With virtually the entire world on lock-down, people are struggling to find ways to pass the time and stave off boredom. If you are like me, you’ve already exhausted everything Netflix has to offer and are desperate for any form of entertainment that doesn’t involve staring blankly at a wall for hours on end. Before you decide to re-watch the entirety of The Office for the 57th time, might I suggest a long-lost activity that our ancestors used to do to pass the time: read a book! You know, those paper things on the shelves that you walk by to get to the Starbucks in Barnes & Noble? Turns out they aren’t just for decoration, you can read them!
Assuming I still have your attention, the first book I submit for your consideration is Stephen King’s The Stand. In today’s social climate, it can often feel like the world is ending, so what would be more appropriate than reading a book about the world actually ending? In The Stand, 99.4% of the population is wiped out by a super-virus nicknamed Captain Trips. Fast-spreading and incurable, Captain Trips turns the world into one giant graveyard, leaving the few people immune to the virus to pick up the pieces and try to rebuild society.
The Stand probably isn’t for everybody. If you are looking for a feel-good story or something to lighten the mood as you wait out the pandemic, this certainly is not the best choice of reading material. However, I do recommend this for fans of post-apocalypse, survival-horror, or for the odd Stephen King fans who have somehow not read it already. If you are looking for more books in this genre or have recommendations for similar books that you’ve read, please leave a comment. Stay safe and happy reading!