The books are plentiful, and an array of genres – art is frequently a focus, a real-life mystery that took place in London, an authorized biography of a long-time beloved public figure, a new approach to thinking well, and a cookbook full of delicious (and messy) recipes. Quite a few new television premieres of note – one new that takes us to Capri with a British lead we all know and, I think it’s safe to say, all love ☺️, two returning, and one of those wrapping up at the end of this season. Oh! And a French series that is a hoot is returning as well, and partnering with another French series many TSLL readers love. Clothing too is spring and summer inspired, and at great prices, and still, there is more.

Books

—Intimate Audrey: An Authorized Biography by Wendy Holden and Sean Hepburn Ferrer 

Just as the title states, this is an authorized biography of the darling, the philanthropist, and beloved actress Audrey Hepburn, co-written by her son Sean Hepburn Ferrer. “For Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Audrey was also his mother. In Intimate Audrey, he candidly recounts how the shy ‘girl from across the landing’ became the star we remember and love today. Featuring never-before-seen photographs and excerpts from her personal letters, this book is an intimate portrait of Audrey: as an icon, as a mother, and as an altruist who drew on her own experience of hunger and suffering to advocate fiercely for children in war-torn and famine-stricken countries.”

This should be an intriguing read, and one of note as editors are picking it as a book worth reading.

—The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again by Mary Claire Haver MD 

From the same #1 New York Times bestselling author who wrote The New Menopause, Dr. Mary Chaire Haver brings us The New Perimenopause. In her latest book, she “sets things straight. She explains that the numerous and varied symptoms of perimenopause occur in direct response to normal endocrine changes; this is the hormonal ‘zone of chaos.’ A comprehensive, authoritative book of science-backed information and lived experience”, The New Perimenopause includes:

• The very latest research on the benefits and side effects of progesterone therapy to help ease your hormonal transition.
• Clear, science-backed explanations of what’s going on in your body, from changes in your menstrual cycle to energy levels, mood, sleep, and sexual issues.
• How and why dealing with these changes now is preventative medicine for your later years.
• Checklists, questions for your doctor, and how to insist on good care.

Being released this coming Tuesday, April 7th, the more we know, the better able we can navigate what our body is doing, both in understanding it and in working with it, rather than feeling at a loss and frustrated.

—Reparenting Your Inner Child: Healing Unresolved Childhood Trauma and Reclaiming Wholeness through Self-Compassion by Nicole Johnson LPC 

Released last year, Reparenting Your Inner Child has been described as “A gentle, validating, and insightful guide to reparenting your wounded inner child and finding peace, healing, and wholeness as an adult.” A book to provide a path to healing, “if you’re struggling with unresolved childhood trauma, reconnecting with your vulnerable inner child can unlock profound healing and set the stage for profound personal growth. Written by an expert in childhood trauma, this gentle guide presents an integrative approach that merges inner child work with self-compassion techniques to help you “reparent” the wounded aspects of yourself that were lost, frozen in time, or traumatized—so you can start moving toward the life you were meant to live. This compassionate guide will help you: 

• Create a “reparenting plan” to address your unmet needs
• Identify past trauma—and heal from its effects 
• Recognize how trauma responses can manifest in your daily life 
• Establish a connection with your wounded inner child 
• Understand your childhood needs through a new lens 
• Explore the impacts of abusive, authoritarian, passive, and neglectful parenting 

—Thinking Sideways: How to Think Like a Chess Player and Win at Life by Jennifer Shahade

I have always wanted to learn how to play chess, and while it hasn’t happened yet, I am determined it will. The strategy, the thinking multiple steps ahead, all of it fascinates me. So when I learned about this new book from two-time US Chess Champion Jennifer Shahade, my interest was piqued. Not because she is teaching us how to play chess, but how to apply the thinking processes of the game to life itself.

“Chess players are experts in considering their options, allowing them to seize an opportunity, idea, or move that no one else saw. Two-time U.S. chess champion Jennifer Shahade calls this ‘thinking sideways.’ And in today’s hyper competitive world, thinking sideways can help you win at life.

