Ottawa is playing with us a bit this year. We’ve officially hit third (THIRD) winter, and nobody is happy about it. It’s just ridiculous at this point and I am personally offended, to be honest.
There are few things that can light a spark of joy in my heart in this bleak weather, so I’ve thrown together a list of some entertainment favourites that keep me happy, even when the weather outside is frightful and safety rules prohibit a fire that could be delightful.
MUSIC
This time of year always calls me towards more chill music, to combat the months-long post-holiday hangover. Some of my current favourites are:
World on Fire – Louis the Creator, Ashe
my boy – Billie Eilish
Beautiful Little Fools – Jorja Smith
Feeling Whitney – Post Malone
1-800-273-8255 – Logic, Alessia Cara, Khalid
Also, the entirety of the Black Panther soundtrack because it’s a flawless album for a flawless movie. So good it deserves a category of its own.
BOOKS
Honestly, who can resist a good book with a cup of tea after the sun’s gone down (at like 5 pm)? With exam season around, it’s not the best time to dive into Anna Karenina or Atlas Shrugged unless you voluntarily wish to inflict pain upon yourself. No, this is the time for comforting favourites and procrastination. I mean, it’s not really procrastination if it’s reading, right?
Bad Feminist – Roxane Gay
The Fault in Our Stars – John Green
The Hate U Give – Angie Thomas
The Sun and Her Flowers (or Milk and Honey) – Rupi Kaur
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou
TV & MOVIES
Alright, let’s all be honest with ourselves and recognize we all spend far too much time on Netflix. It’s been a blessing and a curse in my life – a democratized and accessible entertainment platform that has created an addiction in my life. Modern technology is truly incredible.
About Time (2013)
-A comedy starring Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, and Bill Nighy centred around a young man looking for love. Oh, he can also travel in time. (I rarely cry at movies, but I bawl at this every time in the most heartwarming way)
-like The Notebook, Silver Linings Playbook, and The Vow
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-present, currently airing season 5)
-hands-down the funniest TV show, I’ve ever seen. Andy Samberg heads this cop show as the irresistibly dorky Detective Jake Peralta and it is just so good, I cannot recommend this show enough. It deals with racial/gender/sexual discrimination and is always SO GOOD, 10/10 would recommend, please drop everything and start it now.
-like The Office, John Mulaney: The Comeback Kid, and FRIENDS
Downton Abbey (2009-2015, 6 seasons)
-an amazing period drama that is equal parts heart-wrenching and funny. Maggie Smith destroys it as the sassy rich grandma with some fantastic one-liners that are blink-and-you’ll-miss-it among the dry British humour. Great at making me hate characters but also somehow be sad when they encounter misfortune (@Thomas)
– like The Crown, Pride and Prejudice, and Outlander
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
-Wes Anderson is universally acknowledged as a directorial genius and whether or not you like his style, you are almost 100% guaranteed to enjoy this masterpiece. Visually stimulating and aesthetically flawless, the plot and cast needn’t have been very impressive for this movie to have done well. HOWEVER, both plot and cast serve to add to the magic of this movie. It’s long but so worth every minute
– like nothing you’ve seen before in mainstream culture in my opinion (I really can’t think of a movie like it, it’s so wonderfully unique)