Those who have lost an entire month to Netflix, say aye. What else is there to do in these dark turbulent times but watch Carole Baskin riding round her meow meow kitty cat lake on her menacing bicycle?

With a constant slew of peak TV out there, we end up spending 90% of our time cocooned on our couches trying to land on something to watch but thanks to crippling human indecisiveness, we end up rolling over, admitting defeat and napping instead.

If this is you, we’re here to make the selection process a tiny bit easier. These are the shows totally worth watching during quarantine.

Sex Education

A refreshingly open coming-of-age dramedy about a sexually repressed teen called Otis who lives with his mum, Jean, a sex and relationships therapist. It handles the trials and tribulations of the birds and the bees with pure nuanced genius, but the real magic of the show goes beyond erectile dysfunction and wayward dildos. Expect to bash out both seasons within a week.

Suits

The legal drama, the bromance, the corruption, the Tom Ford suits and Megan flaming Markle. It’s plain to see why this recipe just works. Should you binge all eight seasons in five days? It’s advisable.

The Office

Pure mockumentary joy. The Ricky-Gervais fronted series is set at a dysfunctional paper company and follows the day-to-day troubles of the firm’s uninspired desk jockeys. There’s an eternal debate about which version is better, the original UK version or the US spinoff starring Steve Carell. Watch both. You decide.

Tiger King

Where do we even start? It’s a seven-part docuseries about a gun-carrying redneck man with a mullet (his words) who breeds wilds cats and wants to kill a woman on a bicycle who also breeds wild cats. His name is Joe Exotic and he’s married to two men. That’s right, he’s in a throuple. She’s called Carole Baskin and vehemently denies feeding her husband to a tiger but the world and its memes disagrees. And absolutely all of that is true. Once you start watching it, you won’t be able to stop. You could not make this stuff up.

Mindhunter

Here’s something to keep you on your toes! Mindhunter follows two FBI agents carrying out research on serial killer profiling in the 70s and the complications that come with it.

Killing Eve

Now in its third season, Killing Eve follows Eve Polastri, the spy tasked with hunting down a prolific female assassin, Villanelle. We never thought we’d be rooting for a murderous psychopath but here we are. Jodie Comer does that to you. One minute you’re panicking, the next you’re throwing your head back and chortling all over the place. It’s dark, quirky and down-right hilarious.

Big Little Lies

Based on Liane Moriarty’s best-selling novel, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Shailene Woodley star in this highly addictive series about three mothers in Monterey, California, each dealing with their own daunting secrets. A strong female cast, a gripping plot and an almighty t-w-i-s-t. You won’t be left disappointed.

You

What looks set to be another charming run of the mill meet-cute in a bookstore quickly escalates into one hell of a binge-worthy psychological thriller. Get ready to shout “buy some f*cking curtains” at the screen multiple times. Two seasons right there for the taking. Thank you, Netflix.

Gossip Girl

Sometimes you just need to zone out with some YA guilty pleasure viewing and this teen drama ticks all the boxes. XOXO.

Making A Murderer Part 1 & 2

This American crime documentary follows the case of Steven Avery, a man who is freed from prison after being wrongly convicted of rape, only to find himself arrested for another heinous crime. But did he do it? You’re in for quite the ride with this one!

Friends

If the phrase, ‘we were on a break’ goes right over your head, now’s your chance to redeem yourself. This is the show that gave us Smelly Cat, a beef trifle, pivot and smell the fart acting. It’s not just an iconic TV series, it’s a way of life.

Gavin & Stacey

Oh, my Christ! If you haven’t seen this BBC series then, are you ok hun? Starring Ruth Jones and James Corden, it’s one of the nation’s most loved box sets and with good reason. Hop to it!

Normal People

Come through BBC, this is the essential lockdown viewing we needed. Based on Sally Rooney’s best-selling novel of the same name, Normal People follows the intoxicating on-off romance between Marianne, a bookish loner, and Connell, a popular kid whose mum works for Marianne’s family. The casting’s magnetic, the music is everything and the sex scenes are steeped in the kind of real life awkwardness we live for. In short, this is one adaptation that does live up to the book. What a beautiful bit of television.

Breaking Bad

It’s kind of a big deal. Lots of episodes to get stuck into, a must-watch for anyone who can cope with the shouting at the TV moments it brings. Themes: Drug dealing, money laundering, deception.

The Killing

One for any murder lovers. Set in the US, The Killing follows the working relationship of two detectives, Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder, and the case of a missing teen. You may be inclined to think you’re strong enough to watch one episode per evening but you’d be categorically wrong.

RuPaul’s Drag Race

Sissy that walk! Queens compete for $100,000 and the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar in this Emmy-winning show hosted by the mother of all drag mothers, RuPaul.

Orange Is The New Black

Since the first series aired back in 2013, OITNB has solidified itself as a long-standing Netflix fave.

Based on Piper Kerman’s memoir, Orange Is The New Black: My Year In A Women’s Prison, the drama follows the life of Piper Chapman, played by Taylor Schilling, as she adjusts to life on the inside. As the seasons unfold, we learn more about her fellow inmates, their backstories and their lives before they were banged up. Binge your way through all seven seasons of it asap.

After Life

Two seasons of heartbreaking brilliance! After Life follows the story of Tony, a bereaved journalist, as he tries to navigate a life without his wife. Ricky Gervais will have you in tears and stitches just minutes apart. A touching exploration of grief, depression and friendship all packaged into 20-minute episodes – just enough time to pull yourself together ahead of the next one.

