Or, what we’re reading during quarantine.

While our public libraries are closed, we still have nearly-endless access to e-books and audiobooks thanks to apps like Libby, Overdrive, and Audible. With rainy weather in the forecast this week and ample time at home, many are looking for something new to read. We asked our readers to share recommendations for the last great book they enjoyed to compile the following list! We will continue to add to this list as we receive recommendations this week.

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (4/5 Stars) “It’s an enjoyably confusing time travel (sort of) murder mystery.” – Eric Robinson

City of Girls by Liz Gilbert (5/5 Stars) “I finished City of Girls and it will likely be my favorite book of 2020. That’s saying a lot considering I normally read 50+ books a year. It had every element you want – humor, romance, drama, and emotion for days. It did not have a traditional story arc which I found fascinating. It is essentially her journal of a specific time in her life. The NYC setting was dreamy and made me long to go back. I highly recommend it!” – Andrea Shirey

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (5/5 Stars) “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is beautifully written and features imperfect and lovable characters. One thing I particularly liked is that you have to be most of the way through the book to understand the reason for one of the structural elements – and yes, in this case, that is a plus. Available on Kindle from the Washington County Public Library.” – Rebecca Phillips

Foreign Agent by Brad Thor (5/5 Stars) “I’m a Brad Thor fan! Just finished Foreign Agent. His books are unapologetically pro-American and written around a special-ops counter-terrorism storyline. Suspense. Good vs Evil. Not politically correct. Refreshing.” – Mindy Hawkins

The Mirror & The Light by Hilary Mantel (4.5/5 Stars) “I’m almost done with The Mirror & The Light by Hilary Mantel. Third in a series of historical fiction about the court of Henry VIII with Thomas Cromwell as the main character. I’d give the series as a whole 4.5/5 stars, in large part because I never thought I would feel any interest in or sympathy towards Thomas Cromwell but I’ve actually found myself rooting for him.” – Megan Carr Betts

The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series by Carlos Ruiz Zafron (5/5 Stars) “This series is amazing! A mystery series involving a family of Spanish booksellers, you can read it in any order. They are funny and romantic and tragic with lots of twists and surprises.” – Megan Carr Betts

The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia (5/5 Stars) “The Murmur of Bees is about the 1918 Spanish Flu and it’s been very timely, and I like how the character development is going.” – Kenna Reynolds Warren

Normal People by Sally Rooney (4/5 Stars) “It’s beautiful, simple writing and very relatable: It follows two teenagers from a small town in Ireland. They end up going to the same college and try on different personas after leaving where they are from. It’s a millennial love story I couldn’t put down!” – Meryl Williams

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn (5/5 Stars) “It was very well written and engaging! At the end of the book, the writer included information about the historical basis.” – Diane Sapp Smith

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (5/5 Stars) “It grabbed my attention quickly, the characters were believable. I like the little things such as describing a feather and I believe the author did that very well and while I hate real-life surprises, I like a book that isn’t 100 % predictable.” – Amy McDonald

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (5/5 Stars) “It teaches what oppression, humility, corruption, and strength really is!” – Donna Hall
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