With the second wave of Covid wreaking havoc, time has been brought to a standstill once again. Many of us are back working from home, unable to go out and wondering what to do in our free time. What’s worse – the news is a constant source of pain and fear and is hell-bent on making itself heard. That’s why we suggest giving yourself a break from the news and immersing yourself in these books. These are 10 best pandemic based books. Some of them are fictional some are non-fictional books that will help you understand the virus and the situation and others are fictional novels with absorbing stories that match the situation we’re in.
List of 10 Best Pandemic Based Books | Fictional And Non-Fictional:
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
This novel by the prolific Marquez is exactly what the title says – it’s the love story of Fermina Daza and Florentino Aziza as they endure a multitude of events in their life, including the epidemic of cholera. Fermina’s husband Juvenal Urbino is a doctor – he commits himself eradicating the disease of cholera. Although this book focuses on themes much grander than the epidemic itself, the epidemic is still and interesting and important part of it. The perfect book to read and relax to in the summer, this is also a feel good and colourful romance.
The Covid-19 Catastrophe by Richard Horton
This non fiction book came out in June 2020, when the pandemic had festered all over the world. As a medicine student and editor-in-chief of the prestigious journal ‘The Lancet,’ Horton is an extremely credible commentator on the pandemic. In this book, he delves into the intricacies of the system that couldn’t control this pandemic, and talks of government failings. It is a brilliant, thorough and groundbreaking analysis of UK’s covid response.
Understanding Coronavirus by Raul Rabadan
Another non-fiction aimed at deciphering the virus that brought the world to a standstill , Rabadan’s work is more medical and scientific than political. A faculty at the Colombia Uni, Rabadan breaks down for laymen the origin, reproductive rate, progression, vulnerability and mitigation of the virus. It is of utmost importance to be aware of these, especially now that the second wave is upon us.
The Pandemic Century by Mark Honigsbaum
Published exactly a year before the Covid -19 pandemic broke out, this book chronicles the medical history of the past 100 years. These years have seen unanticipated alarms from the Spanish Flu and Parrot Fever to Ebola and Zika epidemics. This detailed history will open your eyes to the ever-present predatory pathogens and make you more cautious.
Epidemics and Society by Frank Snowden
This multidisciplinary history of epidemics not only chronicles their medical impact but also their humanitarian and social impact. Snowden dives into the transformations in art, religion, culture, warfare and intellectualism due to epidemics. This well-rounded, holistic novel will change your perspective on the ongoing pandemic.
A Beginning at the End by Mike Chen
This science fiction novel takes place in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco six years after a pandemic dwindles the world population. As survivors try to navigate a new and changed world, Krista, Moira, Rob and Sunny are brought together by circumstance. AAs the pandemic threatens to make a second appearance, they must stand together despite all odds.
A Journal of the Plague year by Daniel Defoe
This classic historical non-fiction brings to life the plague-ridden world of 1660s in rich detail. In this novel, written years after the Hand of Death was laid upon England, Defoe chronicles the sweeping desolation it left behind. He looks at the city as if through a microscope, detailing every small story caught up in the epidemic.
The Plague by Albert Camus
This piece of classic French literature chronicles the the journey of the Bubonic plague, from its origin in North Africa to its spread throughout the world. Uniting this fictional account with the philosophy and theology so characteristic to Camus, he crafts a masterpiece full of allegories, symbolisms and imageries.
Onyx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood writes dystopian fiction with an inimitable brilliance, which this novel best examples. After a sweeping plague devours the world, Snowman, the only survivor mourns the loss of his best friend, Crake, love, Onyx and the world before it. Atwood takes genetic engineering and elevates it to levels that are dangerous and thought-provoking. The biggest triumph of this speculative fiction novel is that it makes you contemplate the future of humanity – where are we headed?
The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
This is another exciting science fiction novel about pandemics. When one of seventeen satellites sent into outer space falls to earth in Arizona, dead bodies are discovered twenty miles away. It is as if people dropped dead while going about their daily routine. Two years ago, respected biophysicists had warned the government that current sterilization methods were unsafe to permit incoming from space. This novel follows four doctors as they try to find a cure for this rapidly spreading virus.
Also Read: A Beginner’s Guide To Reading Books