Too Hot To Handle

This is the kind of train-wreck television we deserve right now. Beautiful horny singletons – check. A tropical retreat – check. Ill-fitting swimwear – Check. The catch? None of them are allowed to get jiggy with it. Not even a quick peck behind a palm tree or a sly spoon between the sheets. If they do, the all-seeing all-knowing robot (like Alexa only creepier) will rat them out and they’ll kiss bye bye to the $100,000 prize fund.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Set in the 1950s, Midge Maisel is a housewife turned stand-up comedian with a larger than life personality. If you love your escapism wrapped in vintage clothes, look no further than this show.

Let us know which TV series is getting you through lockdown right now!

Adulthood, deceit, infidelity, addiction, mental health – no one can handle such pertinent and difficult subject matter quite like Marian Keyes.

True to form, Keyes’ latest novel, Grown Ups, is full of gloriously messy, relatable characters, each living their far-from-perfect / dysfunctional lives, and we wouldn’t want a family saga any other way tbh.

Read the team’s full reviews below!

They’re a glamorous family, the Caseys.

Johnny Casey, his two brothers Ed and Liam, their beautiful, talented wives and all their kids spend a lot of time together – birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, weekends away. And they’re a happy family. Johnny’s wife, Jessie – who has the most money – insists on it.

Under the surface, though, conditions are murkier. While some people clash, other people like each other far too much . . .

Everything stays under control until Ed’s wife Cara, gets a concussion and can’t keep her thoughts to herself. One careless remark at Johnny’s birthday party, with the entire family present, starts Cara spilling out all their secrets.

In the subsequent unravelling, every one of the adults finds themselves wondering if it’s time – finally – to grow up?

Lareese

I’m easily overwhelmed by mammoth books – I get flashbacks of my uni days spent trying and failing to get through Middlemarch -and when I picked up this one I thought, there’s no way I’m going to finish this beast in time to write the review but Marian Keyes proved me wrong. The opening chapter starts with the final scene and though a little confusing due to how many characters are speaking at once, it sets up the main events that play out in the rest of the book. The family tree at the beginning definitely comes in handy and helped me get my head round who was who. Each of the characters and their stories are so intricately linked which makes for addictive reading. Grown Ups is a very realistic and convincing portrayal of the complexities of messy modern day life. One minute someone’s buttering toast, the next minute they’re in an air bnb with their pants down. It was a chunky read but it never felt like a hard slog to get through it and the juicy ending more than made up for any lagging in the middle. Jam-packed with all kinds of scandal and revelations, it’s the dysfunctional family saga we all live for. Ps: petition for a whole book on Ferdia next time please. Ta!

Rating: 3.5/5
Would you read it again: No
Would you recommend: Yes

Danielle

Listening to Grown Ups was fantastic, Marian has such a lovely voice which was perfect to pop in in the evenings when getting into bed. However, as there are so many different characters and stories it was sometimes hard to keep up especially as I didn’t have the family tree to use from the book. I love stories that have imperfect people in as they’re so much more relatable and they really help you to see more than one side of the story. Parts of the book were slow but I loved how much the excitement ramped up towards the end and I did finish satisfied which is always a good way to close a book. Marian Keyes is obviously a wonderful writer and I think Grown Ups is one of her best. A great chunky one to read if you’ve found yourself eating through your TBR piles quickly!

Rating – 4/5
Would you read it again? – No
Would you recommend? – Yes

Zoe

Marian Keyes is one of those authors that truly never disappoints, so I already knew going into Grown Ups i’d enjoy it. I loved the crazy and slightly dysfunctional Casey family and the way in which Marian writes her characters and the dynamics of family life. They always feel so real and relatable, which I thoroughly appreciate in novels. There are quite a lot of characters in this book, which felt a little daunting at first, but surprisingly after a bit of time I did manage to grasp the vast family tree, which I know others struggled with a bit. Overall this book was very entertaining with laugh out loud moments and equally teary ones. It had a good mix of everything you want in a cosy read and offered real deep dive into the fact that grown ups probably aren’t as “grown up” as you think, each with their own insecurities and things they struggle with.

Rating – 3.5/5
Would you read it again? – No
Would you recommend? – Yes

Holly

Well this was one BIG BOY! Blimey, I’m by no means an avid reader so the concept of a solid 636 pager was terrifying. In the beginning, with SO many characters I was sure I wouldn’t get into it but low and behold, here I am telling you it was bloody fantastic. Marian Keyes writes from an outsiders perspective which, again, made me worry I wouldn’t get in to it but actually it let me make up my own mind about each character, which I bloody well did! I had such a vivid picture of every character in my head and felt so differently about all of them. In every story within the story, so much and absolutely nothing happens. It’s just very realistic and gives an amazing insight into all types of mental health. I couldn’t have pictured a better ending myself. And it had what I think EVERY book should have and gives us a glimpse into the characters lives a few months later. Loved it!

Rating – 4.5/5
Would you read it again? – No
Would you recommend? – Yes

Darcey

I must admit I can get quite intimidated by a big book and get the fear that I won’t get invested early on, finding it hard to power through to the good bits! I did have the fear early on while reading this book, although it’s interesting reading about all their lives and starting to see little things unravel, I was gearing up for the big lies to start spewing out and the aftermath of all that. But continuing on and finding out more about the unconventional family and all the scandals happening within, it started to get really good and the ending was more than I could’ve asked for! It’s a great insight into a large family, and you really start to pick sides with characters and feel different emotions for them all. This is a great book to read now we have a bit more time on our hands, as I found reading large chunks of the book at a time helped me better understand the whole family! Really great book and I would definitely recommend.

