During the pandemic I have realized just how bored I get when I can’t go out and socialize with people. Lucky for me though, I love to read. When I read I feel like I transport myself into the story, which was super nice since I was stuck at home. I will be honest with you though, my taste in novels is what one might consider…juvenile. My favorite genres are young adult, fantasy, and children’s, so sorry if you are looking for novels that aren’t a part of those genres. That being said, join me as I discuss the most memorable books I’ve read over quarantine.
- Circe by Madeline Miller
-
I started off this quarantine by reading Circe by Madeline Miller. Now you might have heard of Song of Achilles by the same author, a modern day retelling of the Greek myth of Achilles. Circe is also a modern day retelling of the Greek myth of the goddess and sorceress Circe. Daughter of the titan Helios, Circe has spent her entire life brushed off by the Greek gods and goddesses since she didn’t seem to be very powerful and she was, again, the daughter of a titan which was a mark against her. After she used witchcraft to create a monster, she was banished by the god Zeus to live on an isolated island forever. This book was amazingly written and I absolutely loved Circe as a character, but I also think it was a mistake to read this during quarantine. A book about a girl who is cut off from the rest of the world and can’t leave her house? Kind of depressing when I also can’t leave my house. I definitely think it is a book I will go back and reread once this pandemic is over though.
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
-
If you know me you know my favorite movie is the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Kiera Knightly. I have been obsessed with it for years and decided to give the book a try. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a romance novel about a middle class woman named Elizabeth Bennet (Lizzie as she likes to go by) and the wealthy Mr. Darcy. This book defined enemies to lovers before it became so popular. Lizzie didn’t care for Mr. Darcy because she thought he was pompous and classist, and Mr. Darcy didn’t want to admit he liked Lizzie because she wasn’t as high class as him. The novel goes through the events of their love story while incorporating a meddling mother, four sisters, and a father who is apathetic towards them all, and that is just on Lizzie’s side. I absolutely loved this novel since it went more in depth about the characters and the events than the movie. Jane Austen writes such strong women in her novels which I love to read about. It’s a feel good novel that I am happy I read.
- Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
-
You might have heard of the author Neil Gaiman before. Movies like Coraline or Stardust ring a bell? Well if you have heard of him then you know how talented of a writer he is. He is so talented in fact that many of his books have been adapted into movies or TV shows, with a lot of success. And the novel Good Omens is not an exception. After I saw the TV show adaptation, I immediately knew I had to read the novel. However, Neil Gaiman wasn’t the only author for the novel. Comedy writer Terry Pratchett co-wrote the novel, infusing it with his sense of humor, which coincidentally, just happens to be my sense of humor as well. The novel follows multiple people and entities whose lives all lead up to stopping armageddon. Forbidden friendships, detailed prophesies, powerful kids, and more make up this adventurous and humorous novel. It was just the type of book to make quarantine feel fast paced.
- Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
-
If you have read Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan (which I’m sure you have because it is just about the most amazing series ever) then you should definitely read Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. It is a novel about Navajo mythology written much in the style of Percy Jackson but by a Navajo woman. The story follows a 7th grader name Nizhoni Begay, her brother Charles, and her best friend Davery as they complete trials to obtain weapons needed to fight monsters and save her dad from them. This novel, though written for children, was something I really enjoyed. The characters and mythology were fun to read about and I loved how the novel was focused on Navajo mythology, something that isn’t frequently written about for children.
- Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
-
As with many of the other books I mentioned, I watched the movie adaptation before I read the book, which isn’t really the best. I will say though that if you have seen the movie but haven’t read the book, you definitely should because they are different in so many ways. The novel Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones follows the story of a young woman named Sophie who was cursed by a witch to become old. Following her curse, she goes to live in the castle of a famous wizard named Howl who is rumored to eat girls hearts. As she lives there she acts as Howl’s cleaning lady while trying to find a way to break her curse. Unlike the movie, the Sophie in the book is a straightforward, fierce woman who is constantly fed up with Howl’s antics. Though the movie and book are so dissimilar, the book is still a great feel good novel that I want to read over and over again.
This quarantine, while not over, has definitely been made easier to handle by reading books. You can transport yourself into a completely different universe filled with whatever makes you happy. Though this isn’t my complete list of books I’ve read, these are definitely the ones that have made me the biggest impact on me. If you find yourself bored, or sad because of the pandemic, try reading one of these novels! I promise you won’t regret it.