#StayHome Staff Picks!
Looking for inspiration for the duration of quarantine? We’ve got you! One of the most important steps we can take right now is to stay home whenever possible. When we’re on our couch, just snackin’ and hangin’ out, we’re protecting our loved ones, neighbors, and community and helping to limit the spread of COVID-19. But, all this home alone time might leave you feeling a bit cooped up and scratching your head on what to read, watch, listen to…
We’ve compiled Bridgercare Staff Picks for books, movies + shows, and podcasts to transport you to another space and time while riding out days of social and physical distancing!
Books
“Tribe” by Sebastian Junger - This little book is packed with absolutely fascinating info. We have a strong instinct to belong to small groups defined by clear purpose and understanding, but this tribal connection has been largely lost in modern society. But what does that mean for our psychological survival?
“Educated” by Tara Westover - If you haven’t read it yet… you gotta! A memoir of a girl who really leaps over barrier after barrier to go to college.
“Born A Crime” by Trevor Noah - Stories from a South African childhood. A must-read.
“Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer - A book exploring plants and botany as seen through Native American traditions and Western scientific traditions.
“Timequake” by Kurt Vonnegut - The last novel that Kurt ever wrote (probably). There's been a timequake. And everyone—even you—must live the decade between February 17, 1991, and February 17, 2001, over again.
“A Girl Named Zippy” by Haven Kimmel - This memoir describes the Kimmel’s childhood who grew up in the 1960s in the small town of Mooreland, Indiana. It’s 275 pages of pure shenanigans!
"Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson - An unforgettable true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us and a clarion call to end mass incarceration in America - from one of the most inspiring lawyers of our time.
“She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders” by Jennifer Finney Boylan - “When she changed genders, she changed the world.” By turns hilarious and deeply moving, Boylan explores the territory that lies between men and women, examines changing friendships, and rejoices in the redeeming power of love and family.
“The Birth of the Pill: How Four Crusaders Reinvented Sex and Launched a Revolution” by Jonathon Eig - We had to throw at least one reproductive-health-themed read in there! ;) It’s the fascinating story of one of the most important scientific discoveries of the twentieth century which we at Bridgercare know so well: the birth control pill.
Movies & TV Shows
Harry Potter - No explanation needed! No time like the present for a magical marathon of HP!
Pan’s Labyrinth - This film is set in the Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world. If you’re looking for something twisted but beautiful, this is worth the watch.
Sex Education - But of course! This series on Netflix follows a socially awkward teen and his mom, a sex therapist. He finds himself educating his classmates on their own sexual problems.
Little Women - The 2019 adaptation of this classic story is so beautiful! The story follows the lives of the four March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—and details their passage from childhood to adulthood. Their stories have never gotten old!
Unbelievable - This TV series follows Marie, a teenager who was charged with lying about having been raped, and the two detectives who followed a twisting path to arrive at the truth.
Roma - Set in 1970 and 1971, this film follows the life of a live-in housekeeper of a middle-class family in Mexico City.
Parks and Recreation - Absolutely bingeworthy! Trail along with the crew of the Parks and Recreation Department of Pawnee, Indiana in this 7-season show. It’s a hoot.
Podcasts
This American Life - This is a MUST. Mostly they do journalism, but an entertaining kind of journalism that’s built around plot. In other words, stories! The sorts of stories that have compelling people at the center of them, funny moments, big feelings, surprising plot twists, and interesting ideas. Like little movies for radio.
Two Dope Queens - Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams host a live comedy show in Brooklyn, along with their favorite comedians! They share unforgettable stories about sex, romance, race, living in New York, and Billy Joel. And a whole lot more!
It Takes a Nation - Created by current Bozeman resident Terry Bradley, this podcast provides a platform to facilitiate genuine, honest and open dialogue. Through an Indigenous community-based lens, this podcast provides a unique approach and narrative to politics, civic engagement, community and pop culture.
Believed - How did Larry Nassar, an Olympic gymnastics doctor, get away with abusing hundreds of women and girls for two decades? Believed is an inside look at how a team of women won a conviction in one of the largest serial sexual abuse cases in U.S. history. It's a story of survivors finding their power in a cultural moment when people are coming to understand how important that is. It's also an unnerving exploration of how even well-meaning adults can fail to believe.
Criminal - Hosted by Phoebe Judge… who just knocks it out of the park, every episode! Stories of people who've done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle.
We Are HER - Hosted by Bozemanite Emily Kempe, this is a podcast for survivors of abuse or assault to share their stories.
Memory Palace - A storytelling podcast about the past. Hosted by Nate DiMeo, it was named a finalist for a Peabody Award back in 2016. It'll pull at your heartstrings, for sure.
Ologies - Learn everything about everything! Volcanoes. Trees. Drunk butterflies. Mars missions. Slug sex. Death. Beauty Standards. Beer Science. Alie Ward meets with "ologists" of all kinds to dive into topics you didn't even know existed! That’s all for now! We hope this gave you a few ideas of how to pass a few hours. We’re off to go support the extraordinary artists & creators who share these important stories. After all, their books and films and episodes are what we turn to when we need connection, now more than ever!
Now, pplllleeeaaassseeee help us out and let us know what we should check out. Send us YOUR #stayhome picks! :)