Good Books to Read When You’re Stuck at Home
Many people are finding themselves with some free time on their hands these days due to shelter in place orders and lock downs in different states. Or just as a precautionary measure to avoid exposure to COVID 19.
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If your kids are suddenly home all day (like me!) maybe you’re not finding a lot of extra time, but then you might still need an escape. I know I do even on my best days! Four kids home all day with little breaks makes for a lonnnng day. And it’s starting to feel like the movie Groundhog Day over here 😬
That is why I love to read. Even if I only get twenty minutes at the end of the day, it is worth getting lost in another life for a bit. You really can go anywhere or be anyone in a book.
Today, I wanted to share five novels that I’ve read recently and highly recommend. Each is available on Amazon in Kindle format and some are free with Kindle Unlimited or Prime Reading. They are also all available in paperback and/or hardcover.
I should start by explaining my favorite kind of novel, so you can see if your preferences jive, otherwise these might not be your cup of tea. I am drawn to poignant stories that make me feel something deep within my soul. They arent usually happy-go-lucky stories but end with me feeling hopeful, changed, impacted in a positive way. The kind of book where I literally get sad near the end because I know I will be leaving these characters soon.
I love great writing where one sentence can say so much. Where the authors choice of words can literally leave your mind blown. I also love deep characters that you want to root for. Where the main characters change and grow and find themselves throughout the journey. And maybe I find some of myself in them.
As for novels, I usually start them off slow, really letting myself get into the story and learn the characters, sometimes going back to reread to make sure I didn’t miss any important details. Then about three quarters of the way in, I usually can’t stop reading and finish them up quickly. By that point you can find me reading everywhere and in every spare moment I can find.
Here are five novels that you might just enjoy during this unprecedented time in our life. All of these characters where “stuck” in some way also, whether it be a remote cabin or walls they had built up to protect themselves.
A couple in a remote cabin in the Alaskan frontier, face hardships and loss, when they come upon a young girl who could be the answer to all they have hoped for. This book is simply magical. I read it during the winter of 2018 and instantly fell in love with the story, the scenery, each unique character and the beauty of what unfolds.
A German woman isolated in her family’s cottage during WWII finds herself caring for an injured, unknown soldier. This book was a page turner for me from the very beginning. I read it this past winter and fell hard into the story. Some parts will break your heart, but the overarching themes and story remind us that there is hope even in the darkness and cruelty of the world.
A plain girl with a big heart. The gorgeous guy who she thinks will never notice her. He goes off to Iraq and comes back disfigured and alone. He builds up walls that she is slowly able to break down and they both learn what true beauty is. This a very sweet love story I read last fall. I loved it so much, I immediately started it over when I finished.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
A journey both literally and figuratively by a lonely gentleman across England. He starts off alone, but meets several characters along the way that reveal their humanity to him. This well written story, also left me wanting to immediately reread it. It was honest and raw about coping with loss and how everyone handles it so differently.
A young girl abandoned in the marshlands of North Carolina lives alone in her family’s shack and learns to be one with nature. A popular book for sure, but definitely not one to miss if you haven’t read it yet. I could almost feel myself right there in the scenery and atmosphere. The story itself is gripping and unexpected. Definitely one I was reading as I cooked dinner a few nights and then couldn’t put down as I got close to the end.
Have you read any good books lately? If so do share with me! And follow along with me on Goodreads. I love keeping track of what I am currently reading and adding to my “want to read bookshelf” 🙂
Be safe and stay well!
Till next time…
