It looks like the weather these next few days won’t be the nicest, so our weekly Staff Picks might be just what you need to keep the Winter doldrums at bay!

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The ‘Burbs

This new Peacock series may not have much in common with the 1989 comedy it’s purportedly based on, but it’s still a blast either way. Keke Palmer and Jack Whitehall are charming as a young couple who move onto an idyllic cul-de-sac across the street from a mysterious, seemingly abandoned mansion. Julia Duffy, Paula Pell, Mark Proksch, and Kapil Talwalkar are also a lot of fun as their neighbors, all giving off endearingly quirky energy while still feeling like people you would want to actually hang out with. Just what happened in the empty house proves to be a compelling mystery in this enjoyable series that feels like a quirkier return to Desperate Housewives vibes. – Sean Farrell

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The Pitt

If you remember Sean’s recommendation from January to check out The Pitt, consider this a friendly push to take his advice — provided you like realistic medical dramas.

Season 2 doubles down on everything that made the first season so compelling: intense cases, tough decisions, and characters navigating the pressure of working in an urban emergency room. The show follows an hour by hour structure and balances its fast pace with strong character development. It’s gripping, thoughtful, and often very heavy — but these are the components that have made it so well reviewed.  

Not available from the library (yet!), but you can currently stream it on HBO Max. – Erin Brown

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Best Medicine

But perhaps you’re looking for a medical show that’s gentler than the high-stress intensity of The Pitt? The new series Best Medicine might be just what the doctor ordered 🙂

Best Medicine leans into small-town charm and quirky characters. The series follows a brilliant but grumpy doctor who leaves Boston for a medical practice in a coastal Maine town, where his personality clashes with the locals. It’s based on the popular British series Doc Martin, and fans of the classic Northern Exposure will likely also notice parallels, from the fish-out-of-water premise to the eccentric townspeople and cozy small-town setting.

Currently airing on Fox and Hulu. But if you’re looking for something similar on DVD, check out Doc Martin or Northern Exposure. – EB

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In Your Dreams by Sarah Adams

This final installment of the When in Rome series is just as sweet and sassy as its predecessors.  We get the story of the last of the Walker siblings when Madison decides that NYC isn’t for her and comes home to the open sky and small-town atmosphere in Rome, Kentucky.  A budding chef who has always been at odds with her older brother’s best friend, James, she discovers a different side of him when they join forces to open a farm to table restaurant to save Huxley Farm.  Will the two find romance is a dish on the menu, or will their new friendship be flambéd to a crisp? – Kara Buono

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Eric Sawyer: Civil Disobedience by Boston Modern Orchestra Project; conducted by Gil Rose

The Boston Modern Orchestra Project continues to perform and release exciting contemporary orchestral works, and this collection of pieces composed by New York born Eric Sawyer is a stellar example of how vital their existence is. The album opens with the title work, which contains narration drawn from Henry David Thoreau’s essay of the same name. The still timely words, spoken by Aaron Engebreth, are perfectly matched by the evocative instrumentation. Also featuring his “Violin Concerto” and the operatic “Ways of Being”, before closing out with the “Fantasy Concerto”, my favorite of the set, this album shows that modern classical music is still alive and well. Mixing traditional sounds with jazz elements and moments reminiscent of classic movie soundtracks, every piece here is eminently listenable and magically transportive. Music lovers owe it to themselves to seek it out (or to just click their preferred link below). – SF

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Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman

Heartstopper is a delightful coming of age graphic novel series focused on the stories of main characters Nick and Charlie, and a host of their friends.  Follow along as they navigate being queer in high school and experience all of the accompanying difficulties, revelations, and joyful moments.  The stories deal with friendship, love, self-discovery and acceptance, mental illness, bullying, and much more.  If you like the books, check out the series on Netflix, which is set to receive the final installment in July along with the publication of the final graphic novel in the series.  – KB

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Neither the Avalon Free Public Library nor its staff receive any compensation for inclusion on this list or for links to external websites.

Cover photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.