Pandemic Isolation Reading Roundup

In this endless pandemic isolation, I’m reading a lot of suspense, gore-free thrillers, old mysteries, and travel stories. As this goes on longer and longer, though, I wanted to know what other people are reading to get us through these lockdown and not-actually-lockdown-but-still-don’t-go-out months.

Lilly over at Lilly’s Book Wonderland is reading The Beast’s Heart, by Leife Shallcross, a retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, from the Beast’s point of view.

Mahnoor from Note To The World is reading A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. She says:

This book is gripping, eye-opening, and unique. It’s triggering but it sheds light on some very important topics. It’s a wonderful historical fiction read!

Melissa F (CloudsGirl27) over at Book Reviews by CloudsGirl27 is reading A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. She says:

When I was in lockdown here in the USA my go-to was fantasy stories. I could escape into a world full of magic and not have to think about what was going on outside my house. I read the whole A Court of Thorns and Roses series in a rather quick span (for me) and, while the story does get a little heavy at times, it helped me cope with everything. My favorite of the series was the second book, A Court of Mist and Fury.

Kim Guzman from 24Bite also suggests fantasy series for the months at home. She’s reading Chronicles of Amber, a fantasy series by Roger Zelazny, and says it “helps to escape into an entirely new world of fantasy and intrigue. It’s a great series so you don’t have to read only one book and wish there were more.”

Rebecca over at Strength and Sunshine is reading Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot series. Like me, she’s a Christie fan, and she adds that there’s “something so cozy about these old fictional European murder mysteries and crimes that always get solved by our favorite detective in a fast-paced short novel. The writing and old (early 19th century) English really help transport you to that time period and escape!” Agreed, this is perfect page-turning escapism for me, too.

If you enjoy Christie’s mysteries, you might also like The Woman On The Orient Express, a historical mystery where Agatha Christie herself is one of the characters.

Astra from Book Posh is reading Outlander by Diana Gabledon. She says:

Outlander is immersive from the very beginning and whisks you away to a different time. Even better is that it’s part of a series and there’s even a Starz series you can enjoy when you’re done binging the books. It allows you to travel countries, centuries, and even time from your most comfortable chair.

Finally, Mada over at Al-Alhambra is reading A Sacred Storm by Theodore Brunn for some Assassin’s Creed Valhalla fun.

What about you? What are you reading to get through covid isolation?