A Booklist for Social Isolation

alternatively: Reading in the time of Corona

In the frightening times of a global pandemic, some people have found themselves self-isolated and quarantined with little to do. After staring at a screen all day for online classes or working-from-home, more digital media might be headache inducing rather than relaxing. After spending all day inside your home, you might want to be transportated somewhere entirely new. This is the perfect time to turn to books! 

If you’re an avid reader like me, you’ll take this opportunity to *finally* get to that long list of books you’ve been meaning to read. If you haven’t had time to read in years, you might have no idea where to start. To both these categories— and all in between— here’s a list of book suggestions in the time of COVID-19, separated into the categories based on what mood or type of reader you are. 

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If you are looking for a heart-warming and cozy novel to fall into, try one of these: 

1) A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

This is a charming, heart-warming novel about Count Alexander Rostov as he is sentenced to house arrest in a hotel in Moscow. A historical fiction novel spanning decades in Russia, we experience the Count’s life trapped inside the hotel and all the relationships he builds through this time. Certainly topical to our quarantines today (though Rostov does have access to an entire hotel– a luxury!), this novel provides insight and warm moments in clear and whimsical prose. 

2) The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

Patchett is probably my go to for charming, touching novels about family. Borrowing from my Autumn Reading Review, The Dutch House is a coming of age novel that spans decades, following the character Danny and his relationship to his family, specifically his sister, and a house referred to as The Dutch House. Danny must come to terms to how his sister can have different perspectives on their mother, father, and past than his own. This novel is long, but is engrossing and builds to honest and kind revelations. I listened to this one on Audiobook (it’s narrated by Tom Hanks!) and found it really enjoyable in that format. 

3) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 

If you loved the movie, read this book years ago, or have never heard the story at all, Little Women is a perfect heartwarming classic to transport and entertain you during quarantine. Following a family with four sisters— Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy— as they grow up during the Civil War and make their way in the world, Little Women is a readable classic that has endured the test of time.

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If you are looking for an escape, try these transportive + atmospheric reads with strong senses of setting:

1) Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips

This novel follows the disappearance of two girls who go missing in the Russian city of Kamchatka. Each chapter follows a different perspective in the town— civilians, policemen, other young girls, their mother— in a subsequent month after the disappearance. While this is a mystery, it is less plot-driven than you might expect; it is a character-driven and setting-driven novel, providing a rich reading experience that transports the reader. 

2) In The Distance by Hernan Diaz

This strange Western novel was one of my Favorite Reads of 2019 — it follows Håkan, a young Swedish boy, who gets separated from his older brother during their journey to America in the 1800s. Håkan must now navigate a foreign landscape, society, and natural environment as he tries to find his brother again. This is an atmospheric and vast novel that deals with loss, isolation, and loneliness with stunning clarity and stunning prose.

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If you want something intense or emotional that you can’t put down, try one of these mysterious reads: 

1) Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

This novel is a mix of mystery, eco-fiction, and romance, emphasizing how we live in our environment and are shaped by what is around us. With alternating timelines following Kya, a young girl who lives in the swamp and is the subject of many town rumors, and a mysterious death investigated by police, this novel is difficult to put down.

2) Long Bright River by Liz Moore

While I don’t usually enjoy reading police focused mysteries or thrillers, Long Bright River is unique because it focuses on the opioid epidemic and how police interact with users. The novel follows a policewoman, Mickey, as she gets involved with cases regarding murdered sex workers. As she seeks justice for these women, she must also confront her own personal life, including her estranged relationship with her sister, an opioid user. 

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If you’re not a big reader, but want to give it a try:

One great place to start is with essay collections. My personal recommendation would be Jia Tolentino’s Trick Mirror, which covers topics including the Internet, young womanhood, and capitalism (and how the three interact!). I find other great essay collections and nonfiction recommendations from @her.bookshelf on Instagram!

Additionally, graphic novels can be more accessible to some readers. I personally love graphic novels and would recommend Seconds by Bryan Lee O’Malley for a more positive/whimsical read and Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi for a more serious, autobiographical graphic novel.

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If you *finally* have the time to read one of those long novels you’ve always wanted to read, here are my favorites:

For a long classic novel, the Russian classics are unmatched— my favorites are The Brothers Karamazov and The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (around 824 and 560 pages respectively). I also love Anna Karenina and War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (around 864 and 1300 pages respectively), which would be perfectly transpotive stories to sink into during this time of quarantine. Other great classics are John Steinbeck’s East of Eden and Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man.

If you are looking for something more contemporary, Haruki Murakami has some really long novels that are fantastic. My favorite is The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle at just over 600 pages long.

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If you want something topical and absurd, read The Plague by Albert Camus, one of my all-time favorite novels regarding physicians and the spread of disease.  🙂

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If you want to purchase these books (or any others), please purchase from local bookstores online! The pandemic could be devastating to these local businesses, so please choose to support them rather than Amazon. 

Here’s a link to buy from some of my favorite independent bookstores in my area: Literati ; Nicola’s Books 

If you are buying an audiobook, use libro.fm rather than Amazon-owned Audible, as libro.fm helps out independent bookstores 🙂 

Happy reading & stay safe!