Quarantine Book Recommendations

Book recommendations of all sorts to get you through time at home

[lockdownbooks]

I'm Glad My Mom Died By Jennette McCurdy

I think most of us who grew up watching channels such as Disney and Nickelodeon will remember Jennette McCurdy as a character that was on the screen most days in shows such as iCarly and Sam & Cat. And sadly, once again, a child star has stepped forward with tales of abuse, intense working environments, and addiction. "I'm Glad My Mom Died" is an insight into Jennette McCurdy's abusive relationship with her mother who forced her into the world of child acting and now that her mom has died of cancer, she has stepped forward with tales of the personal and industry abuse she has experienced throughout the years. A very horrowing book which offers a rare look behind the curtain into the world of child acting.

★★★★☆

Hardback are currently available for £15.54 and $18.59.

[lockdownbooks]

Pure Colour by Sheila Heti  Pure Colour is a galaxy of a novel: explosive, celestially bright, huge, and streaked with beauty. It is a contemporary bible, an atlas of feeling, and an absurdly funny guide to the great (and terrible) things about being alive. Sheila Heti is a philosopher of modern experience, and she has reimagined what a book can hold. In this first draft of the world, a woman named Mira leaves home to study. There, she meets Annie, whose tremendous power opens Mira’s chest like a portal—to what, she doesn’t know. When Mira is older, her beloved father dies, and his spirit passes into her. Together, they become a leaf on a tree. But photosynthesis gets boring, and being alive is a problem that cannot be solved, even by a leaf. Eventually, Mira must remember the human world she’s left behind, including Annie, and choose whether or not to return.  Amazon price: £12.44 paperback or $22.68 hardcover. 

[lockdownbooks]

Ho Ho Ho!

Tis’ the season for holly jolly and Omicron. If you, like me, are still not really feeling the Christmas holiday spirit yet, I’ve found a few books that are sure to send you to a world full of Christmas joy in the midst of yet another period of inconsistencies and looming lockdowns. I’ve also included a few general reads that are just perfect for the current time of year.  Although it might feel like it’s getting more and more difficult to imagine the end of this pandemic, we have to pull through yet again. Lets get vaccinated, tested and boosted for this holiday season to protect those close to us; whether it be family or someone on the bus. To quote Batman: “The night is darkest just before the dawn. And i promise you, the dawn is coming". So lets hope for a better 2022! We passed winter solstice on the 21st of December which means the days will only get lighter from here. But for now, have a very wonderful Christmas! And if you don’t celebrate Christmas; have a wonderful final week of 2021. 

Reservoir 13 Jon McGregor (£7.25 / $15.78)

Winter Recipes From the Collective Louise Glück (£11.36 / $19.71)

When No One is Watching Alyssa Close (£7.37 /$13.40) 

The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories Jessica Harrison (£9.99 / $13.59)

[lockdownbooks]

Hello there.

I apologise for my lack of presence. I have unfortunately felt rather busy and uninspired lately, but with the arrival of spring and therefore also the return of the sun and Vitamin D, I can feel it all shifting back again.  With the arrival of spring also came to new books i’m rather excited to read. One is Clara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. The book is Ishiguro’s first since winning the Nobel price and it centers around Klara, an artificial “doll” in a shop waiting for someone to come by and buy her. A very interesting topic which addresses very fundamental questions such as what it means to love etc. 

The other is Let Me Tell You What I Mean by Joan Didion, a beloved and most iconic writer. This book consist of 12 pieces ranging from newspapers to being rejected from Stanford. Joan Didion has a way with words that’s captivating and honest, and it never disappoints. Very excited to read this one.

Lastly, The Guest List by Lucy Foley, is not entirely new (however still from 2020). The book has been hugely popular since it’s release and I for once cannot wait to give it a read. A murder mystery taking place at a wedding in remote Ireland - what’s not to love about a setting like that? 

[lockdownbooks]

We Were Liars By E. Lockhart

242 pages.

We Were Liars is the tale of a summer in the Sinclair family’s life, the rich and beautiful family, whose summer is always spent on their private island; Beechwood Island. At first sight, everything appears perfect, but under the surface, that is far from the case... who is the favourite to inherit the family fortune? Who is the most popular daughter? The summer Cadence turns 18, she returns to the island, but something is different. She’s been in an accident, but she remembers nothing and everyone around her is so quiet.

