Weekend Watch & Read
Welcome to Weekend Watch & Read—your Friday guide to what’s trending in books and streaming before the weekend starts.
Every Friday, I break down the Top 10 Netflix TV shows in the United States and Brazil, giving you a cross-cultural look at what audiences on both sides of the equator are binge-watching.
Preferred pages over screens? I’ve also got you covered with the latest New York Times Best Seller lists across Hardcover and Paperback Fiction and Nonfiction to inspire your weekend reading list.
To wrap up, I feature one personal book review straight from my own bookshelf—ranging from forgotten historical classics to hidden modern gems—and whether it’s worth your time.
Grab a cup of coffee, settle into your favorite chair, and see what the world is watching, what readers are buying, and what one American living in Rio thinks deserves your attention. Your weekend entertainment starts here.
Last Weeks Watch and Read
Opinion – Not on the top lists, but I recently watched Unabomber on Netflix and thought it was surprisingly well done. It covers the story of the long FBI investigation and the eventual capture of Ted Kaczynski. Hard to believe that whole saga unfolded over 30 years ago.
Netflix Top 10 United States
| Rank | TV show |
|---|---|
| 1 | Below: Limited Series |
| 2 | East of Eden: Limited Series |
| 3 | Mojo Brookzz: I Know You Lying |
| 4 | Raw: 2026 – October 5, 2026 |
| 5 | The Great British Baking Show: Collection 14 |
| 6 | A Different World: Season 1 |
| 7 | Mayor of Kingstown: Season 1 |
| 8 | Wonka’s The Golden Ticket: Season 1 |
| 9 | Ms. Rachel: Season 3 |
| 10 | Danny Go!: Season 2 |
Brazil: Netflix Top 10 TV shows
| Rank | TV show |
|---|---|
| 1 | Below: Limited Series |
| 2 | Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Season 1 |
| 3 | East of Eden: Limited Series |
| 4 | Take Charge of My Heart: Limited Series |
| 5 | Habeas Corpus: Season 1 |
| 6 | Irreplaceable: Season 1 |
| 7 | My Name Is Farah: Season 2 |
| 8 | My Name Is Farah: Season 1 |
| 9 | Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Season 2 |
| 10 | Not a Stranger: Season 1 |
List Publication Date: October 11, 2026 (reflecting sales for the week ending September 26, 2026)
Opinion – I have tried to read Bill O’Reilly in the past. The books are not great. His “Killing Lincoln” was just a rehash of what we all knew and I have heard he just puts his name on the material as a ghost writer.” Confronting America by Bill O’Reilly and Josh Hammer. Bill O’Reilly is an ex-Fox News host; Josh Hammer is a Newsweek editor and legal commentator. It is number 9 in Hardcover Nonfiction listed Below.
NY Times Top 10 Hard Cover Fiction
- Hollywood, Ending by John Green
- Sometimes I Scare Myself: A Collection of Horror by Jeneva Rose
- Hollow Bones: A Novel by Jodi Picoult
- The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
- Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel: The New Miss Marple Mystery by Lucy Foley and Agatha Christie
- Double Tap: A Mitch Rapp Novel by Vince Flynn and Don Bentley
- The Munich Affair by James Patterson and David Ellis
- Yesteryear: A GMA Book Club Pick: A Novel by Caro Claire Burke
- Whistler by Ann Patchett
- Fury in Death by J. D. Robb
NY Times Top 10 Paperback Fiction
- Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
- The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
- Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
- Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden
- The Divorce by Freida McFadden
- Game On by Navessa Allen
- Rites of the Starling by Devney Perry
- A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman
- The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker
- Adversary to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
NY Times Top 10 Hard Cover Non-Fiction
- Swan Song by Charles Spencer
- Roll the Calls by Ari Emanuel
- Actually, Nevermind by Taylor Tomlinson
- An Unexpected Life by Gloria Steinem
- The Perilous Fight by Colin Kaepernick with Nick Chiles
- Go and Do Likewise by Andy Beshear
- Pay Attention by David Pakman
- Regime Change by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan
- Confronting America by Bill O’Reilly and Josh Hammer
- The Nerd Reich by Gil Durán
I am currently reading Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck, first published in 1962.