—Thirteen Perfect Fugitives: The True Story of the Mob, Murder, and the World’s Largest Art Heist by Geoffrey Kelly

Art and the art world fascinate me. Add a mystery and make it a true story, and my fascination deepens even further. That is exactly what Thirteen Perfect Fugitives provides. Released in March, it retells “the true story of the world’s largest art heist, as told by the FBI agent who investigated the case.”

“On March 18, 1990, thirteen works of art were plucked from the walls of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston by two subjects posing as police officers. They rang the night bell, claiming they were responding to a call of a disturbance. After incapacitating the guard and his partner with handcuffs and duct tape, the subjects spent the next eighty-one minutes inside the museum, leisurely removing some of the world’s most valuable pieces of artwork from the walls, including a rare Vermeer and Rembrandt’s only known seascape. The total loss associated with this robbery has been estimated at over $1 billion.”

—Vermeer: A Life Lost and Found by Andrew Graham-Dixon

One more book centered around the art world, and this time, a biography. Vermeer: A Life Lost and Found aims to answer two questions about the artist: why did he paint his pictures, and what do they mean? “Following new leads and drawing on freshly uncovered evidence from Dutch archives, acclaimed art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon fills these long-standing gaps in art history, presenting a dramatic and transformative new interpretation of Vermeer’s life and work. Dixon considers Vermeer holistically, placing him in his complex historical, social, religious, political, and artistic context in order to understand what spaces he occupied in his life and how the texture of these spaces inspired his paintings and distinguished him from his artistic contemporaries. Dixon also interrogates the nature of Vermeer’s relationship with the Van Ruijven family, which was unlike any other known relationship in that time period, and discusses how this dynamic shaped his artistic practice.”

British Finds

—A Taste for Murder, BritBox

Phyllis Logan has a full working schedule because not only did she appear in The Puzzle Lady, she now co-stars in a new mystery series, A Taste for Murder, that takes us down to the sunny shores of Capri, Italy. Premiering on Tuesday on BritBox, the six-part series “follows DCI Joe Mottram, a star detective with the Metropolitan police who, after a personal tragedy, retreats to Capri in Italy with his daughter to stay with his Italian in-laws for the summer.” But the mysteries and murders to solve appear to have followed him. Have a look at the trailer below.

—London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe 

Being released on Tuesday, April 7th, “from the bestselling, prize-winning author of Say Nothing and Empire of Pain, a spellbinding account of the true story of a family devastated by the sudden death of their nineteen-year-old son, only to discover that he had created a secret life which drew him into the dangerous criminal underworld that lies beneath London’s glittering surface. The inciting incident takes place on November 29th, 2019, when “surveillance cameras at the headquarters of MI6, Britain’s spy agency, captured video of a young man pacing back and forth on a high balcony of Riverwalk, a luxury tower on the bank of the river Thames. At 2:24 a.m., he jumped into the river.”

“In a quiet London neighborhood several miles away, Rachelle Brettler was worried about her son. Zac had told her that he had gone to stay with a friend, but then he did not come home. Days later, a police car pulled up and two officers relayed the dreadful news: her son was dead. In their unbearable grief, Rachelle and her husband, Matthew, struggled to understand what had happened to Zac. He had his troubles, but in no way seemed suicidal. As they would soon discover, however, there was a lot they did not know about their son.”

—Twenty Twenty Six, BBC

Are you ready to laugh? Let the satirical jabs at our current culture begin! Perhaps you watched Twenty Twelve or W1A, both starring Hugh Bonneville. Well, in the same vein, Twenty Twenty Six premieres, and it looks to be full of British hilarity. The sequel that follows the series Twenty Twenty Twelve plot, in which Ian Fletcher (Bonneville) leads the commission London 2012 in preparation for the Olympics, serving as the BBC Head of Values, now has him joining the 2026 World Cup team “as Director of Integrity, facing challenges in the largest tournament ever across North America.” Premiering next Wednesday on the BBC, enjoy six episodes. Have a look at the trailer below.

—A Year of Cut Flowers: Color and Joy for All Seasons by Sarah Raven

Sarah Raven’s company has been through the wringer the past year or so, but after going through administration and restructuring her business, she is determined to share with us why we originally fell in love with her – her knowledge about plants, specifically flowers, and how to grow beautiful cut flowers and displays in our own garden.