Rating – 4/5
Would you read it again? – No
Would you recommend? – Yes

Amy McCulloch

Warm, witty, wise, relatable, funny, profound – I could go on and on with superlatives about this book. Is there anyone better at both making you feel seen but also that all will be okay, than Marian Keyes? This story of a big Irish family get together in County Kerry (a place I’ve visited and have a lot of love for) digs below the shiny veneer of adulthood to all the strange, uncomfortable truths that lie beneath. This was quite a long read but I felt it was so enjoyable and engrossing to watch the family drama unfold and – while sometimes uncomfortable – Marian manages even dark topics with humour and compassion for her characters. Being a grown up is complicated, never more so than now – and this book will help you feel like you are not alone.

Rating: 5/5

Would you read it again? Yes!

Would you recommend? Definitely

What did you think of Grown Ups?

First of all, how are you and how are you coping in lockdown?

I’m good, thank you! Like most people, I’m finding some aspects of lockdown challenging, but I’m really trying to stay focused on the positives and squeeze as much joy out of this time as possible. I think it definitely helps that I was already used to working from home, and I’m enjoying the extra time to work through the stack of books next to my bed!

Can you tell us about some of the work you do as a Joyful Coach?

Sure – in a nutshell, I help people to live their most joyful lives, whatever that means to them! The “whatever that means to them” part is important, as something that’s not spoken about all that much is how success and happiness can look different for each of us. 

I do this in a number of ways – through 1:1 coaching with clients, through group programmes and workshops, and through the free content that I produce, including my podcast, Practical Positivity. 

When and how did you start working as a Joyful Coach?

This has been a fairly recent pivot for me, as I spent the first 8 or 9 years of my career working in sales and marketing roles at big corporates, like The Walt Disney Company. Whilst I enjoyed aspects of my work, I never felt truly satisfied, and I always had a niggle that I wanted to do work that has more of an impact.

The parts of my old career that I really loved were building relationships and helping my team to develop and grow, so in 2018 I made the decision to retrain as a coach and start building my own practice. I chose to focus on joy because previous experiences have taught me just how short life can be, and there’s no time to waste doing anything that doesn’t light us up!

Can you tell us about your podcast Practical Positivity?

Practical Positivity does exactly what it says on the tin – it provides practical tools and techniques to help you live a happier and more positive life. When I started the podcast I found that a lot of the content available in the field of positive psychology was either very academic or very vague, and so I wanted to create something that was both practical and relatable. 

There are now over 80 episodes in the archives, covering things like positive affirmations, defining your own version of success and finding joy in the everyday. 

You’ve even written an e-book called Joy School! How did that come about?

Joy School actually started out life as an e-course – I was learning so much about joy and how to invite more of it into our lives, and I wanted to create a platform to help people focus on this subject that I’m so passionate about. 

I’ve been running it as a course for the last year or so, but when our current situation hit, I knew I wanted to make the content even more accessible. I decided to turn it into an e-book and offer it as a pay-as-you-feel product, with 15% of all sales going to The Trussell Trust, that supports the food banks here in the UK. It was my way of spreading a little much-needed joy, while also supporting a cause I care a lot about. 

How do you stay inspired and motivated?

It sounds a bit cliched to say, but I’m always inspired by the brilliant clients I get to work with – watching them make positive improvements to their lives and become happier and more confident is so rewarding, and that gives me a real boost of motivation to keep spreading the word and helping even more people.

I also make sure that I practice what I preach and take plenty of time for self-care and non-work related activities that make me happy, like reading, exercising and spending quality time with my friends and family. Having that time for myself helps me to stay creative and excited about my work. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Being able to leave my old corporate career and take my coaching practice full time was a definite career highlight for me. I never take for granted how lucky I am to spend my days doing work I truly love!

What are you currently working on?

I’m spending a lot of time at the moment working with my 1:1 coaching clients – I think that lockdown has provided many of us with more headspace, and so it’s been a brilliant time to help my clients figure out what positive changes they want to make in their lives, whether that’s in their work or their personal lives.

I’m also working on a brand new group coaching programme called The Joyful Business. It’s designed to help small business owners find the joy in their business again by streamlining their processes, reconnecting to their values and improving their mindset. 

Who are some of your current favourite follows online?

I try to keep my Instagram feed full of plenty of positivity, here are some of my faves:

Ellie at @theenthusiast.co – her mission is to make enthusiasm cool again, and she does it in such a fun way! She’s also just released a cracking podcast under the same name.

The lovely Lucy at @lucysheridan, who has been sharing some brilliant practical advice and wisdom on her coaching all dayers.

Jo at @madandsadclub, who talks about taking care of your mental health at work, and always reminds me to prioritise the things that look after my mind.

Tea at @teadayblogs – her feed is full of colour, sparkle and relatable wisdom. 

Oh, and I’ve been loving the @psyclelondon IGTV barre workouts – especially the ones with Rod who is such a laugh!

What do you always carry with you?

I always have my phone and a pair of headphones to hand so that I can listen to my favourite podcasts on the go. I also like to have a notebook to hand at all times, because you never know when inspiration is going to strike! Oh, and a snack, because I definitely suffer with hanger… 

What does your perfect weekend look like?

Ooooh, it would probably start with a lazy morning in bed reading my favourite books. There would definitely be lots of good food involved, a long walk in the countryside, and plenty of time spent with friends and family too. And Sunday evenings are always spent on the sofa watching trashy telly with my husband and my cat – the perfect way to end the weekend.

