The Monthly Media Catchup: Everything I Read, Watched & Listened To | April 2020 (BUMPER LOCKDOWN EDITION)
My coping mechanism during lockdown has been to escape into the lives and worlds of others and it’s provided me with so much solace and much-needed escapism. To celebrate how great all forms of media can be for this purpose, I’m offering up a bumper lockdown edition of the Monthly Media Catch Up with all the usual categories as well as a General Entertainment section, with all the random things that have been keeping me entertained as well as the usuals.
This month, I think I’ve balanced uni reading and reading for pleasure pretty well and have managed to watch a fair few TV series, alongside Sex & The City - although I won’t be chatting about it this month because, somehow, I still haven’t completed it - and re-watching The Bold Type for the umpteenth time. I’ve also watched a lot of films (for me), maybe more than ever?! Netflix Parties have been something that I’ve been really enjoying and I’ve watched (mostly re-watched) some brilliant films with my friends via this medium.
Feel free to skip through categories depending on what you’re looking for, although there are some real gems in each of them so I’d, obviously, recommended reading them all, especially now the ‘I don’t have time’ excuse is a phrase of the past.
Books
Animal’s People by Indra sinha | ★★★★*
This novel, that I read for my Humans & Other Animals module at uni, follows Animal, who survived the 1984 Bhopal disaster but sustained serious spinal injuries as a result of it which means he can only walk on all fours. Because of this, he rejects his humanness and, in this novel, he tells the story of his friends who are fighting for justice after the disaster and an American doctor who claims she wants to help, particularly, how these events affect him. The novel is written in dialect that is specific to Animal and his tone is often humorous, which I really enjoyed. The story is also gripping and moving at times, and highlights lots of issues including white/western privilege and, of course, the boundaries between human and animal.
None Turn Back by storm jameson | ★★★*
The final Storm Jameson book I read for my dissertation! This one is also the final book in the Mirror in Darkness series and is set during the 1926 General Strike. I enjoyed it and I liked how the trilogy ended, but if you’re interested in reading Storm Jameson, I would start with A Day Off and if you like that, Company Parade. If you loved both of these, I would say the rest of the Mirror in Darkness trilogy, but if you only liked them, I think Company Parade is the best in the series and the next two are slightly disappointing.
my year of rest and relaxation by ottessa moshfegh | ★★★★*
This novel is about a young woman living in New York who decides to try and sleep for a year, after her both of her parents die and she inherits a great deal of money, so is able to do so. I really enjoyed this novel. It was witty and hilarious and the protagonist was horribly unlikeable which added to the humour even more. Her friendship with her closest friend Reva was fascinating and her therapist’s rants had me laughing out loud. At times, I did find it very depressing, especially as it slowed down and became repetitive in the middle. But the novel was so unique that some of the slower parts really didn’t bother me as much and I loved the ending, which was so cliched that it was somehow innovative. 4.5 stars.
We are all completely beside ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler | ★★★★*
Another book I read for the Humans & Other Animals module! I loved this one. It’s difficult to explain as something is revealed on p.77, that I would hate to spoil for you, as the tension built up before this point is really necessary and pays off completely. But it follows Rosemary who, when we meet her, is a college student, but has clearly been deeply affected by her childhood with a sister who was taken away from her at a very young age. The novel tracks Rosemary’s life as she tries to deal with this, exploring the human/non-human animal boundary and the ethics of science. Like Animal’s People, though, it managed to find the perfect boundary between a fast-paced plot and confronting important issues. Although I think I enjoyed this one even more than Animal’s People because the concept is fascinating to me.
never let me go by kazuo ishiguro | ★★★★*
Again, I read this for Humans & Other Animals, although I have read it before a few years ago. This one is a bit like We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, in that information is revealed to you throughout the novel that, if I told you what it was now, it wouldn’t have the same effect. What I will say is that it’s semi-dystopian and tracks the lives of three students, Kathy, Ruth and Tommy, who are brought up at a boarding school called Hailsham, who know less about the trajectory of their lives than they think. It’s a really novel and thought-provoking idea for a book and I also really enjoy the characters, as they’re all extremely complicated and, at times, unlikeable, which I think makes the book an even more interesting read.
The Interestings by meg wolitzer | ★★★★*
I read this book after hearing Dolly and Pandora rave about it on The High Low, which is how lots of books make it on to my shelves. I’ve heard a lot of people say they loved this book, which I think gave me very high expectations. This is never a good way to come to a book, or anything, in my opinion, because it means I’m constantly looking for flaws. I don’t know if this says more about me than expectations as a concept generally. Nevertheless, although I enjoyed reading this book and was excited to get back to it once I had put it down, I didn’t love it by any means. The only character who I found really endearing was Jonah and he probably had the least time dedicated to him out of all the characters, which is a shame. I had the same problem with it that I had with the The Secret History by Donna Tartt which is that, for me, there were too many people and we saw too much of their lives, so anytime I became interested in a particular incident, we’d soon moved on from it, and the plot lines that Wolitzer did hold on to and thread throughout the novel just weren’t interesting to me (read: Goodman as a character). It’s for sure worth a read if you’re looking for an easy read and I did enjoy Wolitzer’s writing, it just wasn’t my favourite. 3.5 stars.
