Solace in Solitude: 11 Refreshing Books for the Introverted Soul

Ove is a lonely, bitter curmudgeon who spends his time patrolling his neighborhood and scolding people for driving in the car-free area or not sorting recycling correctly. But then one day his inept new neighbor crashes into his mailbox with a moving van. The family forces their friendship upon him, and his life will be changed forever. 

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine, thank you very much. She goes to work, spends her evenings at home alone, and on the weekends has takeout pizza and vodka. Once a week, she has a phone call with her cruel, hypercritical mummy. But when she and a bumbling IT guy from her office help an elderly man who has fallen on the sidewalk, the three of them form a bond that helps Eleanor realize that maybe, just maybe, she is not as fine as she wants to believe. 

A. J. Fikry is a lonely bookstore owner whose business is failing. And now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. But when a child is abandoned in the store, things begin to change in this funny, uplifting tale. 

Ted—a gay, single, struggling writer—is stuck: he is unable to open himself up to intimacy except through the steadfast companionship of Lily, his elderly dachshund. When Lily’s health is compromised, Ted vows to save her by any means necessary. By turns hilarious and poignant, this adventure illuminates beautiful truths of loss and longing. 

Circe is the least-favored child of Helios, the god of the sun; she is neither powerful nor beautiful, and thus is seen as unworthy of attention. When she begins to show signs of a talent for witchcraft and makes a bold decision that angers her father, she is banished to a deserted island. She becomes accustomed to isolation, honing her craft as a sorceress and taming lions to be her companions. But the course of her immortal life will put her in contact with many larger-than-life figures of mythology, from the Minotaur to Icarus and Daedalus to Odysseus. 

Korede mostly keeps to herself—this is prudent when your sister is a serial killer who keeps bumping off her boyfriends and you are helping her cover up her crimes. Korede sees taking care of her beautiful, charming, sociopathic sister as her responsibility. So she goes to her job at the hospital, pines after a handsome doctor, and keeps Ayoola from posting pictures to Instagram while she is supposed to be mourning her “missing” boyfriends. But when Korede’s crush asks her for Ayoola’s phone number, she is going to have to decide whether she is willing to protect her sister at the possible expense of his life. 

Read this passionate, well-researched, fascinating exploration of the power of introverts and know that you are in good company. Introverts like Rosa Parks and Chopin have made powerful, lasting contributions to society in all fields. Don’t underestimate the quiet people among us! 

Jessica Pan chronicles a hilarious, tough, and brave year in which she fought against her introverted nature and tried to live as an extrovert would. Facing challenges that would make me shudder—from talking to strangers to performing stand-up comedy—she explores what there is to learn from living more boldly. 

June is a shy and misunderstood teenager who can only be herself in the company of her beloved godfather, Finn. When he dies of a mysterious illness, June’s world is turned upside down. But then she receives a mysterious package containing a teapot from Finn’s apartment with a note inside from a stranger named Toby who wants to meet. As they spend time together, June realizes that she may not be as alone as she thought. 

Lisbeth Salander is a brilliant hacker who is the ultimate introvert: abrasive, antisocial, and profoundly damaged, she only opens herself up to her kind legal guardian. But when he suffers a stroke and is unable to perform this function, she is set up with a sadistic new guardian. At the same time, she is enlisted by disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist to help him investigate a decades-old disappearance and a possible serial killer targeting women. 

When a woman unexpectedly loses her lifelong best friend and mentor, she becomes the reluctant custodian of his dog. Together, the two contend with grief and loss. Shunning other company and withdrawing from the world, she becomes obsessed with the dog’s care, trying to connect with his thoughts and his heart.