As Guernsey settles back into normality, conversations in the office this week have centred around the documentary Seaspiracy, music to listen to when concentrating in the office and some of our favourite, thought-provoking reads.

While the team are taking a well-deserved break during Easter, Brooke, Megan and Emily are sharing their take on what to read, watch and listen to over the long weekend.

What our Senior Account Executive Emily is listening to

Name: Ludovico Einaudi

Where: Spotify

Why you should listen:

Ever find yourself struggling to concentrate when you can’t quite get into the zone? You have a deadline to make but all you can hear is the bustle of being back in the office with people chatting on the phone and tapping on their keyboards or if you’re still working from home the annoying sound of your neighbours leaf blower drilling through your ears. Let me transport you to a tranquil Italian corner, the perfect place to uncloud your mind and get you back into the groove. Grab your headphones and search for Italian pianist and composer, Ludovico Einaudi, known for his unique style his music incorporates classical, pop, rock and folk music that makes for unique listening. With 5,276,496 monthly listeners, it seems it’s not just me that loves his music. You’re welcome.

What our Managing Director Brooke is reading

Name: Where the Crawdads sing

Who: Delia Owens

Why you should read:

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is a breathtaking depiction of a coming-of-age story set in the marshlands of North Carolina, split between a murder mystery and the background of the main character, Kya, who was abandoned by her family as a child and grows up fending for herself.

Growing up in a shack with an alcoholic father who drove her mother away, Kya’s self-sufficiency and knowledge of her surroundings become her mode of survival as she forages for mussels to sell, reluctantly venturing into the town beyond the marsh to the scrutiny of the townsfolk and becomes a prime suspect in the mysterious murder of a boy who once pursued her.

The novel is beautifully written with vivid descriptions of the marshland Kya inhabits and her innermost thoughts. You become invested in her journey, from realising she’s on her own to the way she sustains herself and thrives through her innate knowledge of the creatures she lives with in the marsh. Kya falls in love and experiences the same hurts and pains we all do, but it feels exacerbated through her isolation: As the reader, you feel like her friend and confidante.

Without giving the storyline away, the twists and turns of the story culminates in closing the final page with a sense of sadness that the world Kya lives in is over, almost like saying goodbye to a friend that you’ve grown up with. If you’re after a fully immersive read with atmospheric descriptions, strong character development and a gripping storyline, you are in for a treat with the world that Delia Owens created.

What our Digital Content Executive Megan is watching

Name: Seaspiracy

Where: Netflix

Why you should watch:

3.9 billion acres of seafloor is deforested every year by trawling, compared to 25 million acres of forest on land – this is one of the unbelievable stats that the Netflix documentary Seaspiracy explores. The eye-opening documentary is about the impact of commercial fishing on the environment. 27-year-old filmmaker Ali Tabrizi, who has a passion for protecting the ocean, goes on a journey to learn more about its leading threat. What he discovers is shocking and not only shows the negative effects fishing has on marine life but also climate change, pollution, plastic production, human rights, fossil fuels, corruption, deadly diseases and more! It’s a must-watch and really challenges social-norms.