Escaping our Fears: Best Movies, Books, TV Shows and Podcasts For Relaxing During a Pandemic
- 10 books
- 28 TV shows
- 25 movies
- 12 podcasts
We all deserve a break from the news cycle! Here are some of the most relaxing picks to watch, read and listen to across all genres, to de-stress while social distancing is in order.
339
Some Like It Hot
1959 Movie •3.8/5
Romantic comedy film directed, produced and co-written by Billy Wilder.
2.0K
Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood
2019 Movie •3.5/5
Comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino.
14
Design For Living
1933 Movie •4.1/5
Pre-Code comedy film directed by Ernst Lubitsch from a screenplay by...
991
Carol
2016 Movie •3.9/5
Romantic drama period film directed by Todd Haynes.
3.5K
Rushmore
1999 Movie •4.4/5
Coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson about an...
891
Sing Street
2016 Movie •4.4/5
Musical coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by John...
369
His Girl Friday
1940 Movie •4.3/5
Screwball comedy directed by Howard Hawks, starring Cary Grant and...
405
Bringing Up Baby
1938 Movie •4.4/5
Screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, and starring...
3.0K
Dazed And Confused
1993 Movie •4.5/5
Coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by Richard Linklater.
2.9K
Bridesmaids
2011 Movie •4.1/5
Comedy film directed by Paul Feig, written by Annie Mumolo and...
6.3K
The Royal Tenenbaums
2002 Movie •4.4/5
Comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson and co-written with Owen Wilson.
1.2K
Fast Times At Ridgemont High
1982 Movie •4/5
Coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Amy Heckerling (in her...
TV shows 28
2.0K
Planet Earth
2006 TV Show •4.6/5
British television series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit.
7.6K
Freaks And Geeks
1999 TV Show •4.3/5
Teen comedy-drama television series created by Paul Feig and...
15.1K
Arrested Development
2003 TV Show •4.3/5
Television sitcom created by Mitchell Hurwitz, which originally aired...
1.1K
Succession
2018 TV Show •4/5
Satirical black comedy-drama television series created by Jesse Armstrong.
821
The Kids In The Hall
1988 TV Show •3.9/5
Canadian sketch comedy troupe formed in 1984, consisting of comedians...
7.3K
Narcos
2015 TV Show •4.1/5
Crime drama streaming television series created and produced by Chris...
28
High Seas
2019 TV Show •3.8/5
Spanish mystery series released on Netflix in May 2019.

20
Call My Agent!
2015 TV Show •3.1/5
French television series that aired on France 2 from 14 October 2015,...
3
Yacht Rock
2005 TV Show •3.8/5
Online video series following the fictionalized lives and careers of...
39
Terrace House
2015 TV Show •3.7/5
Japanese reality television show franchise consisting of five series...
197
Explained
2018 TV Show •3.9/5
Documentary television series on the streaming service Netflix.
1.2K
Queer Eye
2018 TV Show •3.7/5
Reality television series that premiered on the cable television...
Books 10
485
Bossypants
Book by Tina Fey •4.3/5
Autobiographical comedy book written by the American comedian Tina Fey.
217
Naked
Book by David Sedaris •4.5/5
Collection of essays by American humorist David Sedaris.
4.3K
The Great Gatsby
Book by Shaun Fleming, F. Scott Fitzgerald •4.1/5
Novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald.
1.7K
The Little Prince
Book by Gregory Norminton, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry •4.7/5
Novella by French aristocrat, writer, and military aviator Antoine de...
19
Tenth Of December
Book by George Saunders •4.8/5
Collection of short stories by American author George Saunders.
53
Rivers Of London
Book by Ben Aaronovitch •4.4/5
First novel in the series of the same name by English author Ben Aaronovitch.
15
The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art Of Decluttering And Organizing
Book by Marie Kondō •3/5
Japanese organizing consultant, author, and TV show host.
7
Calypso
Book by David Sedaris •4.4/5
Collection of 21 semi-autobiographical essays by David Sedaris.
769
Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn
Book by Clay Stafford, Mark Twain, Ruth Palmer •3.6/5
Novel by Mark Twain, first published in the United Kingdom in...
Podcasts 12
92
My Dad Wrote A Porno
Podcast •2.6/5
British podcast hosted by Jamie Morton, James Cooper, and Alice Levine.
2
Longform
Podcast •5/5
Podcast producer and co-founder of Pineapple Street Media.
6
Philosophy Bites
Podcast •5/5
Podcast series featuring philosophers being interviewed for 15–20...
30
Norm Macdonald Live
Podcast •3.6/5
Weekly audio and video podcast hosted by Canadian stand-up comedian,...
37
Homecoming
Podcast •3.4/5
Psychological thriller television series, based on the Gimlet Media...
608
Welcome To Night Vale
Podcast •4/5
Podcast presented as a radio show for the fictional town of Night...
4
The New Yorker: Fiction
Podcast •5/5
Short story writer and staff member at The New Yorker magazine.
32
How I Built This With Guy Raz
Podcast •3.5/5
Podcast about "innovators, entrepreneurs, idealists, and the stories...
10
Decoder Ring
Podcast •5/5
Canadian Toronto-based theatre and audio production company that runs...
People who like Escaping our Fears: Best Movies, Books, TV Shows and Podcasts For Relaxing During a Pandemic 5
More lists from TasteDive Official 218
The dog days of summer have arrived, as evidenced by the humidity that clings to the air, the sweat that drips from everyone's bodies the moment they step outside, and the desperate desire to be by a pool! Lounging, tanning, cooling off as things heat up. Here are some great poolside movies.
A Bigger Splash
and 2 more...
0 likes
View 5 movies
The history of sex work and sex workers' lives in cinema is a fraught one, at times caked in nasty stereotypes and revealing the most insidious points of view in society that sustain policies that marginalize those members of society. But some films, such as the ones on this list, offer insight and nuance, while unpacking ideas about women's autonomy, the marketplace of desire, and how people's identities function in capitalist societies.
Lola,
Klute,
Pleasure
and 2 more...
0 likes
View 7 movies
Commonly referred to as Chinese New Year, Lunar New Year is celebrated in many countries in Asia, including Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. Lunar New Year, a crucial part of Chinese culture, announces the beginning of the first new moon of the lunar calendar and a way for families and communities to celebrate their centuries old relationship to their elders and their heavenly deities. Tied to 12 animals as Zodiac signs, this year is the Year of the Tiger: brave, fierce, and a force against evil. Here are some things you can watch for celebrate the New Year!
Mother,
Bakjwi
and 4 more...
1 like
View 8 movies
While Sundance returned last minute to a virtual format, movie love is alive and well, with new work from Lena Dunham, Adamma Ebo, and Jesse Eisenberg, and films examining female desire, wealth and religious institutions, and caustic mother/son relationships. Here are some of the films to get ready for in 2022.
Phoenix Rising
and 8 more...
1 like
View 11 movies

