I’m bored; What should I do?

By: Sophia Pei ‘22

Online classes, canceled internships, and a lot of unstructured time. Keep reading for some of my favorite books, shows, movies that will be worthwhile investment of your time.

Read!

Feel bad for spending 13 of the 24 hours of the day on your device? Grab a paperback and get those books checked off your to-read list! The following are some of my favorite books.

Tip: Don’t want to spend your money on books? Most libraries are shut down but many of them have a huge selection of e-books available for free.

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

“You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. ‘Everyone has something good about them.’ She said. ‘You have to find the redeeming quality and love the person for that.‘”

My favorite book from high school. This narrative talks about the author’s experiences growing up. Unfortunately, many experience an event (or series of events) that make us realize that perhaps our parents aren’t the heroes we want them to be. Despite, or even because of her household’s flaws, Ms. Walls is able to write a narrative full of hope and determination and create a successful life for herself. What I found the most beautiful is how Ms. Walls describes her parents throughout with unconditional love and affection. I’ve reread this book since first reading it in 9th grade, and I was surprised by how different parts resonated at different stages of my life.

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh

“My weakness for sympathizing with others has much to do with my status as a bastard, which is not to say that being a bastard naturally predisposes one to sympathy. Many bastards behave like bastards, and I credit my gentle mother with teaching me the idea that blurring the lines between us and them can be a worthy behavior.”

This novel is told from the perspective of a double agent shortly after the end of the Vietnam war. From addressing how the challenges of acculturation to love to resolving the idea of a double identity. Our character’s self-proclaimed fatal flaw is being able to see and understand too many perspectives. Weaved with social satire and dark humor, the novel is written as a confession; the reason for which is revealed as the plot continues and darkens.

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

“We’re told that men are strong and brave, but I think women know how to endure, accept defeat, and bear physical and mental agony much better than men. The men in my life—my father, Z.G., my husband, my father-in-law, my brother-in-law, and my son—faced, to one degree or another, those great male battles, but their hearts—so fragile—wilted, buckled, crippled, corrupted, broken, or shattered when confronted with the losses women face every day…Our men try to act strong, but it is May, Yen-yen, Joy, and I who must steady them and help them bear their pain, anguish, and shame.”

This novel tells the story of two Shanghainese sisters and their navigation of the second world war. Originally part of the Shanghai upper class, the two sisters’ lives are forever changed when they find out their father, responsible for the family’s wealth, gambled it all away, along with his two daughters. The sisters are forced from their home in Shanghai to Los Angeles, where they try to find love and embrace their new American lives despite discrimination. This novel was the first Asian American book I read. It’s amazing how watching the sisters evolve from page to page, though not a light read.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov

“She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms, she was always Lolita.”

Okay. So it’s definitely one of those books that’s probably on a lot of banned books list of the ’50s but a must-read despite (or because of) that. The unreliable narrator and pedophile, Humbert Humbert, writes the book in the format of a testimonial, spinning the tale to one where he is not only not a perpetrator but a victim of seduction. While the idea of a stepfather raping his 14-year-old stepdaughter, Dolores Haze, dubbed Lolita (hence the title) may be off-putting the book is beautifully written. The book is in no way obscene, all sexual encounters are masked by innuendo. Regardless of your morals, it’s difficult not to empathize with Humbert in his endeavors. We’re all capable of justifying our worst actions to ourselves.

When Breath Becomes Air By Paul Kalanthi

“The physician’s duty is not to stave off death or return patients to their old lives, but to take into our arms a patient and family whose lives have disintegrated and work until they can stand back up and face, and make sense of, their own existence.”

A beautiful narrative of a 4th-year neurosurgery resident who is diagnosed by terminal lung cancer. It’s an emotional investment that’s well worth your time. Especially if you’re interested in healthcare, this book offers insight on the doctor-patient relationship. Even if you’re not planning on going into healthcare this book forces you to reevaluate what you truly prioritize in life. What makes life worth living? How happens when the future you’ve been working towards becomes an impossibility? I was recommended this book by a close friend and once I started I found myself in conflict. On one hand, I couldn’t put it down because he write with such purpose, but I also didn’t want to finish the novel. If there was more to read, then Kalanthi was still well enough to write so I didn’t want to get to reach the end. Paul Kalanithi died in March 2015 and the book was published posthumously.

