Books to Keep You Busy
Here’s what the BERGEN editors are reading now that we’re cooped up at home indefinitely.
Looking for a new read to help keep your mind functioning properly during quarantine? Whether you’re a parent looking for some “me” time (and advice) or a big fan of memoirs, these are the page-turners that are helping the BERGEN staff escape what’s going on IRL:
“A memoir isn’t usually my book of choice, but Educated by Tara Westover was recommended by a friend, and I’d been meaning to read it for some time. While our kids’ experiences of learning from home during shelter-in-place are new, the author lived that experience for 17 years as the daughter of survivalists in rural Idaho. Her ‘home schooling’ consisted mostly of working in her father’s junkyard. Yet her thirst for knowledge propelled her to earn a Ph.D. It was a fascinating—albeit at times, difficult—read that left me in awe of this courageous woman.”
—Rita Guarna, Editor in Chief
“As a fan of autobiographies, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls stuck with me as it recounts the author’s highly dysfunctional and poverty-stricken childhood. It pulls no punches describing the difficulties of her life but maintains a sense of optimism that is often at odds with the story’s setting. Things could always be worse, and this book offers a dose of perspective in these trying times.”
—Stephen Vitarbo, Creative Director
“After sitting on it for a few months, I finally broke open Full Count: The Education of a Pitcher by David Cone and Jack Curry. I always knew Coney was a bulldog, but reading about how he developed that mentality and how he continued it in the Majors—from his early days with the Mets to his championship years with the Yankees—was insightful and entertaining. It’s a must-read not only for Yankee fans but all baseball fans. Heck, if I can’t watch live baseball right now, I might as well read about it.”
—Darius Amos, Senior Associate Editor
“As the mom of a toddler, I tend to gravitate toward books and articles that do the opposite of mom-shaming—I like to read things that don’t make me feel guilty about everything I do or don’t do for my 2-year-old. You Can’t F*ck Up Your Kids by Lindsay Powers is my savior right now. It explains why some old-school parenting rules are not meant to be followed to a tee and makes me feel less terrible about giving my son so much screen time, especially right now while I’m working from home and trying to do literally everything.”
—Haley Longman, Lifestyle Editor
