Everyone loves a good Netflix binge, but sometimes it’s nice to put down the popcorn and snuggle up with a good book. Actually, you can keep the popcorn, because it pairs just as well with these amazing reads as it does with your flatscreen.

If you can’t figure out what to read next, here’s a handy dandy guide to books you might like based on your viewing favorites:

If you like Cinderella, you should read IF THE SHOE FITS by Julie Murphy
Everyone is talking about Cinderella these days, thanks to Amazon Studios’s new adaption of this classic fairytale, starring Camila Cabelo in the title role. Whether Camila is your new fave fairytale princess or you still live for Lily James and her pretty glass butterfly shoes, you will enjoy THE SHOE FITS by Julie Murphy. Murphy, author of Dumplin’ (also a fab Netflix movie), brings us a modern, body-positive Cinderella who competes on a Bachelor-style reality show. This book is the first in a new series of adult Disney Princess romcoms from Disney Hyperion, so there’s even more fairy tale magic to come.

If you like Never Have I Ever, you should read DIAL A FOR AUNTIES by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Who isn’t completely charmed by the creative brain of Mindy Kaling? Based somewhat on Kaling’s own upbringing, this coming-of-age story of an Indian-American teenager dealing with the death of her father will make you laugh one minute and get all teary-eyed the next. One of the best things about the show is its emphasis on family. If you love this Netflix treat, DIAL A FOR AUNTIES by Jesse Q. Sutanto is the read for you. When the main character accidentally kills her blind date (oops!), her mom and an entire squad of meddlesome-but-well-meaning aunties comes to her rescue. Things only get more complicated (and more hilarious) from there.

If you like You’ve Got Mail, you should read TO SIR, WITH LOVE by Lauren Layne

You’ve Got Mail is an oldie but a goody, and since its release in 1988, this Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks treasure has inspired loads of romcom novels. One of the very best is this summer’s TO SIR WITH LOVE by Lauren Layne. It’s like You’ve Got Mail with a heaping dose of champagne. Yes, please.

If you like Ted Lasso, you should read THE BROMANCE BOOK CLUB by Lyssa Kay Adams

Ted Lasso has made kindness cool again, just when we needed it most. If you want to feel those same warm fuzzies, complete with sports team vibes (baseball instead of soccer, but still…) and men supporting one another in a healthy way while uplifting the romance literary genre at the same time, head to your nearest online bookstore and one-click THE BROMANCE BOOK CLUB by Lyssa Kay Adams immediately.

If you like Grace and Frankie, you should read MOM JEANS AND OTHER MISTAKES, by Alexa Martin

Alexa Martin’s MOM JEANS AND OTHER MISTAKES is a great read for anyone drawn to the strong female friendship storyline in Grace and Frankie. The main characters are a bit younger, but just like in the Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin Netflix favorite, they become unexpected roommates and the supporting cast of family members provide lots of drama and laughs.

If you like The Great British Baking Show, you should read BATTLE ROYAL by Lucy Parker

Soggy bottom, anyone? If you’ve ever dreamed of whipping up a batch of cupcakes worthy of that ever-elusive Paul Hollywood handshake, BATTLE ROYAL by Lucy Parker is definitely your jam. It’s like a royal wedding meets THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW, and fair warning: you will definitely want to have some cake on hand while reading it. Trust me on this.

If you like Fleabag, you should read HOT UNDER THE COLLAR by Andie J. Christopher

Let’s be real. When I say Fleabag, I’m specifically talking about season two and the Hot Priest (which absolutely deserves to be capitalized). If you’re still longing for those episodes or even just rocking your fabulous black Fleabag jumpsuit, HOT UNDER THE COLLAR by Andie J. Christopher will fill that aching void in your heart.

If you like Emily in Paris, you should read THE PARIS CONNECTION by Lorraine Brown

Emily in Paris has left hordes of us crying into our croissants and wondering why we never moved to France and accidentally fell in love with charming chef downstairs. If you enjoyed Netflix’s romp through the City of Lights starring Lily Collins and her amazing wardrobe, you will adore THE PARIS CONNECTION by Lorraine Brown. This delightful new book has the same magical armchair tourist quality and plenty of will-they-ever-get-together angst. Fantastique!

