Quarantine Media Recommendations
By: Nikki Agrawal
Tags: Nonfiction, Fiction, Media Criticism, Quarantine, Recommendations

COVID-19 and the subsequent quarantine has changed us all. We now have more free time and even if we fill it up with things to do, we also need to destress and take time for ourselves. So, here are some media recommendations for quarantine! This collection includes some of the best and most diverse media involving women, people of color, and neurodivergent characters out of my favorite pieces of media nice and dear to today’s youth.

Fiction Books:

The Lunar Chronicles, by Marissa Meyer

The Lunar Chronicles mix two amazing genres: sci-fi and fairytale fantasy. Dive deep into a rich and diverse world of cyborgs and aliens as readers follow the main four characters: Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter, who each have a distinct personality that you are able to root for. All romantic plots are well developed — not at all rushed — and the female leads are just as strong as the male leads without being about a female-led series — it’s a series with female leads.

Cinder is an East-Asian cyborg from New Beijing who is also a skilled mechanic. Scarlet is a curvy pilot who grew up on a French farm and falls away from the mold of all main female characters being thin and willowy. Cress is a shy, nerdy hacker who grew up isolated and is the perfect example of a damsel in distress — she is scared, but she still works up the courage to fight with the other characters the entire time, an act made braver by her fear. Lastly, Winter is a half-black half-Indian character who learns to navigate mental health issues for the entire series. The majority of the characters don’t fit the mold of the stereotypical main character, and the four main characters are all strong, powerful women who we can be inspired by.

I definitely recommend it! It’ll be super easy to just curl up on the couch and get lost in the books.

2. The Three Dark Crowns Series, by Kendare Blake

Three Dark Crowns is yet another series in which all the main characters are powerful, kickass females who everyone can root for. Even better, it’s another series where the idea of a strong female lead isn’t overused and instead of a natural part of the story! The series follows the story of three sisters, all equal heirs to the crown of the island of Fennbirn and born with special powers. Mirabella, an elemental, can control the four elements, Katharine is a poisoner, who can ingest deadly poisons without blinking, and Arsinoe is a naturalist, skilled with plants and animals. However, things aren’t that simple; all three girls have to fight to the death in order to claim the crown. Part dystopia part fantasy, Three Dark Crowns is a series that won’t leave you wanting.

3. The Percy Jackson Series and Extended Universe, by Rick Riordan

The Percy Jackson Universe has something for every reader, no matter what you are looking for. The main character of the first series is a young boy, Percy, with both dyslexia and ADHD. In fact, nearly every character has these two learning disabilities, and this series was one of the first to showcase neurodiversity in mainstream media. More characters include some powerful female characters, people of color, and one of the best developed romantic relationships I have seen in a long time. The slow transition from friends to more is the best yet, not at all rushed, and over the course of five books, everyone comes to root for the couple. You’ll learn lots about Greek, Roman, Norse, and Egyptian mythology, and be able to relate to teenagers that, even though they’re demigods, are still just like us in the ways that matter.

Nonfiction Books:

Sexuality and German Fascism, by Dagmar Herzog

Sexuality and German Fascism is a rich dive into the history of Nazi Germany’s sexual politics and how the Third Reich commodified sexuality, using it as a tool to further the political agenda of the oppressive regime. It explores the blatant hypocrisy of Nazi politics through a series of essays, each by different scholars and originally published in the Journal of the History of Sexuality. All chapters dive deep into different topics on race defilement trials, the memory of Nazi persecution, homosexuality within the ranks of the SS, or Nazi Germany’s paramilitary organization, and more. While it is a thick read that will take some time to get through, it is definitely worth it, and readers will walk out with a new understanding and appreciation for the complications of politics and history. I have written a separate, deeper book review and dive into this book here.

2. Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson

Considering the current political climate around the Black Lives Matter movement, Just Mercy is the perfect book to read to educate yourself on this topic. The author Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, provides pro bono law work to people of color on death row. Stevenson weaves a compelling story about his work in freeing Walter McMillan, a black man who the criminal justice system did wrong, alongside chapters of his more recent work. He touches upon topics such as the difference between being a black and a white youth in the criminal justice system, the death penalty, cases he has won and lost, the unfairness he has seen in the world, and more, all while working through the story of Walter McMillan. I am not ashamed to say that I cried several times while reading the book, but I have never been more educated on this topic.

Television/Movies:

Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time is a television show run by ABC, currently also available on Netflix and Disney+, and is the best fairytale adaptation I have ever seen on screen. It is female-centric and takes traditional fairy tales such as Snow White and Peter Pan, and weaves them into a new universe that you’ll fall in love with. The show is centered around a singular message: hope and family, but still manages to balance action, romance, and plot at the same time. My personal favorite character is Regina, the Evil Queen, who starts out as the main villain of the show and goes through a seven season-long redemption arc that would make any viewer fall in love with her and her struggles. No character is truly evil, but they are made evil, and the show puts twists on many traditional fairy tales in a way that they are barely recognizable but still amazing. Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Frozen, Aladdin, Peter Pan, Cinderella, and more all feature in this seven-season television show that is a must-watch for any fairy-tale lover!

2. PK: A Bollywood Movie

This particular movie is unique because it isn’t an English movie, but a Hindi one! Never fear, it has English subtitles, but this particular movie is my favorite Bollywood movie and won multiple awards. It follows the story of an alien who lands on Earth and has to attempt to find his way back after his device gets lost. He grapples with humanity, love, and most of all, religion, as he attempts to understand the multiplicity of religions in India. It’s an amazing commentary on religious terrorism and the true meaning of God that made me cry near the end and tell everyone I knew about the movie. You don’t have to be a fan of non-English movies, but you’ll be a fan of this one!

3. JoJo Rabbit

JoJo Rabbit is a relatively new Oscar-winning movie and is a must-watch. It centers around a young boy whose imaginary best friend is Hitler, and as he is forced to confront the true horrors of Nazi politics from his innocent point of view. The movie hits hard and will bring tears, but is beautiful in its own way. It started as a satire but ends as something poignant and impactful.

4. 13th

This amazing documentary by film director Ava DuVernay is about the mass incarceration of African Americans. She traces the history of mass incarceration back to the end of slavery and reconstruction and the many ways in which officials found ways to enslave people of color without calling it slavery. As far as documentaries go, I’m not a huge fan, but this one I would rewatch. It’s well made, educational, and worth the watch because at the end of it, you’ll know way more about the BLM movement, mass incarceration, and the history of American oppression of people of color than you did before.

5. Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is an easy movie to add to this list; who doesn’t want to follow Diana as she kicks a**? Easily the best movie to come out of DC (in my opinion) and the better predecessor to Captain Marvel, it follows Diana as she leaves her home island of Themyscira and travels to the Earth we know and love during WWI and fights to end the war and bring peace. It’s incredibly well made and beautiful, and while the ending isn’t my favorite due to how the villain turned out and how I feel like Diana’s character development could have improved where the ending to change and she to realize more about the flaws of humanity, she changes enough as a person and learns so much that I still love her. It’s overall a great movie to watch!

We hope you enjoy it! Even with school, everyone should take the time to relax a bit.