story, but not for the squeamish.
    • The Haunting of Bly Manor (Netflix) – A young governess is hired by a man to look after his niece and nephew at their family country house after they fall into his care. Soon after arriving at the Bly estate, she begins to experience strange occurrences and a grim history starts to unravel. This is NOT a continuation of The Haunting of Hill House, but a few of the actors are in both.
    • Wednesday (Netflix) – Jenna Ortega stars (and does a fantastic job) as Wednesday Addams (from The Addams Family) in this quirky, but entertaining show. Cast includes Christina Ricci (who played Wednesday in the 1991 remake of the original show) and Gwendoline Christie (from Game of Thrones).
    • The Last of Us (HBO) – 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed, Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival. Stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, from Game of Thrones.
    • Mayfair Witches (Netflix) – Follows a neurosurgeon who discovers she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. She must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations. Based on the book series by Ann Rice.
  • GENERAL INTEREST – DRAMA, current timeframe
    • Breaking Bad Series
      • Breaking Bad (Netflix) – Fiction based on a high school teacher who has been diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. He turns to making meth as a way to secure his family’s finances. Might sound bad, but it’s a riveting story.
      • Better Call Saul (AMC/Netflix) – Made after Breaking Bad, but the story line is a prequel to that one, based on Saul Goodman, the attorney.
      • El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (Netflix) – This movie follows the life of Jessie Pinkman, after the end of Breaking Bad. If you followed BB, this is a good finale to Jessie’s story.
    • Ozark (Netflix) – Things go bad for a Chicago financial advisor, who launders money for a drug cartel, and he moves his family to the Missouri Ozarks.
    • This is Us (NBC) – Rebecca Pearson had a difficult pregnancy with triplets. The resulting births occurred on the same day as her husband Jack’s thirty-sixth birthday. The lives of Rebecca, Jack and their three offspring – Kevin, Kate and Randall – are presented at different points in time.
    • The Good Doctor (ABC) – Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, relocates from a quiet country life to join a prestigious hospital surgical unit. Alone in the world and unable to personally connect with those around him, Shaun uses his extraordinary medical gifts to save lives and challenge the skepticism of his colleagues. NOTE: there was one episode with a lawyer who had obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which was intended to be the pilot for a new series called The Good Lawyer. However, this was scrapped by ABC. It seemed promising – hopefully, it will come back later or get picked up by another network.
    • Broadchurch (Netflix) – A young boy is murdered in an England town – everybody is a suspect. Good story with twists and turns.
    • House of Cards (Netflix) – A self-indulgent congressman works with his equally conniving wife to exact revenge on the people who betrayed him. Probably close to the way things really work in the government.
    • Agatha Christie’s Ordeal by Innocence (Amazon Prime) – A wealthy philanthropist is murdered and her adopted son is accused. He proclaims his innocence, but it sentenced to prison nonetheless. After a time, a man comes forward claiming to be the son’s alibi. The plot thickens in this “who done it”.
    • Big Little Lies (HBO) – Apparently perfect lives of upper-class mothers, at a prestigious elementary school, unravel to the point of murder when a single-mother moves to their quaint Californian beach town. Stars include Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Laura Dern. In season 2, Meryl Streep joins the show.
    • The Newsroom (HBO) – Jeff Daniels stars as a news anchor for a New York TV network that’s trying to do fair, honest stories. I didn’t expect to like this, but I really did. The show is 3 seasons.
    • Dublin Murders (Starz) – In the summer of 1985 in Dublin, Ireland, 3 kids don’t make it home, while a 4th is found gripping a tree in terror. 20 years later, the found boy is a detective for the Dublin police and investigating the murder of a 13 year old girl, with very similar circumstances to that earlier event.
    • Orange is the New Black (Netflix) – Clean-cut Piper is about to be married to Larry, but her past catches up and she gets sent to prison. Prison characters are very likable, but not so much the guards. Probably a good indication of some aspects of prison life, but a lot of the actions by the guards are over the top, especially in later seasons.
