March 2025
This month I went down the rabbit hole with a new book about a transgendered Mexican revolutionary colonel named Amelio, and other interesting podcasts and TV shows.
🌀This month I went down the rabbit hole with these books, podcasts, movies and TV shows! 🐰
Books
This month I read “Amelio, Mi Coronel” by Ignacio Casas. The cover of this book immediately caught my attention as I browsed through the section at Barnes & Noble where they feature books in Spanish. I’m excited because I’ve noticed this section is increasingly growing.
The author recounts the true story of Amelio Robles, the first transgender colonel in the Mexican revolutionary war. Born Malaquías Amelia de Jesús, this historic figure is fascinating. He joins the battle armed with his trusty pistol that once belonged to his dead father. He names the pistol “Casimira.”
His story is both exhilarating and heartbreaking, as he deals with intense confrontations, physical challenges and the will to carry on despite it all.
Bravo to Ignacio Casas for writing this book!
Podcasts
Collier Landry has always wondered what led to his mother’s death in 1989. In “Finding Mom’s Killer” host Steve Fishman helps him look into the mysterious case that played out in the small town of Mansfield, Ohio.
“Campus Files” is a new weekly podcast from Audacy that uncovers the scandals hidden behind the ivy-covered walls of America’s colleges and universities. Hosted by journalist Margo Gray, each episode dives into a true story of controversy — from secret tribunals and rigged admissions to hazing tragedies and academic fraud.
“Scam Factory” is an explosive new podcast from Wondery that uncovers the shocking truth behind all of those sketchy messages we all receive. It turns out thatmany are sent by people trapped in scam compounds, forced to commit fraud to survive.
🎙️ LISTEN to “Scam Factory.”
Baby Broker is a shocking new podcast from Sony Music Entertainment that uncovers the true story of Tara Lee, a woman who ran a fraudulent adoption scheme that devastated over 100 hopeful families. Hosted by journalist Peter McDonnell, the series follows the emotional and financial fallout as victims piece together the truth and seek justice.
🎙️ LISTEN to the official trailer for “Baby Brokers.”
Movies
This month I recommend “Just One of Them Days’ starring Keke Palmer and SZA. I heard it being described as the female version of “Friday” and that’s good enough for me!
TV Shows
This month I devoured the Hulu series “Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke.” It’s a 3-part documentary about the mommy blogger-turned-Mommy Dearest. Much like the “Scamanda” documentary (also on Hulu), it was interesting to put a face to all of the voices since I never watched their YouTube channel.
More on this explosive documentary.
🎧 Listen to the trailer of the podcast “The Rise and Fall of Ruby Franke”. 🎙️
February 2025
This month I went down the rabbit hole with the “Scamanda” HULU show based on the podcast, and other books, movies and TV shows.
🌀This month I went down the rabbit hole with these books, podcasts, movies and TV shows! 🐰
Books
This month I read “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride. I saw this book everywhere because it was named Barnes & Noble’s book of the year in 2023. I bought it shortly after but didn’t actually pick it up until now. I am so glad I did because it was a lovely story and a delightful book. It takes place in a place called Chicken Hill, a run-down neighborhood mostly populated by immigrant Jewish and African Americans.
The stars of the book are an unlikely couple named Moshe and Chona Ludlow, who run the eponymous Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. Moshe is known for being the first theater to book Black acts, ushering in an era of success for him and his business.
Everything changes after the couple takes in a deaf Black boy and the state tries to take him away.
Goodgoods puts it quite nicely in their book description: “As the novel unfolds, it becomes clear how much the people of Chicken Hill have to struggle to survive at the margins of white Christian America and how damaging bigotry, hypocrisy, and deceit can be to a community.”
📚 VNSA Book Sale! I went for the second year in a row and I will be there next year for sure. 🙌🏼
Podcasts
In one of the latest episodes of “True Crime Arizona” on Arizona’s Family, host Bryanna Whitney interviews Gabby Petito’s parents, just as the new Netflix documentary on the case is released.
🎙️ LISTEN to the podcast True Crime Arizona episode of “Petito’s Parents Tell All.”
Movies
This month I recommend “Just One of Them Days’ starring Keke Palmer and SZA. I heard it being described as the female version of “Friday” and that’s good enough for me!
TV Shows
The celebrity true crime TV show “Death by Fame” is highly addictive for true crime aficionados. I’ve been watching all three seasons (so far) on Max, but they might have aired previously on ID?
