Since March 2020, we’ve all been some level of stuck inside, and it’s been tough. There are HILARIOUS memes out there that speak to every facet of this whole ordeal. I appreciate the humor — I NEED the humor.
Anyway, here are 5 books to read while stuck inside. (fyi: I’m linking via the Amazon Affiliate program — more treats for Fiona, the Korean Jindo)
1. Home Body by Rupi Kaur
I mean, what’s more appropriate than reading a book called Home Body when that’s basically all everyone’s doing anyway?
Somewhere in high school, I decided that I wasn’t a poetry reader, and yet, as I continue in adulthood, more and more poetry transfers from paper to my heart. Rupi Kaur does this with her collection of raw, glistening pieces of poetry.
If you haven’t read it, you need it now. Also, see more of my review here!
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2. Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
Well, yikes. This book just blew me away. It’s also not my general choice because it talked a lot about murders/suicides and the human psychology of it all.
Honestly, I think it should be required reading for older high school students because it just lays out some really intriguing information about how we humans interact from the “default of truth” to how we create a “comfortable narrative” to explain weird experiences with others.
The scenarios shared just had my eyes wide. Listen to this one as an audiobook because the author did the work to get real recording and voice actors to bring it all to life.
3. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
Hello, gothic romance in semi-modern day Japan. Wow. This short novel had me intrigued — like the level of The Yellow Wallpaper intrigued where you want to look away BUT YOU CAN’T.
I cannot tell you why I chose to read this book, except the cover and the title snagged my attention. The main character of the story is bizarre, and though I could not relate to her in the last, something about her captured me and I found myself rooting for her.
Another sneaky narrative on the human condition and psychology in the midst of a gothic-styled romance, and it’s just intrigue all the way through.
4. Wolfpack by Abby Wambach
Are you a woman? Have you ever been in a leadership position? Do you want to be a leader?
Abby Wambach shares her realizations and observations as she realized that she was, in fact, a leader. She points out the “old way” of leadership, and she demands a new way of leading, especially and specifically for women.
This short book can be read in a few hours, but I think it’s best enjoyed over a week or two with occasional reads so you can allow the wisdom to sink in.
5. Juliet Takes a Breathe by Gabby Rivera
Step into a biographical fictional story where Juliet shares her journey as she claims her identity as a lesbian and writer.
We’re all stuck inside, but that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to expand our horizons. As a white, straight, cisgender woman, I have a lot of learning to do across every layer of identity to love my neighbors and communities well. And Juliet Takes a Breath offered me a whole new perspective where I could live in Juliet’s skin and brain for the length of the book.
This story made me laugh and it made my heart hurt and questions brimmed in me as I explored this story.
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Do you have any book suggestions and recommendations for when you’re stuck inside? I’d love to know! Tell me in the comments.
P.S. If you aren’t listening to Brene Brown’s podcast called “Unlocking Us,” I really insist that you add it to your go-to listens.
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