Besides binge watching movies and TV Shows on Netflix and other streaming services, dedicate some time to delving into books! Regardless of if you are a book lover or not, reading is something everyone should do as it helps tremendously with analytical skills, boosting your intelligence, and reducing stress, just to name a few benefits. As we continue to practice social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, there is a lot more time for everyone to start reading some new books. Reading can provide an escape for many people from the stressful events going on in the real world right now, and it can help you too! Whether you prefer memoirs, fiction, or nonfiction, there’s a book for you. Also, almost all of the books on this list have made The New York Times Best Sellers List! Now, with all of that being said, here are 15 great books to read while social distancing:
Of all the books included in this article, Ronan Farrow’s Catch and Kill is the book that’s next on my reading list. The Pulitzer-winning investigative reporter shares his riveting account of investigating and reporting on Harvey Weinstein. Farrow’s 2017 articles in The New Yorker, along with the initial findings by The New York Times (which were published five days prior to Farrow’s stories being published by The New Yorker), helped uncover allegations of sexual abuse against film producer Harvey Weinstein.
A recluse (who has agoraphobia) who drinks heavily and takes prescription drugs may have witnessed a crime committed across from her Harlem townhouse. Amy Adams will star in the film adaption (the release date has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic) of this thriller novel.
Julie Clark’s The Last Flight is one of those books that once you start it, you won’t be able to put it down! It tells the story of two women with very different lives who make a last minute, desperate decision to switch identities at the airport to escape their lives. This book will keep you guessing with its many twists and turns.
Published in 2018, Becoming is the memoir of former First Lady of The United States Michelle Obama. In her memoir, the former First Lady shares stories from her childhood through to her time at the White House. As reported by BBC, Becoming sold more copies than any other book published in the United States in 2018, breaking the record in just 15 days. I just finished the book last week and I definitely encourage anyone reading this article to add this one to their list of books read! On May 6, Netflix released the documentary Becoming, which follows the former First Lady’s book tour after the release of her memoir. You can read the book and watch the documentary at the same time if you want!
In this moving memoir, Ariana Neumann dives into the secrets of her father’s past: years spent hiding in plain sight in war-torn Berlin, the annihilation of dozens of family members in the Holocaust, and the courageous choice to build anew. The work and emotion that she put into this book is unbelievable.
Andy Weir’s debut novel follows an American astronaut, Mark Watney, as he becomes stranded alone on Mars in the year 2035 and must improvise in order to survive on the planet. Matt Damon earned rave reviews for his portrayal of Watney in the 2015 film adaptation. Damon won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor.
The first of two books featured in this article that are ultimate quarantine reads is Amor Towles’s A Gentleman in Moscow. The story revolves around Count Alexander Rostov, a Russian nobleman, who is sentenced to spending the rest of his life in Moscow’s Metropol Hotel, in 1922. The main ideas of A Gentleman in Moscow are thriving in captivity; the importance of community; the distance of a kind act; and resilience. It’s a manual for getting through the days to come.
The first of two books featured in this article that are ultimate quarantine reads is Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. After a swine flu pandemic wipes out most of the world’s population, a group of actors and musicians travel around the newly formed settlements in order to keep their art alive. St. John Mandel’s novel is one of the books that you should definitely read while social distancing as it showcases the impact of the pandemic on all of the characters’ lives. All of us around the world are also feeling the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and how it will drastically alter every day life.
If you love books that fall under the genres of mystery and thrillers, Samuel Miller’s Redemption Prep is just for you!
Although Robert Kolker’s Hidden Valley Road was only released on April 7, 2020, it has earned rave reviews and debuted at number one on The New York Times NonFiction Best Seller List. Hidden Valley Road gives an account on of the Galvin family of Colorado Springs, Colorado, a family with 12 children. Of the 12 children, six were diagnosed with schizophrenia.
The debut novel of John Green, the author of some of our favorite books such as The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns, is based on his time at boarding school. While the actual story is fictional, the characters and events of the plot are grounded in Green’s life. The miniseries adaption of the book was released last year and is viable on Hulu.
Another one of the books featured in this article that’s currently on The New York Times Best Sellers List is Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere. The book takes place in a small suburb of Cleveland that follows two mothers from opposite sides of the town. Ng’s book was recently adapted into a miniseries starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. You can watch the miniseries on Hulu.
Another one of the books featured in this article that’s currently on The New York Times Best Sellers List is Jonathan Karl’s Front Row at The Trump Show. Karl, The ABC News chief White House Correspondent (a position he’s held since 2012), gives his perspective on the current president of The United States and also describes the shifts within his and President Trump’s relationship.
One of the best beloved book series of all time is The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling. All seven Harry Potter books (and eight films (note, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, the final book of the series, was spilt into two films) too) have made fans around the world believe in magic no matter how old they are. With everything going on in the world right now with the coronavirus pandemic, the world outside feels extremely scary and unpredictable. As we don’t know when things will go back to normal, it feels good to read something comforting and familiar. Along with the Harry Potter books, be sure to check out my article “15 Classic Books That Every Person Should Read At Least Once In Their Lifetime” if you are interested in reading some of the greatest books of all time.
Christina Lauren, the author of The New York Times bestselling book The Unhoneymooners, had nothing but good things to say about Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Lauren stated that she: “Took [the book] with me wherever I went and stole every second I had to read! Absorbing, hilarious, tender, sexy—this book had everything I crave. I’m jealous of all the readers out there who still get to experience Red, White & Royal Blue for the first time!”
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