Books
We may live in a society that celebrates extroverts, but not everyone feels recharged after an evening spent among people. If you're the kind of person who falls on the other end of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator scale, then these new books all introverts should read are your perfect excuse to avoid the big, loud world and stay in with your thoughts instead.
While it isn't true all bookworms are introverts, it is pretty typical for the solitary hobby and the reserved personality type to go hand-in-hand. For introverts, reading provides a wonderful outlet to connect with the world without the burden of leaving home and interacting with people in a social setting. That's not to say introverts always prefer to be by themselves with a book — even introverted individuals like to have meaningful interactions with others, preferably one-on-one or in a small group — but they are often emotionally drained by the high social expectations of our extroverted culture. Books provide the perfect asylum for introverts looking to escape all that noise.
Whether you are just looking for something to keep you entertained during your weekend in, or searching for a story that really gets you, check out these 9 new books all introverts should read.
'Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine' by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor Oliphant's life is a series of carefully plotted schedules that allow her to avoid social interactions and spend plenty of time alone and at home where she can't embarrass herself or make other people uncomfortable. But when a chance encounter with an unkempt IT guy from the office and an elderly man in need of help leads to an unlikely friendship, Eleanor begins to learn that isolation isn't the only option for living her life. Sweet and satisfying, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine will speak to introverts who have ever felt a little weird about their place in the world.
'Refuge' by Dina Nayeri
Ever since she was a little girl, Niloo has always felt like an other, first in her country of origin, Iran, then in the United States where she and her family fled to as a young girl, and later, as an adult in Amsterdam where she lives with her French husband. As she struggles to navigate her new European world, Niloo is drawn into a group of Iranian refugees who can relate to her permeating sense of displacement. An affecting story about family, identity, and what it means to have roots, Refuge will speak to introverts who have ever felt alone in a world that looks and acts so differently than they do.
'Lincoln in the Bardo' by George Saunders
Less than a year into the Civil War, President Lincoln is faced with the greatest loss of his life: the death of his young son, Willie. Stuck in between the world of the living and the world of the dead, Willie watches helplessly as his father mourns over his loss and his fellow ghosts debate over the unknown future of the young boy's soul. A deeply meditative book on life, death, and the power of grief, Lincoln in the Bardo is the perfect book for introverts who want to get lost in their own deep thoughts about life and what happens after.
'Spaceman of Bohemia' by Jaroslav Kalfar
Jakub Procházka, the Czech Republic's first astronaut, has come a long way from the orphaned young son of a Communist informer. He has a devoted wife, a successful career, and now, a chance to make up for his father's wrongdoings by manning a solo exploration mission to Venus. But alone in the darkness and solitude of deep space, Jakub realizes the price of his ambition when a potentially imaginary giant alien spider becomes his unlikely friend, philosophical sounding-board, and closest confidant. A wonderfully original story about love, life, and humanity, Spaceman of Bohemia is an engaging read that will enthrall introverts who have ever dreamed of escaping the noisy planet in favor of the solitude of space.
'My Absolute Darling' by Gabriel Tallent
Following the death of her mother, fourteen-year-old Turtle Alveston got used to her quiet, secluded life in the woods of Northern California, where her social interactions are limited to those with her enigmatic father and only the most necessary exchanges with students and teachers at her middle school. But when Jacob, a charismatic high school boy, bursts into her space, full of life and new possibility, Turtle's world is turned upside down and she begins to question her solitary existence. An exciting and evocative read about growing up and growing into yourself, My Absolute Darling is a stunning story of survival and the inner strength we all have inside of us. (Content warning: the book contains graphic references to sexual abuse.)
'Something Like Happy' by Eva Woods
For Annie Hebden, everyday life is just a series of inevitable disappointments: her job is boring, her roommate is obnoxious, and she feels aimless in a world that cruelly backtracks on all of her wins. That is, until Polly Leonard enters her orbit and throws her perfectly dreadful life out of whack. Recently diagnosed with a terminal illness, Polly is determined to find every possible way to be happy — and she is even more determined to make Annie join her for the ride. A heartfelt story about love, loss, and learning to live life to the fullest, Something Like Happy will give readers all the feels.
'One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter' by Scaachi Koul
For introverts, the world can feel like a scary place, but author and Buzzfeed culture writer Scaachi Koul can make you feel less alone in your feels with her laugh-out-loud collection about life's many despairs. One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter takes readers inside the head of Koul — through her paralyzing fear of flying, her ongoing battles with internet trolls, her anxiety-ridden relationship with her parents — as a way to explore the many complications of modern life. Smart, funny, and oh-so-relatable, introverts will find a piece of themselves in this essential essay collection.
'Radio Silence' by Alice Oseman
Frances Janvier leads a quiet, mostly solitary life that she dedicates to two things: studying and her favorite podcast, Universe City. Aled Last, the mysterious creator of the pod who goes by Radio Silence, likes to keep to himself, too, but takes a chance when he reaches out to Frances and asks her to collaborate on a project together. After spending the summer together working on all things Universe City, the unlikely duo are closer than ever — that is until their relationship and their podcast is threatened when Aled's identity is revealed. Radio Silence is an enthralling coming-of-age story about finding — and using — your voice.
'Too Much and Not the Mood' by Durga Chew-Bose
Lush and lyrical, Durga Chew-Bose's latest work combines the personal and the critical to explore the everyday things that make up life as we know it: personal relationships, cultural transformation, artistic growth, and the ever-changing sense of self. A genre bending collection that layers memoir and criticism, Too Much and Not the Mood is a thought-provoking work about humanity, identity, culture, and art introverts will love thinking about for hours on end.