If you could only eat one meal again what would it be?

I think I’d have to say my Mum’s chicken roast dinner – her homemade gravy and crispy roast potatoes are second to none!

If you could give one positive message to our followers what would it be?

When you focus on the good, the good gets better! I’m such a huge advocate for gratitude for this very reason – when we focus on everything we already have, we’re less likely to compare ourselves to others, and we invite a lot more joy and contentment into our lives!

Chanel the parrot

Last week, a woman went live on Facebook in a desperate bid to find her missing pet parrot. The African Grey named Chanel had been spooked by a drilling sound nearby and flown away towards the canal.

In the video, panicked Sandra Hannah, 40, can be seen hunting the streets of Netherton, Liverpool, crying “Chanel” and pleading with the public to help her find her beloved bird.

One woman’s search for her missing parrot quickly became a nationwide viral hunt and the Twittersphere was alight with laugh out loud remixes of Sandra’s screaming – the Robin S Show Me Love edit had us howling.

Within minutes #FindChanel was a thing and both Chanel and her owner became the best internet meme of 2020 so far.

Thankfully Chanel was found safe and sound just over two miles from her home and the pair have now been reunited.

Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson help Covid-19 research

Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson both tested positive for Covid-19 back in March while they were staying in Australia. Now they’ve fully recovered, they want to help others fight the virus.

After returning to the US, the couple enrolled in a medical study and offered their blood, which now carries coronavirus antibodies, to help develop a vaccine.

Hanks took to Twitter to share an image of his bag of plasma, alongside the caption, “Here’s last week’s bag of plasma. Such a bag! After the paperwork, it’s as easy as taking a nap.”

Just when we thought we couldn’t love Tom Hanks any more.

Rare sea turtles are nesting again

Rare giant turtles are making a comeback after lockdown has left beaches across the world deserted, environmentalists say.

Since travel restrictions have been put in place due to the coronavirus, beaches in Florida and Thailand are empty of tourists and the endangered species have been able to enjoy nesting in peace.

The 11 turtle nests authorities have found since last November were the highest number in 20 years.

Kongkiat Kittiwatanawong, the director of the Phuket Marine Biological Centre, told Reuters, “This is a very good sign for us because many areas for spawning have been destroyed by humans.

“If we compare to the year before, we didn’t have this many spawn, because turtles have a high risk of getting killed by fishing gear and humans disturbing the beach,” Mr Kittiwatanawong added.

Hip hip hooray for the turtles!

A secret love

The heartwarming Netflix documentary tells the story of two women, Pat Henschel and Terry Donahue, who have been in love in the 1940s and have kept it a secret their whole life.

This is the uplifting romance we all need right now! Don’t watch without tissues.

Happy 100th birthday Captain Tom Moore!

Captain Tom Moore captured the hearts of the nation when he pledged to walk 100 laps of his garden before his milestone birthday, in order to fundraise for the NHS. He originally set out to raise £1,000 but wildly exceeded his goals by raising a whopping £30million instead. We’re still in awe!

Last week, Tom celebrated reaching his 100th birthday and in recognition of his efforts was appointed an honorary colonel. Well wishers sent him more than 125,000 cards and he is also due to receive a personalised message from the queen.

“Reaching 100 is quite something. Reaching 100 with such interest in me and huge generosity from the public is very overwhelming,” Tom said. “People keep saying what I have done is remarkable. However it’s actually what you have done for me which is remarkable.”

Happy birthday, Captain Tom Moore – you’re an inspiration to us all!

This week we brought you some of the best at-home workouts we could find online to get your pulse racing in your living room, so what better to base our Weekly Wants on than workout gear!

We’re not saying you have to come out of lockdown better than when you went in, and if exercise is the last thing on your mind in the middle of a pandemic we completely feel ya!

But if you’ve taken to pounding the pavements with your daily hour outside or your bedroom is basically a hot yoga studio you may want to have a peek at our top picks for workout gear in the gallery below.

Lareese

I don’t usually do yoga that much ordinarily but lately, it’s really helped me to switch off before bed and properly stretch out after I’ve been for a run. Gymshark do the comfiest seamless leggings – I’m really fussy when it comes to gym leggings but these are well worth the money! I wear them out running too so they’re pretty versatile and sculpting so they don’t slip down mid workout – that’s my pet peeve.

*Gymshark, ENERGY+ SEAMLESS LEGGINGS, £45 

*H&M, Seamless sports bralette, £14.99 

*Lululemon, Lift and Lengthen Yoga Block, £18 

*Lululemon, The Reversible Mat 3mm, £48 

Charlotte

I’ve struggled to find my flow with working out at home as a newbie to the gym during the first part of 2020, so I’ve mostly been sticking to similar workout videos and toning exercise I feel comfortable/confident with. A cute pair of leggings make working out feel more bearable, which paired with a bright but practical water bottle (I’m basically a camel with water after a workout) get me on my way to finally biting the bullet and moving my body.

