Life during lockdown

Literally every American—everyone on the planet—has been affected by the health emergency caused by the novel coronavirus. Even those that refuse to follow rules and recommendations and instead gather in huge crowds at the beach to, er, “interact” will find that they, too, are affected in ways they might not find so nice. Washington Governor Jay Inslee put it best when he said that ignoring precautions could kill your grandad. Now is the time to think of others first.

Those who remain healthy and employed have a myriad of ways to help their neighbors that aren’t so fortunate. Donate to your local food pantry or animal shelter. Purchase take away food—and generously tip the staff. Purchase gift cards to use later or give to your neighbors who have been laid off. Call a neighbor that lives alone and may be lonely.

But, of course, this is a column about books and reading. So for those that are lucky enough to have leisure time and need to fill it, here are some suggestions.

First, you can read, of course. But it is difficult for even me to read for hours upon hours without a break. When you’re ready for a break from your book, you can organize your bookshelves. If you’re like me, when you’ve finished a new book, you just look for a bit of space on the shelf to squeeze it in. However, if you organize your books, even if only by fiction and non-fiction, you can find titles that you might be looking for later a lot faster.

And while you’re going through your shelves, pull out the titles you are ready to give up. Start a box of books to donate to the library once the emergency is over. Also, pull the books that you haven’t read yet. You may have several (or dozens if you’re like me) that you’ve purchased and not gotten to.

Now is also a great time to create an online catalog of all your books if you don’t already have one. I use LibraryThing, but there are many others, including GoodReads.

It’s also a good time to learn to use a video conferencing app like Google Hangouts or Zoom so that your book club can keep meeting even during isolation. Grab your book, pour a beverage, and cozy up to your laptop or phone to discuss a book with your friends.

Go outside. I prefer to have a physical book in my hands to read. However, I’ve recently tried a few audiobooks, and I must say, being read to is quite enjoyable. An audiobook is a great companion for a vigorous walk or bike ride. The exercise will lift your mood and boost your immune system.

Try something new. If you have a spouse, partner, or roommate, the two of you could choose books for each other. The person I share a house with likes to read westerns, especially books about Texas Rangers. Not really my cup of tea, but I’m willing to try one. Of course, he would have to read “Wuthering Heights.” I’ll let you know how that goes.

Many people who love reading also enjoy writing. Keep a journal of these very weird days. Can you imagine if you had your grandparents’ or great-grandparents’ daily journal from the pandemic of 1918, or from WWI, or WWII? What a treasure that would be. Get the whole family in on it. Keep your journals on a file sharing site like Dropbox or Google docs so that everyone can read each other’s entries. Or start a virtual writers group and read your entries to each other.

Do you have kids at home? Have them read to their grandparents or other relatives via Facetime. It’s great for the kids and the grans will love it.

Even though we’re supposed to be in isolation, we don’t have to feel isolated. Books offer us the entire universe, full of interesting and wonderful characters. Technology offers us the chance to interact without leaving our homes. Instead of focusing on what we’re giving up, like toilet paper and eating in restaurants, focus instead on what we can gain: a sense of shared purpose, consideration of others, and lots of time to catch up on our reading.