Since COVID-19 has everyone pulling a Boo Radley, here are five books to keep you entertained.
- Little Fires Everywhere
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Elena Richardson emulates the structured and cookie-cutter world of Shaker Heights, a suburb in Cleveland. The quiet suburbia is upended when mysterious single mother Mia Warren rents a house from the Richardsons. All four of the Richardson children are drawn to Mia and her teenage daughter. Then when an old family friend of the Richardson attempts to adopt a Chinese-American baby, it splits the quaint suburbia in two, with Mia and Elena on opposite sides of the feud. The thrilling novel was adapted into a Hulu show starring Reese Witherspoon as Elena and Kerry Washington as Mia. This book is for those who enjoy narratives filled with sordid secrets and mysterious characters.
- Handmaid’s Tale
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“The Handmaid’s Tale” is set in the religious world of Gilead, where infertility threatens to crumble their society. That’s where the Handmaid’s come in; they are fertile women tasked with bearing children for Commanders in the Gilead government. Offred is the main protagonist in this dystopian society, much like in 1984 the audience has a hard time following the timeline in this novel. Margret Atwood enjoys using flashbacks to tell the story of Offred and Gilead. The book reflects the constant battle for reproductive rights in today’s society and is a grim reminder of what could be if women do not have ownership over their own bodies. This book is a great read for anyone who enjoys classics that delve into the grey areas of life and the politics of one’s own body.
- Such A Fun Age
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Emira Tucker and her boss Alix Chamberlain are anything but alike. Alix is an influencer with a successful brand presence and a mother of two. While, Emira is a young, black 20-something trying to hold onto her health insurance. While Emira is babysitting Alix’s toddler Bria at a high-end grocery store, a security guard accuses her of kidnapping the toddler. The exchange is filmed by a bystander, and the video threatens to reveal something from Alix’s past. The author does a good job of drawing you into the narrative, and after the first chapter, I found myself unable to put the book down.
- Glass Castle
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“Glass Castle” is a memoir about Jeannette Walls’s childhood and her dysfunctional parents. The book opens on Walls as an adult on her way to a prestigious event in New York City when she looks out the window of her taxi and sees her mother digging through the trash. At first, the description is jarring to the reader; the author casually mentions that her mother is homeless. Then the author begins the story of her adventurous and dysfunctional childhood.
Walls weaves a detailed and colorful depiction of her poverty-stricken childhood from the desert to the coal mountains in West Virginia. In the book, Walls reflects on how her parent’s choices affected her life. Walls’ father during her childhood was an attentive and clever parent when he wasn’t drinking. While Jeannette’s mother was an artistic free spirit who, at times, would neglect Wall’s and her siblings. This book is somehow a heart wrenching yet cheerful read. Readers will find themselves cheering on Wall’s parents while being apprehensive of what they will do next.
- You
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A suspenseful novel that gave life to our favorite Netflix show, “You.” Much like the show, the narrative follows Joe Goldberg, a seemingly quiet and unassuming bookkeeper. However, Joe’s peaceful life is interrupted when he meets aspiring author Guinevere Beck. Joe becomes obsessed with Beck and soon it gets the best of him. He stalks her on the internet and plans an “accidental” meeting at a Brooklyn bar. From there, Joe believes he is the white knight of Beck’s life, and he is determined to be in control. The book keeps you on the edge of your seat, constantly making you guess what’s going to happen next. “You” and it’s sequel, “Hidden Bodies,” can keep you occupied while you’re waiting for season three of the Netflix adaptation to be released.
I hope you enjoy these amazing books written by smart and creative women!