From incredible memoirs to haunting novels, this collection of books will make great company during the quarantine.
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When most of your days are spent at home, it is all too easy to complain about your boredom. If this is new to you, remember that there are a number of ways to spend your time, from donating to various causes that focus on fighting COVID-19 to picking up a new hobby. This could mean poring through the stacks of unread literature in your room. You see, books have the power to transport you to another place or give you insight from a person who has lived a life totally different from yours.
Having said this, we present to you our recommendations depending on your mood. These books, all written by female authors, will surely make great company during the quarantine.
If You’re Seeking Entertainment:
My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Smart and sarcastic, the novel is a unique story about how the protagonist is sucked in her sister’s bad habit of killing her boyfriends. When she starts dating a co-worker she is in love with, however, tension starts to rise. Oyinkan Craithwaite does a wonderful job of keeping her readers on their toes the entire time.
I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron
If you’re a fan of essays, this lighthearted collection will definitely get to you. Marked with the author’s intimate voice and dry sense of humor, the book contains reflections on getting older, such as career, marriage, menopause. Even if you are not currently going through those things, her charming way of writing will certainly get to you.
If You Want To Feel Things:
Normal People by Sally Rooney
It is amazing how Sally Rooney can bring so much weight to subtleties such as a gaze or a succinct reply. Normal People plays with this as we get to know the two protagonists—two friends who are helplessly attracted to each other despite their flaws. Shining a light on the beauty of human connection, the book will make you feel a range of emotions.
Three Women by Lisa Taddeo
For eight years, journalist Lisa Taddeo followed the lives of three different women to explore female desire and what affects it. As a result, her debut non-fiction book contains nuggets of wisdom from start to finish. Dealing with themes such as loss, weakness, strength and self-respect, the raw, beautifully written stories only pull you closer.
Books On Resilience, To Get You Through Tough Times:
Educated by Tara Westover
Born to a survivalist family with rather extreme beliefs, the author first set foot in a classroom when she was 17. The journey to get there, however, was difficult, as she had to educate herself and come to terms with the truth about her family. A memoir on reinvention and resilience, you will have a hard time putting Educated down.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Set in a dystopian future, Offred, one of the few fertile women remaining, is assigned to be a handmaid. This means that she is forced to produce children for the ruling class of men. The novel is haunting, and seeing these women struggle for independence is both heartbreaking and empowering.
Wild: From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
Following her mother’s death, Cheryl Strayed threw herself into recklessness. Years later, she used that impulsiveness to take on a new adventure: to hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail alone. Filled with both heartbreaking and humorous moments, the memoir shows us one’s unique journey to strength and healing.
