Lockdown Recommendations
I've seen a lot of people recommending comfort reads, but I'm really enjoying reading a book with some parallels to our current lockdown. If you're struggling with anxiety, you might be better off checking out last week's blog post on books that evoke place, but for everyone else, check out my recommendations for books and films about isolation and lockdowns:
The Last
My current read. This dystopian thriller follows an American academic stranded at a Swiss hotel as the world descends into nuclear war, who becomes obsessed with identifying a murderer in their midst after the body of a young girl is discovered in one of the hotel’s water tanks.
I'd recommend this one if you enjoyed And Then There Were None (the BBC adaptation from 2015 is also worth a watch if you liked the book).
The Mandibles: A Family, 2029–2047
This one's been playing on my mind recently. The year is 2029, and in a coordinated move by the rest of the world’s governments, the dollar loses all its value. The American President declares that the States will default on all its loans - prices skyrocket, currency becomes essentially worthless, and we watch one family struggle to survive through it all.
The Road
I keep seeing references to this one on social media. A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Their destination is the coast, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food - and each other.
If you've already read this dystopian classic, check out The Girl With All the Gifts. Both also have film adaptations which look promising, although I haven't yet watched either myself.
The Shining
Another thriller set in a hotel on lockdown. Danny is only five years old but in the words of Old Mr Hallorann he is a ‘shiner,’ aglow with psychic voltage. When his father becomes caretaker of the Overlook hotel, Danny’s visions grow out of control.
If you enjoyed this one, check out the film adaptation (I didn't actually enjoy it, but I'm definitely in a minority), and the sequel, Doctor Sleep, which is on my to-read list.
The Martian
Moving on to sci-fi, this book is still on my to-read list, but I really enjoyed the film. Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.
If you enjoyed this one, I also loved Gravity (2013). I still have to watch Interstellar (2014).
Life of Pi
An excellent book to read during the lockdown. After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, one solitary lifeboat remains bobbling on the wild, blue Pacific. The only survivors from the wreck are a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi, a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orangutan... and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger.
The film is also stunning.
Moon (2009)
Moving on to films, I've been wanting to watch this one for a while, and now seems the perfect time. The film follows Sam Bell, a man who experiences a personal crisis as he nears the end of a three-year solitary stint mining helium-3 on the far side of the Moon.
Wakefield (2016)
Another one on my to-watch list. Bryan Cranston gives the performance of a lifetime as Howard Wakefield, a lawyer on the edge of madness who has decided to disassociate himself from his own life.
The Lighthouse (2019)
In a similar vein, two lighthouse keepers try to maintain their sanity whilst living on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s. I also haven't found time to watch this one yet.
Ad Astra (2019)
This one I have watched! Astronaut Roy McBride undertakes a mission across an unforgiving solar system to uncover the truth about his missing father and his doomed expedition that now, 30 years later, threatens the universe.
See any of your favourites on here? What are you currently reading and watching during the lockdown?
The Last
My current read. This dystopian thriller follows an American academic stranded at a Swiss hotel as the world descends into nuclear war, who becomes obsessed with identifying a murderer in their midst after the body of a young girl is discovered in one of the hotel’s water tanks.
I'd recommend this one if you enjoyed And Then There Were None (the BBC adaptation from 2015 is also worth a watch if you liked the book).
The Mandibles: A Family, 2029–2047
This one's been playing on my mind recently. The year is 2029, and in a coordinated move by the rest of the world’s governments, the dollar loses all its value. The American President declares that the States will default on all its loans - prices skyrocket, currency becomes essentially worthless, and we watch one family struggle to survive through it all.
The Road
I keep seeing references to this one on social media. A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Their destination is the coast, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food - and each other.
If you've already read this dystopian classic, check out The Girl With All the Gifts. Both also have film adaptations which look promising, although I haven't yet watched either myself.
The Shining
Another thriller set in a hotel on lockdown. Danny is only five years old but in the words of Old Mr Hallorann he is a ‘shiner,’ aglow with psychic voltage. When his father becomes caretaker of the Overlook hotel, Danny’s visions grow out of control.
If you enjoyed this one, check out the film adaptation (I didn't actually enjoy it, but I'm definitely in a minority), and the sequel, Doctor Sleep, which is on my to-read list.
The Martian
Moving on to sci-fi, this book is still on my to-read list, but I really enjoyed the film. Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.
If you enjoyed this one, I also loved Gravity (2013). I still have to watch Interstellar (2014).
Life of Pi
An excellent book to read during the lockdown. After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, one solitary lifeboat remains bobbling on the wild, blue Pacific. The only survivors from the wreck are a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi, a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orangutan... and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger.
The film is also stunning.
Moon (2009)
Moving on to films, I've been wanting to watch this one for a while, and now seems the perfect time. The film follows Sam Bell, a man who experiences a personal crisis as he nears the end of a three-year solitary stint mining helium-3 on the far side of the Moon.
Wakefield (2016)
Another one on my to-watch list. Bryan Cranston gives the performance of a lifetime as Howard Wakefield, a lawyer on the edge of madness who has decided to disassociate himself from his own life.
The Lighthouse (2019)
In a similar vein, two lighthouse keepers try to maintain their sanity whilst living on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s. I also haven't found time to watch this one yet.
Ad Astra (2019)
This one I have watched! Astronaut Roy McBride undertakes a mission across an unforgiving solar system to uncover the truth about his missing father and his doomed expedition that now, 30 years later, threatens the universe.
See any of your favourites on here? What are you currently reading and watching during the lockdown?
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