Just about everyone loves the summer months and Donna is no exception! When the sun is out and the sky is blue, problems seem to melt away and life can start to feel good again. Giving yourself some breathing room to catch up on your reading and your favorite TV shows are two great ways to relax and take care of yourself during long summer days. Below is a list of books and TV shows that are some of Donna’s favorites right now.
Donna’s Summer Watchlist
Here are 3 exciting TV shows that Donna simply can’t resist 🙂
Queen Charlotte
A prequel to the wildly popular Netflix series, Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte is based on the real-life wife of King George III. This series is fiction inspired by fact and it’s a great summertime choice, especially if you enjoy losing yourself in inspirational, heartfelt stories.
Chopped
This is a reality-based cooking game show where chefs compete to transform baskets of random, “mystery” ingredients into 3-course gourmet meals. Definitely a fun watch that is likely to keep you at the edge of your seat even if you don’t love cooking! Chopped also happens to be one of Tiernan’s (Donna’s teenage grandson), favorite shows.
John Adams
This epic miniseries depicts one of the most well-known Founding Fathers of America starting with the Boston Massacre of 1770 through his time as an ambassador in Europe, followed by his term as vice president and president of the United States, and all the way up to his death. Much of this show is drawn from genuine Adams family letters and diaries. Intriguing side note: 10 of the first 12 American presidents were slave owners. The only exceptions were John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams, neither of whom approved of slavery.
Donna’s Summer Reading List
Donna confesses she never really has time to read an entire book straight through and so she’s browsing through the following titles (we feel dipping in and out of a book can be just as delightful and relaxing as reading it straight through!). Other than the 2 titles listed below, Donna says she’s also catching up on several books about trees, “which I am loving!” and also “a delicious book on Rumi that I drop into and it always thrills my soul!”
The Great Book of Badass Women: 15 Fearless and Inspirational Women that Changed History by Rachel Walsh & Bill O’Neill
This is a collection of biographies, fun facts, and stories of courageous and tenacious women in history who have successfully paved the way for the women of the future to be “badasses” just like them! The book includes fascinating stories about women like trailblazer artist and icon Frida Kahlo, pirate queen Ching Shih, and inventor and beauty queen Hedy Lamarr.
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Magareta Magnusson
In Sweden there is a decluttering process called döstädning -- dö meaning "death" and städning meaning "cleaning." Death cleaning is essentially the process of clearing out your unwanted and unnecessary belongings (before others have to do it for you!) With humor and grace, Swedish author and artist Margareta Magnusson shares how anyone can embrace minimalism so the process feels uplifting rather than overwhelming.