TV
Quiz (ITV) | ★★★★
I saw this show advertised a lot and, like the basic Fleabag-loving bitch I am, I was drawn to it mostly by Sian Clifford. It’s a drama/comedy that’s only three episodes long (which is perfect for me, as I have serious commitment issues when it comes to TV series) and is based on Charles and Diana Ingram who supposedly cheated on Who Want’s To Be a Millionaire. It was really funny and I was honestly on the edge of my seat throughout (this is the level of drama I can just about deal with on TV.)
Unorthodox (Netflix) | ★★★★
My nan recommended this show to me and I decided to watch it, despite usually avoiding “serious” TV, as she assured me that it wouldn’t be too much for my fragile self. And I loved it! It’s based on the story of a 19 year old woman who fled her home and her Orthodox Jewish family in New York to move to Berlin. Like most of the things I clearly enjoy, it was equal-parts educational and gripping and has made me desperate to visit Berlin again. Plus, all the characters were really complicated, which was interesting (apart from Moishe, what a dick.)
normal people (BBC) | ★★★★★
I am truly lost for words when it comes to this series. Having read Sally Rooney’s novel, Normal People, a couple of years ago, I was really looking forward to the BBC adaptation, but it was better than I could have ever accepted. I usually can’t sit still long enough to watch more than two episodes of anything at a time, but I was so enthralled by Normal People, that I watched the entire series in a day. One week later and I still feel so moved by it. I can’t watch a clip from the series online without bursting into tears. I can’t recommend it enough if you’re craving any kind of escapism, although, do be warned, that if you watch it in a day like I did, you may be unable to talk to anyone in the days following.
film
Mistress America | ★★★
If you’ve read my blog before, you probably know that I’m a big Greta Gerwig fan. Netflix clearly knows this too as they have been constantly recommending this film to me for the past couple of months. It’s nothing revolutionary but I really enjoyed it. It stars Gerwig, who is in her mid-late twenties and presents as the “cool girl”, and Lola Kirke, a college student who greatly admires Gerwig’s character. If you track what I’ve consumed in this (or any) blog post, you’ll notice a lot of it is in New York, as this immediately gives any piece of media an added charm for me, and it certainly did here. It was an easy watch that I enjoyed but it’s not neccesarily something I’ll remember.
Erin Brokovich | ★★★★
I’d somehow never seen this film and was really excited to watch it, having loved all of Julia Robert’s other films. This one really exceeded my expectations, with the added socio-political layer, as well as Robert’s classic charm (and great looks). Erin Brokovich is a struggling mother who gets a job doing admin at a lawyer firm, but she soon becomes invested in a case that is looking at how the water in a town has been poisoned by a gas and electric company. 4.5 stars.
you’ve got mail | ★★★
As well as Julia Robert’s films, I’m trying to make my way through the Meg Ryan classics, and this one, which also stars Tom Hanks was perfect for a relaxed Saturday night whilst I was also filling in scrapbooks. Ryan and Hanks meet anonymously in an online chat room, unaware that in the real world they are rivals, professionally, as Ryan owns an independent book store and Hanks works for the family business, a corporate book store business who are trying to shut down independents. It felt nostalgic in so many ways, obviously in that online dating is a novelty rather than the norm here, but also in that any book store is a good book store nowadays, given how few and far in between they are. The film is definitely dated which I enjoyed but I don’t think it’s one I’ll go back to again and again.
clueless | ★★★★
I re-watched this classic via Netflix Party and loved it so much. I mainly enjoyed Cher’s iconic outfits and quotes.
legally blonde | ★★★★
I’ve watched this before but I forgot how great the story actually is. It’s genuinely feminist and the script is hilarious. Also, I’ll watch Selma Blair in anything.
podcasts
sugar calling | ★★★★
In this New York Times Podcast, created specifically for lockdown, Cheryl Strayed calls up older writers, to get their words of wisdom on how to deal with these “unprecedented times.” It’s the perfect listening for your daily walk and I can highly recommend starting at the very beginning, with the episode calling up George Saunders, whose words feel like a warm hug, which, I’m sure, we’re all craving more than ever.
honourable mentions:
articles
How Does Infidelity Work During Lockdown? by Lisa Taddeo | Sunday Times Style
Drew Barrymore on the Importance of Letting Go | Sunday Times Style
David Sedaris: I sneak outside to a New York in which I am the only person | The Times
general entertainment
NY Times Daily Mini Crossword (I do this every day)
New Yorker Digital Jigsaw (perfect for when you’re bored during an online class)
PhotoBox personalised jigsaw (I had one made of my cat, which is so much fun)
The humble Nintendo Wii (switches are expensive and nothing beats playing Mario Kart on a Wii)
Barre Balance Online (such a lovely community and Natalie is the best instructor)
Healthy With Hannah Workouts (Hannah is the only person who actually motivates me to do burpees, but don’t tell her that)
The Anna Edit Cookies (the tastiest thing I’ve ever baked, I’m partial to the white chocolate ones)
Paperchase Scrapbook (scrapbooking is a lovely way to fill the time and this scrapbook is the best I’ve found)
Understanding Fashion: From Business to Culture course on FutureLearn (I’ve been doing this course on a free trial on FutureLearn and it’s really comprehensive)
music
My April playlist amassed a total of three songs because I’ve mostly been listening to album’s and other people’s playlists this month. So, here are said playlists I’ve been listening to. The first is by the wonderful Liv Playlist and the second is the best workout playlist I’ve ever come across (it’s also great for dancing around your room and pretending it’s 2015). Happy listening!