Books to read while Social Distancing

We are living in very stressful times, with all the pandemic fuelled anxiety floating around books are something to be thankful for! Books not only help with passing the time while stuck in-doors, they can take your mind away from the constant worry exacerbated by an omnipresent news steam. Books can transport you to an entirely different place and time - giving you a moment respite from your immediate anxiety or offer insight and knowledge to reassure you about the future. I’ve collected a selection of books from a variety of genres that I think can offer something during this time, whether it be escapism or truth that will help us through.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

This book instantly sprang to mind when I first thought about putting this list together. It follows a woman who attempts to sleep away an entire year in isolation – sound familiar? With all the rhetoric of maintaining hyper productivity going around at the moment this book puts the term productivity under new examination. Our protagonist is deeply depressed taking us on journey of detachment to an ever developing world. This book is not pure escapism, it doesn’t gloss over difficult times but instead showcases the dark side of the human condition, discussing coping, control, and ultimately how confronting life is the only way to achieve either.

The Overstory by Richard Powers

Distract yourself from any anxieties you might feel at the moment by focusing on another important issue, Environmentalism. Everyone should read the Overstory.

We follow the lives of nine very different people as their understanding of the importance of trees to our society begins to change in a radical way. This work of fiction is perfect to read at the moment if you are missing fresh air and nature, more importantly it will refocus your thinking about the environment and the centrality of trees.

Station Eleven

Warning virus related content

If you’re in the mood for some apocalyptic fiction, then Station Eleven seems eerily relevant. Telling the story of a virus that spreads extraordinarily quickly across the globe, with only 1% of humanity surviving the virus, pretty intense! This book definitely isn’t for everyone although it is one of the best apocalyptic fictions I’ve read and has a quirky style to it (the survivors perform Shakespeare plays) so if you’re into that pick this one up!

Read something nostalgic to you personally

Now is a great time to pick up a book from your childhood or teenage years and spend some time immersing yourself and remembering what it meant to you back then. Personally, I’m considering rereading the Worst Witch series by Jill Murphy. I loved those books back when I was 7/8 years old and fancy a trip down memory lane.

The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

Okay, anybody who knows me well will not be surprised at me slipping a novel with feminist literary criticism into this list. The Bass Rock has so many great elements that come together to forefront the topic of women and violence against their bodies. Moving between three different time periods, from present day; post WW2 and the 18th century. Think gothic elements combined with the TV show Fleabag! My personal social distancing reading choice.

Houses by Nikki Wallschlaeger – Poetry collection

I had to include one poetry collection. While social distancing it can be nice to start each day with a familiar routine, such as reading a single poem – I find it helps boost my motivation by starting the day in relaxing yet productive way. Each poem in Houses explores a different coloured house looking at societal divisions such as racism and classicism. It’s important to remember the inequality in our society especially during hard times and think of ways to combat it.

All the light we cannot see by Anthony Doerr

This historical fiction set during the Second world war follows the experience of a French girl and a German boy is simply epic. If you typically find It hard to get into a book, then this is the best choice for you on the list. The chapters are usually a single page in length, written in beautiful yet haunting prose that keeps you invested in the story.

Why not drive into an Epic Fantasy series?

If you’re looking for maximal escapism, then I couldn’t think of a better use of time than to start a new fantasy series! They have the bonus perks of usually being very long with multiple books - perfect for keeping you occupied while in self isolation. My top recommendation would be the LightBringer series by Brent Weeks. It a true high-fantasy full of interesting characters, exciting plot lines and one of the best magic systems in any novel I’ve read.

During this time small business including independent bookshops will be struggling due to closures. If you can, consider buying from an independent bookshop online, it’s so important to support booksellers, authors and publishers so they can carry on making stories for us all to enjoy. Find your local bookshop through the Books Are My Bag campaign.

If you would like a personal book recommendation, this week I’ll be replying to emails over on bakesoc@sheffield.ac.uk send in a sentence about what you like to read and I’ll try my best to come up with a book suggestion for you.

Stay safe and be kind to one another,

Katie.