*Liberty London, GIRLFRIEND COLLECTIVE Compressive High-Rise Leggings, £65 

*ASOS, Puma TFS cropped t-shirt in black, £25 

Chilly’s, Pastel Pink, £20 

*Very, Nike Training Medium Control Futura Bra – Flamingo, £27 

*Adidas, SUPERCOURT RX SHOES, £109.95 

 

Darcey

I’ve found home workouts enjoyable but also require a lot of motivation to do, which some days I’ve really not had and would rather just sit and watch Netflix! But on the days when I’m up to the challenge, I’ve found comfort is key. I have been wearing a pair of leggings and a comfy crop top (even ditched the sports bra, who needs support at home). I think to workout at home you’ve got to feel 100% comfortable to just forget everything and get really stuck in. I’ve got myself a mat which can be used for yoga or more vigorous exercise. The kettlebell has also become my best friend, so versatile and so many great kettlebell workouts on Youtube!

*ASOS, ASOS 4505 Tall graphic logo yoga legging, £20 

*ASOS, ASOS 4505 slightly cropped vest top, £10 

Argos, Opti Air Flow Exercise Mat, £11.99

Argos, Opti Vinyl Kettlebell – 6kg, £9.99 

Holly

I’m well and truly utilising my extra time at the moment to exercise wherever possible. I’ve been eating everything in site so need tobalance it out! I ordered these trainers and they are sooo comfy! In the house I try and wear as few clothes as possible because I get so sweaty so a sports bra, lose fitting top and some small shorts are the one. Along with my colourful water bottle!

*Figleaves, FREYA Core Moulded Spacer Sports Bra, £30 

Sports Shoes, SAUCONY GUIDE ISO WOMEN’S RUNNING SHOES, £39.99 

Paperchase, Rainbow measurement water bottle – 1L, £12 

*Boohoo, Plus Oversized T-Shirt, £10 

Zoe

Admittedly, working out has never been my strong point, however last year I started doing the couch to 5k, and it’s such a good time to start on that now if you’re also thinking of doing it. So when i’m not popping on my trainers and heading out for a 30 minute run/jog (let’s be real here…haha), I like doing yoga and stretching. It’s such a nice way to start the day or wind down in an evening and can be done anywhere. I’ve even seen tutorials on youtube showing you the best stretches from bed straight after you’ve woken up! I love Gymshark clothing for workouts both in the house and out. Their seamless leggings give you the PEACHIEST looking bottom too

on-running, Cloudflow, £130 

*Gymshark, RACER BACK TRAINING SPORTS BRA, £30 

*Gymshark, CAMO SEAMLESS LEGGINGS, £50 

 

Danielle

I’ve never been one to spend a ton of money on workout gear as I’d rather spend money on new clothes ha! But for me I have to be comfortable and covered in the right places to get the most out of my exercise, for some reason I have to have full-length leggings, the 3/4 length just annoy me too much. As a larger breasted lady, my options for sports bras are thin on the ground but ASOS usually has something suitable. I’ll pop on a baggy t-shirt or vest over the top and get my sweat on! A water bottle is always a must as I’m such a guzzler when working out and I’m finding it harder than ever to make sure I’m staying hydrated at the moment!

*ASOS, ASOS 4505 Tall graphic logo yoga legging, £20

*ASOS, ASOS 4505 slightly cropped vest top, £10 

Argos, Opti Air Flow Exercise Mat, £11.99

Argos, Opti Vinyl Kettlebell – 6kg, £9.99 

Maddie

I’m living in workout gear at the moment and i feel like I’ve been round the block a few times to know exactly what  Ilook for in good quality pieces. When it comes to working out I don’t really stick to one type of training, I can go through phases of doing lots of running and HIIT sessions and then some weeks I feel more like going on long walks and doing pilates or yoga. And let’s be real there are some weeks where I don’t want to do any of it and will just wear it because it’s comfortable! So when it comes to what I’m investing in it needs to be versatile to suit whatever I fancy doing that day. When it comes to leggings, for me it’s got to be high waisted and the material needs to be breathable but thick enough that no one is going to know what colour knickers you’re wearing when you do your downward dog if you know what I mean. For crops I’ve always struggled but I think SweatyBetty, Tala and Gymshark do it really well and your boobs don’t feel totally suffocated which I have found can happen with other brands. For shoes I always go with Nike, they’ve got so much choice but I usually stick to a good all rounder and as always it’s got to be black.

*Nike, Nike Foundation Elite TR 2, £64.95 

Tala, THE ZINNIA LEGGING – BLACK, £40 

Sweaty Betty, Stamina Sports Bra, £35 

*Nike, Nike Yoga, £27.95 

 

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We don’t know about you but we have been making a serious dent in our TBR piles during lockdown and reading more than ever before. The leisurely pastime once reserved for slow sofa Sundays has become the holy grail of distraction, as we find ourselves longing for a world that distances us from our own reality.

If like us you’re getting through more chapters than banana bread right now, here’s a run-through of our next four book club picks. Permission to stick our heads in the proverbial sand? We think so.

May Book Club – This Lovely City by Louise Hare

Our next book club read is Louise Hare’s debut novel, This Lovely City. Set in post-Windrush London, it’s a story about solidarity and love but above all hope. We can’t wait to get stuck in!

The drinks are flowing. The music is playing. But the party can’t last.

With the Blitz over and London reeling from war, jazz musician Lawrie Matthews has answered England’s call for help. Fresh off the Empire Windrush, he’s taken a tiny room in south London lodgings and has fallen in love with the girl next door.

Touring Soho’s music halls by night, pacing the streets as a postman by day, Lawrie has poured his heart into his new home – and it’s alive with possibility. Until, one morning, he makes a terrible discovery.

As the local community rallies, fingers of blame are pointed at those who had recently been welcomed with open arms. And, before long, the newest arrivals become the prime suspects in a tragedy which threatens to tear the city apart.

