5 books to read during quarantine

my mom recently asked me to come up with a  list of my 5 all-time favorite books. what a request! while this list is decidedly not comprised of my 5 all-time favorite books, i wanted to share some books i've really, truly loved that may bring some comfort or adventure to you while we're all self-quarantining. (ps. if you'd like to follow along with my book adventures, follow me on goodreads!)

truly devious trilogy by maureen johnson

ellingham academy is a prestigious school in rural vermont that promises to educate the world's next round of leaders, thinkers, inventors, artists, solvers, you name it. shortly after the school opened, the founders' wife and daughter were kidnapped. the only clue the kidnappers left behind was a riddle, signed "truly devious." fast forward to present day: new student stevie bell is determined to solve the ellingham murder, whatever the cost. 

 i fell absolutely head over heels in love with this series. maureen johnson is such an incredible writer, she builds dynamic characters and crafts such an engaging story. while these books are marketed as young adult - which is one of my favorite genres - the category should not deter you from reading them. having to wait for the second and third books to come out was truly a form of torture. there were times when i had to put my ipad down because i could feel my heart beating out of my chest. if you want an engaging read that will truly keep you at the edge of your seat, i could not recommend this series enough.

ninth house by leigh bardugo 

galaxy "alex" stern decidedly does not fit the mold of a typical yale student. unlike many of her peers, alex's goal at yale is not to graduate at the top of her class. instead, she is tasked to monitor the activities of yale's secret societies. the 8 societies, whose members are made up of the future rich and famous, engage in a variety of occult activities that end up having sinister - maybe even deadly - consequences. 

i fell in love with leigh bardugo after reading her "six of crows" series, and was so excited to get my hands on her new release. her writing is gripping and engaging, her characters make my heart ache, and - even though i couldn't help but race through it - i never wanted this book to end. can we get a sequel yet, please!?

little fires everywhere by celeste ng

shaker heights is a quiet town, just outside of cleveland. incredibly proud of its perfection, the members of shaker are expected to adhere to certain expectations - their houses can only be painted certain colors, their trash cans can never be seen on the side of the road, their children are expected to get into prestigious schools and raise their families in the same neighborhood they grew up in. the richardsons were the epitome of a perfect shaker family - until their youngest daughter set fire to their house. if you asked mrs. richardson, she would tell you that everything began to fall apart when mia and pearl warren came to town. 

i have to admit something: when a book is really hyped up, i decide not to read it until the hype dies down a bit. but come on, why did no one tell me to swallow my pride and read this book sooner!? WHAT. A. BOOK. the last three chapters of this book had my heart absolutely racing. celeste ng really knows how to craft a story! if you are like me and don't often read a really overhyped book, suck it up and pick up little fires everywhere asap. 

normal people by sally rooney

normal people follows the relationship between connell and marianne throughout their lives: in high school, university, and adulthood. how much can one relationship change over the years? are the people we've known forever the ones we always want to hold onto?

in my defense, i read this book back in 2019 before the hulu show was announced. but, here's what i wrote on goodreads after finishing: "While reading "Normal People," I felt the same intensity in my chest as I did while reading "A Little Life." The characters are absolutely beautiful, so vivid and real and human and irrevocably flawed. Sally Rooney created characters that realistically exist in our world. I feel such a tenderness for both Marianne and Connell that I can barely put it to words. This is such a spectacular work of fiction that completely redefines the typical narrative structures we've been taught as children. It redefines dialogue, brings a new light to character development and plot. I'm in absolute awe."

my boyfriend and i have also started the series on hulu, and i'm ready to get my heart torn out of my chest all over again!

chronicles of the one trilogy by nora roberts

it started with one man, who spread the disease to his family, who spread it to the people they came in contact with, to the people they came in contact with. within weeks, half of the world's population had died. where structure fell, magic rose. both good and evil have risen to the surface. the end has come. the beginning comes next. 

well, this one is a little too real, isn't it? nonetheless, i wanted to recommend this trilogy to those who love magical realism and true escapism. i started reading this series back in august and eagerly waited for the last installment to be released. and damn, this series did not disappoint. 

during these uncertain times, please refrain from supporting larger businesses like amazon who frequently mistreat their employees. instead, help boost your local economy by shopping small and shopping local. these books are available wherever books are sold, and purchasing from a small business can help ensure their survival. i want to shop at all of my favorite places when all of this is said and done, don't you?

- a.