Travel may be banned. But for an equally vivid—and budget-friendly—experience, books can take us on exclusive, metaphysical journeys that thoughtfully adhere to the public health obligations of self-isolation and social distancing.
Here are a few suggestions from my bookshelf.
After having received a private call from a top government official, Robert Langdon would definitely be on the frontlines helping solve this viral mystery.
Langdon is the star character in several of Dan Brown’s novels, including The Da Vinci Code and Origin. He’s a symbologist and Harvard professor who seems to know everything—in a lovable, unpretentious kind of way.
Travelling to cities like Paris, Rome, and Washington, Langdon helps solve murders and mysteries which often have religious and historical implications, inevitably shaking the very foundation of societies worldwide.
Pandora’s Clock by John J. Nance
At the risk of hitting too close to home, Pandora’s Clock by John J. Nance is another of my favorite thrillers.
A plane carrying a passenger with a deadly contagious disease is prevented from landing.
Riddled with doubt and conspiracy, the novel follows the characters’ efforts to beat the odds and stay alive amid extreme government threats and limitations.
Into the Gray Zone by Adrian Owen
For something completely unrelated to our current situation, consider Adrian Owen’s Into the Gray Zone, where the trenches of the mind are probed to explore timeworn questions of consciousness, ethics, and what it means to be alive.
Owen, a renowned neuroscientist, presents compelling scientific evidence to demonstrate the potential disconnect between mind and body.
Hidden under the veil of vegetation may actually exist a mind intact and very much alive.
The Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer
Jeffrey Archer—despite his somewhat questionable political past—is one of my favorite authors.
His multi-generational Clifton Chronicles follow the life of Harry Clifton who is on a quest to unearth his family’s long hidden secrets and how they relate to the family of the girl he loves.
Laced with political scandals, family feuds, and sacrifices, each of the seven novels begins and ends with an unexpected English twist.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
If you’re looking for a good cry, Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns will do just that.
Based in Afghanistan, the novel depicts the life of two brave women who endure the harsh realities of life under political ruin and the injustices that it entails.
Some classics to consider
Harper Lee’s timeless novel To Kill A Mockingbird questions human morality in the face of racial inequality, and underscores the often-overlooked imaginative wisdom of children.
More subtle notions of morality are explored in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short novel The Great Gatsby. The hedonistic lifestyle of the 1920s elite begins to fragment the fundamental values which once defined the American dream.
Fitzgerald contrasts between old and new, pre- and post-war, poor and rich, East Egg and West Egg.
Last but not least: The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne, and The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.
Short. Sweet. Poetic. These alluring metaphorical novels elicit emotions you never knew existed. They tackle familiar questions of friendship, beauty, and the value of achieving our personal legends.
In her book Hope and Despair, the courageous Monia Mazigh shares her family’s personal journey with Canada’s justice system, disclosing some of its most shocking failures.
Mazigh takes her readers on an inspiring campaign to end her husband’s wrongful detention and deportation.
For something a little more scientific
Norman Doidge, in his book The Brain’s Way of Healing, uncovers the magic of neuroplasticity, the brain’s brilliant ability to change, adapt, and recover.
Defying ancient beliefs—which singled out the brain as an organ incapable of healing—Doidge introduces neuroplastic treatments which can alleviate symptoms of Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, autism, and even dyslexia.
Doidge also explores the power of mental awareness, and evaluates the unique relationship between music and the brain.
For an engaging tour of our elaborate digestive system, Digestive Wellness by nutritionist Elizabeth Lipski is informative and very easy to follow.
In it, Lipski outlines the ingredients of a healthy gut and provides natural remedies to common conditions like ulcers, acid reflux, gluten intolerance, and migraine headaches.
“Survival of the fittest,” a phrase we have all heard before.
Pick up Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species and learn why the above phrase does not accurately depict the core principles of evolutionary theory.
I hope this short voyage of my bookshelf inspires you to go on your own metaphysical journey this quarantine season.
Photo by Samah Saci.