If you like Cruella, you should read A SPOT OF TROUBLE by Teri Wilson

If Cruella has you seeing spots (the good, furry Dalmatian kind), I’ve got you covered. A SPOT OF TROUBLE was written by yours truly, and it’s a whimsical romantic comedy for anyone who loves Emma Stone in Cruella or Disney’s other 101 Dalmatians movies. Bonus: no one wants to make a coat out of the sweet dogs. I promise.

Will you be picking up Teri’s new release? Tell us in the comments below!

The post What To Read Next: Popular Movies & TV Shows Paired With Rom-Com Books appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

12 episodes, two seasons, and an unforgettable ride of exploring what’s really inside you…that’s Fleabag and you HAVE to listen to her because she’s talking to you. Phoebe Waller-Bridge talks directly to her viewers through the camera and she’ll let you in on some nasty inside jokes. So, if you haven’t watched it already, here are just a few reasons as to why you should!

1. It’s Hilarious

Even though it explores so many serious issues, it is still a comedy at heart. It deals with plenty of real world problems and insecurities in such an easy and effective way that you wouldn’t have a choice but to accept yourself for who you are and you laugh at things that you’ve been worrying about.

2. Great Portrayal of Relationships

There’s Fleabag’s bond with her sister (for whom she would give a kidney but will not tell her how much she means to her), Fleabag’s bond with her cruel step/godmother, and her bond with her totally awesome but dead best friend Boo are to die for. Each of these bonds are explored at depth, despite the show’s short length. You’ll crack up at all scenes because they’re so fantastically put together!

3. You Can Watch It One Sitting

First of all, you’ll be hooked on the spot because it’s so gripping, plus it only has twelve episodes spanning over two seasons so you can watch it in a single day and trust me you’re going to wish that you could watch it all over again for the first time.

4. It Normalises Therapy

Fleabag teaches you how to handle grief in such an awesomely disguised way that you won’t even have a clue how you healed with her. The show brings up therapy at a critical point where you realise the things that actually matter in your life just as Fleabag realises the things that matter to her.

5. Family Relationships and Grief

Let’s be honest, there’s something wrong with all our families and Fleabag’s life is no piece of cake, but the way she handles things with her father and sister inspires you to take mature decisions family-wise.

6. Pain Leaves You

During the span of the show, Fleabag is heavily grieving over the death of her mother and the suicide of her best friend and eventually, she lets them go and that’s something we all need to see at some point.

7. Hard Things Explained As Simple

It explores so many serious issues like divorce, bad marriage, sleeping with your best friend’s boyfriend, having an affair, and being attracted to a man of god, as well as miscarriage, atheism, and the value of relationships and friendships. Honestly, the show is a therapy in itself.

8. Indirect Feminism

Honestly, there are so many shows claiming themselves to be feministic and Fleabag tops them all with its dark comedy and authentic feminism without even advertising itself for it.

9. So Many Awards!

Fleabag has won so many awards that it is difficult to keep count. Primetime Emmy awards, Golden Globes, Screen Actor Guild Awards, Satellite Awards, and so many more. So, if it’s bagging all of these awards, then it’s definitely worth the watch.

10. Phoebe Waller-Bridge

I mean isn’t she an awesome enough reason in itself to watch the show?

You’re going to wish if you could watch it again for the first time so stop doing everything and binge-watch it on Amazon Prime Video.

Have you watched Fleabag? Or will you be checking it out? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 10 Reasons Why You Must Watch ‘Fleabag’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Arrested Development

The show so perfect for binge-watching that it only started to receive the recognition it deserved when Netflix picked it up. Following the downfall of the once-wealthy and entirely dysfunctional Bluth family, Arrested Development uses its camera, editing, and production design to create comedy so dense that repeat watches only build on the experience. The show refined the art of the running gag and gave us such iconic characters as Lucille Bluth, GOB, and Tobias Fünke who have since gone down in the annals of pop culture through memes, GIFs, and instantly quotable one-liners.