    • Justified (Hulu) – U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens is reassigned from Miami to his childhood home in the poor, rural coal mining towns of eastern Kentucky. Lots of action and good story lines.
    • Ratched (Netflix) – Backstory of Mildred Ratched (Nurse Ratched) from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
    • The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix) – Orphaned at 9, prodigious introvert Beth Harmon discovers and masters the game of chess in 1960s USA. But, child stardom comes at a price. Interesting story – only 7 episodes.
    • The West Wing (HBO) – Fictional story of Democratic U.S. President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet and his staff. Excellent series that won many awards as well as acclaim by a number of real life White House staff members.
    • The Sinner (Netflix) – Bill Pullman stars as a detective, figuring out the why’s of specific murders. Each season is its own story. Seasons 1 and 2 are good – season 3 went a different direction and wasn’t very good.
    • Clickbait (Netflix) – When family man Nick Brewer is abducted in a crime with a sinister online twist, those closest to him race to uncover who is behind it and why. Lot’s of suspects, but who is the true killer?
    • Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu) – Nicole Kidman runs a boutique health-and-wellness resort that promises healing and transformation, but she uses some very unconventional methods. Melissa McCarthy and Luke Evans are 2 of the 9 stressed city dwellers who come to the resort for healing.
    • The Bear (Hulu) – Carmen Berzatto, a brilliant young chef from the fine-dining world is forced to return home to run his local family sandwich shop – the Original Beef of Chicagoland – after a death in his family. First 2 seasons are great, but a bit frantic, at times. In the 3rd season, the writers seem to be indulging their creative sides, which makes for unusual episodes.
    • Who is Erin Carter (Netflix) – Erin Carter, a British teacher in Spain, finds herself caught up in a supermarket robbery. After using excessive fighting skills, and being recognized by the robber, pieces of her past life start to surface. Interesting show – no announcement of a second season, yet.
    • Presumed Innocent (Apple TV) – Mediocre remake of the 1990 movie of the same name, starring Harrison Ford.
    • Perry Mason (HBO Max) – Matthew Rhys stars in this reboot of the old series with Raymond Burr. Unfortunately, it’s a very different show – Rhys plays a brooding Mason who really isn’t that good at his job and has questionable morals. The show plodded along for 2 seasons, before being canceled.
    • The Stranger (Netflix) – Adam Price seems to be living the perfect life – two great sons, a watertight marriage – until a stranger approaches him at a bar and reveals a shocking secret about his wife. As he looks into this, the stranger approaches others, seeming to know specific details about their lives.
    • The Diplomat (Netflix) – Keri Russell (of The Americans) stars as a career diplomat, who was recently appointed ambassador to the UK and sent there following a hostile attack on a British vessel. Her husband (Rufus Sewel) is the former ambassador, who is sometimes an asset to her and sometimes a pain in the butt. Good series that keeps the interest level.
  • GENERAL INTEREST – COMEDY
    • Cheers (Hulu) – Another classic comedy, set in Boston. Sam Malone (Ted Danson) is a retired Red Sox pitcher, who is living his dream of owning a bar.
    • Frasier (original) (Hulu) – Kelsey Grammar stars as a radio psychiatrist whose dad moves in with him. There’s a great supporting cast and good story lines.
    • Frasier (new) (Paramount +)– Definitely not as good as the original. The humor and relationships seem much more forced and the laugh track is just obnoxious.
    • Grace and Frankie (Netflix) – Grace (Jane Fonda), Frankie (Lily Tomlin), and their husbands (Sam Waterston & Martin Sheen), all about 80 years old, have been friends for many years. While out to dinner, the men tell the women that they have secretly been lovers for the past 20 years and want divorces so they can marry each other. This cute show delves into their lives as they go forward. There is no laugh track (YAY) and Lily Tomlin has some of the best lines. In spite of the seriousness of the situation, it’s a very light hearted show.