Atmospheric, poignant and compelling, Louise Hare’s debut shows that new arrivals have always been the prime suspects. But, also, that there is always hope.

June Book Club – The Switch by Beth O’leary

The author of the hugely popular The Flatshare, Beth O’leary, returns with a heart-warming second novel, The Switch, providing us with the perfect reading material for these anxious and uncertain times.

When overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen’s house for some overdue rest. Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She’d like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn’t offer many eligible gentlemen.

Once Leena learns of Eileen’s romantic predicament, she proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love. Meanwhile, Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire. But with gossiping neighbours and difficult family dynamics to navigate up north, and trendy London flatmates and online dating to contend within the city, stepping into one another’s shoes proves more difficult than either of them expected.

Leena learns that a long-distance relationship isn’t as romantic as she hoped it would be, and then there is the annoyingly perfect – and distractingly handsome – school teacher, who keeps showing up to outdo her efforts to impress the local villagers. Back in London, Eileen is a huge hit with her new neighbours, but is her perfect match nearer home than she first thought?

June Book Club 2 – Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

At Zoella we have a responsibility to encourage you, our audience, to learn as much as you can about racism and white privilege during such an important time. That’s why we’ve decided to add another book into our June book club and read ‘Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race’ by Reni Eddo-Lodge.

July Book Club – My Dark Vanessa by Kate Russell

2000. Bright, ambitious, and yearning for adulthood, fifteen-year-old Vanessa Wye becomes entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her magnetic and guileful forty-two-year-old English teacher.

2017. Amid the rising wave of allegations against powerful men, a reckoning is coming due. Strane has been accused of sexual abuse by a former student, who reaches out to Vanessa, and now Vanessa suddenly finds herself facing an impossible choice: remain silent, firm in the belief that her teenage self willingly engaged in this relationship, or redefine herself and the events of her past. But how can Vanessa reject her first love, the man who fundamentally transformed her and has been a persistent presence in her life? Is it possible that the man she loved as a teenager—and who professed to worship only her—may be far different from what she has always believed?

Alternating between Vanessa’s present and her past, My Dark Vanessa juxtaposes memory and trauma with the breathless excitement of a teenage girl discovering the power her own body can wield. Thought-provoking and impossible to put down, this is a masterful portrayal of troubled adolescence and its repercussions that raises vital questions about agency, consent, complicity, and victimhood. Written with the haunting intimacy of The Girls and the creeping intensity of Room, My Dark Vanessa is an era-defining novel that brilliantly captures and reflects the shifting cultural mores transforming our relationships and society itself.

August Book Club – Olive by Emma Gannon (coming July, available for pre-order)

If the blurb is anything to go by, the debut novel Olive from Emma Gannon is set to be the page-turner of 2020. We can’t stop talking about it already and we haven’t even read it yet!

Independent.
Adrift.
Anxious
Loyal.
Kind.
Knows her own mind.
Olive is many things, and it’s ok that she’s still figuring it all out, navigating her world without a compass. But life comes with expectations, there are choices to be made, boxes to tick and – sometimes – stereotypes to fulfil. And when her best friends’ lives start to branch away towards marriage and motherhood, leaving the path they’ve always followed together, Olive starts to question her choices – because life according to Olive looks a little bit different.
Moving, memorable and a mirror for every woman at a crossroads, Olive has a little bit of all of us. Told with great warmth and nostalgia, this is a modern tale about the obstacle course of adulthood, milestone decisions and the ‘taboo’ about choosing not to have children.

Don’t forget you can now find all our books and thoughts on our Goodreads page, too!

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Will you be reading along with us?

To help pass the time and structure our days in isolation, we thought it would be a great opportunity to boost our creativity with a photo a day challenge. Every day, they’ll be a new prompt or brief for you to dissect and interpret however you please.

We thought this would be a nice way to document our days in lockdown – the good and the bad – so that in a few weeks, months or even years down the line we can look back and remember that, even during that time when we couldn’t leave our houses, or see our loved ones in person, we carried on. We made memories, we got creative, we banged pots and pans together and made history with our stories.

We want to invite you to record the daily details we’re likely to forget when all this is over, so that one day we can revisit this time and remember the little habitual things we did to get us through it; the books we read, the clothes we were wearing and all the seemingly meaningless stuff we filled our days with. Because when we’re sitting in a field watching the sunset with our friends by our side and freedom on our skin, we’ll realise how much those days shaped us in ways we never could have imagined.

We can’t wait to see what magic you create!

Nothing unites us more than music at a time like this, so we thought we’d set about making a collaborative playlist full of the team’s favourite beats to help us stay connected during lockdown. For each of the 30 days, we had a new prompt to inspire our song selection, from our ultimate road trip tracks to our trusty karaoke belters. We might not be able to shake our tail feathers in person for a while but when the going gets tough, the power of this playlist is certainly going to keep our spirits up and our toes tapping all the way through lockdown.

Fancy making your own bumper playlist? Share our 30-day song challenge template with your friends and family and start adding a song a day to your own collaborative playlist on Spotify. Don’t forget to tag us in your Instagram stories so we can see what songs you’re social dis-dancing to!