A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island. A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy. A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive. A revolution. An accident. A secret. Lies upon lies. True love. The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. Read it. And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

Amazon price: £6.57 paperback and £3.99 on Kindle. $5.99 paperback and $7.11 on Kindle.

[lockdownbooks]

Season of Migration to the North By Tayeb Salih

176 pages.

After years of study in Europe, the young narrator of Season of Migration to the North returns to his village along the Nile in the Sudan. It is the 1960s, and he is eager to make a contribution to the new postcolonial life of his country. Back home, he discovers a stranger among the familiar faces of childhood—the enigmatic Mustafa Sa’eed. 

Mustafa takes the young man into his confidence, telling him the story of his own years in London, of his brilliant career as an economist, and of the series of fraught and deadly relationships with European women that led to a terrible public reckoning and his return to his native land. But what is the meaning of Mustafa’s shocking confession? Mustafa disappears without explanation, leaving the young man—whom he has asked to look after his wife—in an unsettled and violent no-man’s-land between Europe and Africa, tradition and innovation, holiness and defilement, and man and woman, from which no one will escape unaltered or unharmed. Season of Migration to the North is a rich and sensual work of deep honesty and incandescent lyricism. In 2001 it was selected by a panel of Arab writers and critics as the most important Arab novel of the twentieth century. 

Amazon price: £7.39 paperback. $16.59 paperback.

[lockdownbooks]

W A N D E R L U S T

I only know for myself, but I reckon I can speak for most of us when I say that, over the past year, the desire to travel has only grown with time. The excitement of discovering new cultures, places and customs is not only an excellent way to educate yourself on the world, but it’s also an escape from reality that many of us could need right about now.

Although 2020 gave most of us restless humans an insight into what it means to be grounded without an end date, it also gave us the opportunity to rediscover and appreciate the now, the current and the present joys that make our daily lives. Personally, I have found a great calmness in nature and I have tried to learn to pay more attention to my surroundings.

As for travelling, to serve the greater good, it must wait until the light can be seen at the end of the tunnel. I have compiled a small list of excellent books to take you away to distant shores; only spiritually, sadly, for the time being. From the vineyards of Tuscany, to sailing in the rough waters of the North Atlantic Ocean and to climbing the mountains of New Zealand, these books will take you on the travels that 2020 never did. Feel free to drop me a message for other similar recommendations as I have more up my sleeve. 

Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes Late Nights on Air Elizabeth Hay Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle Bewildered by Laura Waters We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See Tracks: A Woman’s Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback by Robyn Davidson

All titles have been linked to Goodreads, so you can check out more information about each title. I hope you all have a brilliant year! 

[lockdownbooks]

Inheritors By Asako Serizawa

288 pages.

Spanning more than 150 years, and set in multiple locations in colonial and postcolonial Asia and the United States, Inheritors paints a kaleidoscopic portrait of its characters as they grapple with the legacies of loss, imperialism, and war. Written from myriad perspectives and in a wide range of styles, each of these interconnected stories is designed to speak to the others, contesting assumptions and illuminating the complicated ways we experience, interpret, and pass on our personal and shared histories. A retired doctor, for example, is forced to confront the horrific moral consequences of his wartime actions. An elderly woman subjects herself to an interview, gradually revealing a fifty-year old murder and its shattering aftermath. And in the last days of a doomed war, a prodigal son who enlisted against his parents' wishes survives the American invasion of his island outpost, only to be asked for a sacrifice more daunting than any he imagined.

Amazon price: £15.80 paperback and £9.99 on Kindle. $13.58 paperback and $13.99 on Kindle. 

[lockdownbooks]

The Sirens of Titan By Kurt Vonnegut 

224 pages.

The Sirens of Titan is an outrageous romp through space, time, and morality. The richest, most depraved man on Earth, Malachi Constant, is offered a chance to take a space journey to distant worlds with a beautiful woman at his side. Of course there's a catch to the invitation—and a prophetic vision about the purpose of human life that only Vonnegut has the courage to tell.

Amazon price: £4.00 paperback and £7.99 with Audible. $13.08 paperback and free with Audible. 

[lockdownbooks]

High Fidelity By Nick Hornby

340 pages.

Do you know your desert-island, all-time, top five most memorable split-ups? Rob does. He keeps a list, in fact. 

