Piper's Pandemic Reading List
As the distractions of normal life grind to an unprecedented halt, the first place my hand (and heart) reaches to is my bookshelf. Humans have always learned from stories, both fictive tales and real-life accounts. Throughout my life books have helped me to grieve, to understand, and to find joy. We find ourselves now with an unexpected and uncomfortable amount of time on our hands, and to my mind, books are the perfect remedy. The following list contains a few books I believe are a perfect way to pass the time as we protect one another by staying home.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
My dad recommended this book to me when I was home for a weekend visit. As a graduate student at the time, I didn't have a ton of extra space on my reading list. When I explained as much, he countered with, “Let me read the first few pages out loud to you.” I agreed and was immediately transported back to my childhood, when my dad would read to me before bed. Neil Gaiman expertly takes chilling themes and writes them in the cadence of a bedtime story. “The Graveyard Book” is a prime example. The book follows a boy named Nobody — “Bod” for short. He is named by the ghosts who raised him in a graveyard after the grisly murder of his family. If the unique premise does not pique your interest, Gaiman’s reputation as a master storyteller should convince you to try this book. While I am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman, I do find some of his work too terrifying to stomach. This book hits the perfect combination of spooky, intriguing, suspenseful, and at more than a few moments, truly hilarious.
Rising Strong by Brené Brown
If you have not encountered the wildly popular shame researcher, Brené Brown, I would say now is absolutely the time. If someone asked me who I want to be like when I grow up, my immediate answer would be “Brené.” Her book “Rising Strong” is a self-guidance book grounded deeply in her research (which cannot be said for all self-help books these days.) This book is a guide on how to carry on with courage after life has knocked us down. Brown has written many amazing books, but I believe “Rising Strong” fits best for this time we are experiencing. I can’t think of a better moment to sit quietly and patiently with our thoughts to see what needs attention in our souls. As different emotions come up in our self-isolation, Brown is a wonderful guide to help us navigate them.
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
Now is certainly a perfect time to dig into a true classic. “The Portrait of a Lady” by Henry James follows the delightfully independent Isabel Archer. While you are unable to travel, follow Isabel on her European tour as she tries to preserve the independence that is so rarely afforded to women of her time. Go with her while she travels from England to Rome, encountering characters who love her for her freedom and those who would do anything to take it from her. Isabel’s story is an achingly beautiful one, where we watch her experience what it means to be free to make her own decisions, and the consequences that inevitably follow. Take this time to ponder what free will really means, and if Isabel’s final decision truly exercises that free will or abandons it completely. Then, when you are done, find me on Zoom and tell me your thoughts!
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
I’d call this book the quintessential beach read. While some of us cannot adequately socially distance at a beach right now, I suggest reading this in a patch of sun on your balcony or in your back yard while you soak up some immune-boosting vitamin D. This thriller is a quick-read, easily digested, and oh so much fun. Set in New York City, we follow Vanessa and Nellie, the first wife and soon-to-be second wife of Richard, a wealthy hedge fund manager. It would be a disservice to this book to give away more details as the surprises are layered, plentiful, and a hell of a lot of fun to get lost in. I have classified this, as we used to call them in my home, a “dessert book” — a book to be enjoyed after making your way through a few classics. In essence, it's a treat. I think this is a fitting term as there is only one word that I can think of to describe the twists in this thriller — delicious.
All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater
It seems only right to conclude this list with the book I have chosen to start my personal self-isolation reading list. “All the Crooked Saints” by Maggie Stiefvater has been on my shelf for a little over a year, and I had not yet found the time to crack it open by the time we were all told to stay home. Now, being faced with an overabundance of time, I pulled it down from the shelf. A beautiful example of magical realism (and from what I can tell from the first 30 pages, more magic than realism), “All The Crooked Saints” centers around miracles happening in the small town of Bicho Raro, Colorado, and the nineteen-year-old saint performing them. It is delightful to be reminded by Stiefvater of the linguistic acrobatics that one can accomplish with the English language.
I hope these books, and many others, help you chart your way through these unprecedented times.
