Movie

‘Chef’ (2014)

If you are someone who enjoys a good movie that also has food that looks good enough to make you hungry, look no further and head over to Netflix to watch “Chef.” This film follows a great cast with actors such as Jon Favreau, Sofia Vergara, Dustin Hoffman, Scarlett Johannsen and a special appearance from Robert Downey Jr. It follows the story of main character Carl Casper, played by Favreau, a well-known chef who works at a prestigious restaurant in Los Angeles. After receiving a bad review from a critic, Casper’s feud with him goes viral on Twitter. This empowers him to challenge the critic again, but after a dispute with his boss (Dustin Hoffman) over creative freedom in the kitchen, Casper quits. One thing leads to another, and Casper is blacklisted after a video of him berating the critic goes viral. After time passes Carl joins his ex-wife (Sofia Vergara), along with his best friend and his son to kick start a new business idea to start a food truck. This movie then follows them along as their business skyrockets, and he soon gets back his love and passion for cooking.

Book

‘Stung’ written by Bethany Wiggins (2013) 

If you were a fan of a good dystopian fantasy novel such as the book series “Divergent,” “Hunger Games” and “The Maze Runner,” the novel “Stung’” may be for you. After a poorly planned scientific overreach caused the honeybee population to go extinct, a worldwide pandemic occurs while the government tries to find a cure, which causes those who take it to turn into deadly beasts. Enter the main character, Fiona, who fell asleep as a normal 13-year-old girl, and woke up as a 17-year-old teenager with a strange tattoo on her wrist, something which she must keep hidden. Bethany Wiggins creates a new world that captives you as a reader until the very last page. While also being a short read with only 321 pages, you can find this book anywhere online and in stores. 

TV Show

‘The Queen’s Gambit’ (2020)

Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit” is a thrilling show that would appear to have an obvious theme throughout the show revolving around chess, but more so dives deep into the life of Beth Harmon played by Anya Taylor-Joy. Set during the time of the Cold War era, Beth Harmon is orphaned at a young age after her mother commits suicide by a car crash while Harmon is in the car with her. We follow along with the childhood of Harmon, and we soon learn that she is a chess prodigy while also struggling with addiction to not only Xanzolam but also the quest to become the greatest chess player in the world. With great supporting actors such as Thomas Brodie-Sangster, best known from “The Maze Runner,” and Harry Melling, who starred in many of the Harry Potter films, this strong cast creates a fantastic TV show that makes you want to sit and watch all seven episodes in one sitting. For those who feel that this show is all about chess, you will be pleasantly surprised that this is no snooze show, let alone a show you can put on for background noise. With 18 nominations and 11 Emmys, I can promise you that this show will not disappoint. 

Album

‘Songs I Wrote in My Bedroom’ | Anson Seabra (2020)

If you are in need of songs to cry to in your bedroom, while taking a shower or sitting alone in your car after a long day, singer Anson Seabra is your man. With top hits such as “Walked Through Hell,” “Broken” and “Welcome to Wonderland,” Anson sings from the heart and can make anyone feel something when in need. Whether it’s about a break up, mental health or life in general, his soothing songs are some of my favorites to listen to. Each song has so much meaning behind each lyric, and where the lyric is placed strategically in the song, that it’s hard not to feel emotional and have a strong connection with each track. You can find his music on any platform such as Spotify, Apple Music and Soundcloud.