Coming home for the holidays has always been a time for relaxation and reflection, but even more so this year. With reduced opportunities for social interaction and events, it proved the perfect time to go back to my bucket list of books, movies and shows that I’ve been wanting to watch and read for ages but never find the time to. And by ages, I mean books I’ve had for years standing lonely on the shelf for years…

So here are a couple of my favourite things that kept me entertained and cozy at home while watching heavy rain outside, let me forget my science degree for a month and helped me travel in time and away from my room.

The Alienist (TV series):

Having watched the first season last year, I was very excited for the second volume of this series coming out on Netflix in June 2020. Yes, that was six months ago, but my to-watch summer list was long and I couldn’t trust myself with a binge-worthy mystery show in the middle of the term. So now I finally had the time, and quickly, but attentively, finished those eight 50 minutes-long episodes.

The Alienist is a crime series set in the 1800s New York City. Its title refers to Dr Laszlo Kreizler (Daniel Brül), who worked as an alienist, a similar profession to what we would now call a psychiatrist. He, along with first female NYPD Sara Howard (Dakota Fanning) and their loyal friend John Moore (Luke Evans) will try to find out the truth behind mysterious murders of young boys who found themselves in a dangerous profession (season 1) and disappearing babies (season 2). There are secrets, there is love, and a very appealing early 19th century atmosphere.

Pose (TV series):

MJ Rodriguez, Billy Porter, Indya Moore, Dominique Jackson, Evan Peters (season 1)

Starring MJ Rodriguez, Billy Porter and Indya Moore among others, Pose is a series focusing on the ballroom community of New York in the late 80s and early 90s. It is a story of resilience of the African-America and Latinx LGBTQ+ community – who had to battle with living in a society that doesn’t want them – making their own space, and the tragedies and prejudice of the AIDS epidemic.

MJ Rodriguez portrays Blanca, a trans woman who leaves her chosen family, her House, to start one of her own and become a Mother competing in balls with her children, young people who often have lost their home because of their sexuality or gender. Her good friends such as Pray Tell (Billy Porter) help them navigate life and changes – yes, you will hear Porter sing, so you don’t want to miss that.

Watching this show was a great reminder that, no matter how many obstacles the world throws at you, there’s always a way forward. There are only two seasons so far, so now is a great time to start following it before having to catch up before the third volume comes out!

Twilight in Italy (book) by DH Lawrence:

This short novel could be described as a series of essays showing, through words, the landscape and people of Northern Italy and its boarders in the early 20th century, as Lawrence found it during his travels. What I liked the most was how the author described the people he encountered, almost like painting a portrait of their essence. He described nature too, making sure to voice his opinions, going from praise to deception along his journey and reflecting about the human temper.

But the highlight of reading this book was the fact that it was an old, used paperback that I got as a Secret Santa gift. More sustainable, with an unknown history and an unknown giver, it made the perfect mysterious relic that I hope to keep for a long time.