Isolation and social distancing can be difficult for the more extroverted among us. We simply need diverse human interactions to thrive and to be happy. Everyone may just need a break from Netflix binges and sleeping too much. During this possibly difficult period of isolation, here are five books Your Sexy Librarian is recommending for your reading pleasure.
Please note: My preferred method of online shopping has become smile.amazon.com, which allows me to donate to my favorite charity when I shop. Product links below all lead to Amazon as a result. I make zero money on reading recommendations.
Stealing Buddha’s Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen is a memoir that was originally published in 2007. Having fled Vietnam as a small child, Minh Nguyen comes of age among the Jennifers and the Tiffanys in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I love this memoir because the views of an outsider, one who did not fit in perfectly with those around her while growing up, are eloquently expressed and beautifully written. This book’s message will resonate well with those of us who grew up as awkward caterpillars among a kaleidoscope of butterflies. This quick read is available on Amazon as an eBook and in paperback and hardcover editions.
Fromms: How Julius Fromm’s Condom Empire Fell to the Nazis written by Götz Aly and Michael Sontheimer and translated by Shelley Frisch is a haunting historical accounting of the systematic and calculated financial ruination and overall destruction of Jews living in Germany as well as the story of Julius Fromm, the inventor of the condom vending machine and the founder of one of Germany’s largest condom manufacturers that is still in existence today. First published in October 2009, this well-documented eye-opening work is still available on Amazon in eBook and hardcover editions.
The Little Breton Bistro by Nina George is the story of Marianne, a German woman in her 60s who attempts to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge in Paris while on vacation with her husband. Marianne is inspired to escape from the hospital and travel solo to a coastal town in the Brittany region of France; she rediscovers herself along this unpredictable soul-baring journey. Please don’t be put off by the online reviews; I felt this book deserves more praise than it received. UK and American readers please note that this book was also released as The Little French Bistro. Both versions are available on Amazon as eBooks and in paperback editions.
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows is a remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German Occupation in World War II. Shaffer is the original author who died before completing what would have been her first novel; her niece Barrows, whose sense of humor mimicked Shaffer’s, finished this work of fiction, which was first published in 2008. This wartime tale is told through a series of letters, which I thought to be a refreshing way to dive into the darker subject of occupation and its consequences. Netflix’s movie version of this book was released in 2018. This beautifully written novel is available on Amazon in eBook and in paperback and hardback editions.
Where the Wild Things Are, illustrated and written by Maurice Sendak, is still one of the best children’s books ever written. Granted, I am biased because I have loved this book since I was a small child discovering the joys of my hometown public library. The colorful and imaginative illustrations are just gorgeous. This book reminds us to be kind even when others may not be behaving at their best. This wonder of the world is available in hardback and paperback editions from Amazon.
I would like to give a special thanks and much love to my friend Brandon for helping me find my way back to writing.
Be kind to one another. Stay healthy and safe.
XOXO,
