10 Interesting Books To Read While Practising Social Distancing

Currently, the world is facing a pandemic which has caused most countries to shut down and declare a stay at home policy. I live in Nigeria and we’ve recorded a few positive cases of Covid-19, my government are yet to decree a lockdown but luckily for me, my place of work took the bold step to let us work from home.

I have decided to share meaningful blog posts centring around the Covid-19 issue. So be it productivity tips, book recommendations, mental health wellness e.t.c, expect to get such on the blog.

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Books are my absolute favourites, I love to read, I have lived a thousand years and travelled through different ages from flipping the pages of a good book. If you’ve followed my blog for a while, I bet you already know this, however for those of you who just stumbled upon my “little” space on the internet, it may interest you to know that I am an avid book reader and lover.

Hence, when I thought of a way to stay busy during this trying time, the first thing that came to mind was to get my reading mojo back on and read as much as I can. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one having such thoughts as the beautiful people at SCRIBD introduced a one-month free plan to encourage those in self-isolation to have access to thousands of books and audiobooks. Did I just hear you say “let the reading begin?”

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For me, I am a huge fan of historical fiction, I mean there’s so much to learn about “our” history as humans. So yes, I love a good old’ historical fiction. However, since I got into my twenties, I’ve embraced several other genres, so you best believe this list of the 10 most interesting books to read while in isolation will be dynamic.

10 Interesting Books to Read While Observing Social Distancing

The Alchemist By Paulo Coelho

This book tells the story of a young shepherd boy who embarks on a journey or quest to find treasures, he ends up encountering a soul-changing experience about the values of chasing one’s dreams and following one’s heart.

The Alchemist teaches us important lessons such as;

• Never give up your dreams and forsake your quest.

• Failure is inevitable but what matters is you getting back on your feet and giving it another shot.

• Nothing worth having is easy. You’ve got to labour for it and earn it.

• The Ideology of Maktub which states that all our actions are predestined. I am a strong believer in the Maktub, I believe that our steps in life have already been orchestrated from the very beginning.

• Live, Love, Laugh! Because the code of living your best life lies in the little things!

A Thousand Splendid Sun By Khaled Housenni

A thousand splendid sun tells the story of two women set in war-torn Afghanistan: Mariam and Laila who find themselves in a cut-throat situation with an abusive husband. The story explores the effect of the war on social and domestic spheres.

I first read A thousand splendid sun in the year 2010 and it left an indelible impression on me. It is one of the factors that have contributed to me aligning with feminism as the women in this story showed us that as women, unified we stand and divided, we fall.

The author, Khaled is a beast when it comes to his use of imagery, so expect to be fully immersed in this story but trust me, it’s one of the best books you will read.

How To Win Friends & Influence People By Dale Carnegie

I recently read Carnegie’s how to win friends & influence people because I realised I needed to work on my social and people skills.

To say it was a great read, will be like Underrating it. This book was an eye-opener, a game-changer for me! I intend to do a full book review as soon as I can. Until then, I encourage you to read this amazing personal development book.

Dear Ijeawele or a Feminist Manifestation in 15 Suggestions

As a proud #Daughterof Chimamanda like twitter misogynist calls us, it would be a gross injustice to my clan ( feminists) if I share books without encouraging all and sundry to use this time to re-enlighten themselves on important issues such as feminism and equality of the sexes.

One book that does justice to the feminism cause is Adichie’s “Dear Ijeawele” and I encourage everyone to read it, as it will give you a different mindset on the issue of feminism.

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Redeeming Love By Francine Rivers

24 years on earth and this remains my favourite book ever. So many things to say about Redeeming love but it’s best you read for yourself.

Redeeming Love is a retelling of the story of Hosea and Gomer from the bible. However, as usual with Francine Rivers, she picks biblical characters/stories and weaves into compelling fiction without losing any of the moral lessons.

Redeeming Love is largely based on the central theme of God’s unending mercies towards sinners.

If you are big on Christianity and faith, then this is a must-read for you.

Children of Blood & Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Children of blood and bones is an African Fantasy book by Tomi Adeyemi. It follows the life of Zelie, the protagonist and her quest to bring back magic to the land.

This book is gripping! You will find yourself flipping through each page with rapt attention. I read this book in one seating, yes it’s that enthralling and the best part, it’s a trilogy. So if you’ve found yourself immersed in the tales of the Orisha, you can continue on to the second book in the trilogy. It is titled ” Children of Virtue & Vengeance”.

Swept Away by Candace Camp

My absolute favourite historical romance novel. I spent most of my teenage years looking for a Deverel in human form. Candace camp remains my best historical romance writer and my love for her began from this one book. Swept away tells the beautiful story of two misfits in 18th century England, what started as a young lady’s quest to unravel the truth behind her brother’s murder mystery results in her falling in love with none other than the suspected murderer.

Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy by Kevin Kwan

I bet you’ve seen the movie “crazy rich Asians” but if you haven’t read the book, then you have been missing.

Kelvin Kwan is the author of the three-part book which gives us an inside view of the outrageously wealthy aristocratic society of Singapore. A New York Times bestseller and a well-deserved one at that, Kelvin is good at what he does-storytelling.

The trilogy begins with CRAZY RICH ASIANS, we are introduced to the main characters, lovebirds- Racheal and Nick who live a fairly normal life in New York. Racheal is completely oblivious to the true identity of her Fiance-Nick. A trip to Singapore exposes Nick’s true identity. He is regarded as the most eligible bachelor in Singapore, he is also the heir to what is regarded as the wealthiest dynasty in all of Singapore.

This amazing story continues in Part two- China Rich Girlfriend and part three- Rich Peoples problem.

Milk & Honey by Rupi Kaur

Think lines, think rhymes, think depth, think Rupi Kaur. This poet has a way with words, it’s no wonder she’s one of the most celebrated poets in the world.

Go ahead and grab the book Milk & Honey, it’s a beautiful piece.

On Becoming by Michelle Obama

Becoming is the memoir of the former first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. This phenomenal woman wrote an exceptional book. A tell-all on her journey so far, lessons, experiences learnt and much more. Becoming is a must-read for young adults especially females.

It’s a lengthy book and hence this isolation period is the best time to read this gem.

There you have it, my top picks of the most interesting books to read in isolation.

Happy Reading!

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