Books to take your mind off everything

It’s a good time to read (if you can manage the time between homeschooling your children and/or checking CNN every 5 minutes). Reading offers much-needed escape. That’s why I’ve always loved it. It transports us elsewhere, broadens our perspective, helps grow our compassion as human beings. 

I had a few friends ask me for reading recommendations so I figured I’d create a list for everyone (below). Feel free to share your favorite “take me elsewhere” reads too. Stay safe and sane, everyone.

Here is my list…or lists.

Great characters, great voice, great storylines:
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things — Bryn Greenwood
Ask Again, Yes — Mary Beth Keane
Cruel Beautiful World — Caroline Leavitt (or really any of her books)
Little Fires Everywhere — Celeste Ng
Goodbye, Vitamin — Rachel Khong
Lily and the Octopus — Steven Rowley
Before I Go — Colleen Oakley (or really any of her books)
After You’d Gone — Maggie O’Farrell (or really any of her books)
Little Children — Tom Perrotta
Did You Ever Have a Family — Bill Clegg
Big Little Lies — Liane Moriarty (or really any of her books)
The Art of Racing in the Rain — Garth Stein

Epic stories that you won’t want to end:
The World According to Garp — John Irving
The Signature of All Things — Elizabeth Gilbert
Mrs. Everything — Jennifer Weiner
The Light Between Oceans — ML Stedman
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo — Taylor Jenkins Reid
Daisy Jones and the Six — Taylor Jenkins Reid
Wonder Boys — Michael Chabon
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay – Michael Chabon
The Goldfinch — Donna Tartt
The Secret History — Donna Tartt
Cutting for Stone — Abraham Verghese
The History of Love — Nicole Krauss
The Interestings — Meg Wolitzer
The Great Believers — Rebecca Makkai
The Namesake — Jhumpa Lahiri (or really any of her books)
Happy Family — Tracy Barone
A Fall of Marigolds — Susan Meissner
A Woman is No Man — Etaf Rum
I Know This Much Is True — Wally Lamb
Love in the Time of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Marriage Plot – Jeffrey Eugenides
The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint – Brady Udall

Books that will make you laugh (and maybe also cry, but definitely laugh):
Where’d You Go Bernadette? – Maria Semple
I’m Fine and Neither Are You – Camille Pagán
The Wangs vs. the World – Jade Change
Nothing to See Here – Kevin Wilson 
The Family Fang – Kevin Wilson
Then We Came to an End –Joshua Ferris
Truth in Advertising – John Kenney
You Shall Know Our Velocity –Dave Eggers (or really any of his books)
This Is Where I Leave You – Jonathan Tropper
Wake Up, Sir! – Jonathan Ames
The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving — Jonathan Evison
High Fidelity — Nick Hornby

Thriller-ish books that will keep your attention 
Something in the Water – Catherine Steadman
The Woman in Cabin 10 – Ruth Ware
My Lovely Wife – Catherine Steadman
The Silent Patient – Catherine Steadman
The Last Mrs. Parrish – Liv Constantine

End-of-world-ish books that might hit a little close to home but are very good:
California – Edan Lepucki 
The Leftovers – Tom Perrotta
Station Eleven – Emily St. John Mandel