Need books about solitude that aren't necessarily about quarantines?

Events that change the world, of course, always influence literature as well.

Perhaps you’re not in the mood to read anything remotely dystopian — we completely understand (and, quite frankly, empathize).

But you can remain somewhat thematic by checking out literature that was written during a solitary period of the author’s life, about a solitary period in a character’s life, or both.

The Washington Post shares a range of recommendations, from children’s (Island of the Blue Dolphins and Hatchet) to classics (The Pilgrim’s Progress and Walden).

And Texas Monthly calls our attention to perhaps one of the most appropriate novels one could read during this time: Pale Horse, Pale Rider, by Katherine Anne Porter.

It’s set during the so-called Spanish flu pandemic, which Porter herself actually survived.

You can read more about the parallels between Porter’s fiction and real life from Texas Monthly.