10 Books on My Self-Isolation Reading List

Anne Bogel is one of my favorite nonfiction authors—I love the way she looks at the world. If you’re feeling a bit anxious right now, this book might just be for you. I’m just around 50 pages in, and am finding the book incredibly helpful so far.

Calm is something else we need a lot more of right now. This book digs deep into the science behind how we can feel more calm, and what strategies work best.

Any book of Kelly McGonigal’s is, in my mind, an instant-buy. In this book, she tackles the science of exercise—and how it makes our lives better in pretty much every measurable way. Kelly has previously written books about the science of willpower and stress.

This book has been recommended by three friends of mine, and is a fascinating look at music, as well as the music industry in general. I’m loving it so far.

One of the most-cited books on happiness, this book touches on psychology, economics, evolution, and cognitive science. I can’t wait to dig into this one.

This book really is little, and it’s a nice little reminder to chill out and relax—something we all need right now.

This one’s a book about a woman who decides to cut herself off from meeting new people—an oddly-prescient topic right now. Like many of the others on this list, I haven’t been able to put this book down so far. A fantastic escape.

A fascinating look at how trees communicate, this is a book that has been on my to-read list for a while now. Needless to say, these days I’m spending most of my time indoors; this book should serve as a nice reminder of the beauty of the natural world.

Another book about trees, this book covers why time in nature—and around trees—can help promote happiness and wellbeing. Nature has a whole host of benefits: it boosts immunity, improves sleep, and even improves cardiovascular health. I’m not entirely sure whether this book will make me long for more time in nature, or give me a mental escape to think about it—but I’m excited to find out.

This book doesn’t need an introduction, so I won’t give it one. Out of all of the books I’ve ever read, I’ve gotten the most lost within this one—which easily makes it easily worth a reread.