Scrolling through your phone for hours is guaranteed to give you a headache, but not when you’re reading! What better to do than curl up with a mug of tea and a couple of the best books around to last you this period of quarantining? Here are some of my favorite books that will be sure to keep you busy and entertained!
Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes
I always recommend this book to my friends who are looking for something new to read, and that’s because this book radiates so much warmth and love, and makes you fall hard into the story and resonate with the characters. Make sure to grab a tissue box as well, as I’m sure multiple tears will be shed throughout reading this masterpiece of a book. Here is a brief summary of the book from Jojo Moyes’ official website:
“Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is. Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.”
https://www.jojomoyes.com/books/me-before-you/
Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
One of my favorite classics of all time, Little Women, boasts of a cozy and heart-warming story that will be sure to melt your heart. The book’s beautiful story-line and the four main characters, the March sisters, are said to be based off of Louisa May Alcott and her three sister’s real lives, which makes the classic even more interesting! Here is a brief summary of the book:
“Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy March are four sisters living with their mother in New England. Their father is away serving as a chaplain in the Civil War, and the sisters struggle to support themselves and keep their household running despite the fact that the family recently lost its fortune. In the process, they become close friends with their wealthy neighbor, Theodore Laurence, known as “Laurie.” As the girls grow older, each faces her own personal demons and moral challenges. Jo, our beloved protagonist, must tame her tomboyish ways and learn to be more ladylike while pursuing her ambition to be a great writer. Meg, the oldest, must put aside her love of wealth and finery in order to follow her heart. Beth, the shy one, must conquer her bashfulness, while Amy, the youngest, has to sacrifice her aristocratic pride. The girls are guided in their personal growth by their mother, “Marmee,” and by their religious faith.”
https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/little-women/summary
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany
Now, I understand that not everyone may be a Harry Potter fan, but I believe this play (or book in this case) is also suited for people who’ve never touched a Harry Potter book! If you’ve seen the movies, I’m sure you’d have enough information to carry you along through this book; most of the characters are the same (from the Harry Potter series) and it brings you to a whole new refreshing, magical dimension. Here is a brief summary of the book:
“It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children. While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.”
https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Cursed_Child
Crazy Rich Asians, by Kevin Kwan
This is one of the books I’m keeping myself busy with during this period of quarantining, and I’ve got to say that I am so glad that I didn’t see the movie before deciding to read this book. My friends were telling me how great the movie was when it first came out, but of course, I couldn’t watch the movie before I read the book. So, I found myself a copy of Crazy Rich Asians and started reading! Although I’m not far into it yet, I love all the characters and the explosion of Asian culture. Definitely an amazing read, and I’m so excited to finish it! Here is a brief summary of the book:
“When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn’t know is that Nick’s family home happens to look like a palace, that she’ll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia’s most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back.”
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16085481-crazy-rich-asians
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
This amazing coming-of-age story was such a quick read for me, not only because the book is on the shorter side, but because it was crafted and worded so uniquely that I couldn’t help but read on and on until the end of the book. The raw characters within the story allow you to see different perspectives and lives in young high school students, which I think is so engrossing. Here is a brief summary of the book:
“This is the story of what it’s like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie’s letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that the perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.”
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22628.The_Perks_of_Being_a_Wallflower
