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🍿  what to read, watch and listen to this holiday

“It's the holiday season

(The holiday season)

With the whoop-de-doo and dickory dock

And don't forget to hang up your sock … ”

 

Not an Andy Williams fan? That’s quite OK. While Williams’ “Happy Holiday” may be a seasonal classic, we have some more current recommendations for you to indulge in as well, courtesy of CNN’s culture and entertainment experts Lisa Respers France and Audrey Irvine.

 

The duo host a weekly online show, “Pop Life Pop Off,” where nothing is off the table, from debating whether “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie to dissecting the latest J Lo and Ben Affleck wedding rumors to understanding the public’s obsession with tales of true crime. So naturally we asked them for their top recommendations of what to watch, read and listen to, for some “Home Alone” time or to keep up with friends and family you may bump into over the holidays.

Watch “Pop Life Pop Off” every Saturday morning on CNN.com, the CNN app or YouTube.

☃️  festive favorites

📺  What to watch:

“I've been watching 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' since I was a little girl. I love when Linus does the speech about baby Jesus. I love the scene where Schroeder’s playing the piano and they're all dancing around. It's just very lighthearted and innocent and very pure.”

- France

 

“I always watch ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ and ‘The Grinch,’ for different reasons. Rudolph because I just relate to the fact that he was an underdog and that ultimately he conquered all and ended up being the hero. And then for the Grinch, I'm obsessed with the little dog.”

- Irvine

 

📚  What to Read:

“Over Christmas, I always reread the ‘Little House on the Prairie’ books, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, which has nothing to do with me, but there's something about the frontier dynamic and just how close their family was. Family is extremely important to me."

- France

 

“A couple of Christmases ago, I sat with ‘The Bluest Eye,’ by Toni Morrison. The irony is it was in the Great Depression so many years ago, but all of the themes that she talks about, regarding color and regarding just how you feel about yourself, are relevant today."

- Irvine

 

🎧  What to listen to:

“The minute I hear him sing ‘Hang all the mistletoe,’ I'm there. It's Christmas for me. … I can hear 'This Christmas' by Donny Hathaway in June, and it's 100 degrees outside, and immediately it's Christmastime for me. It's a classic. It's a beautiful song. I just, I love it.”

- France

 

“Something about hearing Nat King Cole's smooth voice on 'The Christmas Song' just warms me into Christmas.”

- Irvine

💳   CNN insider rec of the week

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🎥  current obsessions 

📺  What to watch: 

“'The Great.' It's about the life of Catherine the Great, but they let you know right up front that it is far from historically accurate. It's really funny.” 

- France 

 

“I love how I feel watching 'Ted Lasso.' And you can see yourself in every character in some way, shape or form. And it makes you laugh and cry while just making you feel so good at the end.”

- Irvine

 

📚  What to read: 

“‘Dead Dead Girls,’ by Nekesa Afia. It's set in Harlem in the 1920s. And the main character is an African American lesbian. It's just something that we do not see often. I'm attracted to the otherness of it.”

- France

 

“‘The Perfect Day to Boss Up: A Hustler's Guide to Building Your Empire,’ by Rick Ross. Who knew an award-winning rapper could give you the keys to the business world. If you follow Ross on Instagram, he provides many positive inspirational gems while promoting."

- Irvine

 

🎧  What to listen to: 

“If you're a fan of a good old-fashioned torch song that gives you all the feels, then Adele's latest album, '30,' is the one for you."

- Irvine 

 

"We are Adele junkies. We went to Adele’s last tour, and it was the most amazing show. In our mind, she's like one of our girlfriends, our good, British girlfriend.”

- France

Self-confessed “Adele junkies” Audrey Irvine and Lisa Respers France, with friends and family, at Adele’s concert at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, October 29, 2016.

🎥  what they're looking forward to in '22

“New movies including ‘Legally Blonde 3’ and ‘The Batman.’”

 - France 

 

“Seeing Adele during her Las Vegas residency.”

- Irvine

 

Want even more recommendations? Sign up for CNN's entertainment newsletter Pop Life Chronicles with Lisa Respers France for a weekly dose of binge-worthy content and illuminating headlines.

✍️  talk to us

Who would you like to see spotlighted next? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you.

However you’re celebrating, happy holidays from the Inside CNN team!

- Written and edited by Beryl Adcock, Tricia Escobedo, Melissa Mahtani and Jessica Sooknanan