"That's right, Annabella. Your mother's a whore."

For the past two weeks, I have spent every single night caught up in hopeless romances, careless murders, and brazen sin.

All of this occurs in my living room.

You see, I have become a bit of a Catherine Cookson movie fanatic. These films, all produced and directed by Ray Marshall, take place from the early 1800s to the mid-1900s. They are based on the genius novels of Cookson, who is one of the UK's most widely read novelists.


Ray Stevenson and Gillian Kearney in "The Tide of Life."

They will literally keep you on the edge of your seat.

Every ten minutes, someone is brutally murdered or falls in love with someone they shouldn't. The rich girl finds out she's poor. The poor girl finds out she's rich. Hatred, lust, despair ensue.


Emily Mortimer in "The Glass Virgin."

What I love about these films is that they are just really good. That's it. Very simple. Briliant acting. Gorgeous costumes. Lovely scenery. They are just nice old-fashioned films with damn good plots. Plus, there are a lot of really strong female characters, which has helped launch the careers of some pretty well-known actresses.


Catherine Zeta Jones in "The Cinder Path."

My boyfriend actually picked out Cookson's movie collection for me as a gift. Now, even he admits he's hooked. (That's huge). Every night we curl up in blankets, drink hot spiced apple cider, and get lost in a world where everything goes wrong only to end up right.


Clare Higgins in "The Secret."

So if you're bored some evening or want a little pick-me-up, go find one of these films.

I think we all could use a little excitement in our lives, guilt-free. ;)