A Trio of Discoveries (And My Latest Video)
Before this special Thursday post begins make sure to check out my latest video on A New Dress for my Capsule Wardrobe. In the video I describe the thought process I use before purchasing anything to add to my capsule wardrobe. You can see the video by clicking here, looking in the sidebar of this post or by visiting: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur.
And now for this special Thursday post...
Today I am sharing with you a trio of discoveries that recently came across my desk… so to speak.
Mapp & Lucia DVD
While in The Continental Shop in Santa Monica recently (to buy Royal wedding paraphernalia) I asked the proprietors if they had any good British DVDs to recommend to me. I told them how much I love Poirot and any English story set in the art deco period. They readily offered me advice on several series… the first of which was Mapp & Lucia. I can’t tell you how happy I am I asked for their advice because I rented the Mapp & Lucia disc on Netflix (to see if I liked them) and have found the series to be such a little gem!
The Mapp & Lucia series is from the mid 1980s and stars Geraldine McEwan (recently known as Miss Marple) and Prunella Scales (from Fawlty Towers fame) as two middle aged ladies who reside in the fictional town of Tilling on Sea in the late 20s and 30s. It is a comedy of manners, of social climbing and of cattiness, but one with tremendous heart. Also the heroine Lucia, played by McEwan, is a woman after my own heart as she lives life as a formal affair, plays the piano and is an obsessive patron of the arts. I loved the DVDs so much I plan on returning to The Continental Shop and purchasing the collection for my library. They really don’t make television like that any more!
(As an aside, be patient with the series. The first episode is a little bizarre, especially if you are not familiar with the story of Lucia. I promise after you get through the first episode the rest that follow are nothing less than delicious and if you are like me you'll wish the series were longer than just two seasons!)
Lucia books by E.F. Benson
Because I loved the DVDs so much you know I just had to read the books. The Mapp & Lucia series is based on the books by E.F. Benson. I started to search for the books on the kindle and was delighted to find that they are either offered for free or for a very low price (another reason to love my beloved kindle). The story of Lucia actually starts long before she moves to Tilling on Sea and meets Elizabeth Mapp. Some of the earlier books are called Queen Lucia and Lucia in London where we are introduced to Lucia’s life in Riseholme with her trusty sidekick Georgie as they battle various adventures. Some involving a mysterious guru, an operatic newcomer and a prophetic princess.
The order of the books are as follows:
* Queen Lucia (1920)
* Miss Mapp (1922)
* Lucia in London (1927)
* Mapp and Lucia (1931)
* Lucia's Progress (1935, also known as The Worshipful Lucia)
* Trouble for Lucia (1939)
I’m so happy to have discovered E.F. Benson’s books as I’m always looking for new authors’ works to devour from that particular time period in England. Delightful.
The Case for Falling in Love by Mari Ruti, PhD
On a completely unrelated note, Mr. Connoisseur and I recently celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. How time flies! I feel very grateful to be married to such a wonderful man. Recently the publishers from the book The Case for Falling in Love by Mari Ruti, PhD sent me a copy of the book to review on my blog. I know many of you readers are married or are otherwise in happy relationships, but for those of you who aren’t (and wish to be) this is a refreshing and highly interesting book written for single women who wish to find love. It is written from Dr. Ruti’s unique perspective with regards to gender studies and debunks many myths related to dating and romance. Plus, Dr. Ruti studied at the University of Paris… so you know she has some decidedly French influences in her technique! For more information on the book or to read more reviews, please visit: www.mariruti.com
The Mapp & Lucia and E.F. Benson images are from amazon.com and The Case for Falling in Love is from mariruti.com
The Daily Connoisseur is now available on Amazon Kindle
And now for this special Thursday post...
Today I am sharing with you a trio of discoveries that recently came across my desk… so to speak.
Mapp & Lucia DVD
While in The Continental Shop in Santa Monica recently (to buy Royal wedding paraphernalia) I asked the proprietors if they had any good British DVDs to recommend to me. I told them how much I love Poirot and any English story set in the art deco period. They readily offered me advice on several series… the first of which was Mapp & Lucia. I can’t tell you how happy I am I asked for their advice because I rented the Mapp & Lucia disc on Netflix (to see if I liked them) and have found the series to be such a little gem!
The Mapp & Lucia series is from the mid 1980s and stars Geraldine McEwan (recently known as Miss Marple) and Prunella Scales (from Fawlty Towers fame) as two middle aged ladies who reside in the fictional town of Tilling on Sea in the late 20s and 30s. It is a comedy of manners, of social climbing and of cattiness, but one with tremendous heart. Also the heroine Lucia, played by McEwan, is a woman after my own heart as she lives life as a formal affair, plays the piano and is an obsessive patron of the arts. I loved the DVDs so much I plan on returning to The Continental Shop and purchasing the collection for my library. They really don’t make television like that any more!
(As an aside, be patient with the series. The first episode is a little bizarre, especially if you are not familiar with the story of Lucia. I promise after you get through the first episode the rest that follow are nothing less than delicious and if you are like me you'll wish the series were longer than just two seasons!)
Lucia books by E.F. Benson
Because I loved the DVDs so much you know I just had to read the books. The Mapp & Lucia series is based on the books by E.F. Benson. I started to search for the books on the kindle and was delighted to find that they are either offered for free or for a very low price (another reason to love my beloved kindle). The story of Lucia actually starts long before she moves to Tilling on Sea and meets Elizabeth Mapp. Some of the earlier books are called Queen Lucia and Lucia in London where we are introduced to Lucia’s life in Riseholme with her trusty sidekick Georgie as they battle various adventures. Some involving a mysterious guru, an operatic newcomer and a prophetic princess.
The order of the books are as follows:
* Queen Lucia (1920)
* Miss Mapp (1922)
* Lucia in London (1927)
* Mapp and Lucia (1931)
* Lucia's Progress (1935, also known as The Worshipful Lucia)
* Trouble for Lucia (1939)
I’m so happy to have discovered E.F. Benson’s books as I’m always looking for new authors’ works to devour from that particular time period in England. Delightful.
The Case for Falling in Love by Mari Ruti, PhD
On a completely unrelated note, Mr. Connoisseur and I recently celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. How time flies! I feel very grateful to be married to such a wonderful man. Recently the publishers from the book The Case for Falling in Love by Mari Ruti, PhD sent me a copy of the book to review on my blog. I know many of you readers are married or are otherwise in happy relationships, but for those of you who aren’t (and wish to be) this is a refreshing and highly interesting book written for single women who wish to find love. It is written from Dr. Ruti’s unique perspective with regards to gender studies and debunks many myths related to dating and romance. Plus, Dr. Ruti studied at the University of Paris… so you know she has some decidedly French influences in her technique! For more information on the book or to read more reviews, please visit: www.mariruti.com
The Mapp & Lucia and E.F. Benson images are from amazon.com and The Case for Falling in Love is from mariruti.com
The Daily Connoisseur is now available on Amazon Kindle
Category Article A Trio of Discoveries, Books, England, Movies, Reviews