    • Hot in Cleveland (Paramount +) – Imagine a more modern version of the Golden Girls. Three middle-aged best friends from Los Angeles are flying to Paris when their plane makes an emergency landing in Cleveland. Realizing that all the norms from Los Angeles don’t apply anymore, they decide to celebrate a city that values real women and stay where they’re still considered hot. Stars Betty White, Jane Leaves (Daphne from Frasier), Valerie Bertinelli, & Wendie Malick. Cute show, but can be pretty goofy at times. Betty White, as always, has the best lines.
    • How I Met Your Father
    • How I Met Your Mother (Hulu) – Ted Mosby tells his children the story of how he met their mother, through a series of flashbacks.
    • The Kominsky Method (Netflix) – Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin star in this story about an aging actor, who has never gotten his big break, and his best friend/agent. It is a very well done show and many laughs.
    • M*A*S*H (Hulu)– One of the all-time greats of TV comedy, set in 1950-1953 Korea, during the war. The show follows the medical staff assigned to a mobile army surgical hospital (MASH). Though officially a comedy, there are some very hard hitting emotional moments in the midst of the war.
    • Modern Family (Hulu) – A funny show (without a laugh track) that follows the lives of 3 related families. Family 1 is divorced dad Jay Pritchett, played by Ed O’Neill (of Married with Children), his much younger and very hot Columbian wife, played by Sofia Vergara, and her son Manny. Family 2 is Jay’s gay son and his partner. Family 3 is Jay’s daughter, her husband, and their 3 kids. The story lines are good and very relatable to a lot of people.
    • Shrinking (Apple TV) – A grieving therapist starts to tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge changes to people’s lives – including his own. This has a couple of big names, including Harrison Ford, Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother), and Christa Miller (Scrubs and Cougar Town).
    • Ted Lasso (Apple TV) – American college football coach Ted Lasso heads to London to manage AFC Richmond, a struggling English Premier League football team. I thought this would be a big goofy – it is, but also a great series. Not a comedy, per se, but enough humor for me to list it in this category.

BOOKS SERIES FAVORITES (links are to the Goodreads.com page)

  • HISTORICAL FICTION (in chronological order)
    • Earth’s Children Series (first book is “Clan of the Cave Bear”) by Jean Auel – As the first modern humans are separating from the caveman, a young  girls is forced to cross the line between both worlds.
    • Outlander by Diana Gabaldon – Historical fiction, with a love story around the main characters. Based in America and Scotland in the 1940’s-1960’s as well as 1740’s-1760’s. Definitely captivating – currently 8 books in the series, with 2 more to come; Outlander is the first in the series. Also, look at some of the companion stories – Goodreads gives you the sequence where they fit in the story line.
    • Wilderness Series (first book is “Into the Wilderness”) by Sara Donati – Historical fiction, starts in the 1790’s. Main characters are an English woman who moves to a remote New York town and meets a white man, dressed like a Native American.
    • The Bronze Horseman Series by Paullina Simons – Historical fiction, with a love story around the main characters. Based in 1940’s Russia, during WWII. Gives a great perspective of the everyday people who were just trying to get by. 3 books in the series.
  • FICTION – some history thrown in, but no definitive historical storyline
    • A Song of Ice and Fire (first book is “Game of Thrones”) by George R. R. Martin – Fiction based on various families and their quests to rule the kingdom. Currently 5 books in the series, with 2 more to come.
    • The Poldark Saga (first book is “Ross Poldark”) by Winston Graham – Fiction based on a British soldier who has returned home to England, after his time fighting in the American Revolution. 12 books in the series.
    • The Shattered Sea Series  (first book is “Half a King”) by Joe Abercrombie – Fictional story about kings, adventure, betrayal, etc. Easy to read and would be good for teens. 3 books in the series.
