Here are a few of my latest favorites.

I picked Station Eleven up at a Barnes & Noble (that’s right, it was made of paper and purchased in a real live bookstore) on a Monday night. I finished it on Tuesday. It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a book this much. It combines the best of all the weird “what if?” scenarios of an apocalyptic pandemic with strong characters, cool and connecting storylines, and great writing. I wanted to reread it the second I finished it. That good.

I love a great mystery podcast and this was one of my favorites yet. Dirty John is the first true crime podcast from the LA Times and it’s just incredibly well done. The characters in it feel like they’re pulled from the pages of a thriller novel or a juicy soap opera. It’s a fascinating story about a consummate con man. It’s also a story that will make you never trust someone you meet on the internet again. So, consider that a fair warning.

I know I’m behind every other human on earth, but in case you were back there with me, it’s time to watch the first season of Stranger Things. The second season comes out tomorrow! Honestly, I’d put this off for forever because I’m not into science fiction or horror, and it just didn’t look appealing to me. But I loved it so much. The story line was compelling enough and the characters are great, but what I really loved was that it felt like I’d time traveled to my childhood. It feels so much like watching something like ET or The Goonies that it’s uncanny. I don’t understand how Hollywood does that. Anyway, it’s pretty great.