Many of us are at home right now, doing our part to help flatten the curve. Besides some of the obvious ways we are spending our time (working from home, homeschooling our children, cleaning and organizing, trying to secure a grocery delivery, spending an hour wiping down each item after said delivery, and on it goes), there are many hours awaiting us each day. And it’s hard to even keep track of what day of the week it is. For anyone in need of a little escape right now, the Kcomm team is here to share some of our favorites discovered during this quarantine:
Marty Kelso, Partner/Creative Director
A 678-page novel about the origins of a superhero comic book?
Yes, please.
Finally digging into “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.”
Michael Chabon packs more gorgeous, evocative language and imagery into one paragraph than you’ll find on an entire library shelf.
Dee Grano, Vice President of Public Relations
Though a great student in performing arts, math and science, I never enjoyedsocial studies or geography. I find historical fiction to be a great way to study an imaginative snapshot in time and motivate my own research. The “Narcos” series on Netflix is the best of both worlds. The original series about the rise of the Columbian cartels and spin-off of the Mexican cocaine trafficking machine is endlessly fascinating. Of course, one should never watch a TV show and take it as fact; for me, reading the real history, context and backstory is part of the fun.
Bonus pick: As a working mother of a two-year-old and a special needs child, balancing everything is hard on a good day, let alone during a pandemic. I highly recommend the series “Workin’ Moms” for other mothers who need a 30-minute laugh. It’s raunchy and ridiculous, but rings totally true. An episode with a cocktail after a bubble bath is like a little vacation!
Amanda Fowler, Digital Strategist
Something has died during quarantine and it isn’t just your social life. I’ve been playing Hunt a Killer, a game where you join a detective agency and sort through evidence to solve a murder. Each “episode” in a series of six comes in the mail and you work to eliminate suspects. Your evidence locker might include police records, maps, witness statements and phone records.
My husband and I work the case together and, dare I say, we’ve been watching less TV during the stay-at-home order than we do on a regular basis. You can also order all six episodes to come at once so instead of binging “Tiger King” you can binge an entire murder case. If you’re a true crime fanatic like I am, this is a fun way to play along, rather than just listening to a podcast.
Karen Barrett, Brand Strategist
I’ve had Celeste Ng’s “Little Fires Everywhere” on my reading list for years now (it came out in 2017, after all) and yet I could not resist watching the newly released eight-episode miniseries on Hulu, starring and produced by Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington (among others).
The show follows the life of these two mothers of different backgrounds in 1990s Ohio, and is so perfectly cast and bingeable. I feel like it’s always a good sign when the author signs on to the project and Ng is a producer here. With two episodes left to go, I’m trying to savor it before moving on to the book. I know, I know, you’re supposed to read the book first and then watch the movie (or show) but I can’t resist a Reese Witherspoon production (“Big Little Lies,” anyone?! And that is one where I did read–and love–the book first!).
Kcomm looks forward to seeing our friends and clients in person again soon. Until then, happy reading and watching and playing. We are hoping everyone is safe and healthy. And now, just a little less bored.
Carrie Hunt, Art Director
Coincidentally like Karen, I’ve also had Celeste Ng’s “Little Fires Everywhere” on my reading list. It’s been sitting on my nightstand for almost a year now, desperately wanting to be read. I had every intention of reading it before it came to the small screen. But even now with all of this time at home, I haven’t picked it up or even looked at the ten other books stacked up with it. I haven’t updated my watch list on Netflix or even really indulged in my old lunchtime favorite, “Days of Our Lives!” No, I have been channeling my inner Martha Stewart and Bob Villa.
For my birthday in March, I bought a 12″ sliding miter saw and a pneumatic brad nailer. I’ve built myself a new workbench and plan on refreshing my house, starting with my powder room. Board and batten measurements, check. New light fixture, check. Fresh paint, check. Sketching out plans for the rest of the downstairs, check check.
Pretty sure I’ll be a shoo-in for the next HGTV show where they rescue poor DIYers that have gotten in over their head.
Marcie Kelso, Partner
The phenomenon of the virtual happy hour has allowed me the opportunity to continue a 40+ year conversation with some of my best friends. Every Thursday, Kempsville High School’s finest are talking about current events, politics and life, just as we have since the eighties around a lunch room table.
Yes, we were the nerds, and we’ve stayed close. We are college English, African American lit and gerontology professors, a K-12 teacher, an attorney, a newspaper editor, a leader of drug distribution in Africa, and an agency partner. I am grateful for the gift I’ve had of great friends throughout my life and for the ability to maintain close friendships over time.
Kristi Sweeny, Account Supervisor
Now that our kids are getting a little older, we’re always on the hunt for fun family games – especially these days. Thanks to a friend’s recommendation, we discovered our newest fam fave: Not Parent Approved, a hilarious, kid-friendly take on Cards Against Humanity. It’s perfect for kids ages 8+ and doesn’t take forever to play (I’m looking at you, Monopoly). I mean, whose kid doesn’t love an opportunity to say booger juice, fart and grandma in the same sentence? We’ve been laughing our way through quarantine after this gem showed up!