6 Book Recommendations for Your Extra Time at Home

Many people are suddenly finding themselves with extra unanticipated time at home because of COVID-19. There are lots of valuable ways one could choose to spend the time: cooking, calling loved ones, writing Medium posts about books, etc.

One common suggestion has been to read more. If you find yourself inclined to spend some of your unanticipated time at home reading, I’d like to recommend the following books, from one reader to another.

Lab Girl, by Hope Jahren

Wow guys, I’ve got to admit that I’m starting off this list strong. I just finished Lab Girl and was truly blown away. Lab Girl is one-part memoir, one-part botany guide. Written by English-major-turned-plant-scientist Dr. Hope Jahren, the book is a raw and beautifully written account of Jahren’s life as a women in science.

Jahren addresses the lack of funding for research science, pervasive sexism and misogyny in science and academia, her experiences being bipolar, and the beauty and complexity of human relationships. She does all this while interweaving lessons about the biology of trees and their gargantuan impact for life on this planet, alongside literary references ranging from Charles Dickens to the Bible.