The books that got me through lockdown 3.0

Three years ago today, we were amid lockdown 3.0 in the UK.

The books that got me through lockdown 3.0

I’m going to preface this article by saying that I went on a bit of a Danielle Steel-A-Thon over the lockdown period. I had never read any of her books before. However, as it appears, I definitely started overcompensating mid-pandemic.

Reading may not be everyone’s cup of tea but for those of you out there who enjoy cosying up in bed with a story, now is as good of a time as any to be inspired to pick up another. Among university work, running an online journal and part-time jobs, I lacked spare time for reading. Then enter the third lockdown and bam, the TBR list was busted out. Here's some of what I made my way through.

1. Past Perfect by Danielle Steel (2017)

2a512bc311ba7d84a5af25f24facb8865842bff0.png

Past Perfect is one of the best books I’ve read in awhile. It tells the story of a modern-day family who purchase an old fashioned mansion filled with ghosts of the tenants before. The ghosts live in a world one-hundred years behind their time and go on to teach the home's current residents a lot about the world as well as about themselves.

I admire the way that the author handled the communication of two sets of people with a clear generational divide, as well as a divide of period. Outstanding!

2. Shadows of Winterspell by Amy Wilson (2019)

e2526c03e234d69fe7b1ab4379235c9111675814.png

S.O.W, admittedly, isn’t the kind of book that I tend to gravitate towards. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the occasional dose of fantasy and mystical creatures, but it has to be in moderation. That being said, there was something about this book which was undeniably captivating. The main character, Stella, was human enough to be relatable yet magical enough to be incredibly fascinating. If you like books in a school setting with a bit of an extraordinary twist, then this book is for you!

3. 44 Charles Street by Danielle Steel (2011)

a42bbcf66f76c019d94acefc0cd668de7d62459c.png

44 Charles Street follows the life of Francesca Thayer, a home-owner and cultivator of gallery shows. She adores her up-and-coming artists, and refuses to give up on their dreams, or her own.

When relationship issues break her life apart, Francesca has to figure out how to keep her finances on track. She chooses to rent out her home’s spare rooms to make money, but in the end she makes so much more than that.

This is a story of friendship, chosen family and hope. The characters are engaging and hard to forget about upon putting the book down. Even though I finished this novel quite some time ago I still feel attached to some of them, particularly Eileen!

4. The Right Time by Danielle Steel (2017)

dd1b4bd92bd92578e2ca4f916ad8407190510d8c.png

As I write this I have two chapters of The Right Time remaining, and I have thoroughly enjoyed every page so far. Alexandra Winslow is a remarkable young girl silently making her mark upon the world. Orphaned as a child, she grew up among a convent of loving nuns and spent her spare time writing crime thrillers.

I’ve loved following her journey and seeing her grow up, reaching success as an author. Writing under the male pseudonym, Alexander Green, I always believed would be tough for her though. Will the world ever know her true identity or will she remain anonymous forever?

Header Image Credit: Shiromani Kant (main body images taken by me)

Author

Ciéra Cree

Ciéra Cree Contributor

Ciéra Cree is a 23-year-old Media/Magazine Journalism scholarship graduate with a passion for creativity. She has undertaken many creative endeavours including becoming a Poet Laureate, being highly commended by The Royal Society of Literature and running a publication (The Ruskin Journal). As someone philosophically minded, Ciéra enjoys the abstract and interpreting deeper meanings from works.

Recent posts by this author

View more posts by Ciéra Cree

0 Comments

Post A Comment

You must be signed in to post a comment. Click here to sign in now

You might also like

Interview with Matt Porteous and Tamsin Raine, authors of The Ocean Speaks: a photographic journey of discovery & hope

Interview with Matt Porteous and Tamsin Raine, authors of The Ocean Speaks: a photographic journey of discovery & hope

by Voice Magazine

Read now