The best part of quarantine for me is the extra half hour or so each day I have to read. If you’re taking this opportunity to get back into reading, below is a wide assortment of books I’d recommend.
Crime/Thrillers
The Snowman – Jo Nesbø
This is a pure joy to read. The plot is fresh and the twist stays hidden until pretty close to the end. If I could go back and read one thriller again for the first time, it would be The Snowman. There’s something about the Norwegian backdrop that makes everything extra gruesome. BUY
Darkness, Take My Hand – Dennis Lehane
This is the second book in Lehane’s (Mystic River, Shutter Island) Kenzie and Gennaro series, and I picked it because it’s somehow better than the first. It’s one of the rare books that made my skin crawl and made me afraid to be alone. The dynamic between the two main private eye characters feels effortless. Not for the faint of heart but an exciting read for those who can stomach it. BUY
The Pelican Brief – John Grisham
I haven’t read a ton of Grisham, and I can understand why a “legal thriller” would be off-putting to some. But The Pelican Brief felt like a movie – at multiple points throughout, I could feel the book racing to reveal the truth before time ran out. I was one of the last people off of an airplane because I couldn’t put this book down. BUY
Novels
The Corrections – Jonathan Franzen
There were times during this book that Franzen describes human emotions (and particularly dark emotions) so vividly that it felt like he was describing my own mind. He is particularly effective at capturing the negative thought loops we can find ourselves stuck in. The way Franzen moves between characters keeps the story moving and ends up reading a bit like five shorter, intertwined novellas. I disliked most of the characters out of pure pity but couldn’t look away. BUY
Before the Fall – Noah Hawley
I have always liked books that begin with an event and then go back in time to try to explain it. That is exactly how Hawley tackles the plane crash in Before the Fall, and it’s an exciting ride the whole way to the end. At multiple points I thought I knew where he was heading, only to find myself redirected somewhere I didn’t expect. BUY
The Rosie Project – Graeme Simsion
Probably the most fun book I can think of. It felt like I was watching a rom-com the entire time I was reading the book, all the way up until the mad dash for the girl at the end. The only difference? The main character, Don, is a socially-awkward genetics professor who tries to find true love by sending out a survey. The plot felt new and the characters were genuinely funny. BUY
Memoirs
The Glass Castle – Jeannette Walls
One of my favorite books of all time, and the gold standard for vividly recreating a childhood most of us could never imagine. I flip between hating her dad and feeling sorry for him, and I don’t think any other character (besides, perhaps, Professor Umbridge) has made me grind my teeth more than Rex Walls. BUY
Dry – Augusten Burroughs
I had never read the memoir of an alcoholic before, so be warned: this book is heavy. Burroughs describes a particular scene in his apartment, at the height of his addiction, in which his floor is so covered by empty beer cans and whiskey bottles that he’s afraid to invite anyone over. It’s also extremely funny, and the humor does a great job making the book more accessible and readable. BUY
Kitchen Confidential – Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain was a writer in a chef’s body, and we’re all better off because of it. Kitchen Confidential includes a list of rules for eating out, and I still live by them to this day (hint: say no to the Eggs Benedict). Bourdain’s tales read more like war stories from Vietnam than the life of a man behind the frying pan. BUY
Non-Fiction
Born to Run – Christopher McDougall
This is the book that pushed me to run further and further. It’s also a book that effortlessly makes vegan trail runners as exciting as a band of outlaws. If you are interested in human feats of strength and endurance, and particularly if you like to run, this is the book for you. BUY
And the Band Played On – Randy Shilts
As someone who grew up after the worst of the AIDS crisis had passed, this story was entirely new to me. Shilts does such a good job giving life to the characters who were fighting on the frontline, and I came away from the book feeling like I had an intimate knowledge of how things played out in those early years. A must read. BUY
The New Jim Crow – Michelle Alexander
I felt angry and ashamed throughout this entire book. The way that our prison system disproportionately affects minority groups is something that I understood at a high level, but not until reading this book did I realize just how unjust the entire situation is. Particularly the relationship between prison and voting. Great book to start thinking critically about a part of society that we prefer to ignore. BUY
What I’m Reading During Quarantine:
Grit – Angela Duckworth BUY
Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens BUY
Born a Crime – Trevor Noah BUY
The War of Art – Steven Pressfield BUY
Sum – David Eagelman BUY
Killing Floor – Lee Child BUY
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living – Dale Carnegie BUY
Range – David Epstein BUY