The 18 Best Escapist Reads For When You’re Social Distancing

Sometimes, you need to lose yourself completely in a novel. These books will do the trick.

It’s a beautiful day in New York (and across much of the west coast, it’s raining — finally!), but many of us are stuck inside, social-distancing, cooking lasagna, and drowning ourselves in The Bachelor, if my Twitter feed is any indication. Once you get sick of those things, might I suggest… a book?

I’ve long used books to escape what’s happening in my life, and to shut off the relentless anxiety swirling around in my head morning to night. With the coronavirus infringing on our sense of health and safety, and as we live through another horror show of a seemingly never-ending election, I’m now not the only one who desperately needs emotional and mental release — and, now, a little time to pursue it.

Behold, then, my brief roundup of some of what I and my bookish friends think are the funniest, warmest, most thrilling, uplifting, and romantic reads that you can either buy now or preorder for delivery within the next few weeks. Tweet at me or let me know in the comments what you’re most excited to read during this period of social distancing.