From an allegorical novel about dictatorship in the 1940s in the Soviet Union to psychological thrillers that keep you on your toes, at Omaha Media Group our monsters have been reading a large range of books! 

While some cities and states are starting to see an even larger spike in their COVID-19 cases and stopping their phase 3 plans, now is the best time to find some of the best books during quarantine to add to your current list! Put away social media apps like TikTok, also jokingly called “Tic Tac” in our office, and pick up a new book that could teach you something! 

Research shows that a quarter of American adults have not read a book in the last year whether it be electronic or a hardcover book, adults are not reading as much as they should be! This research study explains that certain demographics are more or less inclined to read a book or finish it, but in the past decade, the number of books not being read continues to increase over 19 percent! 

Now, it is the perfect time to change this statistic! Adults, entrepreneurs, moms, dads, legal guardians, take some time to yourself read any of these best books during COVID 19 that our team suggests in the nonfiction and personal development realm.

Nonfiction books

“The Martian” is a nonfiction book that was produced into a movie starring Matt Damon.  Mark Watney is an astronaut for NASA, and on a mission to Mars, Watney gets left behind by his crew. The issue is that Watney has to wait months and months until the crew is able to orbit back to Watney! 

In a desperate attempt to stay alive, Watney grows and harvested his own potato plans that complemented his daily side of ketchup! His refusal to quit and super engineering skills helps Watney to communicate with NASA and figure out an escape route back to Earth! Talk about an out of this world experience! 

“Homicide: A Year in the Killing Streets” is a fantastic book from the early 1990s where one journalist spends an entire year following around homicide detectives in Baltimore who are uncovering over 234 homicides in one unit. This tells the terrifying story of violence on the streets of America with a brotherhood of detectives from a rookie to a veteran who continues to take more challenging cases as the years go on. This is great journalism and writing that tells the real story of detectives. 

“Sweet Taste of Liberty- A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America” is the story about Henrietta Wood who was legally freed from slavery in the 1800s. The 1853 Wood is captured and sold back into bondage and lives in Mississippi with the hopes of returning back to the life she once knew in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

This is a book with highs and lows that show the real suffering of African Americans in the United States during slavery. 

Personal Development books 

“The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck- A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life” as Mark Manson would say, “Who the f*ck cares what others think!” This is not your typical self-help, motivation or personal development book that will give you thousands of different situations and no way to really figure everything out. Manson often refers to the classic cliche “if life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” 

While money, status and so many other things matter to us, at the end of the day what you do with your life is more meaningful than making a million dollars. We often think that the moment we reach this goal, we will finally be happy, but in reality, we never truly are once we are there. 

“Hard Times Create Strong Men” is a book for any male out there who is looking to take control of their lives and leave a legacy that they are proud of. This is a modern personal development book that teaches men to disregard traditional Western values and create their own meaning of life and success! This book will challenge your current thinking and help you understand how to really be “the man” who you always wanted to be. 

“Swearing is Good For You: The Amazing Science of Bad Language” this one is a shocker for most, because oftentimes, swearing is seen as a lazy language that is unnecessary in many situations, but Bryne explores how this is a critical part of our language! (This could be a perfect addition to your current book list during COVID-19). 

There is scientific evidence that swearing is a good way to help reduce pain, stress levels and a number of other negative emotions and feelings that can occur in daily life such as a project falling apart like hitting your funny bone, that isn’t very funny! 

However, there are moments and times when swearing too much loses its power of releasing these negative emotions and attachments and does not help stress. Learn more about this art of language now, and then, read the “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” next! 

There you have it! These are the best books during quarantine to read this Summer!