As the Coronavirus Pandemic continues to wreak havoc on communities, the majority of Americans have been ordered to stay home. So, to help keep your brains active while in quarantine, The Daily Fern staff has rounded up a list of our favorite books!
Editor's Pick:
“Everything’s Eventual, 14 Dark Tales” by Stephen King
Everything’s Eventual is a collection of short stories, written by the great Stephen King. This book is perfect for people who are new to reading, because not only are the stories captivating, but they are also short enough to hold your attention.
King does an amazing job cultivating fear in his readers, while still creating a different experience with each short tale. If you are looking for a thrilling book with variety, Everything’s Eventual is a must-read. - Allysia Britton
Staff Picks:
“The Pearl that Broke Its Shell” by Nadia Hashimi
Nadia Hashimi offers more than the tale of two ancestors in her debut-novel, The Pearl that Broke Its Shell. She opens the floodgates surrounding the Taliban's war on women and transports you to the frontlines of the brutality, much of which continues to this day. It's a breath-taking novel and an important narrative. I recommend the read a thousand times over to anyone who has the time.
- Salina Arredondo
“Red White and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston
Red White and Royal Blue is a New Adult Romantic Contemporary Novel. It is a M/M love story about the Prince of Wales, Henry, and FSOTUS, Alex. It perfectly showcases their transition from enemies to friends to lovers, and offers a fun and quick read. Alex is witty, and the emails and texts between him and Henry are realistic compared to how young twenty-somethings text now. I found it so relatable and enjoyable, and recommend everyone read it for a lighthearted comical read. However if reading isn't your thing the Audiobook is also amazing and the narrator does a great job of capturing the personalities of the characters; you can put it on while you clean, do a puzzle or just unwind. Red White and Royal Blue was my favorite book of 2019 and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. - Felicia Vasquez
“The Woman in the Window” by A.J. Finn
The Woman in the Window is a suspenseful thriller. It follows the life of Anna Fox, a lonely woman living in her home with nothing to do but drink wine, watch film noir classics, and spy on her neighbors. One day, Anna notices new neighbors move into her neighborhood, and after a few days of spying on the family Anna witnesses a crime. As the story unfolds, the reader realizes that everything is not what it seems. Did Anna really witness a crime? Or did she have a few too many drinks and watched too many movies? This book is a page turner! Fun fact is that it’s also being turned into a film starring Amy Adams. Read this book before it plays on the big screen! - Reyna Pizzaro
“Movie (and other things)” by Shea Serrano
Currently, a book that I’ve highly recommended to all of my friends is Shea
Serrano’s Movies (and other things). The book is simply a collection of questions asked, answered and even illustrated, so yes there is a lower chance of you falling asleep.
Serrano creates these out-of-the-box concepts, like creating a Mean Girls universe.
This part of the book is possibly my favorite part, as Serrano gets creative and details who would be in Regina George’s ‘Circle of Friends,’ if we were to take all characters from every high school film and enrolled them into the same school. So we’re talking Evan from Superbad, Napoleon Dynamite, JUNO, and so much more. I won’t give it away who makes the cut, but the entire book is filled with crazy ideas like this for us to enjoy. So if you’re getting tired of looking at screens all day because we live in 2020, give Movies (and other things) a chance and tell me what YOUR favorite part of the book is. - Tali Letoi
"The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck" by Mark Manson
Now that the pandemic is in full swing, I have no excuse not to read. With the new allotted time I have, I decided to put down the phone and pick up a book I've been quite eager to read. They say not to judge a book by its cover, but this one spoke to me. A bright orange background caught my attention, and that speaks VOLUMES considering my semi-short attention span.
I usually look at books with the assumption i’m going to zone out or it’s going to be a long and tedious process to the point where I flat out give up. Not with this one. Chapter one is a judging point for most readers, the material either grabs you or it doesn’t. Safe to say, this one got me. The book is aimed towards those who tend to spend their precious and valuable time caring TOO MUCH about things that simply aren’t going to be all that impactful down the road. This book teaches you how to step out of that force-field of negative energy and re-evaluate what should be deemed important from what simply isn’t worth a thought. At the same time you learn as an individual, how you should react to those cynical events in your life that occupy most of your time and welfare. Because what better time to read a self-help book than during a global pandemic. - Dana Alexa