Today was a holiday, but that didn’t stop me from working. I updated the tasks for tomorrow, so I’ll only have to answer questions and still tackle that exam I need to grade.
I promised you some entertainment tips to help get through these days, so without further ado, here’s a list of suggestions:
Books
On the non-fiction side:
- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell: A fascinating exploration of why certain people succeed.
- Winners Take All by Anand Giridharadas: A critical look at the rich elite and their philanthropic endeavors—and why that’s often a problem. Entertaining and thought-provoking.
- Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari: An intriguing look at the history of mankind.
- Five Came Back by Mark Harris: The WWII experiences of five legendary film directors.
On the fiction side:
- Anything by Neil Gaiman is usually a great idea.
- John August recently released the final book in his middle-grade series, Arlo Finch in the Kingdom of Shadows—fun and exciting bedtime reading.
- For a little apocalyptic preparation (just kidding): World War Z by Max Brooks.
Music
I listen to a lot of music while working from home. Subscribing to streaming services is great for trying out new things. Right now, I’m really into Max Richter’s work. I also stumbled upon an “Early Music” playlist—those old chords have a soothing quality that I’m finding quite comforting these days.
Movies
With theaters closed, now’s the time to revisit classics or explore some lesser-known titles:
- Everyone seems to be watching Contagion or Outbreak right now.
- If you’re into self-punishment, Cats is out on VOD.
- For something animated, the recent DC flicks The Death and Return of Superman and Superman: Red Son are worth checking out.
- On my rewatch list: Dawn of the Dead (both versions) and The Andromeda Strain. Sensing a theme here?
TV
- There’s a new season of Cosmos airing, titled Cosmos: Parallel Worlds. It’s quite good.
- I started The Outsider and, three episodes in, I’m hooked—it’s a gritty cop procedural meets…well, no spoilers!
- The latest episode of Star Trek: Picard was pretty interesting; the season finale is next week.
- For something older and much weirder: Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace. Too strange to describe, but it’s on YouTube. You’re welcome.
YouTube
Speaking of YouTube, here are some channel recommendations:
- Patrick Willems, Bob Chipman, and Lindsay Ellis all produce excellent video essays about movies.
- Sideways is perfect if you’re into film music.
- For food and cooking fans, check out SORTEDfood.
Games
I dusted off my PS5 and Switch recently. While I was waiting for The Last of Us Part II and Cyberpunk 2077, I’ve started playing Detroit: Become Human and Luigi’s Mansion 3.
So that’s it for today. Stay healthy and see you tomorrow! 😊
Go figure. 🙂
