Chapter 17 - Eloise At the Plaza

So while Eloise had a very pleasant stay at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, she was also able to go outside and enjoy all the wonders of New York City while she lived there. Unfortunately we currently don't have that luxury and most of us feel the need to break out in some way, even if it is just driving to the park to take the dog for a walk.

That begs the question of what happens when people are confined to their homes or living spaces? How do they cope? What do they do all day? What causes them to stay inside? Here are some books that attempt to answer these questions.

Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple - At first Bernadette appears to be a busy mom who works at home. Sure she is at odds with the neighbor and she has a personal assistant who lives in India, and she rarely goes out of the house but still... One day Bernadette goes missing and her daughter Bee tries to unravel the enigma that is Bernadette.

Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn - In this dark novel Dr. Anna Fox is agoraphobic and has become like that since she was in a traumatic accident. She views the world from the windows in her New York brownstone. One night she sees something which starts to unravel her already shaky world. Read the book before the movie comes out.

The Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena - A snowstorm traps the guests in a cozy lodge in the Catskills and everything seems fine. Then the power goes out and the bodies start to pile up. This novel will remind you of Agatha Christie mysteries.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty - Nine strangers sign up to go to a health resort, Tranquillum. All have different reasons for being there but before they can relax too much, they find themselves trapped at the spa unable to leave.

The Shining by Stephen King - This is one of King's earliest and, in my opinion, one of his best. A vacant hotel in the Colorado Rockies in need of a caretaker, a recovering alcoholic writer in need of a job, a scary backstory including how the previous caretaker went crazy and killed his family - what could go wrong? This was the book that cemented King's fame as a horror writer.

Do you have any books about staying inside which you would like to share?