Listen. I know you are sick and tired of hearing about this but… we have to address the elephant in the room. The nuisance that’s quite literally managed to flip our lives upside down in the past couple of months. You guessed it. Coronavirus.
As a student, I struggled. As a friend, I struggled. As a girlfriend, I struggled.
I think we all did.
But what managed to get me through it (and continues to) is focusing on doing things I love and sometimes, things that I normally wouldn’t be doing if it wasn’t for lockdown boredom. So for example, I ended up making a scrapbook, doing a 2-week exercise challenge (I know- disgusting), reading, listening to great music, painting and of course, a whole lot of Netflix binging.
And here is the result. I decided to stockpile my favourites for you and provide you with a list of book, tv shows and music recommendations that hopefully make your days a bit more exciting because if you’re like me (aka someone’s who’s still bored in the house for most of the day because you lost all chance of having a job/ summer internship due to COVID-19) then this list is for you my friend.
– BOOKS
Call me by your name- André Aciman
Where do I even start? There’s one thing you should know about this book – it is a bestseller for a reason.
The book came out in 2007 but struck the interest of many with its movie adaptation in 2017 starring Armie Hammer and the dreamy Timothee Chalamet (am I right or am I right?).
The story is set in the early 1980s where a well-educated family spends their summer holiday in northern Italy. Now, in order to avoid giving away spoilers, I’ll just say that it is all about the beauty and intensity of first love (and as many say, it proves to be unforgettable).
The books itself is beautifully written (shout-out to André Aciman) and it really does manage to transport you to the summer of ’83. Aciman’s use of detail and description is amazing while the writing continuously paints ravishing images in your head, e.g. sitting on a balcony during sunrise, swimming at noon and bike riding at sunset (perfect when you can’t leave your house because of a pandemic).
The book teaches us about how love doesn’t have to be complicated. It is harmonious, and true and real and it shows why taking that away from people who feel so deeply for one another is wrong, and always will be. The story is beautiful and tragic and consuming. It leaves you breathless at times but trust me, it is most certainly worth it.
– TV SHOWS
Anne with an E
If you’re looking for stunning visuals, an exceptional storyline and characters with a wild imagination, then ‘Anne with an E’ is the show for you. It is set in 1890s and details the story of a young orphan girl who has been through more sorrow and pain than some of us ever go through during our whole lifetimes.
But, do not fret. The story takes a rather positive outlook while following Anne on her journey of settling into a welcoming family for the first time in her life, making friends, finding love and most importantly, finding herself and her place in the world.
Apart from having a beautiful storyline, the TV show also has extraordinary cinematography and aesthetic visuals all while exploring topics that were as important in 1890s as they are today. Some of these include racism, sexism, toxic masculinity, homosexuality, sexual assault, cross-dressing, bullying, child abuse, feminism and so much more. What’s interesting is that the show manages to explore these topics in a subtle yet extremely practical way by showing you the situation from the side of the one being oppressed, which really allows you to see the world from a different perspective. This therefore means that you always end up finishing an episode with something new that you have learned (which makes you feel less bad about yourself for being lazy and watching Netflix all day). So, I call that a win-win.
– MUSIC
I don’t know about you but my music taste seems to have changed significantly during lockdown for some unknown reason. Perhaps because I had too much time on my hands? Perhaps because I was talking to my friends all day everyday sharing music recommendations as we didn’t have anything better to do? Perhaps because lockdown just… changes you? Whatever it might be, I’m glad it happened because it introduced me to a whole new side of music that I was never exposed to before.
If you know me, you know how much I like Shawn Mendes (I mean come on, I think it’s impossible not to) but I’m afraid to say my 16 year-old fangirl phase is over. Don’t get me wrong, I still like his music but quarantine really allowed me to venture off and expand my music taste. So – I went from pop to jazz to country to indie, making my Spotify account incredibly messy but hey, at least it was fun!
I’m not going to lie to you, it was pretty difficult coming up with a short list of music recommendations, but… I somehow managed. So, I hereby present to you some of my favourites:
- Sweet talk by Saint Motel
- I don’t miss you at all by FINNEAS
- Flaming hot cheetos by Clairo
- 1950 by King Princess
- Chamber of reflection by Mac DeMarco
- Cold cold cold by Cage The Elephant
- Hunnybee by Unknown Mortal Orchestra
If you end up liking these, too and you want to hear more or you just feel like following my Spotify account, here’s a link for you.
So there we have it. I hope these recommendations come in handy no matter in what stage of lockdown (or boredom) you are. Do let me know what you think once you’ve checked them out. I would genuinely love to hear your thoughts! 🙂
Speak soon,
Dimi
DaringWithDimi 