In her new book – A Year of Cut Flowers: Color and Joy for All Seasons, her guiding intention with all that she shares is to share with readers “why having home-grown cut flowers is one’s house is an easy life transformer.” I had the opportunity to receive a review copy, and it is a gem of a resource, packed full of inspiration and instruction about not only what to plant and where to be successful, but also how to arrange and how to lengthen the life of your bouquet. All of that and so much more as there are oodles of full-color photos as we move through the entire year, month by month.

Cookbooks

—Will This Make You Happy: Stories & Recipes from a Year of Baking by Tanya Bush

The description alone has me eager to pick up this book, “For fans of Nora Ephron and Nigel Slater, this hybrid memoir and cookbook brings together over fifty inventive baking recipes with a lyrical coming-of-age story about desire and dessert. Perfect for home cooks, lovers of literature, and anyone who finds comfort in the kitchen.”

Will This Make You Happy comes from Tanya Bush, who, “over the course of a year, embarks on a journey that carries her from her tiny apartment to the sunlit kitchens of an Italian agriturismo to the basement of a bustling Brooklyn bakery, where she rediscovers her appetite for pleasure, indulgence, and meaningful work.

“A culinary memoir and love story, interwoven with over fifty innovative and approachable baking recipes, Will This Make You Happy is for readers and bakers looking for something messier, more experimental, and honest than the typical aspirational cookbook.”

Décor

—Annika table lamp, multiple sizes and finishes (dimmer switch)

While in Portland earlier this week, I stopped into Rejuvenation to peek at some of their ceiling lights for one of my hallways, and I saw their Annika table lamps. Their linen fluted shade caught my eye as the texture is warm, even for being a natural white hue, and then I went to turn on the lamp, and discovered it is dimmable! Love this for a bedside table lamp or on a dresser to provide beauty as well as softness to a space.

—Rejuvenation Orchard Linen Pillow Covers, on sale

These pillows had a lovely texture to them, being linen. Having the opportunity to touch the fabric in the store, I pondered picking up the ochre cover. Be sure to check out all of their pillow covers because they have beautiful versions of William Morris’ prints as well, and some of those are also on sale.

Films

—The Blue Trail

Coming with rave reviews across the board (Rotten Tomatoes – 100%), The Blue Trail looks both brilliant and beautiful. Described as “a breathtaking cinematic odyssey that follows the misadventures of a remarkable Brazilian woman who, as her working life draws to an end, secretly sets out on a trip down the Amazon to fulfill a long-held dream.” Read the entire premise of the film here, and watch the trailer below. Look for it to premiere in select theaters beginning today.

Francophile Finds

—Alexandra Ehle, season 3, MHzChoice

Oh! Now this season of Alexandra Ehle is a special one! The season comprises two episodes, and in each, the cast of Alexandra Ehle partners with the team from Astrid et Raphaëlle. Three strong, intelligent women, each in their own unique way, I watched the first episode earlier this week and absolutely loved it. In particular, how Alexandra remains true to her strengths, and so too does Astrid, all to the benefit of solving the case they find themselves working together on.

Shopping

—Banana Republic Linen Pocket Dress

—Banana Republic Cotton Poplin Belted Mini Shirt Dress, three colors

One more from BR, classic, yet modern. Love this. The length may be too short for me as I like my dresses to hit at the knee at least, but if you’ve got gams, wear this dress! ☺️

—Claridge & King’s Cap Sleeve League in Midnight Blue Seersucker

—Emerson Fry’s Fancina Caftan, Marquerite Blue

Perhaps summer travel is on my mind, but having timeless leisure items for savoring time, say in Provence, while also looking strikingly stunning, is a great idea. Especially if they are quite affordable to scoop up, which this caftan is.

—M. Gemi’s Mafalda Alfa leather sandal, tan

A simple mule that can dress up or keep up with the spring or summer outfit you have in mind.

Television

—Big Mistakes, Netflix

Premiering on Thursday, April 9th, this comedy series has two phenomenal leads, which makes me want to watch Big Mistakes. Dan Levy and Laurie Metcalf, along with Taylor Ortega, lead the cast, and Levy and Ortega are the “two directionless siblings that are blackmailed into the world of organized crime.” No doubt, there will be comedy galore even amidst the tension. Have a look at the trailer below.

