The Books, Podcasts and Films Getting Us Through Lockdown

Here we’ve shared some of our favourite books, podcasts and films for lockdown.

Books

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Henrietta Lacks, better known to scientists as HeLa, was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization, and more. Henrietta’s cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family can’t afford health insurance. A fascinating and eye-opening read. 

Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer
This non-fiction book written by Jon Krakauer tells the story of Chris McCandless who in April 1992 set off alone into the Alaskan wild. He had given his savings to charity and abandoned his possessions, determined to live a life of independence. Just four months later, Chris was found dead. Although it was a terribly sad ending for Chris, Into the Wild is a modern classic of travel writing and it manages to live and breathe the spirit of McCandless.

Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore
Reincarnation Blues is the story of a man who has been reincarnated almost 10,000 times in search of the secret to immortality so that he can be with his beloved, the incarnation of Death. It’s a completely unique book, like nothing we’ve read before and manages to be hilariously funny one minute and painfully sad the next. This is our go-to Lockdown book!

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
Phil Knight’s memoir documenting his journey from selling shoes out the back of his car to the now billion dollar company is a fascinating insight into what was not an easy journey. Perfect inspiring read as well as a brilliantly written story. 

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
This satirical war novel is not an easy read, describing events from the points of view of different characters with separate storylines that are out of sequence so the timeline develops along with the plot. But it is also considered one of the most significant novels of all time. 

Podcasts

That Peter Crouch Podcast
Crouchy’s podcast has taken the nation by storm with his football insight, banter and honesty. Filled with hilarious stories, this is one of our favourite podcasts. 

My Favourite Murder
Ok, not one for if you’re home alone but My Favourite Murder is a true crime podcast where the hosts literally tell you the stories of their ‘favourite murder’. They’re not sicko’s, just fancinated by murder. If you love Netflix true crime docs then you’ll enjoy My Favourite Murder.

Fearne Cotton Happy Place
Right, well after some murder you might want to chill out with Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place. Fearne talks to special guests about life, love and well, just about everything,  sharing what happiness means to them.

My Dad Wrote A Porno
My Dad Wrote A Porno is our top recommendation if you’re looking for belly laughs. Hosted by Jamie Morton, James Cooper, and Alice Levine, each episode Morton reads a new chapter of his dad’s amateur erotic novel, Belinda Blinked. Believe the hype, it really is as good as it sounds.

Athletico Mince
What started as a football podcast with Bob Mortimer and Andy Dawson has soon become more of a comedic take on the world of football and many other random topics of conversation. It’s Bob Mortimer at his best.

Stuff You Should Know
Know here’s one to feed your brain with. Stuff You Should Know is great for providing insight on random topics, stories and origins of many things that you might not have spent much time thinking about before. It’s Insightful and fun at the same time. If you want to know more about Ouija Boards, Cockney Rhyming Slang, Tin Pan Alley and so much more then this is the podcast for you.

Films

Groundhog Day
We probably all feel a bit like everyday is Groundhog day at the moment with the continuous cycle of life in lockdown. Well, let the legend that is Bill Murray guide you through how to live through these tough times…erm not really. Please don’t drive a car off cliff. Instead just enjoy this cult classic comedy. 

The Irishman
If you’ve not found the time to watch The Irishman yet then now is the perfect time. That 3 and a half hour running time doesn’t seem like so much of a challenge now does it?

Creep & Creep 2
After stumbling across these films on Netflix a while back we loved just how, well, creepy the franchise is. Probably not a great recommendation if you’re watching alone unless you’re feeling brave, but they’re a great distraction from the crazy lockdown world.

The Big Lebowski
We had to throw a classic like The Big Lebowski in here didn’t we. So get yourself a White Russian, sit back and enjoy.

Jumanji (Original)
Jumanji is one of our favourite childhood films so it has a comforting effect whenever we decide to watch it. Although there’s nothing actually comforting about the concept of being a child and having to outrun an animal stampede, hide from a big-game hunter and trying to survive an earthquake! It’s a must-watch.

Interstellar
Here’s the thought-provoking film that this list was missing. If you’ve watched Interstellar once or twice and are still trying to unpick it then you’ve got time on your hands to give it another go. Or if like us you just love this film then there’s no shame in giving it a 37th watch.

If you’re looking for more recomendations then check out our Top Ten Nerdy Box Sets For Quarantine.

What have been your favourite books podcasts and films for lockdown? Let us know in the comments below.