First and foremost... ohmygah, Sherlock comes back to PBS tonight. TONIGHT!

Today is an interesting one. Although cold and gray when I rolled out of bed to tend to the little one, it turned into a so-bright-it-broke-my-retina day. I'm still huddled inside, the baby sleeping, and I was just able to make that second cup of coffee (finally! At 2 pm!), only to jump onto the laptop and figure out how to mess around with the iPhoto Library (which I am NOT enjoying, still. Four years later.) Anywho, I figured since I haven't been reading as much, I should share with you what I am at least trying to read, whenever my new little boss tells me I can have a few minutes to read.

• On my nightstand: The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt. I loved The Secret History, and this is on every reader's love list, it seems. I love the way she writes. She strings words together and it becomes art on paper.
• On my iPad: The Sun and Other Stars, by Brigid Pasulka. A little slow to start for me, since it seems to focus so much on soccer, but this is key and the writing is beautiful thus far. I received a copy from the publisher primarily because it's set in San Benedetto (my husband's middle name!) in Italy. And you guys all know how much I heart Italy and am trying to move there.
• On my audio: Well, that category title doesn't make sense. But it suits the list. So anyway, The Snow Child, by Eowyn Ivey. Narrated by Debra Monk. About twenty minutes in and am already mesmerized.

And in other news... I've been playing around with the idea of changing the blog up a little bit. More to come on this, but if you've been visiting me here over the past few months, you probably already know what to expect. But hopefully I can still surprise you?

Just a quick post to share the shows I'm watching that are helping me de-stress from my new role at work and life, especially as I take some much needed time off from reading (who would ever have thought that).

Ripper Street, BBC America

My new favorite show, I think, just based on its premiere this past Saturday night. This mini-series is set about six months after the Ripper murders. The dynamic of the three main characters (the Inspector, his morally pure and tough sergeant, and an American doctor with too many secrets) is delightfully unique and, of course, the deep dark mystery of the first episode was uncomfortable and engaging. Looking forward to seeing more this Saturday.

Whitechapel, BBC America

I just caught up to season three, and this was a much better season than the one prior. Set in modern day London, Detective Inspector Joe Chandler battles daily with OCD and his Detective Sergeant Ray Miles, who initially cannot stand the peculiarities of his new boss, along with self-professed Ripperologist, Edward Buchanan. Managing the activities in the same Whitechapel district of Jack the Ripper, their first case dealt with a copycat killer in season one (only three episodes), which was superbly creepy. Season two wasn't bad, but not my favorite, however the most recent one was six episodes long and had a new case every two episodes. It was absolutely spooky. Season four is secured and should be released sometime this year.

Downton Abbey, PBS

Well, of course I'm watching Downton. Who isn't? This is the first time, though, that I'm watching it weekly versus catching up all at once six months later. The life and times of the fictional aristocratic Crawley family in the pre-World War II era are depicted, along with their servants (some loyal, some devious) is surprisingly interesting. Evening soap opera, I guess? Dunno, but I dig it.

Suits, USA Network

Well, I'm finally catching up on season two. Love this show. Mike and Harvey are perfectly cast as the unlikely duo at the premiere Manhattan law firm. Mike is brilliant, with a photographic memory to die for. Although he doesn't hold a degree from Harvard Law, he passes it off as though he does in order to secure the job. Harvey Spector, senior partner and Mike's mentor, knows all about Mike's lie and while he might be a wee bit of a snake, he ultimately has integrity even while constantly taking risks to keep life interesting. With a surprising cast of actors who knock it out of the park, my personal favorites are the boss, Jessica Pearson (who many of you know from the movie Serenity, or from the tv series Firefly) and Louis Litt, the overly eager and socially ignorant junior partner. Someone give Louis a hug and a chance to be with the in-crowd! He might be annoying, but I think his heart is in the right place and if you don't welcome him onto your team soon, his brilliance is going to go to the dark side. I'm currently catching up to the part in season two when we all want to #savedonna, Harvey's fantastic gatekeeper and redheaded legal secretary, Mad Men-esque, Donna Paulson.

