“That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.” – Jhumpa Lahiri

I have spoken of my love of reading and my deep love of Harry Potter so I’m going to share some favorite books and some I have recently read. It sounds really cliche but you can go anywhere via book, especially a good one! I read a lot and I’ve become the go to person of what one should read, so since we are staying at home, I wanted to detail some that I enjoyed! This isn’t comprehensive and you should definitely follow me on Goodreads. A handy link is to the right. I should note, these are all fiction. Sometimes the best escape is into a made up world-even if it mirrors our own.

Long Time Favorites:

Obviously, the Harry Potter series is tops of the list! I even wrote a whole post about it (my most read to boot). Now is the perfect time to read the series. It is truly magical. My best friends’ recently had a baby. He’s only six months old but I’m already getting him prepped for our FaceTime adventures once he’s old enough.

I love every Khaled Hosseini book. The Kite Runner is one of the best debut novels I have ever read. I loved it so much that I didn’t think his follow up, A Thousand Splendid Suns could top it and he did. His second novel is one of my top five all time favorite books. It is so beautiful and tragic, I just love it so much. His third novel, And the Mountains Echoed, is my least favorite but still remarkable. I’ve read all three many, many times!

Atonement by Ian McEwan is a slow burn about families and a secret that alters the course of everyone it touched. It will stay with you. The movie is also exquisite and one of the best adaptations I’ve ever seen. I will say, while I love this book, I have hated all his other ones. HATED them.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel is a masterpiece about life, faith, and the strength of the human spirit. I have gifted this book to so many people! The film is also quite remarkable, so watch that too!

Much like Khaled Hosseini, I love all the books by Cecelia Ahern. My personal favorites are P.S. I Love You (I enjoyed the movie and it is nothing like the book) and it’s sequel, Postscript. Dear Rosie is sweet and romantic and One Hundred Names make you remember that we all have a story and can impact someone’s life without you ever knowing it.

I love The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. A love story for the ages. There is also a movie and I loved it. Left a lot out from the book but left most of the heart.

My latest obsession is Fredrik Backman. I stumbled upon My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry. It was funny and heartwarming and the main character is obsessed with Harry Potter. I then read A Man Called Ove and was taken aback by the humor and sadness. I gave a copy to my dad and he also loved it. Tom Hanks is going to be in the English language version of the book and I’m stoked! Then came Britte-Marie Was Here, I read this begrudgingly because she was my least in Grandmother but I loved this book! I will say, I did not like his last two books, Bear Town and Us Against You. Ugh. But I have high hopes for his release later this year. His short stories are also quite good.

Recent Favorites

I recently discovered Jane Harper. She writes a mean suspense book. All are set in the Outback and all three are amazing! The Dry and Force of Nature should be read in order has it has a character in common. The Lost Man is her newest release and maybe my favorite of the three.

Kristin Hannah is a favorite. She writes great chick lit. The majority of her books are like Hallmark movies. The Nightingale is an outlier. But I have read most of her books and love all of them! Perfect fun reads for sheltering in place.

I’m guilty of loving Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club and Jenna Bush Haggar’s Book Club via The Today Show. I did not like Reese’s most recent pick, Such a Fun Age. I actually didn’t even finish it. I had much better luck with Jenna’s recent pick, Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano. And I was floored. The way she described grief and moving on were incredibly relatable. I cannot recommend enough.

For a light read, I was recommended The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. It is a fun, sexy read. Perfect for these warmer days.

Another fun read was Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I read it on my flight to Sydney and it was a bit like Almost Famous, one of my favorite films.

A great fantasy series (also young adult) is The Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children Series by Ransom Riggs. He uses antique photographs to weave an incredible narrative. It is a great adventure tale slightly rooted in the reality that you and I all know.

For more fantasy, I recently completed the Iron Druid Chronicles. It is about a 1000 year old druid who lives in Arizona and the crazy things that happen to him and his dog. It is firmly in the fantasy column. The series went on a couple books to long but it was so much fun. This I would recommend listening to the audiobook.

Firmly in the drama category is Ann Patchett’s Commonwealth. A family drama that spreads decades. In the same vein (although not over the decades) is Celeste Ng’s All the Things I Never Told You. I didn’t love Little Fires Everywhere but I am thoroughly enjoying the miniseries on Hulu. This may or may not have anything to do with my love of Joshua Jackson.

A bit of a tip, even though libraries are closed, you can still check books out. I have been getting books downloaded directly to my Kindle from the library and it is returned automatically when it is due. Check your local public library for details. Mine is directly from the library page but you can also check out Libby. This links via your library card.

I hope this was helpful. I love to read so feel free to comment recommendations below or message me via my Instagram or Facebook (also conveniently link to the right). I cannot wait to hear about your latest adventures from your home. And I’m always looking for recommendations, so please send them along!