My Lockdown Loves - Everything I've Been Watching, Reading and Listening To

I don't know about you, but one of my biggest coping mechanisms during the current pandemic has been the various forms of media we have access to. Not only have I filled my spare time by binging TV shows and reading new books, but they've also distracted me and created a sense of escapism. Since I know a lot of people will be in the same position and are perhaps looking for recommendations, I thought I'd share all of the TV shows, books and podcasts that I've currently been obsessing over, and I hope that some of them will be perfect for you!

Currently Watching...
I've just finished watching The Bold Type and I'm feeling a bit lost now that it's over. For those of you who don't know, the series is about three best friends who all work for a Cosmopolitan-esque magazine in New York, following their careers as well as all of the drama in their love life, friendship issues and much more. It's so addictive and I was hooked right from the first episode, and the series further ignited my dreams of working for a magazine one day. I also finished watching Next In Fashion, which is Alexa Chung and Tan France's competition show on Netflix. They are searching for the best new designer through a series of weekly challenges and runway shows, which I found particularly inspiring as I'm currently learning how to sew. It's very interesting to see the behind-the-scenes process of creating each garment, and I guarantee that you'll be able to binge through this series in no time.

Although I much prefer watching a series than a film (my attention span just can't handle anything longer than an hour), I watched The Hustle starring Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. This crime-meets-comedy film had me laughing the whole way through, and even my boyfriend liked it which is a good sign.

Up next... I'm dying to watch the TV adaptation of Normal People which came out a few days ago, as I fell in love with the book earlier this year and need to see if the series does it justice. I've actually heard a few people say that they prefer it over the Sally Rooney novel, so I definitely have high hopes!

Currently Listening To...

I haven't made many new discoveries on the music front lately, but I've been obsessed with various podcasts instead. A new favourite has been Reply All (particularly the episodes The Case of the Missing Hit and Long Distance) as they are fascinating stories of human experience and technology that will leave you completely floored. I can't say much more without spoiling what happens, but each episode will have you completely engaged for the entire hour.

Another podcast that I've been listening to frequently is Fashion No Filter, which was a recommendation by fellow fashion-obsessed Emilie. This follows two journalists who give a behind-the-scenes glance into the world of fashion, and it's an incredibly eye-opening view into an industry that previously felt quite secretive and exclusive. I've also been listening to According 2 by Megan and Ciera quite a lot since I also watch their Youtube channel, and I've found that their discussions on a variety of different events and aspects of teenage life are perfect to listen to in the background as I'm going about my daily business.

Up next... I've heard nothing but good things about The High Low, which is hosted by Pandora Sykes and Dolly Alderton, so I think that'll be the next thing I listen to. Also, I really want to get into listening to audiobooks, as I've only used them for university texts but want to expand my horizons, so I'd love to know your recommendations!

Currently Reading...

As I'm still in the middle of my essay season, a lot of my reading has been university texts that I needed to re-read whilst planning my essays. This included Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf and A Day Off by Storm Jameson. I enjoyed both of these and found that they compared well with one another, so if you're interested in modernist day-novels set in London then these will be right up your street. I'm also currently reading Gifted by Nikita Lalwani, which was one of the novels I was supposed to study but didn't get the chance to due to the strike action. It follows a young girl who has to balance her strict Indian family with her natural talent as a maths prodigy, and so far it has been incredibly eye-opening.

I've also been reading a lot of magazines lately since I've discovered my passion for journalism and want to explore it as a potential career path. I've been using the Readly app as a place to collect all of these and keep track of my favourite articles, plus it's way less expensive than having physical magazine subscriptions. I'd love to do a blog post in the future sharing some of my favourite articles, so if that's something you'd like to see then make sure you let me know!

Up next... I feel like my TBR list is huge since I've been restricted to reading university books, so I'm hoping that I'll be able to get stuck into some of my own choices once my essays are finished. Although I could write a huge list of books that I want to read, at the top of this is Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky, since I fell in love with The Perks of Being a Wallflower when I was a teenager, and Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman (I can't believe I've not read this yet!)

I'd love to know what you've been watching, reading and listening to while stuck in lockdown, so make sure you let me know down in the comments!