What to Read While in Self-Isolation

Part of me feels like I was meant to be a self-isolation Yoda for those of you who haven’t been spending most of your time in your house for the past three years. This weird and gross time is definitely different for me, too, but it’s honestly not that much different. I realized I have some knowledge in the indoorsy arena to share, especially in the book department. Since many of you are saving commute hours and might choose to give some of that time to books, I have a list for you that’s broken into digestible categories.

These are condensed from the approximately 100 books I’ve read and written about over the past three years when I started cataloging them all actively. I also save them all in my Instagram Highlights and in my Amazon Storefront. Herewith, your self-isolation book recs from a pro self-isolationist (er?)—I’m keeping myself to five or fewer per category to make it easier for you, dear readers:

Best Novels

• This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel

• Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

• An Unfinished Life by Mark Spragg

Best Beach Reads

• Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson

• Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

• What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

Best Memoirs

• Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

• Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs

• The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner

• Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

Best YA

• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

• Turtles All The Way Down by John Green

• Looking for Alaska by John Green

Best Books about Parenting Things

• Like A Mother by Angela Garbes

• Dear Girls by Ali Wong

Best Kids Books

• You Belong Here by M.H. Clark

• The Little Ice Cream Truck by Margery Cuyler

Best Books That Will Make You Think Differently

• Super Human by Dave Asprey

• Talking to Strangers by Malcom Gladwell

• Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino

• The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates

• Thirst by Scott Harrison

• Signs by Laura Lynn Jackson (broke my 5 per category rule for this one)

Books That Will Make You Cry

• The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

• Promise Me, Dad by Joe Biden

• The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Best Cookbooks

• No Crumbs Left by Teri Turner

• Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Norsat

These are all Amazon links because Amazon is easy and I figure you’ll want to read descriptions, but if you can, I urge you to order through and support your local independent book store.

Now, you tell me. What should I be reading right now?