“My music taste is certainly eclectic let’s say, having been heavily influenced by my dads favourite artists over the years my choices definitely diversified our playlist from an era point of view. I’m definitely not a chart hits kind of person, I like what I like and usually, that’s not what’s making the no1 spot which made this playlist selection perfect for me. It was also a chance to think about genres you don’t usually dip into ie the 90s or school disco songs (Mambo no5 was mine which is probably revealing my age as that will no doubt mean nothing to some people!) We’ve ended up with a corker of a playlist and it’s definitely one I won’t get bored of quickly.” Maddie

“I had so much fun adding music to this playlist daily! I absolutely love listening to music and have such a large number of genres that I listen too and it was really interesting to see what genres I’d go-to for what prompts. Songs can bring back so many memories as well, so it felt like my own little time machine every day taking me back to some time in my life when that certain song played a big part in my life. My favourite days were any that I could involve Lana Del Rey as she is one of my all-time faves. I found some prompts so hard too like “song you know every word to” and “favourite song from the 90’s” as I had so many choices, I spent a good 10 minutes every morning making my final song decision haha! Now I can’t wait to whack on this playlist daily, it’s so good!” Darcey

“I never consider myself a music person as I’ll always choose to listen to a podcast or audiobook over music but compiling this was SO much fun and really brought back a lot of joy! It’s crazy how much a certain song can bring back all the memories from a specific occasion. My favourites were a song from a band you wish were still together, luckily I was able to see The Maccabees before they split up for a final time but my heart aches knowing I won’t be able to see them again. I loved the song you know the words to as I could pretty much take my pick from any Kanye West song ha! My final favourite was the song that reminds you of summer. What a load of bangers! They suited the warm weather we’ve been having perfectly.” Danielle

“I absolutely loved adding to the team playlist every day – it was so satisfying to pick a song to suit a theme and really made me think about the kind of music I’m into – the playlist has pretty much confirmed what I always knew, that I’m a sucker for the 70s and 80s. We all know music is profoundly linked to personal memories and hearing some of the songs the rest of the team popped in there was such a throwback! I’ll forever associate Celine Dion’s Because You Loved Me and ABBA’s Dancing Queen with my nan, Cotton Eye Joe with the primary school disco and Panda Pops, Avril Lavigne’s Complicated with young love and Eva Cassidy’s Songbird with my mum. I just love the golden oldies!” Lareese

“I LOVED contributing to this playlist. I really enjoyed revisiting albums or artists that I had got out of the habit of listening to, as well as finding new music through listening to the team’s picks too. I’m very dedicated to supporting certain artists so I don’t tend to have much variety in my playlists (I could honestly listen to only One Direction, Shawn Mendes, Taylor Swift and The 1975 for the rest of time and be quite happy about it) but this challenge really pushed me to think outside the box and reminded me of some old and forgotten favourite tunes. I’m going to think of some new prompts so I can add to other playlists with friends and family as the weeks go on! Charlotte

“Having done one of these with my gal pals, I knew with a new month around the corner it would be the perfect thing to create and get others involved in and it was SO MUCH FUN. The one thing I loved about making a collaborative playlist with family/friends/colleagues was that you discover and remember songs you’d forgotten about and the range of tastes and music choices make for a really fabulous playlist! I also loved having it be a part of my daily routine and there always being something for us all to natter about. I actually think I’ll miss having a daily music prompt, at least we now have an epic playlist we can all listen to on repeat! I hope you enjoy the music we all put together through April!” Zoe

Listen to the Team Zoella 30 day playlist here!

Before we get into this, let’s just add a caveat right here fellas: you don’t need to come out of this better than you went in. You don’t need a lockdown glow up so fire you’ll torch a hole in your water bottle just by holding it, so put that thought to bed right now. You are already worthy of a hundred flame emojis. Trust us.

We need to feel like we’re part of something bigger than these four walls. We need to know that we’re not alone and to salvage the familiar tropes of normality that carry on around us – the Instagram outfits, the Tik Tok dances and the sweaty comradery of a gym class. Who knew missing burpees was a thing!

And what belonging to that world means will look different to everyone. Some will read, some will write, some will curl up and sleep, all of which are perfectly adequate tales of survival.

You’ll determine what feels right for you – guilt doesn’t live here – but some of us will feel an uncontrollable need to move our tushies sorry in advance to the neighbours directly below us

With our routines out of whack, finding a home workout you love is one way we can keep a check on our mental and physical wellbeing. So, whether you fancy HIIT, a yoga class or a savage Les Mills program, here’s a run-down of the best virtual work outs you can do from home.

For the fun: The Body Coach

Join Joe Wicks as he puts the nation through their paces with his P.E classes. FYI: It might be aimed at kids but if you do it properly, it is gruelling stuff. As well as his daily 30 minute P.E classes, he has a whole range of other workouts on his YouTube channel, from fat burning cardio sessions to legs, bums & tums. Find him on YouTube here.

Cost: Free

For the zen: Yoga With Adriene

If ever there were a time to hold your soles up to the moon in Happy Baby pose and say namaste, it’s now. Adriene makes yoga approachable for all levels with her virtual sessions, all of which are available to watch on her YouTube channel for free. With a library of over 500 videos from gentle flow to gut health, stress and mediation for self-love, you’re bound to find something that eases your body and your mind. Find her on YouTube here.

Cost: Free

For the core: Sinead Trains

Sinead hosts live ab blasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 8am. Expect 20 minutes of side planks, Russian twists, slow controlled bicycles and leg raises, you know, all the stuff that makes your belly button burn. In a good way. Find her on Instagram here.

Cost: Free

For the buzz: Les Mills

Ever done a body combat, body balance or body pump class at the gym before? Then chances are, you’ve done a Les Mills program. Get access to over 800 Les Mills workouts on demand from post-partum exercises to dance fitness and mindfulness practices, there’s something for everyone. Check them our here.

