In the past month, Sunday has become my favorite day of the week, simply for the fact that when 9:00 PM rolls around, I get to check in with my favorite small town weirdos in Twin Peaks, Washington. The new season of the cult classic television program (aptly titled Twin Peaks: The Return) started airing back in May, and creators David Lynch and Mark Frost took no time at all reintroducing familiar faces, ushering in new characters, and setting the stage for some seriously twisted plot lines. While it’s hard to compare these episodes with the originals, I will say it’s exciting to be watching them in real time-it’s comforting knowing that everyone else is just as confused as I am, and I like knowing that I have a week to process each hour-long chunk of Lynch’s puzzle.

Last fall, Mark Frost published his own take on the Twin Peaks story, in The Secret History of Twin Peaks. The book is comprised of letters, files, newspaper clippings, and journal entries compiled by an unnamed archivist. The book investigates the history of Twin Peaks and the unexplained phenomena that have plagued the town and its surrounding woods for decades, starting with passages from the travel diaries of Lewis and Clark and making its way to where the series left off in 1989. If you’re new to the town of Twin Peaks, it can be read as an introduction to the series, or, if you’re returning after 25(ish) years, use it as a sort of refresher course. Either way, remember: the owls are not what they seem.

The Secret History of Twin Peaks
By Mark Frost
DB85543
A cocreator of the 1990-1991 television series provides a wide-ranging history that deepens the mysteries of the iconic town and preps fans for the upcoming cable series. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2016.