FP Staff Picks: What we’re *finally* reading
Inspired by this LA Times piece, the FP team has dusted off our TBR piles to find the books that we are *finally* going to read while we social distance. Or at least, we’re telling ourselves that . . .
Here are our #QuaranReads:
Caliban’s War
by James S. A. Corey
I bought this after devouring the first book in the Expanse series a while ago, but haven't yet had the chance to dive in. Housebound quarantine seems like the best time to get lost in an interstellar adventure.
—Jisu
Swing Time
by Zadie Smith
I’m interested in this tale about complicated friendship that spans between London, West Africa, and New York as a former child tap dancer and an expat kid.
—Jamia
The Second Sex
by Simone de Beauvoir
Soooo many people have given me this book, but I've never picked it up. Now seems like a good time to dig into it. Maybe I'll start a book club with myself? I certainly have enough copies . . .
—Lucia
History
by Elsa Morante, translated by William Weaver
I've been meaning to read Elsa Morante for years, largely thanks to Elena Ferrante, who has cited her as an inspiration and influence. And with a new Ferrante book coming out this summer (with numbered galleys no less), what better time to dig in to this 700-page novel about WW2's impact on everyday life in Italy.
—Lauren
Amy’s Eyes
by Richard Kennedy
The book that's been on my mind since I came home from college to self-quarantine has been Amy's Eyes by Richard Kennedy. My parents took turns reading this children's fantasy novel to me and my two siblings seventeen years ago, when Hurricane Isabel left our block without power for almost a week. In this crazy and uncertain time—with my whole family back in the same house for the first time since my siblings and I left for college—I can't help but think back to those nights we all spent huddled on the couch, my mom reading to us by candlelight.
—Rachel
The Bell Jar
by Sylvia Plath
I learned about Sylvia Plath for the first time in sixth grade, and I've been recommended The Bell Jar many times over, but was hesitant to get into it for so long. At this point, I feel like it's my duty to really sit with Sylvia and this is a fitting time to do so.
—Dorsa
Trick Mirror
by Jia Tolentino
Okay, I'll be cool and hip and read Trick Mirror finally (and probably devour it in a day).
—Nick