What to Read Now That You’re Stuck Inside For Longer

Ready to switch genres and explore the boundaries of your library? We got you.

To paraphrase Dickens, let’s make the best of the worst of times, and dive into a story. And not just to be distracted from the tsunami of COVID-19 news hitting you from all sides, but because reading, actually helps you center and relax.

In fact, according to a University of Toronto study led by psychologist Maja Djikic, after reading a short story or a nonfiction article people had less need for what psychologists call “cognitive closure,” so they are better able to handle disorder and uncertainty. And that certainly comes handy right now. 

Postcolonial Love Poem, A poetry collection by Natalie Diaz. An indigenous Latina writes beautifully and forcefully about the nature of desire when history of racism has erased multiplicity in bodies and languages, and despite all, it’s possible to resist and choose love. Remezcla called it “an ode to existence and against erasure.”

Face It: A memoir, by Debbie Harry. In a riveting mix of storytelling and stunning visuals, the frontwoman of Blondie takes you on a wild ride, from the band’s commercial success in the 80s, to sex, heroin addiction, bankruptcy, breakups, glitz, glamour and, of course, rock ’n’ roll. Harry’s honest, unflinching memoir, is gonna getcha … one way or another. 

Good Girl, Bad Girl: A mystery by Michael Robotham. Stephen King calls Robotham “one of the half a dozen or so great suspense novelists now working,” and this story of a psychologist’s efforts to unravel a current murder and the riddle of the orphan girl he adopts will have you turning pages late into the night. 

Writers & Lovers: A literary fiction novel, by Lily King. If it’s romance with a literary bend you’re looking for, the novel The Washington Post called “wonderful, witty, heartfelt … Dangerously romantic,” fits the bill. It tells the story of Casey Peabody, a former child prodigy who now waits tables at Harvard Square as she tries to deal with the death of her mother and a broken love affair. Written with King’s trademark humor and warmth, it becomes radiant and illuminating.

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Tuk-Tuk for Two: Two strangers, one unforgettable race through India in a tuk-tuk named Winnie: A Travel Memoir, by Adam Fletcher. Longing for adventure in the big, open wide world? This book will have you on the edge of your seat -and in danger of falling from laughing!- as two strangers, a man and a woman, embark on a race through the Indian subcontinent in a tuk-tuk. 

Such a Fun Age: A page-turner debut, by Kiley Reid. When a store’s security guard sees a black woman out at night with the white child she is babysitting, he accuses her of kidnapping, upending her life and that of the child’s mother. This Reese’s Book Club novel was called “the most provocative read of the year” by Entertainment Weekly.

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Animal kind: Remarkable Discoveries About Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to Show Them Compassion: A non-fiction book, by Ingrid Newkirk and Gene Stone. Did you know that geese fall in love and stay with a partner for life? That mice “sing” underwater, and that elephants grieve and mourn after a relative has died? This book by PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk and bestselling author Gene Stone is your ticket to a world of wonder. 

“And Then There Were None:” A classic, by Agatha Christie: For those who enjoy irony, this whodunit is considered a classic example of the locked-room mystery. The story follows strangers stranded on a remote island who discover there is a murderer (what else!) among them.