Cost: Currently free until 30th April – £11.95 per month with a 14 day free trial.

For the sweat: Psycle London

Missing your barre class? You can find plenty of workouts designed to sculpt, tone and lengthen over on Psycle London’s Instagram page. Just head to their IGTV for all sorts of savage sequences to power up your home workout. Find them on Instagram here.

Cost: Free

For the butt and legs: Ciara London

Ciara Madden AKA Ciara London is one of the UK’s leading female-only personal trainers. Having worked with the likes of Maya Jama and Neelam Gill, she certainly knows a thing or two about crafting the killer workout for those booty gains. Join the squad and feel the burn! Find them here.

Cost: £15 a month subscription for 6 classes a week

For the bedroom friendly workout: MadFit

If you’re a fan of the #noequipment workout, Maddie’s your girl. Her home workouts are mat-based and keep things super simple and accessible, so you can get your full body routine done and dusted in 20 mins flat. Find Maddie on YouTube here.

Cost: Free

For the posture: Heartcore

Join Heartcore for a holistic approach to fitness that combines the fundamental mind-body principles of Pilates with athletic conditioning. You can enjoy live adaptations of the signature Heartcore classes from Barre, Ritual, Vinyasa Flow, HIIT and more! If you’re working from home, your back will LOVE this. Find them here.

Cost: £5 per class

What are your go-to workouts to do from home?

Prologue

The night she died, all our phones were turned off.

The police didn’t believe us.

Kids don’t go anywhere without their mobile phones, they said. You expect us to believe you weren’t Snap- facing or Insta-booking or whatever it is you kids do these days at your end-of-term party? That not a single person took a selfie or boomerang or video?

We all had the same answer: No.

They checked our phones anyway. Logged into our clouds. But there was nothing to find.

The detectives discovered a scrap of paper at the scene. It was one of the posters that had been stapled to the driftwood gate marking the entrance to the stairs down to the beach. It read in big, bold letters: NO PHONES, NO CAMERAS, NO SOCIAL MEDIA, NO EXCEPTIONS.

As if anyone at the party needed a reminder.

Because that was the whole point: we’d wanted a chance to switch off. To have a party that didn’t get documented, to dance away the night in blissful anonymity, to have memories that couldn’t be fact- checked by photographs and videos. No one broke the rules. No one wanted to. We all had eagle eyes when it came to spotting the telltale glow of a smartphone screen, or the glint of light off a camera lens.

Some of us might break a law or two, if we felt compelled. But disobey the rules of our end-of-term party? No one would dare.

The police officer rolled his eyes as he interrogated us one by one. You mean to say you all followed these rules? I don’t believe you.

But we had nothing to show him. That was the truth. So he asked us to tell him instead.

The beach was alive that night. The bonfire was lit, the flames leaping up into the sky. Some of the logs flashed green as they burned, choked with salt from the sea. As the party-goers danced on the beach, their shadows stretched up to the chalk cliffs looming over the horseshoe bay, so that it looked as if the cliffs were moving. Waves crashed in the distance, the low tide leaving the sand littered with seaweed and shells, debris from the ocean. The summer evening was warm, the start of another British heatwave. And of course it was rammed with us. Out of uniform, it was harder to tell who was who. Ironic, wasn’t it? That a uniform designed to make us all look the same actually became a blank canvas on which we could showcase our individuality. Now, in our normal clothes, we looked like regular teens.

But we weren’t.

We were Illumen Hall students.

That’s what made this party different. At other times of the year, students from nearby schools would come to our events – our All Hallows’ Eve night was legendary, and if you missed Festivus Extravaganza you might as well say goodbye to any semblance of a social life.

But the end-of-term beach party was ours. We lived together for the whole year and, whether you enjoyed your time or not, separating for the summer suffused everyone with a sense of melancholy. No matter how hard you tried to avoid it, if you were one of the six hundred chosen few who attended Illumen Hall, you were woven into the fabric of its existence. Summer was a rending,  a two-month-long enforced separation tearing us apart. This party was the reinforcement. A final memory to sustain us as friends, separated by the miles. Then, when we came back in September, we could pick up where we’d left off.

The smell of charcoal permeated the air, the logs snapping and cracking with the heat, sending up blisters of embers into the rapidly darkening sky. Combined with low house beats and swaying bodies, it was intoxicating – or maybe that was just the copious amounts of alcohol in our paper cups.

The tide crept in as the hour grew later, until the bay was almost cut off and the only way out was back up the rough-hewn steps cut into the cliff face. It was all beautiful: us, the sand, the waves and the fire.

It was too good to last.

A blood-curdling scream sliced through the music.

One by one the crowd of writhing bodies froze.

But then there was a surge, a ripple of panic that leaped from person to person. The screaming continued overhead, the music snapped off, and we rushed as one down towards the water.

The screaming was coming from the ocean. The sun had just disappeared from the horizon but there was enough ambient light still to see.

A girl’s body on the sand, waves lapping at the soles of her feet. She was lying on her front, but her head was tilted to one side, her lips tinged an unnatural blue.

Pale skin, blue lips, tangled  strands  of  hair,  twisted limbs.

And, on her back, an elaborate tattoo of a magpie, every detail intricately laid out across her shoulder blades, which jutted on either side of her spine, sharp  as knives. The bird’s wings stretched so that the edges of the feathers curled across on to her collarbone, and the tail feathers disappeared beneath the edge of her halter top.

A voice. ‘Go back to town and call the police. She’s dead.’

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