Books That Hit A Little Too Close To Home During The Pandemic

With a lot of questions about coronavirus and not many answers, it can be hard to stop your brain from spinning in your skull. There are many ways to feel like you're not alone: You can reach out to friends and family over FaceTime, watch soothing TV shows that distract you from your thoughts, or dive head-first into books filled with characters going through the exact same thing you are. Often worse.

While the world is scary, it's weirdly comforting to read stories about people in similar situations. There are books about pandemics, isolation, and the literal apocalypse. While I feel it's worth noting this isn't a zombie invasion that will destroy human life as we know it, it's kind of nice to read those stories to have a little bit of perspective.

Some of these books about isolation and pandemics were written long before 2020, and others eerily came out just as this virus was starting to spread IRL. Some books aren't about pandemics or the apocalypse at all, but speak to the couped-up, stir-crazy feelings we're all having as we social distance and wait for the storm to pass. And what better way to wait than kick back with a book? Hey — it's not the end of the world.