  • SCI-FI
    • The Inheritance Cycle (first book is “Eragon”) by Christopher Paolini – When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Fantastic series of 4 books.
    • All Souls Trilogy (first book is “A Discovery of Witches”) by Deborah Harkness – Witches, daemons, vampires, and humans all coexist – the author makes it seem very realistic. 3 books in the series.
    • The Time Traveler’s Wife (not a series, but a good story) by Audrey Niffenegger – A man, with a genetic disorder that causes him to travel through time, and his wife, an artist, who he met when he was 36 and she was 6. Interesting story – also a movie.
    • Black Dagger Brotherhood (first book is “Dark Lover”) by J. R. Ward – Vampires are the good guys, but they are being hunted by the Lessers, which are pure evil. There is a lot of sex and violence, and this is officially listed as a “paranormal romance” series – 19 books, so far, as well as some off-shoot stories.
    • A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas – When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world. As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever. 4 books, so far – plus 1 (3.1 in the series) that’s a shorter story about Winter Solstice. It appears that there will be 2 more in the series – no timeline on when they will be released.
    • Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas – In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, Celaena, an assassin, is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion. The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass—and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world. 7 books in the series, plus a few side stories intermixed.
    • Lives of the Mayfair Witches by Anne Rice – 3-book series that follows the life of neurosurgeon Rowan Mayfair, who discovers she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. She must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations. Also a TV series on Netflix.
  • GENERAL INTEREST, current timeframe
    • The Clifton Chronicles (first book is “Only Time Will Tell”) by Jeffrey Archer – The series chronicles the life of Harry Clifton, born on the docks and raised by a single mother. The adventure begins when he learns that his father (who he was told died in the war) may not have been his father after all.
    • The Killing Series by Bill O’Reilly. There are a number of books, and you can read them in any order. These are the stories (facts) about the events leading up to the killing of President Lincoln, President Kennedy, Jesus, General Patton, and more. Great historical and behind-the-scenes information.
    • Women’s Murder Club (1st book is “First to Die”) by James Patterson – Lindsey Boxer is a detective investigating a murder. She and the medical examiner, assistant district attorney, and a reporter (all women) pool their knowledge and resources to find the bad guys. Interesting “who done it” books. There are some storylines that go throughout, but you can read them in any order and you’ll figure it out.
    • Mary Higgins Clark stories – These aren’t series books, but individual stories that keep you in suspense to the end.
    • Rozato & Associates Series by Lisa Scottoline – Benedetta (Benny) Rosato is the owner of an all female law firm, Mary DiNunzio is one of the attorneys, and trying to make partner. Each story is unique, but there are some storylines throughout the series.
    • The Rev. Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries (1st book is “In the Bleak Midwinter”) by Julia Spencer-Fleming – Clare Fergusson is the new priest at the Episcopal church in a small town. One morning, she finds a baby on the steps of the church and notifies the police chief Russ Van Alstyne. Together they try to find the mother, then they find a murdered woman, who could have been the mother. Each book is a separate story, but their relationship progresses throughout the series, so it makes sense to read these in order.
    • Dublin Murder Squad (1st book is “In the Woods”) by Tana French – Irish detectives solve murder mysteries. Good stories and you can work on your Irish accent. Some character development throughout the series, but not so much that you will be lost if you read them out of order.
    • Bess Crawford Series (1st book is “A Duty to the Dead”) by Charles Todd – Bess Crawford is a courageous WW I nurse and determined investigator. In each story, she comes across a murder victim and works to find the killer. It’s not necessary to read these in order. The author has also written the Inspector Ian Rutledge series, but I have not started those yet.
    • Jack Reacher Series by Lee Child – Jack Reacher is a retired army cop, with major fighting skills (generally defensive – he’s not a bully), who travels around the country with only some cash, the clothes on his back, and a toothbrush. Trouble always seems to find him. There are a couple of very loose ties between some stories, but they can generally be read in any order.