Some shows to binge

Not ready to let go of your devices? No worries. Here are some shows (and where to watch them) that I’ve enjoyed

Sex Education (Netflix)

This British comedy follows the awkward high school student, Otis, son to a relationship and sex therapist. In an unusual turn of events, he becomes business partners with Maeve, the intelligent “bad girl” offering sex advice to his poorly educated classmates. Boy meets girl? Well we know where this is going… or do we? I was taken aback by how quickly this show got me hooked. It’s charmingly funny but also covers a host of complex topics ranging from abortion to sexual harassment to love. 

Westworld (HBO)

Season 3 is currently coming out but if you’re not familiar with the show, essentially Westworld is an amusement park with AI-imbued hosts that allow visitors to live out their wild west fantasies. With intricate plots, backstories, and adventure-based quests, guests can be whomever they want: hero or villain – and do whatever they want. 

Jane the Virgin (Netflix)

This romantic comedy has strong basis in Spanish telenovelas. I started this quite recently and already love the characters and am fully invested. This series follows the life of Jane, a virgin, who gets accidentally inseminated.

You (Netflix)

AHhhh. Okay. So this is show version of Lolita. (Yikes, why am I drawn to this genre?!) Currently with two seasons, this show follows the Joe’s quest for love… or what he believes is love. Stalking, sex, murder, this show has everything. As viewers, even though you know that Joe won’t find his happy ending, you can’t help rooting for him. I love how they handled all the relationships in this show. And while I enjoyed season 1 more, I enjoyed season 2 perhaps for the sole reason that it’s set in LA and I recognized many of the places it was shot.

Game of Thrones (HBO)

Not going to say very much about this, but if you haven’t seen it, please do. Take advantage of that free USC HBO and binge this. Not going to lie, I was quite off-put by the first few episodes of this show but if you can get past the bloodbath (or I guess you could also just enjoy gore and such) this is a great series with everything you could want: politics, sex, love, murder, war, not to mention, dragons?

Movies

Don’t want to invest hours to a show? Check out some of my favorite films instead.

Grave of the Fireflies

This is probably the darkest and most grounded Studio Ghibli film. Usually known for their fantastical coming of age tales, this film follows the post-war situation for a sibling pair. This makes me cry every single time but is SOOOO good. Just be prepared and watch with tissues close by.

Penguin Highway

Another animated movie that I really enjoyed. This family-friendly movie addresses friendship, love, and growing up. It hints at magic and the fantastical but also is grounded in reality. I expected a light-hearted coming of age tale but it’s so much more. I definitely cried.

Parasite

Well, I’m sure there’s a million reviews of this film that are better than I can devise. Be ready for an emotional rollercoaster though. The plot focuses on the working-class Kim family and the family that hires them, the rich Park family. Addressing class, greed, and family, this film will have you on the edge of your seats, hoping that everything will turn out okay.

Train to Busan

Labeled as a thriller, this film will definitely also bring out your emotional side. The story follows a handful of characters as they deal with a zombie outbreak while being trapped in a train.

About Time

My favorite romance movie of all time. Our main character, Tim, has the hereditary ability to travel back in time. Tim experiments with this ability with the goal of getting a girlfriend. However, as life progresses, Tim soon finds that even time can’t protect him and those he loves from inevitable life events.

Side note: I really want to go to a blind restaurant!

Love Rosie

AHHHH. Okay, another romance movie. This follows the story of two best friends, Rosie and Alex, who seem to want to be more than friends… but keep missing each other either because they are physically separated or emotionally unavailable at different times. This is definitely super cheesy, but hey, don’t we all want the opportunity to be loved by our best friend?

That about wraps up my list! Comment below your favorite books, shows, and movies! What have you been doing with your time?

A huge thanks to my wonderful high school English teachers, Mr. Lee, Ms. Chapman, and Mr. Barraza for encouraging me to read and for life-changing recommendations. Even bigger thanks to all the friends who have either a) recommended b) consumed c) listened to my rants about anything mentioned on this list! 

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