Five Happy Things
Books for Introverts
I’ve been doing a lot of peopling lately. A LOT. But last Saturday I had almost a whole day to myself. My husband was out of town. My daughter had other plans. I had no social obligations. I woke up, showered, put on a fresh pair of pajamas, and puttered.
It. Was. Bliss.
I read, did some sewing, ironed some fabric for some new clothes I want to make for myself, ate leftovers, napped.
I did venture out of the house for a soccer game in the evening, but because my family was gone I had an empty seat on either side of me, so even a crowded, loud sportsball event didn’t entirely puncture my bubble. 😂
My childhood home was always noisy and crowded, and reading was one of the ways I created a bubble I could escape into. Reading anything worked! But reading books about people who were all by themselves was extra special. I’m still drawn to those kinds of stories.
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell - Left behind on an island off the coast of California, the main character forages for food, builds shelter, makes clothing—even tames a wild dog. She lived alone for years and I always thought her “rescue” was the saddest part of the story, one I usually skipped when re-reading. This was one of my all-time favorite books as a kid. (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - Another personal favorite. Mary is an unpleasant little girl living in India, and when her parents die she’s sent to live with her uncle in his sprawling, nearly empty mansion in Yorkshire, where she discovers a forgotten walled garden. This one morphs into my second-favorite kind of story, a story of found family. (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen - I didn’t read this as a kid (it was published after I graduated from high school) but I read it as a bookseller because kids kept telling me how awesome it was. They were right! The main character is thirteen years old when the small plane taking him to visit his father crashes. The pilot dies, so he’s left stranded in the wilderness for months with just the clothes on his back and a small hatchet. (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
The Martian by Andy Weir - An astronaut gets stranded on Mars when his crewmates take of without him, thinking he died in a storm. It’s got all the ingenuity and survival stuff I adore, plus so much humor. I love this book! (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey - This is my favorite book in the whole Pern series. Menolly is a girl who wants to be a musician, but her father actively squashes that dream. She runs away and lives all by herself in a cave (yay!) where she encounters nine fire lizards (basically miniature flying, fire-breathing dragons) which is exactly as awesome as it sounds. Like The Secret Garden, this series morphs into a story of found family - but that’s mostly in book two. 🥰 (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
You’ll notice that this list is pretty heavy on kids books. They’re all still wonderful to read, no matter how old you are! But I’d love some grown-up recommendations. I’d especially like some grown-up recommendations where liking/being content to be alone isn’t treated like the big wound/character flaw that the protagonist needs to heal/overcome in order to be happy. Being alone isn’t always lonely!
You can find past newsletters with book recommendations here.
Enjoy!
Best,
Wendi
❤️
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I love the Pern books and I also agree with you that Dragonsong is one of the best books in the series.
On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony is my all time favorite book and the Incarnations of Immortality is my all time favorite series. I can't tell you how many times I have read them. Not quite someone left alone but the story of someone who is alone and makes the most of it in the end :).
But thank you for all your book suggestions I have read quite a few of your recommendations and enjoyed them.
Nothing beats a good summertime reading of A Secret Garden. One of my favorite summer memories is of sitting in the backyard and listening to mom read it to me.