Books and TV show recs if you're staying home

Plus: a new horoscope column by Karolina Waclawiak

What a year this month has been! Whew. It's understandable if you're feeling anxious right now. We're here to help in what small ways we can. As Shannon Keating writes, in the midst of this historic pandemic, "Maybe more of us can finally recognize our only real worth in this world is what we can offer to others." To that end, if you're relatively young and healthy and so are wondering why you should practice social distancing this weekend or how you can help out your neighbors who might not be as fortunate as you, senior culture writer Anne Helen Petersen has a very helpful guide. If you have older relatives or friends who aren't quite getting it, here's how some millennials are convincing their immunocompromised parents to stay home.  If you need reading recommendations, check out our new best of spring list and this list of a whooping 44 recommendations from various indie bookstores around the U.S. (remember you can order books online from these retailers; they'll appreciate your business!) Looking for good TV? We got you. And Karolina Waclawiak's horoscope column is back with some sage advice we can all follow.  To paraphrase Chet Hanks, I'm wishing you all much love!   —Tomi  Personal Essays Paige Vickers for BuzzFeed News  The Guy I Was Dating Asked To Be My Boyfriend. Three Days Later, He Broke Up With Me After a devastating breakup, I tried to figure out why dating these days feels so isolating. I Don't Know How To Be A Person Right Now Pandemics have historically pushed humanity to undergo great moral and spiritual reckonings. This one could be ours. I've Had A Disability. The Coronavirus Response Is Proof We Need Accessibility For All. Seeing companies make drastic changes to accommodate working remotely during the coronavirus outbreak is great — but it's also frustrating for those of us who could have used those accommodations much sooner. Working In Science Was A Brutal Education. That's Why I Left. Science was a place I ultimately left, not so much because I wanted to, but because I had to. "Bad" English Is Part Of My Korean American Heritage Once a source of shame, but I now say it proudly: bad English is my heritage. Chet Hanks Is The Voice Of Reason We Desperately Need Yes, I'm talking about Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson's large adult son. Features Ben Kothe, Elsie Ogelle / BuzzFeed News Millennial Women Made LuLaRoe Billions. Then They Paid The Price. Lawsuits, mountains of unsold leggings, and families drowning in debt: the tumultuous story behind a multilevel marketing brand that promised millennial women a pathway to financial freedom. How Millennials Are Talking To Their Boomer Relatives About The Coronavirus The big issue? So many of them don't want to consider themselves "old" or "vulnerable." Newsletter exclusive: an astrology column from executive editor Karolina Waclawiak  I was just joking to a friend, how am I supposed to write anything of use in this current moment? Should my column be titled "We're all fucked and your crystals won't save you?" While it's easy to fall into despair and let panic take over, especially in the middle of a pandemic, there are things you can do to feel less useless, to talk to your loved ones who might be at high risk, and even to laugh a little in the face of so much global uncertainty and unrest.  I had high hopes for 2020. You always wish for a fresh start when the calendar turns over, but so far the last two and a half months have felt like a nonstop disaster. I can't even call it a slow moving disaster! At this point, it's anyone's guess what we'll wake up to each morning. And I know that's making it hard for many people to sleep. In the face of all this anxiety, what can we possibly do to take care of ourselves and each other? The last few years have shown us that social constructs are just that, and it's up to us to uphold the standards of kindness and caring for one another because structures like the government are not going to do it for us.  I kept hoping that the end of Mercury's retrograde (this past Monday) would bring some relief but no dice. The full moon in Virgo on Monday has, however, brought in a new rush of energy to help you take a look at the unhealthy patterns you might have fallen into and see if there's anything you can do to change your approach. Glued to Twitter and hitting refresh until insomnia is gripping you? Maybe it's helpful to turn to a meditation app for 15 minutes instead. Waking up hungover too often because you think that's the only solution to the nonstop dread? I bet you can find a healthier way to cope. This is a very confusing time and I have talked to a number of people who don't know what to do with all the distress they're feeling. There are big and small ways to take action and donations that can be made to help out those in need. Don't know where to look? It's the right time to ask for help and be open to the wisdom of others. Collective action works. And everything you do and everything that crosses your path — people, situations, ideas — all have the potential to contribute to your growth and understanding. It's easy to be controlled by fear when everything is so tumultuous. But you will be better served by being open to what this moment can teach you about the kind of person you really are and can be. So don't be shy about helping others — because we're all we have. Books These Are The Best New Books To Read This Spring From a new book by the author of Station Eleven to a self-help guide by Desus and Mero. I Spoke Out Against American Dirt. Then Oprah Asked Me To Talk About It. After I wrote a piece criticizing American Dirt, Oprah invited me to appear on Oprah's Book Club for a candid conversation with her and author Jeanine Cummins. 44 Books To Read Over Spring Break If Your Travel Plans Are Canceled We asked our favorite indie booksellers about the books they're loving these days. How My Dark Vanessa Became One Of The Biggest Books Of The Year Kate Elizabeth Russell on her new novel: "It had to be fiction. It had to be artifice. Because otherwise — how could I stand it?" 15 Brand-New Young Adult Novels That Are Just So, So Good Stay in and curl up with a good book! Cultural Criticism  Hulu / Via screenshot The Best Shows To Watch When You're Feeling Anxious We all deserve a break. How The Bachelor Played Itself The reality television staple is almost two decades old, and tinkering with its formula is yielding diminishing returns. Oprah's No Good, Very Bad Few Months After decades of raising questions about our national baggage, Oprah has recently become the center of controversy herself. Fat Women Onscreen Deserve Better Than Crappy Love Interests The few stories we see about fat women are still so often limited to their love lives — which are still so often depressingly mediocre. High Fidelity Replaces A White Man With A Black Woman And It Actually Works The new Hulu series starring Zoë Kravitz is a thoughtful twist on the original book and movie. Do you know someone who would love this newsletter? Tell them to sign up here!   Got any feedback for us about the newsletter? Respond to this email; we'd love to hear what you want more (or less) of! 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