Among the tragic tales of death as a result of fame is the story of the murder of Run DMC’s Jam Master Jay, the tragic killing of Christina Grimmie by an obsessed fan, and the unbelievable episode about convicted killer Joseph Son, most famously known as the assassin known as “Random Task” in the first Austin Powers movie.
This month I was also obsessed with the TV show based on the hit podcast “Scamanda.” It was so cool to be able to put a face to al the voices and stories I binged on the podcast over a year ago. Check out the trailer for TV show and check out the original podcast it was based on, hosted by Charlie TKTK.
🎧 Listen to the trailer of the hit podcast below. 🎙️
January 2025
This month I went down the rabbit hole with A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series and other books, podcasts, movies and TV shows!
🌀This month I went down the rabbit hole with these books, podcasts, movies and TV shows! 🐰
Books
I devoured the entire “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” series by Holly Jackson by the end of the month. It had been a while since I read a Young Adult novel but now I see why they’re so popular! The story was so entertaining and the language flowed so effortlessly that I felt like I was speed-reading.
There’s “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder,” “Good Girl, Bad Blood,” “As Good as Dead” and a prequel novella that came out after the third book titled “Kill Joy.” ✔️✔️✔️
GIF courtesy of Daksha Giri (@dakshagiri)
I read 25 books last year! Check out the list of books here!
Podcasts
Check out “The Con: Kaitlyn’s Baby.”
I did not see this podcast coming… Just when you think you’ve seen it all, there’s a scam like this.
Movies
Watched “Nosferatu” on Jan. 15 starring Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult and Bill Skarsgård in the titular character. I absolutely loved the movie — particularly the feel and the setting. It reminded me of the book “The Woman in Black.” Every frame in the film felt like a fine art painting. It is very violent and gory, but isn’t that what we signed up for?
Also watched “The Substance” at the end of December which most definitely left an impression on me. It stars the iconic Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. Refer to male gaze critique…
TV Shows
It’s baaaaaaack! “Severance,” that is. The quirky quarter is back and it’s weirder than ever. I love it! We catch up with Mark, Helly, Irving and Dylan as they come back from their “outie” world. There is a major surprise twist at the end of the fourth episode. Fans of the show can also listen to a behind-the-scenes “Severance” podcast that drops immediately after each episode hosted by Adam Scott and Ben Stiller where they chat with actors and other key players from the show.
I got hooked! Have you seen “Mean Girl Murders” on Max?
Let’s talk books, art, podcasts, and living life creatively
This blog is intended for book lovers and those who love to read. But full disclosure: I will also write about provocative podcasts I’m listening to that you may also enjoy. And I will occasionally write about TV shows and movies, too.
Hello, friends!
Welcome to my book blog and digital scrapbook. Thank you for visiting. I am thrilled that you are here!
This blog is primarily for readers and book lovers. But full disclosure: I will occasionally write about provocative podcasts I’m listening to or TV shows and movies that I think are interesting, too.
My hope is that you will find these observations and recommendations entertaining — and maybe even a bit helpful when looking for what to read or listen to or watch next.
I will write about my favorite books, new authors I’m excited to read, book sales I encounter and more relevant topics I hope will be useful to my fellow readers.
I am a lifelong avid reader but picked up some serious speed about 8 years ago. Since then, I have kept a spreadsheet with all the books I’ve read and I often want to recommend some of my favorite reads to more people than just family and friends.
Last year (2024) I set a personal goal to read 12 books and I’m happy to report that I doubled that goal by reading 25! This year I set a goal of 15 books and I have two books under my belt so far in 2025 so I should be just fine.
I am a writer and photographer based in Southern Arizona. I currently live in Tempe. I’ve written for publications like Upworthy and Buzzfeed and am currently a writer at Arizona State University’s Knowledge Enterprise. Before that I was a digital producer for 3TV/azfamily and later for RightThisMinute.
The current goal is to share at least one article a week, but may post more often as we go along. Next up, I’ll be writing about the 25 books I read in 2024.
I invite you to subscribe to my digital scrapbook as I embark on this new and exciting chapter of Alice in Pictureland.
Please feel free to comment with your favorite books, what you’re currently reading, or what you would like to see in this blog.
Find me on Goodreads! Let’s have some fun, shall we?
💙 ab