What shows are you watching that I need to add to my list?

As the hurricane bears down on the East Coast, here in Virginia Beach the rain and wind have considerably picked up. This, of course, meant grilled cheese and tomato soup, along with a few scary movies, so after my husband and I listened to The Exorcist audiobook when we were in Boston two weeks ago, we decided to watch the 1973 film which resulted in me being scared and jittery for the rest of the night.

Here's my thing: I've had a lot of business travel lately, and while it hasn't diminished my reading time, I'm much more interested to settle down with a show downloaded on my iPad. This week, I was in Pittsburgh and Atlanta from Wednesday through Friday for meetings, and when I had down time and wasn't catching up on emails, I just wanted to watch television. I finally had a chance to watch BBC's Sherlock, which was fantastic.

Side question: Why are British series so short?! I love Downton Abbey, but it's only ten episodes! Sherlock is only three. I want more!

So help me, wonderful readers! What should I download next?

Here's an overview of what I enjoy:

• Period dramas. Everything from Mad Men, Downton Abbey, and anything on the BBC. Ah, thank you BBC. You've given me Whitechapel, and most recently Sherlock. (Whitechapel and Sherlock aren't period dramas, but it obviously feels like it based on the subject matter.) I want more from you. I heard Copper was pretty good? Maybe Doctor Who, which would fall in the next category.
• Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Dystopia. Oh, yes, I do love this. I'm a fan of The Game of Thrones series on HBO, and Warehouse 13 and Haven, both on the SyFy network. Many of you may know that Haven is based on Stephen King's novella, The Colorado Kid. Oh! And The Walking Dead, Vampire Diaries, etc. Maybe I should download Fringe?
• Current. Necessary Roughness and Suits on the USA network. Wonder if I should watch Burn Notice?

You tell me. What movie or TV series would you recommend?

What a busy week. I spent four days in Boulder, Colorado for work, reviewing among other things, the correct way to present before a group. Some subjects were already something we knew, but it's always good to be reminded of how to build that structured format to effectively communicate. I do need a lot of help with it, since in a social setting I'm comfortable, but stand me up in front of a group of people and speak? That makes me nervous. I have to overcome this soon especially considering we have a huge presentation coming up in three weeks in Chicago. Any tips? Books, breathing, or hypnotheraphy?

I'm behind on posting for the RIP readalong of The Lantern because of the business trip but I'm not behind on reading. What an excellent book! Deborah Lawrensen has a superb ability to describe the lush Provence landscape and weave in the creepy haunting of previous tenants of the beautiful home that she's living in with Dom, a man who has his own secrets. It's exactly the type of book to read as the cooler months come upon us.

I did download onto my iPad the movie Jane Eyre for the flight to Colorado. And while I know that it's received mixed reviews, I really enjoyed it. The cast was fantastic and it was shot beautifully. I'll need to post my review for the RIP Challenge's Peril on the Screen.

And thanks to Jenn aka the picky girl, I went ahead and also downloaded Downton Abbey, featured on PBS' Masterpiece series and is currently in its second season. It will be available for Americans to watch in January 2012. Let me not shout this too loudly, but...I LOVE THIS SHOW. Fellow addicts Dolce Bellezza and Lakeside Musing and I tweeted this week on our love for the show and cannot wait for the return of next season. A brilliant show that begins in 1912 and and watches the lives of the wealthy family of Downton and their servants, there were only seven episodes for season one. I watched it all within two days. Beautiful set, wardrobe, hair, add to the ensemble cast which includes everyone from Elizabeth McGovern to Maggie Smith (Harry Potter!).  If you like historical fiction, or even just an incredible story line with a variety of characters, you really should rent or download this series right away. You'll be addicted.

Are there other shows similar to Downton Abbey that I should watch?