Mati's List of Books to Get You Through Quarantine
Last year, I set a goal of reading 20 books. This was a large jump for me, seeing as I had only read like 2 books, in total, the year before. I was going pretty strong for the first half of the year.. but come November, I still had 8 books left. So, it did NOT go well for me.
This year, I set my goals a little lower. I’ve set out to read 15 books this year, and what better time to start reading than while we are locked away in our homes for three weeks! Here are some of my favorite books that I read last year, that might help you achieve your reading goals!
Darker Shade of Magic Series
I flew through this series! It has two of my favorite things - magic and a little bit of romance. (I would draw a comparison to Harry Potter, but let’s be real - nothing compares to the queen herself, J.K. Rowling.) This series is the perfect thing to provide an escape from what is currently going on in the world. In the series, there are 4 parallel universes, each are a version of the city of London and each has a different relationship to magic. The story follows the life of Kell, one of the only people left that can travel through to each parallel world - or so he thinks ;). Then there is Delilah: all I have time to say is that she is seriously one of the coolest/most bada** lead characters. With their lives on the line, it’s up to both Kell and Delilah to save the worlds from the darkness that is approaching. DUH DUH DUUUUUHHHHH!
Big Little Lies
This one is a perfect mix of mystery and humor. It tells the story of a murder through the eyes of three women, while slowly unraveling secrets that everyone has been hiding. My personal favorite part of the book was that you KNEW someone was murdered, but you didn’t know any of the details until they unfold throughout the book. Even though a story about a murder sounds bleak, I actually found this one pretty light hearted and easy to read. And for an added bonus, they made a TV show out of it that you can watch after you read the book!
Daisy Jones & the Six
This book was definitely my favorite read from last year. It’s a fictional story written about a 70’s rock band and their breakup. It’s based loosely on Fleetwood Mac and the rumors surrounded by the band - which I loved because, well…I would die for Fleetwood Mac. I think my favorite part about this book is the format that the story is told. The details are all revealed through interviews of all of the band members several years after the band has broken up. So, each person is telling their own version of what happened in the past. It almost felt like a nostalgic documentary.
The Body Keeps the Score.
Wow! What an eye opener. In this one, the author describes what trauma is, how it affects you, and how to treat it. They go in depth on how trauma can chemically alter your brain and body. Sometimes these sorts of books can sound like opinion pieces, but this is jam-packed with test studies and real life cases in which trauma and its effects have actually happened. To me, this was extremely helpful after the passing of my dad. To be honest, I think it could be helpful to just about anyone, even if you think you haven’t experienced trauma (because you probably have).
If you really do not like reading or don’t have time for it, did you know there is a free app you can download where you can listen to your favorite book? Sorry, that sounded like an audible ad. (“USE CODE ‘MATI’ NOW FOR A FREE TRIAL!” Jk, plz don’t - it will not work) I use the app Hoopla! Its completely free! You just need a library card. From the app you can listen, read, and even watch movies! Hope some reading helps keep you sane in your quarantine!
-Mati