Pandemic Reading

So with everything going on in the world, I kind of expected myself to retreat into the familiar. To repeat binge-watch my favourite TV shows, or movies. I thought I would go into that whole "brain off, TV on" type of mentality. But strangely enough, I can't seem to focus on TV. All I want to do when I am home is read. And it turns out books about fictional pandemics are occupying a lot of my reading list. I am on my 16th book since Covid 19 was declared a pandemic, 7 of which are about fictional pandemics.

I don't know why I am finding pandemic reading so comforting, but I am. Maybe because I lack a real life framework of the full picture of this. Maybe because the reality of working (but not on the actual frontlines) during this thing, with its odd blend of monotony and stress, means that I am experiencing this quite differently than the prevailing narratives online and in the news. Who knows. But apparently I am not the only one finding that these are the books I want to consume at this present time.

So if anyone is curious, here is a quick look:

1. The Marrow Thieves - Cherie Dimaline
I guess this is technically not a pandemic book, but something has ravaged society, leaving everyone except Indigenous people unable to dream, so I am counting it. I read this one at the beginning of March, and it is super haunting. It is essentially a story of survival, and has some uncomfortable echoes of reality underneath. It's a pretty quick read, but it's sticking with me.

2. The Companions - Katie M. Flynn

This book is in the aftermath of a pandemic, but technically not about one. It is more about AI, consciousness, what it means to be alive. It is an interesting look at the ethics of uploading someone's consciousness to keep them around longer than their actual life. I did feel like the book didn't go as deep into exploring those ideas as I had hoped, and found some of the shifting POV kept me from being as invested as I could have been, but overall a pretty good book.

3. The Plague - Albert Camus

The ultimate classic in pandemic books. This one took me a bit longer to read partly due to poor formatting in the ebook version that I bought, but hopefully that is not a universal issue. I usually have a hard time getting into books considered "classics", but this was worth reading. It is a classic for a reason. I did struggle a bit to relate to most of the characters, but overall appreciated it.

4. Severance - Ling Ma

This is one I wish everyone I know would read. I love the satire of modern work life, of charismatic leaders, of nostalgia itself. It's funny and unsettling. I actually find it hard to review without giving anything away. It's the post-apocalyptic story of Candace (the protagonist - self described millennial office drone) switching between the aftermath of a devastating pandemic, and her life leading up to the pandemic. Even the disease itself in thought-provoking. The "fevered" repeat mundane tasks endlessly, brainlessly, until the end. I just don't have the words, but I really think this one is worth reading.

5. Moon of the Crusted Snow - Waubgeshig Rice

This was brilliant. Although I suppose not technically about a pandemic, but something has caused society to collapse with no warning, and given when I read the book, I imagined it as some sort of disease. But this is a story of survival. Of the first people of this country, the ones that don't get the credit they deserve for everything they have already survived. For surviving what was done to them. This one is brilliant and beautiful, and heart-wrenching. 

6. Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel

I just realized how many of these are by Canadian authors, and set at least partially in Canada. Not saying that makes them better, but maybe more relevant somehow. This was a really good book. I was captivated and pulled right into this world right away. It had the right amount of shifting perspectives to be really interesting, but not so many as to be confusing. I also really liked the main characters. I loved the idea of looking at what we might hold on to after surviving the collapse of everything, of art. Sometimes I don't like reading hyped up books because I don't know if they will live up to it, but this one does. It is incredible.

7. The End of October - Lawrence Wright

This one was by far the most disturbing. And very creepy given that it just came out, so was written before all of this, and released right now. That said, if it had been released a year ago, it wouldn't have all the hype. It's just the terrifying similarities to reality. The book is probably 100 pages longer than necessary, and most of the characters aren't quite developed well enough. Overall, I think it was just a bit too unsettling for this present time, but still pretty good. Also, I know this is beside the point, but I am not in love with the cover. I know it is a picture of a virus, but somehow that image doesn't match with the pretty dark story. Anyway, just some of my thought on this interesting class of book to be reading right now. I am thinking of getting into a bit more book reviewing, maybe starting a book blog.