Another month in lockdown meant another month of new discoveries and entertainment. From podcasts to music and movies to books, Meld’s September Favourites have kept the editorial team members occupied and inspired. Whether you’re looking for a Friday night rom-com or interesting podcasts to tune into, we hope these favourites can soon be added on to your list of favourites too!
Tricia’s favourite: The Journal. podcast: The Facebook Files, from The Wall Street Journal and Gimlet (Podcast)
Image credit: The Wall Street Journal
The Journal. podcast looks at stories involving money, business and power. Under this podcast is a new investigative series called The Facebook Files which examines internal documents from Facebook. These files uncover how Facebook thinks and operates as a business, as well as how they deal with issues that arise on their platforms such as body image issues in teens, human trafficking, revenge porn, and excusing people in power from abiding by their community guidelines. This series is great for anyone interested in the inner workings of Facebook and the true power social media has over people’s lives.
Tricia’s rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 stars)
Ysabel’s favourite: Reverie by Ben Platt (Music Album)
Though best known for starring in [musical] Dear Evan Hansen, Ben Platt further establishes himself as a solo pop artist in his second studio album Reverie.
Platt invites you to run the gamut of emotions: the sense of comfort nostalgia can bring when the present isn’t being kind in “childhood bedroom”; the bittersweet realisation in “I wanna love you but I don’t” that someone so wonderful just isn’t compatible in the right way; and the elation of letting yourself love someone so deeply that you don’t want to feel anything else in “come back”.
Reverie evocatively captures these familiar yet difficult-to-express feelings, and I’d definitely recommend it if you’re looking for something easy but moving to listen to.
Ysabel’s rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 stars)
Dominique’s favourite: Love, Rosie (2014) (Movie)
It’s easy to feel a little bit sombre during lockdown, but I’ve found a perfect antidote to be escaping with a deliciously light-hearted rom-com. Love, Rosie follows Alex and Rosie, who have been best friends since age 5 and over the years find their friendship constantly on the precipice of developing into something more – however, timing always manages to get in the way, sometimes hilariously and other times heart-wrenchingly. The film confronts many moments of the growing up and adulthood experience – good, bad and ugly – but remains sweet as ice cream throughout. Highly recommend! (Tip: Better watched without any trailers or previews beforehand as part of its charm is the twists sprinkled within!)
Dominique’s rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 stars)
Felice’s favourite: The Mindset Mentor (Podcast)
During what seems like a never-ending lockdown, Rob Dial’s The Mindset Mentor podcast has kept me inspired to keep challenging and pushing myself. Around 20 minutes long each, the episodes have been my go-to every morning as I make my avocado bagels. The podcast is sharp and motivating with a focus on self-improvement. His recent episode about how we are more capable of harnessing our potential than we think has served as a much needed reality check during these mundane and uncertain days. You can tune in to his words on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
Felice’s rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 stars)
Jason’s favourite: How to Worry Less About Money by John Armstrong (Book)
This short book by John Armstrong is not exactly a book about budgeting, nor is it about how to invest 85% of your pay check in Dogecoins to secure your next million.
Rather, it asks you to consider “What is your money problem?”, and money anxiety. What does a good and successful life mean to you? And how can your money facilitate that?
I think for many of us who are going through our early twenties, we often start to become more conscious about how money really runs the world, and ways we could save more or how to get more money.
But John Armstrong makes us question what the purpose of money really is, if not a tool to help us achieve a good and enjoyable life? And what is an enjoyable life to each of us?
Jason’s rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 stars)
Thank you to Felice Lok for assisting with producing this article.