Community

Television shows have been using pop culture references and meta-humour for years, but few have so effectively used them as a way to build characters and develop story arcs as effectively as Community. Towards the end of its first season, the show started experimenting with the traditional sitcom format by introducing concept episodes, which heavily satirised specific movie and television genres and tropes in ways that affectionately mocked but never cheapened their source material. Community covered westerns, musicals, animations, documentaries, epic fantasies, Hitchcockian mysteries, and crime procedurals – all within the confines of an entirely non-mystical, semi-realistic sitcom college setting. It quickly gained a cult following, and became one of the most unique comedy shows of the 2010’s.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Perhaps due to its unappealing title, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend struggled to build its ratings over the years – but that doesn’t at all reflect the passion of its fanbase. Its examination of mental illness and what society deems “crazy” behaviour sends the story to some emotional, moving places, but much like Community its hilarious send-up of pop culture through the TV musical format keeps it light on its feet. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend satirises a huge number of music styles and artists, from 70’s disco to 90’s hip hop, pulling off a Marilyn Monroe tribute, a Fred Astaire dance routine, and even an entire episode taking the piss out of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats. But it is the show’s understanding of the emotions and ideas we associate with each of these music icons and its ability to use them to shape a heartfelt story that makes Crazy Ex-Girlfriend truly inventive, funny, and an absolute joy to watch.

Parks and Recreation

It takes a couple of seasons to find its footing, but from season 3 onward Parks and Recreation really hits its stride. There is something uplifting in seeing these public servants persevere through thankless jobs just so they can make their community marginally better than it was before. It’s this undying spirit of endurance that defines the show, and which is embodied in one of TV’s greatest heroes, Leslie Knope. She knows that there are bigger problems that need to be fixed on a national level, but she also recognises that for now her place is to work on the small issues that no one else can address. Timely themes, given the current crisis.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

While working on Parks and Recreation, writer and producer Mike Schur played with the idea of the “cutecom” – that is, a subgenre of sitcoms in which the central group of characters will tolerate each other’s flaws on the basis that they are all working towards becoming better people. Conflicts occasionally arise from within the group, but it usually comes from outside forces. With Brooklyn Nine-Nine, he perfected it. Jake Peralta and the assortment of weirdos who make up the police department of Brooklyn’s 99^th precinct are the kinds of people you would want to hang out with. Not because they would never frustrate you, but because the only drama that arises between them can be resolved within the space of a 20 minute episode. Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been praised for tackling heavy issues like racial profiling and sexual assault, all while consistently cracking brilliant jokes that never undercut the significance of its themes. But everyone knows that it’s the Halloween Heist episodes that are the real gems of the show.

The Good Place

Following on from Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Mike Schur finally channelled all his ideas about what it means to be a good person into their purest, cosmic form – The Good Place. After Eleanor Shellstrop, a terrible human being, finds out that she has died and mistakenly wound up in “The Good Place” (as opposed to “The Bad Place”), she figures that she must try to learn basic ethics so she can fit in and keep her spot. Unlike other sitcoms, The Good Place is much less of a hangout show and a little more plot-driven, but it is this forward momentum that makes the character development in this show so appealing. Like Schur’s other great shows, there is the option to either enjoy the hilarious situations these characters end up in or to dig deeper into its themes, and The Good Place certainly satisfies either way.

The Mighty Boosh

Throwing a bit of an odd one in here, because The Mighty Boosh isn’t to everyone’s taste. It is surreal, nonsensical, and plays by its own rules. It can only be described as a buddy comedy that sends its two main characters, Howard and Vince, off on wonderfully hallucinogenic adventures to the bottom of the ocean, a desert island, the tundra, inside a human body, and to other planets. Sometimes they’re accompanied by their two friends, the mystical shaman Naboo and his talking gorilla, Bollo. Sometimes they face off against the villainous Hitcher, a green-faced cockney who wears a polo mint as an eyepatch. Sometimes the Moon will interject in the middle of an episode with his own rambling monologues. There’s not much rhyme or reason to why this show works as well as it does, but its weird, dedicated fanbase are a testament to its enduring quality over a decade later.