TasteDive
@TasteDive


Bill Gates' Five Favorite Books Looking Back at 2020 and some further relevant reading.
- 5 books
Bill Gates offered "Five Good Books for a Lousy Year" on his iconic Gates' Notes. If you're looking for some holiday reading or just an escape from the tenor of the times, here are some weighty suggestions from Gates himself, as well as some further inspiration and recommendations based off Gates' top five!
-
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age Of Colorblindness Book by Michelle Alexander
-
Range: Why Generalists Triumph In A Specialized World Book by David Epstein, David Epstein
American Holiday films have become a cinematic trope, even an entire category of film financing. Escape the bubble with some of these great holiday films made around the world - from England to India to Israel!
A Christmas Tale
and 10 more...
0 likes
View 13 movies
The TasteDive team has combed through and highlighted music artists from the 2021 Grammy nominations across some of the main categories.
The Grammys adjusted its structure this year, most notably by increasing the voting membership by 2,300 and adjusting the process to address concerns about diversity. They also published guidelines for the first time to ensure the process was more transparent and inclusive.
Without further ado, here is the list -
Chico Pinheiro
and 31 more...
0 likes
View 34 music artists
If you're looking for an escape from the times (or from the bank vault) here are some of the most fun, entertaining classic heist films!
Bonnie And Clyde
and 10 more...
2 likes
View 13 movies
The best western movies of 2018 according to TasteDive users.
The Wind,
Damsel
and 2 more...
0 likes
View 6 movies
The best western movies of 2017 according to TasteDive users.
The Rider,
The Hero
0 likes
View 4 movies
The best western movies of 2016 according to TasteDive users.
Free State Of Jones
and 5 more...
0 likes
View 8 movies
The best western movies of 2015 according to TasteDive users.
Wanted,
Bone Tomahawk
and 6 more...
1 like
View 10 movies
Inspired by this list
400
Middlesex
Book by Jeffrey Eugenides •4.2/5
Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Jeffrey Eugenides published in 2002.
55
Me Talk Pretty One Day
Book by David Sedaris •3.8/5
Bestselling collection of essays by American humorist David Sedaris.
1.3K
The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time
Book by Mark Haddon •4.3/5
Mystery novel by British writer Mark Haddon.
151
The Art Of Racing In The Rain
Book by Garth Stein •3.8/5
Novel by American author Garth Stein that is narrated by a dog named Enzo.
1.0K
The Help
Book by Kathryn Stockett •4.4/5
Historical fiction novel by American author Kathryn Stockett and...
1.2K
The Handmaid's Tale
Book by Margaret Atwood •4.2/5
Dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, published in 1985.
1.4K
Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?
Book by Philip K. Dick •4.5/5
Dystopian science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick,...
1.7K
Catch-22
Book by Joseph Heller •4.4/5
Satirical war novel by American author Joseph Heller.
37
The Year Of Magical Thinking
Book by Joan Didion •3.8/5
Account of the year following the death of the author's husband John...
504
The Sun Also Rises
Book by Ernest Hemingway •4.2/5
Novel by American writer Ernest Hemingway, his first, that portrays...
1.0K
Memoirs Of A Geisha
Book by Arthur Golden •4.5/5
Historical fiction novel by American author Arthur Golden, published in 1997.
353
The Things They Carried
Book by Tim O'Brien •4.1/5
Collection of linked short stories by American novelist Tim O'Brien,...