—Hacks, season 5, HBO Max

The final season of Hacks premieres next Thursday, and with the premiere and throughout the season, the leads, played by award-winning actresses Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, are trying to navigate their way back to fame after the fake death scandal (of Deborah Vance) that concluded season four. Have a look at the trailer below, and look for 10 episodes in this concluding season.

—Your Friends and Neighbors, season 2, AppleTV

I have yet to watch this series, but Your Friends and Neighbors, starring Jon Hamm, is back for season two because it was much enjoyed by viewers. The second season premieres today, April 3rd, on AppleTV and will include a total of 10 episodes. Have a look at the trailer below.

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Nelle and I took a break along our roadtrip to Portland this week, and what a beautiful and inspiring place to do so. The Oregon Garden, just outside of Silverton, is a garden to visit if you are ever in the area. With few people on this partially grey-skied middle-of-the-week day, it felt as though we had the garden to ourselves. And with pups being welcomed, Nelle enjoyed her long daily walk surrounded by all sorts of new sights and smells.

Be sure to stop by IG later today (Friday) to see the scene above in real time as the white blossoms flutter to the ground with the wind’s gusts. Spring-time snow. A stunning sight to see.

With what I think was the last snow of the season falling yesterday morning in Bend and over the mountain, this weekend looks to be quite warm and spring-like, so whether you celebrate Easter or are celebrating spring’s beauty (or autumn’s for southern-hemisphere readers), I hope you have a nourishing weekend of cheering the season.

This week on the blog, you will have found a perfect spring recipe – Rhubarb & Lemon tart, a Motivational post sharing two simple approaches to living that will transform your life, a new podcast episode exploring how to know if you are living in sync with your inner compass, and April 1st brought the new A Cuppa Moments for TOP Tier Members!

May your upcoming weekend be full of delicious treats, flowers and blossoms to oogle at, and of course, many everyday moments to savor. I will be out in the garden (surprise! surprise!) planting marionberry plants and primarily just having fun in the soil. So, until Sunday, bonne journée!

~Let’s take a look at some gorgeous works of art that are in the shape of Easter eggs and, yep, made of chocolate. Only in Paris, they are the chocolatier artists that continue to impress. [Do It In Paris]

~How France celebrates Easter [Taste France]

~Celine Dion is returning to Paris for live performances, and the dates have now been shared! [Sortir á Paris]

~Cal Newport’s opinion piece about the importance of exercising the mind and how was a thought-provoking read. [NYTimes, gift link]

~Most likely, not surprising to TSLL readers ☺️, but a worthwhile article to read – The surprising depth of quality we give our life by keeping our social circle small [1000 Libraries]

~Get to know your ‘happy’ hormones and how to boost them to improve well-being. [WellBeing]

~My tulips are getting close to blooming, and I cannot wait until they do. Maybe next year I’ll give one or a few of these a try – 10 purple tulip varietals British garden experts recommend. [Gardens Illustrated]

~Okay, treasure-hunters! It is antique and vintage sale season, and Homes & Garden UK has a list of all of the major events for Antique fairs and sales in the States!

~A thoughtful post about addressing burnout, why it really happens, and the healing demonstrated through the life of one woman who split her life between the US and Europe. [Real Simple]

~The 15 prettiest villages near London, according CN Traveller.

~Take your taste buds to Provence, France, with this Spring Menu full of inspiring recipes to try. [Perfectly Provence]

~Yet another reason I love Brittany, France, no motorway tolls. Why is that the case? Read this to find out. [The Local, subscription required]

~How to book the most difficult reservations for dining in Paris right now [The Infatuation]

~A fun question and answer session with the stars of Hamnet – Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal. They seem to just naturally enjoy each other’s company.

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~Explore last week’s edition of This & That: March 27th

~Please note: TSLL is supported by you, readers who take the time to stop by (merci!), peruse, and sometimes welcome into your life the mentioned and recommended finds. Affiliate links are present in this post and may earn commissions for TSLL when you make a purchase. View TSLL’s full Privacy Policy here.