Fleabag

Admittedly there’s not much of Fleabag to binge, but if you’re one of the unlucky few who hasn’t caught up with this yet, you could potentially knock the whole show out in a day. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s dysfunctional feminist café owner is one of the most iconic TV characters of the 2010’s – a little broken, often petty, trying to be better, and not always succeeding. She frequently breaks the fourth wall in short, quick-witted asides, considering all the big questions of life and their direct impact on her. Religion, sex, grief, and companionship are handled with sophistication and humour, and it’s this sharp balance of tones that has made Fleabag such a huge success.

Do you have any other recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 8 TV Comedies To Binge While In Quarantine appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Sex Education is a British Netflix show that everyone has been screaming about. If you are one of the many people who have recently binge watched the second season that dropped earlier this year and are looking for something new to watch, then here is a list of seven shows that might be a good fit for you!

1. Euphoria

This show stars Zendaya and it’s filled with so many other fantastic actors such as Jacob Elordie (The Kissing Booth), Eric Dane (Greys Anatomy), and Sydney Sweeney (The Handmaid’s Tale). Euphoria follows Rue (Zendaya), who has just returned from rehab and how she and her classmates are dealing with all the challenges of being a teenager.  This show is a lot darker and more graphic (R18+ content) than Sex Education, but it discusses very relevant issues, has a diverse cast, great female friendships, a wide variety of relationships, and will have you crying just like Sex Education.

2. Looking For Alaska

This show stars Kristine Froseth (The Society), Ron Cephas Jones (This Is Us), Timothy Simons (Veep), and a wide range of new young actors. This TV show is based on John Green’s book and has done a beautiful job of bringing these characters onto the screen. It is set at a boarding school in the woods, Miles is new but finds a loyal group of friends very quickly. Alaska, who is the love interest of Miles, is very similar to Maeve in Sex Education as they both have a very dark outlook on life and are feminists. This TV show has some great friendships and is set in the 90s, so it has a similar throwback vibe like Sex Education.

3. One Day At A Time

One Day At A Time stars Justina Machado (Jane the Virgin), Rita Moreno, Isabella Gomez (A Cinderella Story: Christmas), and so many other incredible people. This show is all about a Cuban-American family and it tackles a large amount of current issues, while also being incredibly funny. If you’re wanting something a bit more humorous or lighthearted, this is a great binge.

4. The End of The F***ing World

Jessica Barden (Hanna) and Alex Lawther (Black Mirror) star as the two leads in this show. This is british so you will get to hear the british accent again. Alyssa (Barden) and James (Lawther), who are both outsiders set off on a road trip but find a lot of obstacles along the way. This show is very dark but it feels similar to Sex Education as it once again explores what it means to be a teen as well as showing a relationship in a new light.

5. The Bold Type

The Bold Type stars Katie Stevens (Faking It), Aisha Dee (Chasing Life) and Meghann Fahy (Next to Normal on Broadway) as three badass women working for a magazine. This show is all about girl power and starting the conversation about things such as sexual assault, sexual orientation, breast cancer and more. It is great for people who loved Sex Education as it combines tackling important issues with homour and romance.

6. Glee

Glee is a little older than the rest of the shows on this list but it started talking about significant and relevant teen issues well before its time. It stars Lea Michele (Scream Queens), Jane Lynch (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and so many other incredible people you will know from Broadway musicals and movies. This show is all about a high school Glee club and how they are at the bottom of the food chain. There is a lot of singing on this show, so if that isn’t your cup of tea you might want to skip this one. But it talks about teen pregnancy, homophobia, racism and so much more.

7. Fleabag

Fleabag has won countless awards and has a star studded cast. It stars people such as Phoebe Waller-Bridge (writer of Fleabag and Killing Eve), Olivia Colman (Broadchurch), Andrew Scott (Sherlock) and Brett Gelmann (Stranger Things). This show is about Fleabag and how she is dealing with life. This show is wacky, heartbreaking, funny and so incredibly british.

Hopefully one of the 7 shows listed will become a nice and easy binge. All 7 of the shows contain some sort of element found in Sex Education. So get to it, make a cup of tea and curl up!

Do you have any other recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

The post What To Watch Next After Watching ‘Sex Education’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.