Coronavirus AKA COVID-19 has taken over everybody’s lives these days and created a global pandemic.  However, I believe this is an opportunity to read some good books…uplifting books to keep our minds occupied with something over than this virus.  Here are five books I’ve read over the past few years that will provide a good escape.  Click on the title in bold italic for the full review.

1) A Time To Dance by Padma Venkatraman: The story written in verse of a young Indian girl that dances in the traditional Indian dance of Bharatanatyam. She loses her leg in a car accident and has to begin a new with a prosthetic leg. A good story about how one recovers from a devastating life event.

2) My Mrs. Brown by William Norwich: This one is for fans of A Man Called Ove. A heart warming story of an elderly woman wanting an expensive Oscar de la Renta dress. It seems out of reach on her fixed income. However, the story shows that dreams can be fulfilled at any stage of life.

3) The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin: The story of a gruff mom-n-pop bookstore owner getting a baby girl left on his doorstop of the bookstore and how he begins to connect with this unexpected surprise.

4) Home is the Sailor by Jorge Amado: The story of a Brazilian sea captain and his wild tales at sea. However, the town believes these tales might be a figment of his imagination than reality. One of the best “fake until you make it stories” I have ever read. This one is on my short list of my favorite novels.

5) The Little Country by Charles de Lint: The breakout novel about a children’s book given to the author’s best friend that reveals a secret world in Cornwall, England. de Lint brings fantasy to the everyday world and reveals how stories can shape us to become better people.  This one is also on my short list of my favorite novels.

Those are my five favorite uplifting novels and great reads while we are stuck at home for awhile. Please share your favorite uplifting novels.