Hi from Quarantine in New York City. It’s been a strange few weeks as we all adjust to this new reality of social isolation in order to stop the spread of the deadly Coronavirus and we all must do our part by staying home. Personally, I’ve been looking for welcome distractions, whether that’s a mindless television show to watch (hello, Love is Blind!) or meditating on my Peloton app or some great books to transport me from this dystopian reality we are all collectively facing. Below, we chronicle our favorite books to binge during quarantine. (You can also get a free Audible membership to give these books a listen, if that’s your thing.)
Normal People by Sally Rooney: OK, I absolutely devoured both of Sally Rooney’s novels earlier this year and am pretty much counting down the days until she releases another novel. This Irish author so perfectly captures the complicated dynamics between men and women. Normal People is the tale of two secret lovers through high school and college and the angst that comes along with adolescence. It is beautifully written and so incredible relatable and this book is my happy place. I actually may need to re-read it as I get anxious about the state of this world during coronavirus. You can buy it here.
The Witch Elm by Tana French: This is another Irish author who writes the most delightful suspenseful novels with such a great sense of place and time. This novel is a modern whodunnit that has lots of twists and turns and a beautiful plot and really rich character building. I read it during a tough time last year and it provided me with a sense of calm that we could all use right now. You can buy it here.
The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante: Guys, I don’t know why it took me so damn long to finally pick up this series of books. Even though the cover art definitely threw me off, once I read page one of the first novel I was instantly hooked. Thus began my love affair with the four-book series. The writing is beautiful, the plots are relatable and by the end of book four I wanted more. Luckily, we now have the HBO series based on it, but it doesn’t compare. Do yourself a favor and start reading this series as it is even better than the hype. You can buy it here.
Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb: I recently read this book and it was one of the most transformational books I’ve read in my life. It’s written by a therapist about three of her patients over time, but it reads like a novel that will have you laughing and crying and learning about the human condition all at once. The storylines are so compelling and the lessons the book imparts on readers are invaluable. Reading it felt like going to therapy myself, but in the best way possible. I can’t recommend this one enough.
Three Women by Lisa Taddeo: This book was all the rage in 2019, so naturally I gave it a read. While it took me a little while to get into, I am glad I stuck with this book which chronicles the sex lives of three different women over the course of years. It is richly reported by the author and offers valuable insights on female sexuality, love, lust, betrayal and more. It’s one of those books that really sticks with you.
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou: I was enthralled by the series of investigative stories from The Wall Street Journal into this blood-testing Silicon Valley unicorn, so when this book by the reporter of those very stories came out, I devoured it. The book, while non-fiction, reads as good as fiction. It delves inside the founder of Theranos’s motivations and scamming of innocent patients. It’s a great read for pretty much everyone, and will make you equal parts enraged and fascinated. You can buy it here.
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan: In addition to reading the entire Neapolitan Novels series, I also read all of Kevin Kwan’s “Crazy Rich Asians” series of three books. The first one is by and far the best. It is an elevated beach read of sorts with wacky characters and plotlines but also a nice lens into the emerging wealth and rising middle class in Asia. The later two novels jump the shark a bit, but the characters are compelling and it’s a fun series to read. Also, the movie is a blast. You can buy it here.
Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens: We picked this book as our first book club book, and while it takes a while to get into it, the story is a profound look into the effects of loneliness and abandonment. Taking place in rural North Carolina, the story delves into nature vs nurture, a murder mystery and a love story and is completely gripping. We highly recommend it (and are looking forward to Reese Witherspoon’s movie about it! You can buy it here.
Billion Dollar Whale by Bradley Hope : This book is from reporters at The Wall Street Journal who dominated coverage of the 1MDB scandal. Liek Bad Blood, Billion Dollar Whale reads as fictions and does a great job creating an engrossing and easy-to-understand narrative out of a very complex financial scam. The book gets into the cross section of investment banking, sovereign wealth and Hollywood, and is a salacious read. You can buy it here.
Midnight In The Garden of Good & Evil by John Berendt: This is an oldie but goodie that gets into a murder trial in Savannah, Georgia. The writing is just brilliant and I loved learning about social politics and race tensions in the South as well as how Savannah became the destination it is today. It’s a great mix of historical fiction and a wild narrative that becomes a real page turner. You can buy it here.
Fitness Junkie by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza: I don’t allow myself to read much chic lit, but this one was so worth it. Fitness Junkie is a chic lit satire of the fitness craze among Coastal elites. It pokes fun at the $40 gym class, acai bowl, juice cleanse cohort that have become mainstream in New York, Los Angeles and other cities, but is told in a really fun way. We recommend this one for your next trip when you want to relax and unwind. It’s laugh out loud funny and hits close to home at times. You can buy it here.
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead: I make an effort to read the Pulitzer Prize winner in fiction each year and it has never steered by wrong (Seriously, go read “All the Light We Cannot See” and “The Goldfinch” if you have a chance). The Underground Railroad won the Pulitzer in 2017 and it was such an amazing read. I devoured this book on a trip to Israel and couldn’t believe how compelling a book about well-tread territory — slavery — could be. The amount of research that Colson did on slavery for this book is so apparent and it has the most gripping narrative and plotline, following the journey of Cora, an escaped slave. This should be required reading in classrooms across America. You can buy it here.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles: This book was all the rage in 2018 and after reading it, I get the hype. The story takes place in Russia and while the entire book pretty much takes place in one hotel, the writing is beautiful and the characters are so well developed. I also loved that it gives a great primer on Russian history following the fall of Lenin. You can buy it here.