5 books to read during quarantine
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With everything going on in the world right now, books are a more welcome distraction than ever. Watching the news is frightening. Even opening emails is scary right now with the fear of lay-offs, closures, bad news from friends/family, etc. Not only is the escape of reading vital when we really can’t escape any other way, but it’s also setting a great example to our kids who are at home 24/7 right now. Growing up with two teachers for parents, I saw both my Mom and Dad reading daily and it rubbed off on my brothers and me. It was normal to us to read every day because we saw my parents doing it. I want to set that same example for Bear and Boone. Even if you haven’t been much of a reader, quarantine is a great time to start.
I’ve read countless books over the years that I’ve loved, but I wanted to share 5 that I feel most of you would truly enjoy during this time. From a memoir to romance to suspense, this little list covers a wide range of genres that will captivate you.
5 Books to Read Right Now:
1. Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks- I’m not sure how he does it, but Nicholas Sparks manages to knock it out of the park every time. I’ve read most of his books but this is probably my favorite. He somehow gives you the happily ever after while simultaneously breaking your heart in two, and you’ll be thinking about this story for weeks after you read it.
Hope Anderson is at a crossroads. At thirty-six, she's been dating her boyfriend, an orthopedic surgeon, for six years. With no wedding plans in sight, and her father recently diagnosed with ALS, she decides to use a week at her family's cottage in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, to ready the house for sale and mull over some difficult decisions about her future. Tru Walls has never visited North Carolina but is summoned to Sunset Beach by a letter from a man claiming to be his father. A safari guide, born and raised in Zimbabwe, Tru hopes to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding his mother's early life and recapture memories lost with her death. When the two strangers cross paths, their connection is as electric as it is unfathomable . . . but in the immersive days that follow, their feelings for each other will give way to choices that pit family duty against personal happiness in devastating ways. Illuminating life's heartbreaking regrets and enduring hope, EVERY BREATH explores the many facets of love that lay claim to our deepest loyalties -- and asks the question, How long can a dream survive?
2. Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens- I could not put this book down and while I rarely read anything twice, I’m thinking of picking this one up again. It’s such a unique story that will keep you up all night, unable able to put it down.
For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life--until the unthinkable happens.
3. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware- I read this 3 or 4 years ago in two days flat. It’s such an easy read (pretty sure Bear could read it) but the plot really pulls you in. If you’re into suspense, this is the book for you.
In this tightly wound, enthralling story reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s works, Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for—and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong…
4. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover- I wasn’t sure about this at first because I’m more of a fiction kind of girl. Honestly, it might be my favorite book I read in 2019. It was shocking, inspiring, and truly just unbelievable. If you’re feeling down with the current situation we’re in, this book will definitely make you count your blessings. Highly recommend!
An unforgettable memoir about a young girl who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Her family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education, and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s older brothers became violent. When another brother got himself into college, Tara decided to try a new kind of life. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge University. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far, if there was still a way home.
5. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng- I just finished this book a couple weeks ago, and started it after this show became a Hulu sensation. If I didn’t have little boys to tend to, I would’ve finished this in one sitting- it was that good. The characters are deep and diverse, yet you’ll find yourself relating to all of them in unique ways.
In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned—from the layout of the winding roads, to the colors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.
Enter Mia Warren—an enigmatic artist and single mother—who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenaged daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.
When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town—and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia’s past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs. Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood—and the danger of believing that following the rules can avert disaster.
What are you currently reading? Any favorites to share? If you have any recommendations, please leave them in the comments! I’d love to check them out.
xo, Britt