If there was anyone I wanted a pandemic essay collection from, it was absolutely Zadie Smith. Intimations is a short batch of essays about living in New York City during lockdown, watching the effects on her neighbors and the nail salon where she used to get massages. It’s all classic Smith—sharp, witty, intelligent, observant, and somehow also soft. One of the final essays, in response to the murder of George Floyd, compares systemic racism to a virus in one of the most poignant pieces I’ve read in a long time. Oh, and Smith reads the audiobook herself, if that’s something you’re into.

✨ From 6 of the Best New Books about COVID-19 at Book Riot and All the Spoopy Vibes at Crooked Reads.