Each week (give or take one or two here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.
1) Taking Kids Trick or Treating
I live in an in-between state right now where my older kids make their own Halloween plans that don’t include me and our youngest doesn’t have the molars to masticate a Snickers bar nor can he yet reach a doorbell or pronounce “trick or treat.” This also means I live in a sweet spot which pairs both nostalgia and anticipation. I get to look back on the delightful times of following my daughters as they raced from house to house past ghoulish decorations to collect their confectionary loot from friendly strangers after which one or both would need to be piggy-back or fireman carried back home because their little legs were spent. And I get to look forward to the moment of illumination in my son’s eyes when he realizes the actual magic of the phrase “trick or treat” and candy is conjured. And then we’ll be off again, racing from house to house. It’s rare, as a parent, to be able to basically cut your kids loose with the instructions “dress weird, have fun, and glut yourself,” so we would be fools to miss these chances.
2) Slow Horses by Mick Herron
Some of you will be familiar with the show by the same name on Apple TV. It has earned acclaim, and rightfully so given its wonderful writing and the masterful performance by Gary Oldman as the magnetic, despicable, disgusting, and heroic Jackson Lamb. Well, that show is based on this series of books by Mick Herron. And as is often the case, the book offers something more. I won’t say the books are better, per se, but they are deeper and more filled out. For the uninitiated, Slow Horses is a spy novel, the story of a group British Intelligence officers relegated to Slough House which is basically the dunce corner for agents who have blown it somewhere along the way or offended their superiors in some way. As you might expect they find themselves in a position to investigate a mystery and unravel some intrigue (no spoilers), but along the way the reader is trying to unravel the mysteries of the characters themselves. And that is part of what makes this book (and show) so good. It offers the thrill and intrigue of a classic spy story with the character development, layer by paper-thin layer of good literature. It gives the reader the somewhat tropey chance to root for the underdogs, this team of misfit spies, but also reveals them to be characters worth rooting for. If you are looking for a fun, quality read (or viewing experience) check out Slow Horses.
3) 100 Grand bars
I am not a candy snob. I am not exclusive in my love for any one candy. Rather, I fall somewhere closer to a candy universalist who believes deeply in the inherent goodness of all sweets (except Almond Joy and Mounds bars; those are straight from Satan’s imagination). Because of this deep and abiding affection for all the little candies, I am compelled to stand up for those that are unjustly overlooked and under-appreciated. The 100 Grand bar is just such a treat. Everywhere you look between now and Christmas you will find Snickers bars and Reese’s cups and Hershey’s chocolate, all of which are worthy of our affection and taste buds. But 100 Grand Bars will, at best, be tucked into an isolated corner of the candy bowl or missing from the holiday section of the store altogether. This is a travesty because by sheer merit, these overlooked goodies deserve a place among candy royalty–chocolate and caramel (an unassailable pairing) with a little crispy crunch to add depth and character, and all this in perfect ratio. So I plead with you this holiday season, search for these delightful treats and give them their just deserts. Or is it “just desserts?”
