Ever since quarantine started, I’ve found that I suddenly have a lot of free time on my hands. I went from going out to get coffee every day with friends, heading to classes, going shopping and weekend trips to the bar to staying at home, not being able to go anywhere.
In part not being able to go anywhere meant I got to spend more time at home which was much needed after a really icky start to 2020. The honeymoon period of being back home again ended quickly and suddenly we were all back into our regular every day routine which left me with a lot of extra time on my hands.
Reading for me has always been an escape, a way to just leave the craziness of my everyday life and just enjoy living in the realm of make belief. The older I got the less I was reading, so when COVID-19 hit our world and put us into a state of lockdown, I found myself sitting down wherever it was quiet in my parents’ house with a good book.
I started rereading some of the books I’d read in high school, falling back in love with the characters and the tales of fantasy and magic. Once I’d went through my (extremely large) collection of tales of adventure and romance, I found myself searching the web for new reads that I hadn’t picked up before.
The Chemist: Stephenie Meyer
This page turner had me biting my cheek every time something took another turn. If you’re like me and into love triangles with action, adventure and thrill; this book is most definitely worth a read!
“She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn’t even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning. Now she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They’ve killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon. When her former handler offers her a way out, she realizes it’s her only chance to erase the giant target on her back. But it means taking one last job for her ex-employers. To her horror, the information she acquires only makes her situation more dangerous. Resolving to meet the threat head-on, she prepares for the toughest fight of her life but finds herself falling for a man who can only complicate her likelihood of survival. As she sees her choices being rapidly whittled down, she must apply her unique talents in ways she never dreamed of.” – Goodreads
My Name Is Memory: Ann Brashares
For those slow Sunday mornings or late-night Friday reads, this book has the love story of lifetimes. Follow Daniel and Sophie’s story as they try to find a way to be together, no matter how many lifetimes they have to go through to live their happily ever after.
“Daniel has spent centuries falling in love with the same girl. Life after life, crossing continents and dynasties, he and Sophia (despite her changing name and form) have been drawn together-and he remembers it all. Daniel has “the memory”, the ability to recall past lives and recognize souls of those he’s previously known. It is a gift and a curse. For all the times that he and Sophia have been drawn together throughout history, they have also been torn painfully, fatally, apart. A love always too short.” – Goodreads
Self Care: Leigh Stein
As a social media junkie, sitting down to read this book made be both laugh and think back to all the moments I’ve been on social media. This tale reminded me that self-care, self-love and all things positive are definitely good for the soul!
“The female cofounders of a wellness start-up struggle to find balance between being good people and doing good business, while trying to stay BFFs. Maren Gelb is on a company-imposed digital detox. She tweeted something terrible about the President’s daughter, and as the COO of Richual, “the most inclusive online community platform for women to cultivate the practice of self-care and change the world by changing ourselves,” it’s a PR nightmare. Not only is CEO Devin Avery counting on Maren to be fully present for their next round of funding, but indispensable employee Khadijah Walker has been keeping a secret that will reveal just how feminist Richual’s values actually are, and former Bachelorette contestant and Richual board member Evan Wiley is about to be embroiled in a sexual misconduct scandal that destroy the company forever. Have you ever scrolled through Instagram and seen countless influencers who seem like experts at caring for themselves—from their yoga crop tops to their well-lit clean meals to their serumed skin and erudite-but-color-coded reading stack? Self Care delves into the lives and psyches of people working in the wellness industry and exposes the world behind the filter.” – Goodreads
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto: Mitch Albom
Are you ready for some tears? Mitch Abom’s novel about the beloved Frankie Presto leaves me in tears every time I read it. The reader follows Frankie on his heartbreakingly beautiful story of trying to become a famous musician, along the way he realizes that power he truly has and how he’s impacted so many people’s lives. Looking for a good cry? Pick this book up now!
“This is the epic story of Frankie Presto—the greatest guitar player who ever lived—and the six lives he changed with his six magical blue strings. Frankie, born in a burning church, abandoned as an infant, and raised by a music teacher in a small Spanish town, until war rips his life apart. At nine years old, he is sent to America in the bottom of a boat. His only possession is an old guitar and six precious strings. His amazing journey weaves him through the musical landscape of the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s, with his stunning playing and singing talent affecting numerous stars (Duke Ellington, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley) until, as if predestined, he becomes a pop star himself.” – Goodreads
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires: Grady Hendrix
This book is such a fun read for all us book club gals! Thanks to the Now & Gen book club, this tale fell onto my radar and I’ve been obsessed with it ever since! For all use crime fiction lovers, this book is the perfect twist of the sweet southern tale with a dark shadow lurking in the corners of their perfect town.
“Patricia Campbell had always planned for a big life, but after giving up her career as a nurse to marry an ambitious doctor and become a mother, Patricia’s life has never felt smaller. The days are long, her kids are ungrateful, her husband is distant, and her to-do list is never really done. The one thing she has to look forward to is her book club, a group of Charleston mothers united only by their love for true-crime and suspenseful fiction. In these meetings, they’re more likely to discuss the FBI’s recent siege of Waco as much as the ups and downs of marriage and motherhood. But when an artistic and sensitive stranger moves into the neighborhood, the book club’s meetings turn into speculation about the newcomer. Patricia is initially attracted to him, but when some local children go missing, she starts to suspect the newcomer is involved. She begins her own investigation, assuming that he’s a Jeffrey Dahmer or Ted Bundy. What she uncovers is far more terrifying, and soon she–and her book club–are the only people standing between the monster they’ve invited into their homes and their unsuspecting community.” – Goodreads
The Rural Diaries: Hilarie Burton
For any One Tree Hill fan, we all remember Hilarie Burton as Peyton Sawyer (one of my favourite OTH characters!). Well she’s a mom now, married to Jeffery Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead, Supernatural), and writing an amazing novel about her life and how quickly she fell in love, life changed and how she grew into the person she is now. This book had me laughing, crying, smiling and just left me so happy.
“While Hilarie Burton Morgan’s hectic lifestyle as an actress in New York and Los Angeles gave her a comfortable life, it did not fulfill her spiritually or emotionally. After the birth of their first son, she and her husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the star of The Walking Dead, decided to make a major change: they bought a working farm in Rhinebeck, New York, and began a new chapter in their lives. The Rural Diaries chronicles her inspiring story of farm life: chopping wood, making dandelion wine, building chicken coops. Burton looks back at her transition from urban to country living—discovering how to manage a farm while raising her son and making friends with her new neighbors. She mixes charming stories of learning to raise alpacas and buying and revitalizing the town’s beloved candy store, Samuel’s Sweet Shop, with raw observations on the ups and downs of marriage and her struggles with secondary infertility. Burton also includes delicious recipes that can be made with fresh ingredients at home, as well as home renovation and gardening tips. Burton’s charisma, wide eyed attitude, and fortitude—both internal and physical—propels this moving story of transformation and self-discovery. The Rural Diaries honors the values and lifestyle of small-town America and offers inspiration for anyone longing to embark on their own unconventional journey.” – Goodreads
Bonus! – Wallbanger: Alice Clayton
Need a good laugh? Want to blush red? Cringe at the romance (but secretly love it)? Then this book is a must read over quarantine! This book is just full of fun characters (Caroline and Simon are my personal favourites!), good vibes, the occasional romp and modern-day romance. One of my favourite reads since quarantine started!
Pick up your own copies of some of these quarantine classics (as I call them) and dive into some amazing tales, both real and not so real. Find all these books at Indigo, Chapters & Amazon!