The Editors’ Spring Break Recommendations

Looking for a diversion as we dive back into classes? Check out our editors’ recommendations of the best books, movies, and TV shows they watched over spring break.

Books

“The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride (2023)

Heading into the break, I was four books behind on my New Year’s resolution, and needed something to break me out of a reading slump. This was the perfect pick. In his fifth novel, McBride traces the lives, joys, and struggles of the Jewish immigrant and Black communities in 1920s Pottstown, Pennsylvania. It is warm, heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and exactly what I needed to get back into reading for fun.

— Assistant Features Editor June Dorsch ’27

“Educated” by Tara Westover (2018)

Tara Westover’s memoir “Educated” is the perfect book for readers looking for a thought-provoking, complex novel surprisingly based on a true story. Westover unveils her heartbreaking adolescent life which is full of intricate family relationships, the pursuit of knowledge, and religion. Raised by a devout Mormon father who believed the apocalypse is arriving, Westover chronicles the struggles of living under a restrictive father and her yearning for greater education. This heart-wrenching memoir, which illuminates the struggles of self-discovery and Westover’s constant battle with understanding her own memories, is a must-read.

— Assistant Arts & Living Editor Abby Kim ’27

“When We Cease to Understand the World” by Benjamín Labatut (2020)

This novel, Labatut’s first to be translated into English, was on all kinds of end-of-year lists when it came out in 2020 — a distinction that always makes me simultaneously want to read and avoid a book in equal parts. So I only found out last week (because of Sofia Tennent ’25, who also just read it) that I was hella missing out. Did you have childhood heroes with last names like Heisenberg, Schwarzschild, and Bohr? Did you really like Michael Frayn’s “Copenhagen,” have an over-read copy of “The Elegant Universe,” or dream about going to UChicago just because of Fermilab? Do you ever really, really worry about being a scientist? If so, you gotta read this book. If not, I dunno. It’s pretty good.

— Editor in Chief Dustin Copeland ’25

Television

“Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (2024)

I was skeptical about this blockbuster-inspired Amazon Prime original series, but it exceeded my expectations with its dry humor and action-packed plot. In this romance, action, thriller, and comedy, two professional spies ditch their old lives to work for an independent agency, assuming their new identities as a married couple. They navigate romance, kids, and married life all while trying not to get killed or, worse, found out.

— Managing Arts & Living Editor Sarah Weiner ’24

“Delicious in Dungeon” (2024)

After hearing friends and social media buzzing about the manga-turned-anime “Delicious in Dungeon” (also commonly known as “Dungeon Meshi”) I caved to the pressure and decided to spend my break catching up with this fun action-fantasy show about cooking and eating fantastical dungeon creatures, complete with eye-watering meal stills fit for a Studio Ghibli movie. The latest episodes — episodes 11 and 12 — floored me with their high stakes and rich character development. If you’re looking for a lighthearted show that’ll make you hungry, I’d highly recommend “Delicious in Dungeon,” available on Netflix.

— Managing Opinion Editor Willow Delp ’26

Movies

“Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015)

Years late to the game, I watched “Mad Max: Fury Road,” in anticipation of its upcoming prequel, “Furiosa.” I seldom enjoy action movies and, much like Sarah, had low expectations, but I fell in love with the film’s utterly unique post-apocalyptic wasteland and its surprisingly feminist plot. Never have I found giant trucks smashing into each other so interesting. The film’s sparse dialogue allows the stunning visuals, special effects, and stunts to speak for themselves. Few blockbuster action movies are as innovative and bizarre as “Mad Max” — I see now why the franchise has a cult following. Let’s just hope “Furiosa” can live up to its predecessor.

— Managing Arts & Living Editor Sophie Durbin ’25

“The Time That Remains” (2009)

Movies are wonderful pastimes, but they can also be intimately human and forcefully subversive. “The Time That Remains” is one such film. Narrating the experience of a Palestinian family who remained in their land after the 1948 Nakba, who have come to be known as “Israeli Arabs,” Suleiman weaves chilling melancholy with Wes Anderson-esque deadpan comedy. Timely, darkly playful, and deeply affecting — it's the perfect film to watch for anyone seeking hope in the face of catastrophe.

— Senior Managing Editor Stacey Zhang ’26

“About Time” (2013)

This heartwarming rom-com made me laugh, cry, and believe in love again, providing the perfect escapist entertainment during break. The film follows a man named Tim (Domhall Gleeson) who discovers he can travel in time and change what happens during his own life. He uses this power to start a relationship with his love Mary (Rachel McAdams), and the movie explores their developing romance through the life stages as well as the impact of Tim’s time travel abilities on his daily life. What is maybe most unexpectedly stirring in the film is Tim’s relationship with his father and fellow time-traveler (Bill Nighy), beautifully and tenderly revealing the power of familial love. With hilarious and quirky time-travel hijinks, amazing chemistry between the two leads, and a genuinely poignant reflection on the human condition, this movie is utterly captivating and a true joy to watch.

— Assistant Arts & Living Editor Lauren Siegel ’27

“Promising Young Woman” (2020)

Knowing Emerald Fennell’s success with her recent film “Saltburn,” I watched her not as glamorous, but just as dramatic, 2020 film starring Carey Mulligan. Devastating and heartbreaking, this film subverts the a rape revenge plot. The main character Cassie becomes consumed with her quest to seek justice for her late friend Nina. Perhaps the most compelling part was its invocation of religious imagery, turning the main character, Cassie, into an angel of revenge. Though Cassie hopes to commit the ultimate revenge, to me, the unexpected ending that occurs is the most satisfying, and sadly, the most realistic.

— Managing Arts and Living Editor Mackenzie Dunson ’25