By Daniella Snyder

I’m Daniella Snyder, a graduate student at Villanova University, and your ‘Cat in Falvey’s Stacks. I’ll be posting about academics–from research to study habits and everything in between–and how the Library can play a large role in your success at Villanova (and while you’re away from campus!)

Hey, Wildcats,

This is a chaotic and uncertain moment right now. Firstly, I want to wish you all the best, and I hope that you’re all staying safe and healthy, wherever you might be as you read this blog.

This week, I thought about writing a blog post about how to manage anxiety surrounding COVID-19, how to work from home productively, and other tips and tricks about how to manage online classes.

However, I thought I should be more honest and candid about what it’s been like for the last few days working remotely. Probably like you, I’m trying to take each day at a time. I’m trying to keep my spirits up while I get adjusted to this new lifestyle. For me, that means I’m reading for fun, catching up on TV and movies, and calling friends in my downtime.

So, I thought I’d share the top item on my watch list this week: the new TV adaptation of Little Fires Everywhere.

One of my all-time favorite reads of 2019 was the instant New York Times bestseller Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. In 2017, it was named one of the best books of the year by NPR, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Entertainment Weekly, The Guardian, Buzzfeed, Esquire, and The Washington Post.

Ng tells the story of two families in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, in 1997, exploring the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the power of motherhood. For a full summary, visit Ng’s website.

Today, an eight-episode miniseries of the novel will be released on Hulu, with the two main characters played by Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. The show tackles issues of abortion, LGBTQA rights, immigration, and police brutality circa 1997, but still feels intensely relevant to our current moment.

I hope you’ll tune in tonight and watch with me. Regardless, try to make the best of the uncertainty right now by doing things that make you happy, healthy, and hopeful.

What are you reading and watching from home? Let us know! DM us @villanovalibrary on Instagram or tweet us @FalveyLibrary.

Daniella Snyder is a graduate assistant for Falvey Memorial Library and a graduate student in the English department. This week, she’s reading Followers by Villanova alumna Megan Angelo and trying out new recipes.