At the age of 58, Steinbeck set out to rediscover America. He traveled across the country in a pickup truck fitted with a camper he named Rocinante, accompanied by his French poodle, Charley.
During his journey, Steinbeck met people from all walks of life and observed the differences between regions, the country’s changing culture and politics, and what it meant to be an American in the early 1960s.
What interests me about this book is the idea of traveling through a country you think you know, meeting its people, and discovering how much there is to learn simply by getting out there and looking around. Sometimes, seeing a place from a different perspective tells you more than staying in one place ever could.
Book Review:
The Pillars of the Earth Review: Ken Follett’s Epic Medieval Masterpiece Still Stands Tall
By Ken Follett
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
The Pillars of the Earth is a remarkable story and, in my view, an absolute must-read. Set in early 12th-century England during a period of political instability and religious influence, the novel delivers nearly everything you could want from a historical epic.
What immediately stands out is the depth of historical detail. Much of the novel centers around the churches and cathedrals of medieval England, and the research behind the story is evident throughout. Ken Follett studied the architecture and history of English cathedrals extensively, and that attention to detail gives the novel an authenticity that makes the world feel alive rather than simply historical decoration.
The book truly has it all: religion, politics, ambition, power, betrayal, violence, love, greed, sex, and the constant struggle between good and evil. At the center of the novel is the construction of a great cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, around which the lives of several unforgettable characters rise and fall.
One of the novel’s greatest strengths is the way Follett weaves multiple storylines without losing emotional focus. The heart of the story is Prior Philip, a deeply committed monk trying to balance genuine faith with the political realities and corruption surrounding the medieval church. His dream of building a cathedral becomes more than architecture; it becomes a symbol of survival, purpose, and legacy.
Alongside Philip is Tom Builder, a gifted mason whose life ambition is to construct a cathedral worthy of lasting greatness. Through Tom, Follett captures the brutal uncertainty of medieval life while also celebrating craftsmanship and determination. Tom’s adopted son, Jack, eventually follows in his footsteps, becoming one of the novel’s most compelling characters as his intelligence, creativity, and ambition evolve throughout the story.
The novel also explores the fall of nobility, shifting political alliances, and the struggles of ordinary people trapped beneath systems of power they cannot control. Earls, monks, bishops, laborers, and outcasts all become interconnected in ways that constantly drive the narrative forward.
What I always appreciate in a writer is the ability to fully immerse the reader in a setting, and Follett accomplishes that exceptionally well here. He creates a world that feels lived-in: muddy roads, massive stone cathedrals under construction, political intrigue within monasteries, and the dangers of medieval society all feel immediate and believable.
More importantly, the novel constantly compels you to keep reading. That, to me, is the mark of a truly great book. Even at nearly a thousand pages, The Pillars of the Earth rarely drags because the characters remain so strong and the stakes always feel personal.
If you enjoy sweeping historical fiction filled with memorable characters and layered storytelling, this novel is difficult to put down. Once you begin the journey through Kingsbridge, it is easy to understand why so many readers continue through the entire series.
The novels connected to The Pillars of the Earth continue in the following order:
- World Without End
- A Column of Fire
- The Evening and the Morning
The Evening and the Morning serves as a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth, and after finishing this novel, it is easy to want to continue exploring Follett’s world of Kingsbridge.
For me, this was an easy five-star read. It combines historical realism with compelling storytelling in a way few historical novels manage successfully. The scale of the story is enormous, but the emotional core always remains centered on human ambition, resilience, morality, and survival.
Critical Reception When Released
When The Pillars of the Earth was first published in 1989, it surprised many readers and critics because Ken Follett was already widely known for modern thrillers such as Eye of the Needle. Moving into large-scale medieval historical fiction was considered a major shift.
The gamble paid off. Critics praised the novel for its ambitious scope, immersive historical detail, and highly readable style. Readers especially connected with Follett’s ability to make cathedral construction, medieval politics, and church intrigue feel dramatic and emotionally engaging rather than dry or academic.
Over time, The Pillars of the Earth became one of Follett’s most successful and widely admired novels, helping redefine modern historical fiction for a broad audience. It remains one of the genre’s landmark works and continues to attract new readers decades after its release.
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