Where to begin. It’s been a pretty intense last week or so, and even the most rational and calm people are feeling the effects of a global pandemic. School, sports, concerts, church, and buying regular amounts of meat and toilet paper are cancelled- instead, we’re told to social distance as much as possible and the stores are virtually empty. For good reason- though the healthy among us are not likely to die from COVID-19, we’ve got to do what we can to flatten the curve for everyone. I am an extroverted introvert (I like being around people but I recharge when I’m alone). I’m an only child who has had a life dedicated to entertaining herself with limited interaction with people- and yet, even I’m a bit afraid of what’s to come.

15 immersive books to read while social distancing | TBR, etc.

One of the ways I take care of myself is by making lists. I thought my list of immersive books to read might be helpful for both habitual readers and people who only read a couple of books a year. I didn’t include any post-apocalyptic on this list (though that is one of my favorite genres)- and I added a mix of new and old.

I know that some libraries are closed and that some of you might not have a lot of unread books at your house (like me before blogging), but remember you can still get e-books. You can download the Kindle app and read from your phone or iPad if you don’t have an e-reader (you’ll get used to it, I swear!) and some libraries allow you to sign up for a e-card. Here’s Chicago’s process. It limits the amount of books you can borrow but it will get you some!

I hope this list is helpful, and please feel free to leave me a comment with the last book you read that totally captivated you!

15 Immersive Books to Read While Social Distancing

Lighter Side

Get a Life, Chloe Brown | Talia Hibbert | A woman in her 30s with chronic illness uses a near death experience as a jumping off point to “get a life”. This is a snarky and steamy rom com that is at the same time totally engrossing and heartfelt. (And I just saw there will be a book 2!)

The Humans | Matt Haig | This book will help remind you of the good in humanity. It’s science fiction meets allegory- an arrogant mathematics professor has solved an equation that has the potential to destroy the world, and an alien is sent to Earth to inhabit his body and destroy the evidence. Initially, the alien is unimpressed with us humans (but he does like our peanut butter), but eventually he comes around to our charm. This one is highly original and oddly uplifting.

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk | It’s the last day of 1984 and 85-year-old Lillian Boxfish's is reflecting back on her life. She decides, after eating too many Oreos, that she’d like to walk them off. She explores her beloved Manhattan and on her way runs into new people and things that remind her of the life she once had. She was the highest paid woman in advertising, a mother, a poet, a wife, a divorcee, and an all around independent woman during a time when women were expected to become homemakers and no more. Read this if you love books set in New York and quirky but memorable characters.

The Night Circus | Erin Morganstern | The Night Circus is the strange magical story of Celia and Marco- two magicians who are set up in fierce competition with one another. They travel around with The Night Circus, a circus that shows up random places and is there for one night only. I don't often read fantasy, but this was so well done that I suspended my disbelief and enjoyed the hell out of the story.

Young Jane Young | Gabrielle Zevin | In the early 2000s, a young intern has an affair with a married congressman. Internet privacy is still a relative unknown, so when she creates a blog to work through her feelings- their relationship gets out and she gets publicly shamed. Interesting, sweet book that makes great points about how scandal affects men with power and women without very differently.

Nothing to See Here | Kevin Wilson | Two kids have an affliction that causes them to literally catch on fire and their wealthy and political family will do whatever it takes to keep it a secret. Madison calls in her old college friend Lillian in to take care of them, and the two must reconsider the events that lead to their 15 year hiatus. Way funnier and more heartfelt than I was expecting!

Heavier

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing | Hank Green | The Carls appear around the world without explanation, and no one can identify what they are or where they came from. April May and her videographer friend are the first to find out and a video they make goes viral- to the point where it becomes the most viewed video of all time. A book about social media and life in the pubic eye with a character that you will empathize and disagree with.

Light Between Oceans | M. L. Stedman | A couple who has been struggling with infertility think their prayers have been answered when a baby washes up on the shore of their remote lighthouse. They decide to keep her as their own and are unwilling to do much investigation as to how she got there. When they go to the mainland two years later, they're reminded that their choices have far reaching consequences and are faced with gut wrenching choices.

Small Great Things | Jodi Picoult | A Black nurse is faced with an ethical dilemma when she is forced to choose between doing what is right and what is asked of her. She is the only nurse in the room when the baby of a White Supremacist goes into cardiac arrest. The nurse was explicitly told that she wasn’t supposed to touch the baby- but what about her duty to provide care? A thought- provoking and moving story that’s told with compassion.

What Remains | Carol Radziwell | This memoir is for Kennedy lovers. Radziwell is a television producer and journalist who marries a prince- Anthony Radizwell, JFK Jr.'s cousin and best. They’re living an idyllic life until tragedy strikes- JFK and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, Carole’s closest friend, die in a plane crash and three weeks later, Anthony dies of cancer. A heartfelt and moving story about grief, love, and finding meaning in life.

Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me | Adrienne Brodeur | A memoir set on Cape Cod that begins when the author, then age 14, is woken in the middle of the night by her mother. She tells her that a man who she’s not married to kissed her- and that it’s her husband’s lifelong friend. The author gets sucked into being an accomplice in her mother’s affair- and their entanglement leads to a lifetime of consequences.

500+ Pages

A Little Life | Hanya Yanagihara | While it's not a happy novel, this coming of age story is one of the most memorable stories I've ever read in my life. We meet the four men at the center of the story starting in their college years and continue for decades throughout their lives. The characters are complex, the writing is beautiful, and the story is unforgettable. Content warning for everything- it's really a brutal book, but ultimately a story about friendship, trauma, and perseverance.

The Nix | Nathan Hill | The Nix is the story of a man called Samuel Anderson-Andersen and his quest to find out who his absentee mother really is. She’s recently been in the news for being a political agitator, and no one really knows what caused her to leave her small town years ago. Samuel plans to capitalize on his mother’s new found fame by writing a tell-all biography- but to do so, he’s got to get her to talk. The story is complex but will keep you turning the pages. Highly recommended on audio.

Series

Cinder | Marissa Meyer | A futuristic YA fairytale saga about a teenage cyborg who must fight for Earth's survival against villains from outer space. Each book is loosely based off a fairly tale character (Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and Snow White), and I recommend the entire Lunar Chronicles series. (I just remembered that there is a deadly plague in this one... so, keep that in mind!)

A Discovery of Witches | Deborah Harkness | Diana Bishop comes from a long line of witches, but she’s also a Ph.D. who discovers the secret to immortality. Diana quickly finds herself in the middle of an interspecies war and finds herself in love with a 1500 year old vampire. I really enjoyed the blend of history and magical realism. This one is guaranteed to take your mind off things.