As you’re searching for the next new book to read, or television show or movie to watch, the solution isn’t too far from home. These five new pieces of media all come from creators with ties to the Northern Virginia area, and each one is guaranteed to keep you entertained.
Book
Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb
DMV-area music teacher Brendan Slocumb writes a gripping story about Ben Hendricks, a musicology professor who discovers a shocking secret about a famous American composer.
TV Show
Class of ’09
Brian Tyree Henry, who grew up in DC, stars in a thriller that follows a class of FBI agents who end up reunited after a friend’s death. This limited series examines the nature of justice altered by artificial intelligence and the life-defining choices people make.
Book
You Don’t Belong Here by Jonathan Harper
In this debut novel by Jonathan Harper, the longtime Northern Virginia resident delivers a harrowing story that will leave you wanting even more. On his last night in what he thought was a quiet town, a writer deals with events that leave him trapped.
Movie
Fool’s Paradise
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fans would be remiss to not watch Charlie Day in this star-studded satire. In Day’s directorial debut, Ken Jeong plays a publicist who gets his lucky break after discovering a recently released mental health patient (Day) who looks just like a misbehaving movie star. It stars Jason Bateman and NoVA native Jason Sudeikis.
Book
Alexandra Petri’s US History by Alexandra Petri
Have a good laugh as you read Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri’s fake textbook that takes you through the past 500 years with humorous, absurdist stories from John and Abigail Adams to Susan Sontag. Don’t miss this “historical fan fiction.”
Feature image courtesy Anchor (Symphony of Secrets); W. W. Norton and Company (Alexandra Petri’s U.S. History); and Lethe Press (You Don’t Belong Here)
This story originally ran in our June issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
