Secrets #SundaySalon

Happy Sunday! Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at ReaderBuzz. Check out her post and the links to see what other bloggers have been up to in the last week.

How’s the weather?

After our weird dramatic temperature drop on Sunday, we’ve seen typical gray and cool days for the end of December and early January.

What are you reading?

I reviewed Audrey Lane Stirs the Pot by Alexis Hall for British Isles Friday. That was the last book that I finished in 2025. I recommend it (and it’s two predecessors) for anyone who enjoys The Great British Baking Show.

I completed my first book of 2026 on New Year’s Day, although I’d been reading it for a week. Dan Brown’s latest novel is a chunkster at 675 pages.

The Secret of Secrets is the sixth in the Robert Langdon series that included The Da Vinci Code. They don’t rely on remembering details in previous books, however. That’s a good thing since the previous book appeared in 2017.

I felt like The Secret of Secrets offered both cautionary tales and hope for our present times, so I recommend this page-turning thriller, even if you haven’t read the previous novels.

Next up, The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich for our January book club meeting.

What are you watching or listening to?

I watched the 2025 Christmas episode of Beyond Paradise only to realize that I hadn’t seen the previous season. So, I’m backtracking now to catch up on Season 3. This is a spin-off of Death in Paradise set in a coastal town in Devon.

Also on BritBox, we’re enjoying Life on Mars. This is a program from twenty years ago, but we had much less access to British shows back then. It has a time-travel element, so it’s mostly set in 1973. We like the music, the fashions, and the blast from the past of favorite detective shows from the 1970s like Adam-12 and Starsky and Hutch.

I listened to NPR’s deep dive on the January 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol. As we observe the 5th anniversary this week, we have to contend with an administration that routinely lies about what we all saw and acts as if they can rewrite the history. We can’t let that happen. One good way to remember is to listen to this two-part episode. It’s fascinating to hear it all pulled together.

What are you doing?

I’m setting up structures to help me meet my goals in 2026. It takes a lot of structure to get myself to do the things that I claim I want to do.

Happy New Year!

Comments

Secrets #SundaySalon — 12 Comments

Lesley on January 3, 2026 at 4:34 pm said:

It’s been many, many years since I read The Da Vinci Code (and Angels & Demons). I’m not sure I’m up for another one by Brown, but maybe it will be a good choice on audio.

We watched several seasons of Death in Paradise, but I stopped after the third change in main characters. My husband enjoys the show much more than I do.

I spent the day de-Christmasing the house and now I’m ready to curl up with a book and my cup of decaf. It’s a damp, drizzly day here. All the more reason to stay inside!

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mae on January 3, 2026 at 10:42 pm said:

Have a great year in 2026!

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Olivia on January 4, 2026 at 6:26 am said:

I read the DaVinci Code, and clearly need to do some catching up! (I think I read Angels and Demons too…)

We have been enjoying Beyond Paradise as well!

Thanks for the NPR links. We have listening to Heather Cox Richardson. She is a doctor of history with a really good handle on the Constitution, treaties, precedents. Very interesting and factual. I’m sharing a link to her latest video. https://youtu.be/wu9QSeAI22I?si=lontHZvFmhfk52jB

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Deb Nance at Readerbuzz on January 4, 2026 at 6:36 am said:

Last year I read The DaVinci Code for the first time just before I went to see a play that had been made from the book. I’m glad you are still enjoying the series, and that you found the current book to speak to today’s issues.

I will look for both the NPR series on the riot and Life on Mars. Thank you!

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Erin @ Cracker Crumb Life on January 4, 2026 at 7:35 am said:

Happy new year Joy!

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Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out on January 4, 2026 at 9:14 am said:

There an Australian version of Death in Paradise too, it’s called Return to Paradise. I actually liked the US version of Life on Mars slightly more than the UK version,

Wishing you a happy reading week

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jeanie on January 4, 2026 at 10:02 am said:

I love Beyond Paradise. That storyline about Humphrey in Death in Paradise was my favorite so seeing it carried on back in England is such a delight. I think you’ll enjoy it and seeing how the characters evolve. I want to add Secrets to my reading list. It sounds excellent.

All good wishes for a wonderful new year!

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Tina on January 4, 2026 at 10:02 am said:

I’ve only read the first two in the Robert Langdon series so it’s good to know I can read the latest as a stand alone. That said, I am #84 in ine at the library so I probably have time to read those published in between.

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Jodie | That Happy Reader on January 4, 2026 at 2:36 pm said:

We enjoy watching the older shows now and then on MeTv so I understand what you are saying. Happy New Year Joy!

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Laurie C on January 4, 2026 at 9:02 pm said:

I’m trying to reduce the amount of news I take in every day because it’s mostly on Facebook and YouTube, and I get sucked into hearing about the same things more than once and/or wasting a lot of times on other stuff while I’m there.
The PBS shows would be a good thing to watch, though. Heather Cox Richardson and her historical perspective is one of the only things keeping me from going off the deep edge when it comes to current events!
Life on Mars sounds good, but we haven’t succumbed to a BritBox subscription yet!
I know what you mean about needing structure to do the things we say we want to do. We’re still digging ourselves out from the holidays, and our third grandchild was just born (on Christmas Day!) but I think January might be an oasis of relative calm before more travel and events in February so I’m trying to get back to reading and blogging while I still can.

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Marg @ The Intrepid Reader on January 5, 2026 at 3:55 am said:

Happy New Year!

I must look for the Alexis Hall!

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Susan on January 5, 2026 at 4:36 pm said:

Yes this admin can’t white-wash history! and no Jan. 6 wasn’t a peaceful protest …! The Dan Brown book looks pretty good … I read the Da Vinci Code eons ago … and that was a good read. But I haven’t been back since … hmm.

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