Friday, January 5, 2024

That's Entertainment, by Lori Roberts Herbst

I love (almost) nothing more than being immersed in a good story, and 2023 gave me plenty of opportunities to do just that. As an avid reader, moviegoer, and TV watcher, it’s challenging to whittle down my favorites list, but in the spirit of every Best Of list out there, here are my top choices.

 

Favorite movies (of the 38 I saw in the theater):

 

Winner: Waitress (as filmed on Broadway)

 

Honorable mentions:

Anatomy of a Fall

The Holdovers

It Ain’t Over

A Man Called Otto

Mending the Line

The Miracle Club

Past Lives

 






Favorite TV shows:

 

Winner: The Bear


Honorable mentions:

1883

Bosch: Legacy

The Crown

FBI

Succession

Welcome to Wrexham

 


Favorite reads
 (of the 93 books I read):

 

Winner: The Last Devil to Die, by Richard Osman

 

Best series I came to late: The Irish Village Mysteries, by Carlene O’Connor

Best thriller series: Lucas Davenport series, by John Sandford

Cozy series (tie): Chesapeake Bay Mysteries, by Judy L. Murray; and On Pointe Mysteries, by Lori Robbins

 

Honorable mentions:

The Bullet That Missed, by Richard Osman

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, by Benjamin Stevenson

The Glass Hotel, by Emily St. John Mandel

Wrong Place, Wrong Time, by Gillian McAllister

 

I’m always looking for recommendations, so tell me—what were your favorite movies, shows, books?


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Lori Roberts Herbst writes the Callie Cassidy Mysteries, a cozy mystery series set in Rock Creek Village, Colorado. To find out more and to sign up for her newsletter, go to www.lorirobertsherbst.com 

17 comments:

  1. Thirty-eight movies in a theater?!!! Wow. I need to get out more. Thanks for the list of recommendations!

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    1. I know--we're a little obsessed. But I always love a good story, no matter how I get it!

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  2. In comparison to you, I am such a slug. Having seen zero movies in theaters. I rarely watch TV. That leaves reading. In 2023, I did come to three authors new to me. My newsletter readers suggested Linwood Barclay; Amazon suggested Tess Gerritsen; and someone at one of my author events suggested John Galligan.

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    1. Great suggestions! I'm always on the hunt for new authors (though that did sound a bit psychopathic...)

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  3. Only movie I saw this year was Barbie. It was--interesting. Social commentary delivered in an interesting format. Worth seeing.

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    1. I enjoyed Barbie! It was much better than I'd anticipated, and as you said, great social commentary.

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  4. Movie and Tv time were limited, but I did enjoy Slow Horses. I read quite a bit, but I think my favorite was Tom Lake by Ann Patchett.

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    1. I've heard excellent reviews on Tom Lake. Putting it on my TBR list right now. Never heard of Slow Horses. Need to check it out.

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  5. I'll give The Last Devil to Die a read. Thanks for the recommendation. Have you read Harold by Steven Wright? Very funny, and quite interesting.

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    1. If you haven't read any of Richard Osman's books, I'd suggest starting with The Thursday Murder Club, the first in the series. It's nice to get a feel for the characters. I will put Harold on my TBR list too—I could always use more humor!

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    2. Thank you, I will order The Thursday Murder Club from Amazon!

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  6. Replies
    1. Thank you! Hope you find something on there to love!

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  7. Thanks for the recommendations, Lori. Sounds like some good entertainment.

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