Five books for the pandemic stretch

As it is now, there is no known cure for the Coronavirus. We are still sanitizing, social distancing and masking. Therefore, it is safe to say we still need to stay safe. In these uncertain times where businesses are closing down and people are losing their jobs, it’s time to read for leisure, read for knowledge and read for practice. These collections of books are, books that you ought to have read a long ago, books to support your family and books just for your own pleasure. Everywhere contains news of corona virus deaths that jolt you every time, deaths from police brutality and racism in the United States and other such related bad news, it’s time to detox from all the toxic news around us and make ourselves happy. Focus on things that enable and ennoble. Focus on family, kindness, support and every other good thing in between. This is the time to focus on phone calls to friends and family and commit to it, ten people every day. You will be amazed at how much joy it will bring to the receiver. Let’s get an extra dose of happiness in the new normal because something as simple as not being able to hug someone can depress you. Look up and beyond. Tomorrow will come and this too shall pass. Amen. In the middle of all of this, let’s look to good and interesting books to distract us. Let us stay with books and encourage our families to do the same. Play a book game, encourage them to read and recommend or order books for your children, an uncle, your daughter, your mum, dad or your son. It’s time to return to that thing which helps us to travel, now that we are unable to do so in reality. A good book is always good company. Here are my five for this pandemic stretch.

The World’s best books are a collection of books recommended by writers and creatives in the magazine The Week over many years. With an introduction by The Week’s founder Jolyon Connell, this is a book that brought me much Joy. The book is edited by journalist and ex-newspaper editor Mark Williams. The contributions of their favourite books come from writers and authors and what a recommendation it is. This book will make you re-read a book long forgotten or make you go in search of a book you had never heard of. Full of some unbelievable recommendations, this is a book to read and re-read. It is a resource! 001 books you must read before you die edited by Peter Boxall Is a book that everyone must own. The recommendations include many Nigerian authors. I did look quickly to see if I can find my writing kith and kin there and it gladdened my heat that they wert her in a reasonable number. Every single book entered has been read and reviewed by a literary guru themselves. Just holding that book makes me feel powerful and it helps you to be on a mission, to read as much as you can. But more excitingly, you actually then play the game of How many of the books here have I read and if you have read up to ten, you feel really special with a plan to rack in more. If you have read two, you are a bit disappointed, I mean out of 1001 books but you feel mildly accomplished. If, however, you have not read any of the books listed, well, what does that tell you? Get off your backside and start looking for any of the books to read. Be serious about improving yourself. The people who reviewed the book and who edited it are not morons. Trust me. You do feel more educated, smarter and accomplished by reading some of the books recommended in this tome of a book. Your time starts now.