6 Books to Read During Quarantine

WME Literary Agent, Margaret Riley King shares her top reads to get you through social distancing.

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If you’re a book lover like me or if you’re just looking for a much needed respite from the news, quarantine calls for losing yourself in the pages of a good book.

In this strange and uneasy time, there is nothing more comforting (or more powerful) than words on a page. While there are plenty of great books to choose from — including books from 2019 that I have yet to read — I’m making it a point to read and support the brilliant books that have published or will publish during this unusual time. 

Let’s rally around these authors who have put in years of hard work and preparation only to have their book tours cancelled and promotion opportunities disappear given the current social distancing guidelines.  Here are my recommendations of what to read NOW (extra credit if you order from a local independent bookstore, all of whom are getting hit hard by this crisis): 

1. Untamed by Glennon Doyle | The Dial Press, 3/10/2020 

Glennon Doyle’s stunning new memoir Untamed is the book that every woman should be reading right now. It is a powerful manifesto about what is possible — for us, for our world —when we learn to trust ourselves. It is both an intimate memoir and a galvanizing wake-up call. You will find yourself marking nearly every single page and sharing it with every woman in your life.

2.  Here For It by R. Eric Thomas | Ballantine, 2/18/20 

A hilarious and hopeful memoir-in-essays by Elle columnist R. Eric Thomas that explores growing up as an outsider and the search for self-acceptance and love. This book is a crack of light in these dark times — I promise you will laugh out loud.

3. You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen | St. Martin’s Press, 3/3/2020 

The latest intricately plotted psychological suspense novel from the authors of The Wife Between Us and Anonymous Girl is one of those books that will completely enthrall you until the very last page. If you’re like me, you won’t be able to put it down until you’ve reached the end. (The title itself might be reason enough to recommend it — we could all use the reminder that we are not alone!)

4. These Ghosts Are Family by Maisy Card | Simon and Schuster, 3/3/2020

This is one of the most transportive debut novels that I have read in some time. Maisy Card is a brilliant storyteller and she has created a compelling, richly drawn cast of characters. If you love beautifully-written prose and sweeping family sagas, this book is for you.  

5. In Five Years by Rebecca Serle | Atria, 3/10/2020

In Five Years is a clever and unpredictable love story that you will read in one sitting. I’m a total sucker for a thoughtful, redemptive love story and this one is particularly moving. 

6. Becoming Better Grownups by Brad Montague | Avery, 3/31/2020 

This heartwarming book brought me so much joy. Montague (a Nashville based author and illustrator) shares advice and stories that he’s learned from the very old and very young about what it means to live a good life. Each story or lesson is paired with Montague’s own whimsical 4-color illustrations, which appeals to the kid in all of us. This book is a good reminder of what’s truly important.