Top Books To Read During Quarantine

Design by Vicky Wang

Due to the lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, many people turn to the traditional form of entertainment, reading, to be able to keep their minds off the global chaos occurring outside the four walls of their house. There is a large variety of different books that have been hooking the minds of many people of ranging ages. Here is the list of the top books that have been grabbing many peoples’ attentions since the beginning of quarantine:

Deacon King Kong by James McBride

This book takes place during the 1960s-1970s in New York. This funny, moving novel is centered around the people who were affected by the shooting that took place in the courtyard of the Cause Houses housing project in south Brooklyn. The characters of this novel include the victim, the witnesses, the white neighbors, the local cops, the neighborhood’s mobsters, the members of the church, and Sportcoat, the shooter. As the plot thickens and the pages turn, this book proves important lessons such as “not all secrets are meant to be hidden,” as the truth surfaces in the book. Chosen as the April pick for WNYC’s “Get Lit with All Of It” monthly book club, it’s not surprising that this gritty NYC novel tops the list of books that New Yorkers are most obsessed with during quarantine.

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

This book proves itself to match the theme of being stuck at home: its main setting and focus is a house. This is a story that is told in the perspective of the protagonist, Cyril’s, son, Danny, as he and Maeve, his older sister, are forced to leave the wealthy home they grew up in. This book shows an amazing bond between the two siblings as they are pushed back into the life of poverty their parents have worked so hard to escape. As this book precedes to show five decades of both hardship and success, the final test to the siblings’ relationship comes when they once again face the people who left them behind. This book’s emphasis on the house might hit close to home, considering that many people are still stuck inside during the ongoing pandemic.

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

This story opens up with a story about a cheetah, a family watching the “Cheetah Run” while the narrator, Doyle, is at a zoo with her family. She uses the metaphor to show the ways that women are “tamed” from birth by patriarchal ideals. Throughout this book she uses different moments in her life to create the central theme of freedom. She also uses these stories from her life to introduce different ideals from society, such as religion and marriage. This book appeared on many book club lists throughout quarantine, including the one of Reese Witherspoon and Chelsea Handler.

Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling

With its first book being published in 1998, Harry Potter’s story has become a worldwide bestseller and won devotion from many fans. This series starts by introducing the eponymous main character as a baby, left at the doorsteps of his uncle and aunt’s house after having both parents killed by Voldemort. Each book goes on to further explain his magical and enthralling adventure with his best friends he met at Hogwarts. Due to the chaos of the current situation, many people have been resorting back to books that may be slightly older, including the Harry Potter Series.

References

Dawson, Mackenzie. "The Top 10 Books New Yorkers Are Devouring in Quarantine." New York Post, 2 May 2020, nypost.com/2020/05/02/the-top-10-books-new-yorkers-are-devouring-in-quarantine/. Accessed 29 June 2020.

McBride, James. "Summary and Reviews of Deacon King Kong." BookBrowse, Mar. 2020,

www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/14842/deacon-king-kong. Accessed 29 June 2020.

Patchett, Ann. "The Dutch House." Goodreads, 24 Sept. 2019,

www.goodreads.com/book/show/44318414-the-dutch-house. Accessed 29 June 2020.

"The Top 25 Escapist Books to Read in Quarantine, per Goodreads." USA Today, 11 May

2020, www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/entertainment/books/2020/05/10/best-books-in-quarantine-25-feel-good-escape-reads-per-goodreads/5175956002/. Accessed 29 June 2020.