With the closure of libraries and bookstores, and Amazon de-prioritizing books for shipment, avid readers are hungrier than ever for suggestions as they make the most out of the new normal.

Which kind of reader are you?

Take Verso’s quiz to find out which reader archetype you resemble.

 QUIZ 

Books We Love in the Time of Coronavirus

1) When I return home with arms full of toilet paper, sanitary wipes and hard liquor, I like to curl up with something like: 

1. STATION ELEVEN (Imaginative fiction depicting an Earth ravished by plague.)
2. THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT (Historical fiction with strong characters struggling to survive in the face of irrationality and betrayal.)
3. TOUGH TALKING COWBOY (Can romance blossom on Wild Rose Ranch?)

2) When I reflect that even the best television hammers and lengthens my brain waves into a state of placid inertia, I crack open a copy of: 

1. THE FIFTH RISK (It turns out that the “Deep State” is actually just experienced public servants trying to get their jobs done.)
2. JOHN ADAMS UNDER FIRE (The lawyer who would become our second President faces crises of patriotism and ethics.)
3. PRISONER OF NIGHT (The author reveals that, sometimes, being a vampire can make you feel bad.)

3) As soon as I realize that my home is as clean as it is damn well going to get right now, I gratefully rest my eyes upon:

1. CAPITAL AND IDEOLOGY (A renowned economist writes more than 1,000 pages about why life is so horribly unfair.)
2. THE GIFT OF FORGIVENESS (Anecdotal evidence suggests that it may be possible to be less enraged.)
3. PETE THE CAT: THE GREAT LEPRECHAUN CHASE (Pete the Cat embarks on a great chase that concerns leprechauns.)

4) If social media has sucked away time, and I am no longer certain whether I wake or sleep, then I attempt to restore an iota of sanity with:

1. EDUCATED (Evidence to support a theory that education could still have meaning.)
2. THE MAMBA MENTALITY (Techniques and practices for becoming less of a clumsy dolt.)
3. THE OUTSIDER (Terrible things happen that are merely fictional.)

5) Death is flapping musty, bat-like wings over all I cherish. Luckily, I’ve been awaiting this opportunity to read: 

1. BECOMING (A kind, intelligent person works hard at doing good things.)
2. THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ (A few people strive to remain human in harrowing circumstances.)
3. THE MAGA DOCTRINE (A competent president with excellent ideas manages the greatest country in the world with aplomb.)

 STAY   HOME.

 STOP   THE SPREAD.

 READ   BOOKS.

This crisis makes us think about what we value and why we’re here. Be good to yourself and to others.

Here are a few advertising suggestions:

Print outlets — including those with strong book coverage like The New York Times and NYTBR, The New Yorker, Entertainment Weekly, Harper’s, The Atlantic, New York Review of Books and The Week — are 85-95% subscription-based. So they are landing weekly or monthly in the homes of people seeking entertainment, information, and recommendations!

News! Radio! News radio! NPR, Apple News, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM. The audience for news has never been greater than right now and when you need to get away from the news, cooking, fitness, parenting, tech, and culture are all targetable, for example through Spotify.

Podcasts. Of course.

Cancelled tours. Changing pub dates. Books launching right now. We’re here to help with geo-targeting, targeted newsletters, trade advertising, regional ads, digital and display ads; campaigns small, medium or large.

Because, as we all know, books are essential.

Get in touch with any questions or requests. We’re here for you.