What am I Reading/Streaming Right Now?

I am currently reading We’ll Always Have Paris by Jennifer Coburn. It’s a memoir Ms. Coburn wrote about her travels abroad with her pre-adolescent (and then later teen) daughter over the course of about a decade. So far I am on the second section which covers her trip to Italy (the first was Paris & England). Having been to most, though not all, the places she wrote about, I find her perspective interesting and not entirely different from our (mine and my husband’s) experience. We were in Paris right around the same time, though both of us missed Tom Cruise proposing to Katie Holmes way up in the Eiffel Tower.

Also, I think we waited for a rainy day before going up in the London Eye too (with my uncle when he visited us from California). However, unlike Ms. Coburn, I’ve never shared a train compartment with Thandie Newton, though I have met my fair share of British celebrities (Michael Palin, Judi Dench, Anthony Head, Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen, etc.).

Now that Christmas is over and I have a little more free time, I am streaming new seasons of “The Crown,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Doctor Who” and a new series called, “James May Our Man in Japan.” We also just started the third season of “Travels by Narrowboat.” I guess you can tell we quite fancy our British programs (Mrs Maisel is set in 1960s New York).

I agree with my sister who summed up the third season of “The Crown” as “rather dark.” The only episode (so far) with any real laughs was when Princess Margaret (the queen’s sister) toured America and met LBJ and joined him in exchanging off-color jokes and limericks.

Though the queen wasn’t thrilled to hear the details of that evening (given painstakingly by the poor Prime Minister whom one really has to pity as he seems so unfit for the job), she was pleased that her sister was such a hit with the American public earning so much positive publicity for the crown. Though I’ve certainly learned a lot this season, I will, quite honestly, be glad when the season is over. In light of all the recent news about Harry & Meghan, we wonder how long “The Crown” will continue and whether someday we’ll learn more about Wills & Kate and the rest of the children/grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth.

Season three of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” can be summed up in one word – Roadtrip! This season she’s the opening act for rock ‘n roll star, Shy Baldwin (a bit like the character of Marvin Berry in “Back to the Future.”). My dad would probably enjoy the third episode when they’re in Las Vegas – so many vintage slot machines, and old timey footage of the strip. Definitely a blast from the past! Of course Midge soon learns that you need to tailor your material to the audience, but first, learn who your audience is. I have a feeling she’ll soon learn and soon outgrow being an opening act. I look forward to seeing more vintage venues and the comedic sparring between Midge and her manager, Susie.

Equally enjoyable is “James May Our Man in Japan” which we discovered quite by accident when scrolling through the program list on Amazon Prime. The first episode was set in Kyoto where James immersed himself in the various snow sports they do there. Riding on the back of a sled being pulled by dogs looked like fun, though it probably does hurt when you fall off landing hard in an icy snow bank.

The team snowball fight looked like fun though (but probably painful as well when you get hit by a snowball laced with ice). I love that James May can laugh at himself in some of the ridiculous situations he’s put in. He also seems to be having a genuinely good time and that comes across on the screen. Of course Andrew and I enjoy the series since we’re big fans of James May (no relation though) and all things Japanese.