Laura isn't on it - even though she's just become his latest ex. Rob's got his life back, you see. He can just do what he wants when he wants: like listen to whatever music he likes, look up the girls that are on his list, and generally behaves as if Laura never mattered. But Rob finds he can't move on. He's stuck in a really deep groove - and it's called Laura. Soon, he's asking himself some big questions: about love, about life - and about why we choose to share ours with the people we do.

High Fidelity is a brilliant book of romance and single life explained from the point of view of a man. It is a humorous reflection on life and its many failings. And lastly, it is the tale of a Brit singleton in his mid thirties who is unrelentingly firm in his reluctance to grow into a man.

Amazon price: £3.99 on Kindle and £6.95 paperback. $12.16 paperback and free with Audible trial. 

[lockdownbooks]

My Dark Vanessa  By Kate Elizabeth Russell

373 pages.

Exploring the psychological dynamics of the relationship between a precocious yet naïve teenage girl and her magnetic and manipulative teacher, a brilliant, all-consuming read that marks the explosive debut of an extraordinary new writer. 

In 2000, fifteen-year-old bright, ambitious, and yearning for adulthood, Vanessa Wye, becomes entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her magnetic and guileful forty-two-year-old English teacher.

In 2017, amid the rising wave of allegations against powerful men, a reckoning is coming due. Strane has been accused of sexual abuse by a former student, who reaches out to Vanessa, and now Vanessa suddenly finds herself facing an impossible choice: remain silent, firm in the belief that her teenage self willingly engaged in this relationship, or redefine herself and the events of her past. But how can Vanessa reject her first love, the man who fundamentally transformed her and has been a persistent presence in her life? Is it possible that the man she loved as a teenager—and who professed to worship only her—may be far different from what she has always believed? Alternating between Vanessa’s present and her past, My Dark Vanessa juxtaposes memory and trauma with the breathless excitement of a teenage girl discovering the power her own body can wield. Thought-provoking and impossible to put down, this is a masterful portrayal of troubled adolescence and its repercussions that raises vital questions about agency, consent, complicity, and victimhood. 

Amazon price: £7.37 paperback and £4.99 on Kindle. $17.99 paperback and $13.64 on Kindle.

[lockdownbooks]

P O E T R Y 


It’s December yet again, the end of the year, and I don’t think I’m alone when I say thank god for that! I’m a sucker for Christmas and particularly this year it’s a welcoming distraction from the world. While Charles Dickens and Hans Christian Andersen are Christmas favourites of mine, I also love a good poetry collection during this season. While nothing to do with Christmas, here are some of the most anticipated poetry collections that I look forward to reading this season. 
The Fire of Joy by Clive James Paris: a poem by Hope Mirrless Felon: Poems by Reginald Dwayne Betts Lanny by Max Porter Felicity by Mary Oliver The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy Dearly: New Poems by Margaret Atwood My Name Is Why: A Memoir by Lemn Sissay  Just Us: An American Conversation by Claudia Rankine


I have linked all the titles to Goodreads where you can check out each title for more information about plot, length and where to find. Have a wonderful December!

[lockdownbooks]

Crime and Punishment  By Fyodor Dostoevsky

671 pages.

Raskolnikov, a poor and desperate former student, wanders through the slums of St Petersburg and commits a random murder without remorse or regret. He imagines himself to be a great man, a Napoleon: acting for a higher purpose beyond conventional moral law. As he embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a suspicious police investigator, Raskolnikov is pursued by the growing voice of his conscience and finds the noose of his own guilt tightening around his neck. Only Sonya, a downtrodden prostitute, can offer the chance of redemption.

I am not sure why, but for some reason I have never particularly longed to read Dostoevsky. I haven’t actively avoided him, but it never peaked my interest; until this month... And boy, how I have missed out! Not only is Crime and Punishment an excellent work of fiction and a classic, but it’s written in an engaging way that keeps you coming back. While this book was written in 1865, it covers topics such as moral law, conscience and guilt (long before Freud), false confessions and social class. It is a work which covers a wide variety of dilemmas and social theories as they were starting to come into vogue. I am unfortunately not a master of the Russian language, but even from the English translation, it is evident that he is a master of words. I have understood that Crime and Punishment is one of his lightest works and is a great book to start with when wishing to explore the works of Dostoevsky. I highly recommend this book if you haven’t read it already! 

Amazon price: £5.49 and £0.75 on Kindle. $16.43 and $9.99 on Kindle.

