The magic of books is in the way they spark imagination, invoke deep emotions, and stick with a reader for years after the last page is read. Moreover, books have a remarkable ability to allow us to escape. Real life may be at a bit of standstill for you right now. But a good story can allow you to live a whole different life for a while, by showing you the world through someone else’s eyes. During a time where quarantines are active across the world, a good list of books can ease the difficulties of staying home.
Here are 4 books that can keep you captivated for hours:
1. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
(Available through Audible and Amazon)
This book will provide wisdom and life lessons that can be kept well after finishing the last chapter. The story takes readers to South Carolina in 1964 when racism was prevalent. The story centers around Lily Owens, a white fourteen-year-old, who lost her mother tragically at a young age. She lives with her abusive father and Rosaleen, a black house worker who has become Lily’s “mother figure.”After Rosaleen finds herself in trouble due to an altercation with the three most racist white men in town, Lily escapes with Rosaleen to Tiburon, South Carolina. Three lively beekeeping sisters take them in and Lily and Rosaleen discover the beauty in life they’ve been missing. This is a heartwarming story that involves women empowerment, the magic of bees and honey, and the importance of realizing that sometimes family isn’t blood-related.
2. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
(Available through Amazon and Audible)
This story recently became a film, but I would recommend this as a good read before watching! This story takes you on an emotional rollercoaster and focuses on a girl named Violet and a boy named Finch. Originally unlikely friends, they are brought together by their troublesome lives.
They slowly become friends and then more. But while Violet is learning to love life again, Finch finds himself falling into a smaller and darker headspace. This is a story that will make readers smile, cry, and then smile again, by the time they’ve read the last page. This book will provide a new perspective of how life should be lived and the importance of finding all the bright places in a sometimes seemingly dark world.
3. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
(Available through Amazon and Audible)
This is another powerful story that takes place in a historically accurate Afghanistan. It allows the reader a glimpse of what life in the country was like before and after the invasion by Russia. It follows the life of a young, privileged boy Amir, whose peaceful and happy life is slowly altered by political events. Moreover, his personal life choices prove to be the ones that change his life the most.
It’s a raw coming of age story in a time where everything was falling apart. This is a story of family and friendship, and the cruel reality of how one decision can turn into betrayal. It may be a soul-stirring read, but it’ll surely keep you hooked.
4. Quarantine The Loners by Lex Thomas (Book one of three in the Quarantine series)
(Available through Amazon and Audible)
It wouldn’t be a true quarantine book list if it didn’t include an alternate quarantine story. This is a story centered around one high school, two brothers, a quarantine, and the gangs that form when teenagers are locked inside their school. Teenagers have become deadly to adults due to a virus. McKinley High is closed off from the rest of the town and the students have to learn quickly how to survive with close quarters, limited supplies, and gangs formed based on high school social status.
Two brothers, David Thorpe and his younger brother, Will, are loners who together form an unimpressive two-man gang. With the chaos that surrounds them, they fight every day for survival, knowing that it’s them against everyone else. Will they be able to do it without a more powerful gang?
The world may feel a little bleak right now, but luckily we can all get some respite from a riveting book. These four picks are sure to keep you engaged for hours.
Featured image via Lenin Estrada on Unsplash
