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I am in a reading slump like no other. I have not finished a book in weeks. This is super unusual and it is making me crazy uncomfortable. 

You see, I have been thinking about the coronavirus for a long time now. My nephew was scheduled to leave on a school trip to Vietnam at the beginning of March and my sister-in-law caught on long before the rest of us that this virus was no joke. Around mid February, she began researching this illness and the effects it was having world- wide. Each day she would call and tell us more and more about what she had learned. I felt my concentration starting to fade as my sense of worry increased. A few weeks ago, after it was decided that my nephew’s trip would be canceled, I started focusing on our own preparedness for some level of supply chain shortages. I thought I was going a bit over the top in thinking this way but after spending the ten days following Hurricane Sandy without electricity, I no longer like to be caught off guard. And then, as if overnight, there wasn’t a person to be found who wasn’t feeling some level of coronavirus stress and the ensuing lack of concentration. 

So this is all a long of saying that I am at a bit of a standstill when it comes to books. I did recently start The Holdout which is holding my attention fairly well so I have high hopes. In the meantime though, in case, books are providing you comfort right now, I thought I would share a few that I loved before my attention waned. 

Long Bright River is a page turner about sisters and the opioid epidemic- one is a police officer and one an addict. This book is not for sensitive souls but for me, it was a great read. 

Nothing to See Here has the most bizarre premise- two children who spontaneously catch on fire but I’m telling you- it was great and incredibly readable. 

The Dutch House– Ann Patchett wrote two of my all time favorite books (Bel Canto and State of Wonder) so I always get excited when she writes a new book. I didn’t love her most recent title (Commonwealth) though so I wasn’t sure what to think when Dutch House came out but I loved this brother/sister story. 

A Nearly Normal Family is about a super (and I mean super!) dysfunctional family. It’s been a long time since I was completely caught off guard by the ending of a book but this one did it!

Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11 was a riveting account of 9/11. I learned a ton while reading this book and would almost go as far as calling it a page turner. I don’t usually read non-fiction so this was a big deal for me.

I hope this list gave you a few ideas and as always, please share any recent favorite reads with me- I always love to add to my never ending ‘to be read’ list.