Lock-Down with a Good Book

Lock-down recommended reads for escapism during a difficult time- the new edit.

With these troubling times not seeming to come to a definitive end any time soon, I have found myself reading a lot more than the sparse ten minutes before bed in my normal everyday life. Through reading, and admittedly watching a lot of Netflix, I have been able to escape the uncertainty, monotony and sometimes stressful circumstances that we find ourselves in. Plunging into the future, traveling back in time and enlightening myself to various points of views, people and struggles we face as being human, bringing our situation into perspective whilst also forgetting about it. As I'm doing an English degree I have been able to read, although I have not been able to make enough time to read the books I want to read- who wants to read Old English for fun. The selection of books I have read so far during Lock-down are varied, with some older, some classics and some newer books that have been on my bookshelf gather dust for, in some cases, a longtime.

Through reading, and admittedly watching a lot of Netflix, I have been able to escape the uncertainty, monotony and sometimes stressful circumstances that we find ourselves in.

As I have read a fair amount of books during the past 10 weeks, I will split this post into two, covering the newer books within this post, and the older books in the following post.

The Salt Path- Raynor Winn

I found this book heartwarmingly compelling and whilst the subject matter, broaching getting old, homelessness and the human capacity for love and distaste, is challenging, the matter-of-fact, first person narration of Raynor and her husbands' struggles was so captivating. The contrast of the profound beauty of the British countryside and its rugged brutality mirrors the varied encounters Raynor and Moth experience whilst they walk the 630-mile South West Coast Path. Despite their homelessness their enduring perseverance and love for each other were immense, immediately making me like the couple and their outlook on life, routing for them to finish the trail. A perfect read for experiencing the human capacity for love, hatred and endurance with insightful commentary on preconceptions on homelessness with commentary on the organisations working to help those in the position Raynor and Moth found themselves in that launched their epic walk.

Daisy Jones & The Six- Taylor Jenkins Reid

While this book was not something that I thought I would enjoy, it surprised me. Written as a series of interviews looking back to the 70s music scene, a variety of characters are explored and their relationships with each other, to drugs and alcohol and the toils of being in the spotlight. I found it different in content from what I usually read and in its style which was refreshing and it allowed me to escape into the character's lives that are vastly different to mine and from a different era. You're hurtled headlong into the rock and roll scene of the 70s, drugs and drink and all, unglamorising and showing the grit and human character behind the stars and gloried icons of the past.

The Foundling- Stacy Halls

Through this book I was transported back to 17th Century London into the lives of two women, from two different classes. Halls covers the themes of womanhood, motherhood and class struggles in a London that is harsh to the poor and exults the rich, whilst being unfavorable to women in general, no matter your class. It is a profound insight into the struggles of being a mother and a mother's protective instinct and the barriers a society places upon these. I really enjoyed this book for its ease and focus on female characters.

The Testaments- Margaret Atwood

If this book was stand alone, with no attachment to The Handmaid's Tale and the mastery Atwood used in crafting that novel, then I would have enjoyed it much, much more. I felt that in some ways it went against the entire point of The Handmaid's Tale, with no idea of what Gilead really stood for, focusing on the inner workings of Ofred, without much inclination of the workings of the state. The insight into Aunt Lydia (if you haven't read The Handmai's Tale-you must!) was an interesting route for Atwood to take, understanding why she acted in the way she did, but the plot line that followed the character 'Baby Nicole' (no longer a baby I felt was unsatisfying. The captivating writing style and the interiorority within The Handmaid's Tale I felt was lost on this book. However, I still found it enjoyable enough to finish it and read it relatively quickly.

The Salt Path, Daisy Jones & The Six, The Foundling and The Testaments, all published this year or in 2019, is a varied bunch, which took me into a dystopian future, back in time and walking along the coast of England, providing the perfect escapism needed, as I am stuck in my garden. I would recommend giving them all a go, or if you have read them, drop a comment or an email of what you thought. And let me know what books you’ve been reading too!