Let Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall Suggest Your Next Quarantine Read

Curling up with a good book, on the best days, has always been a delightful way to spend downtime. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s almost become a necessity, a way to escape into a world or era that’s different than our own. At least that’s how Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, feels. She shared her quarantine reading list over the weekend, writing on social media that, “In these challenging times when we are isolated from the ones we love, many of us are finding comfort in reading, to fire up our imaginations, to take us on journeys and make us laugh. With that in mind, here is a list of my dearest ‘friends.’”

She then proceeded to share a recommended reading list of 9 books, ranging from the literary classic A Tale of Two Cities to Travels on my Elephant, written by her late brother, Mark Shand.

Below, find all of her recommendations.

1. Restless by William Boyd

Winner of the 2006 Costa Prize for fiction, Restless starts with as interesting a premise as any: the protagonist’s mother is not what she seems. In fact, she’s a spy. Set in the early 1940s, Boyd shines a fictionalized light on one of the oft-forgot espionage initiatives of WWII: the British propaganda effort to turn Americans against Germany—and therefore gain public support to join the fight against the Axis powers in WWII.

2. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Arguably Charles Dickens’s most famous novel, sewn with themes of social justice, is set in London and Paris during the French Revolution. When life is hectic, it’s hard to sit down with a hefty novel of its caliber. But, with many uninterrupted nights ahead, now might be the perfect time to dig in. “It is one of my favorite books by Charles Dickens and, in my humble opinion, one of his best,” The Duchess said of the book.

3. The Simon Serrailler Series by Susan Hill

Like a good whodunnit? How about 10? This popular British mystery novel series chronicles the life and work of inspector Simon Serrailler in the fictional town of Lafferton. Start with the first book, The Various Haunts of Men, and work your way up to her newest release, The Benefit of Hindsight, which came out in the United States on April 7.

4. The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman

The Secret Commonwealth is the second book in Pullman’s fantasy trilogy, The Book of Dust. So you may want to start with the first novel—La Belle Sauvage—or Pullman’s earlier trilogy, His Dark Materials before diving in. (For the uninitiated, His Dark Materials included the immensely popular teen novel, The Golden Compass.) The Secret Commonwealth continues the story of Lyra Belacqua and her parallel universe as she goes through young adulthood. It was recently shortlisted for British Book Awards’ Fiction Book of the Year.

5. The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard

This quintet tells the story of the affluent family, the Cazalets, who return to the Sussex countryside every summer. It begins in 1937, with Britain at the cusp of WWII, and stretches to the early post-war years. Following different members—and their affairs, fights, hopes, and dreams—as they grow up and grow old in a tumultuous society, it’s a sprawling generational saga. One that has garnered the Duchess's highest praise: "If I were sent to a desert island with one book this would be my choice," she wrote.

6. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

One of the few books on this list by a non-British author, Towles’s novel about a post-revolution Russian aristocrat under house arrest in a grand Moscow hotel is equal parts funny, beautiful, and charming—especially when Count Alexander Rostov encounters the precocious nine-year-old Nina. We could all take cues from the Count, who spent thirty years inside the same building, and maintained an upbeat demeanor throughout.

7. The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain

A love story. Set in Paris. Need we say anymore about what the Duchess says is a "masterpiece of Parisian perfection"?

8. The Architect’s Apprentice by Elif Shafak

Go back in time to the 16th century Ottoman Empire with *The Architect’s Apprentice*, which follows the adventures of 12-year-old Jahan. Bright and full of talent, Jahan becomes (you guessed it) an architect’s apprentice, and helps him build some of the most famous mosques of the era. The Duchess called it a "magical, colorful tale."

9. Travels on my Elephant by Mark Shand

This book is by Mark Shand, a British conservationist and the Duchess of Cornwall’s brother. Shand passed away in 2014, so the choice is no doubt a sentimental one for Camilla, “My late brother’s tale of his love affair with Tara, an Asian elephant, on their journey across India… it always brings a tear to my eye,” she said of her choice.