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Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, April 5 (EMN): Amid the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, people across the globe are seeking ways to keep themselves entertained while staying at home. Authors, teachers and bibliophiles have asked children and youth to utilise this time to develop a habit for reading, as it would help them to drive away boredom and explore new worlds of creativity. Alternatively, parents with young children have been advised to read to them.
Different crises call for different sorts of books."This current one is hard for readers even though, for many of us, it has brought the unexpected gift of free time and nowhere to be, "says Sarah Lyall, a writer for The New York Times. "But it’s so hard to concentrate right now, so hard to feel calm and banish the fearful noise in your head. It is easy to feel like a child just now. The news is so frightening, and we have so little control over what comes next. Sometimes the books we loved early on can help us again."
TIME magazine recently published some of their recommendations to read while staying at home, from "stories of pandemics and post-apocalyptic societies and triumphant narratives about spending time alone to pure page-turning escapism." "Now may be the time to finally dig into that epic novel you’ve had on your shelf forever, revisit an old favourite or try something out of your reading comfort zone," it said. The following are some of their recommendations:
Books about pandemics and post-apocalyptic worlds
If you’re looking to lean into the themes of the moment, these novels will take you deep inside imagined crises and the resilient characters who face them.
Books about solitude
For the people in these memoirs and novels, time alone—whether self-enforced, mandated by a higher power or resulting from tragedy—provides opportunity for introspection and growth.
Books you’ve never had time to read
These ambitious books are long, yes, but also deeply rewarding for those who commit to getting through them. Now is a great time to tackle something you’ve always found a little daunting. Some books need to teach their readers how to engage with them—don’t give up in the early pages.
Escapist thrillers, fantasies and super fun books
Sometimes, we need to laugh, get caught up in a page-turning adventure or just let our minds wander elsewhere. These novels and personal stories will draw you in and take you far away.