[lockdownbooks]

If Cats Disappeared From The World By Genki Kawamura 

202 pages.

Our narrator’s days are numbered. Estranged from his family, living alone with only his cat Cabbage for company, he was unprepared for the doctor’s diagnosis that he has only months to live. But before he can set about tackling his bucket list, the Devil appears with a special offer: in exchange for making one thing in the world disappear, he can have one extra day of life. And so begins a very bizarre week.  Because how do you decide what makes life worth living? How do you separate out what you can do without from what you hold dear? In dealing with the Devil our narrator will take himself – and his beloved cat – to the brink. Genki Kawamura's If Cats Disappeared from the World is a story of loss and reconciliation, of one man’s journey to discover what really matters in modern life. This beautiful tale is translated from the Japanese by Eric Selland, who also translated The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide. Fans of The Guest Cat and The Travelling Cat Chronicles will also surely love If Cats Disappeared from the World.

Amazon price: $17.08 paperback and $11.64 on Kindle. £6.38 paperback and £3.99 on Kindle.

[lockdownbooks]

OCTOBER IS HERE! And so it is the month of leaves turning yellow, dark and gloomy weather and .... horror! With Halloween just around the corner, i thought I would share some great horror books that are perfect for this time of year. Although 2020 has already been a bit of a horror novel in itself, it’s great to be able to dive into a horror fiction book and escape reality for a bit! There is a great variety of length and topic, so do have a look if you are interested in a bit of spook this month.

Things We Lost In the Fire by Mariana Enriques Lakewood by Megan Giddings Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff Slade House by David Mitchell  Wonderland by Zoje Stage  Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power Twelve Nights at Rotter House by J. W. Ocker Let’s Play White by Chesya Burke

I have linked all the titles to Goodreads where you can check out each title for more information about plot, length and where to find. Have a wonderful October! 

[lockdownbooks]

Antkind By Charlie Kaufman

705 pages.

The bold and boundlessly original debut novel from the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Synecdoche, New York. The book follows B. Rosenberger Rosenberg, a neurotic and under-appreciated film critic, stumbles upon a hitherto unseen film by an enigmatic outsider and he’s convinced that the film will change his career trajectory and rock the world of cinema to its core as the greatest movie ever made. 

In the book, B. knows it his mission to show it to the rest of humanity. The only problem: the film is destroyed, leaving him the sole witness to its inadvertently ephemeral genius. All that’s left is a single frame from which B. must somehow attempt to recall the work of art that just might be the last great hope of civilization. Thus begins a mind-boggling journey through the hilarious nightmarescape of a psyche as lushly Kafkaesque as it is atrophied by the relentless spew of Twitter. Desperate to impose order on an increasingly nonsensical existence, trapped in a self-imposed prison of aspirational victimhood and degeneratively inclusive language, B. scrambles to re-create the lost masterwork while attempting to keep pace with an ever-fracturing culture of “likes” and arbitrary denunciations that are simultaneously his bête noire and his raison d’être.

Amazon price: £8.99 paperback and £14.21 on Kindle. $22.30 paperback and free with Audible trial. 

[lockdownbooks]

Pizza Girl By Jean Kyoung Frazier

208 pages.

In the tradition of audacious and wryly funny novels like The Idiot and Convenience Store Woman comes the wildly original coming-of-age story of a pregnant pizza delivery girl who becomes obsessed with one of her customers. Eighteen years old, pregnant, and working as a pizza delivery girl in suburban Los Angeles, our charmingly dysfunctional heroine is deeply lost and in complete denial about it all. She's grieving the death of her father (who she has more in common with than she'd like to admit), avoiding her supportive mom and loving boyfriend, and flagrantly ignoring her future. Her world is further upended when she becomes obsessed with Jenny, a stay-at-home mother new to the neighborhood, who comes to depend on weekly deliveries of pickled covered pizzas for her son's happiness. As one woman looks toward motherhood and the other towards middle age, the relationship between the two begins to blur in strange, complicated, and ultimately heartbreaking ways. Bold, tender, propulsive, and unexpected in countless ways, Jean Kyoung Frazier's Pizza Girl is a moving and funny portrait of a flawed, unforgettable young woman as she tries to find her place in the world.

Amazon price: £7.37 paperback and £5.99 on Kindle. $18.79 and free with Audible trial.