Need A New Show To Watch or Book To Read? See Our Recommendations To Fit Any Mood
If you’re anything like me, you alternate between thinking “there’s nothing to do” and “there’s too much media to consume” as we #stayhome and endure the weeks of our shelter-in-place order. After I plowed through season three of Ozark in…one day…I was left feeling like I’ve watched, read and listened to it all; there was nothing left on Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, HBO or Showtime to entertain me.
Of course, that will never be the case, but I needed some new content ideas to sprinkle in with re-runs of The Office, so I started asking friends, family and total strangers what they were enjoying during quarantine. If you’re struggling to locate your next binge-watch or book to read, below is a list of documentaries, movies, TV shows, books and podcasts to help entertain you, no matter what kind of content you’re in the mood to consume.
If you miss sports:
Documentary: Hoop Dreams – Streaming on HBO. This 1994 documentary follows two Chicago teens and their dreams of becoming professional basketball players.
TV Show: Friday Night Lights – Streaming on Hulu. This NBC drama is set in the small town of Dillon, TX where high school football is a way of life.
Book: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. This non-fiction novel tells the story of the University of Washington rowing team and their journey to the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Podcast: 30 for 30. From the makers of the 30 for 30 film series, this ESPN podcast is streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
If you want to feel inspired:
Docuseries: Pick of the Litter – Streaming on Disney+. Love dogs? This docuseries follows puppies through their training for the Guide Dogs For The Blind program.
TV Show: Super Soul Sunday – Available to stream on the OWN App with a cable subscription. Now in its ninth season, Oprah Winfrey sits down with thought leaders and creators across many industries to discuss spirituality, creativity, fulfillment and more.
Book: Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear. Clear’s book both inspires self-improvement and provides an action plan so you can start practicing tips and tricks for building better habits immediately.
Podcast: School of Greatness. In this podcast, host Lewis Howes interviews guests about everything from business and entrepreneurship to relationships and health.
If you want to learn something new:
Docuseries: The Imagineering Story – Streaming on Disney+. If you’ve ever visited Disneyland or Walt Disney World, this docuseries takes you behind the scenes to show how the “Happiest Place On Earth” was created.
Online Class: MasterClass – Purchase a pass on MasterClass website. What do Serena Williams, Gordon Ramsey and Anna Wintour have in common? They all recorded sessions with MasterClass, an educational platform where students can access lectures and tutorials from experts in various fields.
Related: Looking for more ways to learn? Check out Coursera and Lynda
Book: Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed With Early Achievement by Rich Karlgaard. The publisher of Forbes takes you through stories of successful entrepreneurs who got their starts later in life, intertwined with psychological studies about the benefits of finding your way as an adult.
Podcast: Stuff You Should Know – Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you’re interested in history, science, pop culture and everything in between, there’s an episode of this podcast for you.
If you want to escape reality:
Movie: Midsommar – Streaming on Amazon Prime. A couple travels to Sweden for a rural town’s Midsommar Festival, but what begins as a countryside retreat quickly turns into a violent competition.
TV Show: How To Fix A Drug Scandal – Streaming on Netflix. The latest from Netflix, this 4-part series follows the true story of two chemists at a state drug lab who tampered with evidence in cases involving drug-related criminal charges.
Book: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Set in Chicago, this science-fiction thriller follows Jason Dessen, a man who continuously wakes up in alternate universes.
Podcast: Rabbits. The host of this podcast goes in search of a missing friend and finds herself in a decades-old alternate reality game known as Rabbits.
If you want to be spooked:
Movie: The Invisible Man – Available for rent on Amazon Prime. Elisabeth Moss stars in this modern re-telling of the famed HG Wells novel.
TV Show: The Haunting of Hill House – Streaming on Netflix. With a possible season 2 dropping this year, you’ll want to start this ghost story about siblings that grew up in the most famous haunted house in the country.
Book: The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup. In this psychological thriller, a killer is terrorizing Copenhagen, leaving behind “chestnut man” dolls at every murder scene that leaves detectives wondering how and why these murders are connected.
Podcast: Up and Vanished. In season one of this podcast, host Payne Lindsey investigates the disappearance of Texas high school teacher Tara Grinstead.
Post written by FFC Contributor Natalie Casper.
