Read This!
Whistler by Ann Patchett. What happens when a woman runs into her former stepfather who she hasn’t seen in many years but had a profound impact on her life?
The Land and Its People by David Sedaris. A new collection of essays from the humorist. In this one he goes on safari in Kenya, scrolls through his address book and realizes many of the people he knew are now gone, and challenges a friend to eat a tire.
A Course Called Home by Tom Coyne. The subtitle of this book by the golf writer is “Adventures of an Accidental Golf Course Owner.” Coyne finds out that owning a golf course is a lot different than just playing one.
I Am Going to Eat You … and Other Awkward Truths by Paul Noth. A collection of cartoons by the New Yorker cartoonist and winner of the 2025 Thurber Award for American Humor in Cartoon Arts.
“Book It!”
Since we’re on the subject of books, Pizza Hut has brought back their “Book It!” program. This summer, kids can get free pizzas from the chain if they stop scrolling on their phones and read some books.
It only goes up to sixth graders, but many people online want them to include older kids and even adults.
I’m just happy that Pizza Hut is still around. The one I used to go to near me closed and was replaced by a Lexus dealership.
TV Upfronts
Back when I was a full-time TV critic, the annual May TV Upfronts – when the networks trot out the stars and execs to pitch their new and returning shows to advertisers and fans – was a big deal. It’s not so much a big deal anymore. In fact, I didn’t even realize networks were still doing them, since new TV is year-round now and viewing habits have changed dramatically.
But they’re still a thing. Here’s NBC’s schedule, which includes a Rockford Files reboot, a 100th anniversary party for the network, and a new comedy with Tim Daly and Téa Leoni as newlyweds. Did you know they’re married in real life too?
I don’t see any new shows on ABC’s schedule, though they will be showing movies on The Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights. Here’s CBS’s schedule, which includes a reboot of I Love Lucy.
Just kidding!
There’s other Upfronts news too, for other channels including cable and streaming, which you can read here.
Quote of the Week
“Meanwhile, poor Fox was in last place again, and their big plan to turn that around is a revival of Baywatch. This is a reboot for those who watched the first 11 seasons of Baywatch and thought, that can’t be the whole story.”
– Jimmy Kimmel, at ABC’s Upfront
RIP Rex Reed, Philip Caputo, Bobby Cox, Claire Maurier, Michael Pennington, Lilias Folan, and Jennifer Harmon
Rex Reed was a veteran film critic, TV personality, and occasional actor. He died Tuesday at the age of 87. Merin Curotto, his editor at The New York Observer, has written a terrific remembrance of Reed.
Philip Caputo wrote the critically-acclaimed memoir of Vietnam, A Rumor of War. He died last week at the age of 84.
Bobby Cox was a Hall of Fame manager who guided the Atlanta Braves to the 1995 World Series title. He’s fourth on the list of all-time wins with 2,504. He died last week at the age of 84.
Claire Maurier played the mother in the classic French film 400 Blows. She also appeared in Amélie and La Cage Aux Folles. She died earlier this month at the age of 97.
Michael Pennington played Sherlock Holmes in the TV movie The Return of Sherlock Holmes and was Moff Jerjerrod in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He died Sunday at the age of 82.
Lilias Folan helped popularize yoga with her long-running PBS show Lilias, Yoga, and You. She died in March at the age of 90.
Jennifer Harmon had regular roles on the soap operas One Life to Live and How to Survive a Marriage and appeared on Law & Order, The Good Wife, and Rescue Me. She died Saturday at the age of 82.
This Week in History
Irving Berlin Born (May 11, 1888)
Yes, you know he wrote “White Christmas,” but he also wrote “God Bless America,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” and “There’s No Business Like Show Business.”
Lewis and Clark Start Their Expedition (May 14, 1804)
Clark started the trip with 30 others from Camp Dubois in Illinois. They met up with Lewis and ten others in St. Charles, Missouri and continued westward.
This Month in Saturday Evening Post History: Nature O’s (May 1986)
Okay, that cereal is going to need either more strawberries or those four strawberries cut up into more pieces. I hate it when I run out of fruit and have just cereal left over.
May Is National Strawberry Month
Sure, you can put them in cereal, but you can do other things with strawberries. Such as …
- Easy Strawberry Lemonade from Smitten Kitchen
- Strawberry Lassi Ice Pops from Andrew Chase
- Curtis Stone’s Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes with Strawberry-Maple Syrup
- Homemade Strawberry Shortcake from Sally’s Baking Addiction
- Strawberry Sweet Rolls from The Pioneer Woman
- Strawberry Chicken Salad from Allrecipes
Yes, strawberries in chicken salad! I’ve had grapes in chicken salad and it’s fantastic.
Next Week’s Holidays and Events
The Preakness (May 16)
This is the second leg of the Triple Crown. Golden Tempo won the first leg, The Kentucky Derby, earlier this month, but will not run in the Preakness. It airs at 4 p.m. ET on NBC.
Armed Forces Day (May 16)
This day honors current active-duty servicemembers.
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