Your Quarantine Reading List

By Angelique Ringgold

Note: this post contains affiliate links

Looking for some reading to help get through COVID and quarantine? This week I am sharing my top 5 reading list for quarantine. Each one has a little wisdom we can use during this crisis. 

1. Supersurvivors: The Surprising Link Between Suffering and Success

by David B. Feldman, Ph.D. & Lee Daniel Kravetz

In this book, the authors explore the reasons why some people do more than just “bounce back” from adversity, but go on to thrive. Filled with examples of folks who have survived accidents, disease, and death of loved ones, Supersurvivors challenges the notion that positive thinking is all that is needed to bound back. In fact, it challenges this as something that, in some cases, could do more harm than good. What interested most in this book was the discussion of Terror Management Theory, which is the psychological conflict between our self-preservation instinct and the realization that death is inevitable. VERY relevant to the current pandemic if you ask me!

2. Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success 

by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler

Many of us find it challenging to keep up with our normal routines when life is anything but normal right now. Those first few weeks after the stay-at-home order, I found it harder than ever to stick to the things I was committed to, such as eating right, exercising, meditating, practicing piano, etc. What is great about this book is that it debunks the idea that willpower is all we need to make behavior change. Go to the Change Anything blog post to read our full review. 

3. The Miracle Equation: The Two Decisions That Move Your Biggest Goals from Possible, to Probably, to Inevitable 

by Hal Elrod

Hal Elrod’s The Miracle Morning was a game-changer for so many. It’s hard to top that level of wisdom. But, I would venture to say that the Miracle Equation had a greater impact on me than The Miracle Morning did. The equation is simple and yet profound: Unwavering Faith + Extraordinary Effort = Miracles. Since reading that book, instead of making a “to-do” list each day, I create an “Extraordinary Effort” list. If you’re trying to create miracles in your life, or maybe just come up with something new to make for dinner, this book is for you. (Seriously there is SOOO much more cooking with everyone home all the time!) Go to The Miracle Equation blog post to read our full review. 

4. Unafraid: Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times

By Adam Hamilton

One could argue that there is more fear than ever these days. Fear of the virus. Fear of losing work. Fear of the economy collapsing. Fear of the government. Fear of going to the grocery store! I could go on and on. In Unafraid, Hamilton shares his research on fear and invites us to take on a new approach:

Face our fears with a bias of hope

Examine our fears in light of the facts

Attack our anxieties with action

Release our cares to God

If you are experiencing any sort of fear or anxiety about the current situation, I highly recommend this book. 

5. The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature

By Daniel Levitin

Did you know that music is more than just entertainment? It is also utilitarian. This is what Levitin explores in this book. He identifies six song types – friendship, joy, comfort, religion, knowledge, and love. 

You’ve prescribed yourself music your whole life, haven’t you? What are you prescribing yourself now? Do you have a COVID playlist yet? (Hey, maybe there’s a future blog post!). Check out our full review of The World in Six Songs. 

What books do you recommend for reading during quarantine? Drop a comment below and let us know what you think.