Most of us have felt the need to escape from our lives—to disconnect, walk away and disappear. Everything from spending too long with the headlines to a fluctuating bank balance to looming deadlines can inspire that feeling, though for most of us, going entirely off grid is a luxury we simply cannot afford. Nothing can truly compare with going entirely offline and spending summer on a private island or yachting in international waters, but there are books that can, for a few hours at least, transport you to an entirely different world.
Unlike leaving real life behind, great reads require no reservation, no staff and no advance planning, only a cozy chair and an evening to spare. The titles below will take you into an imaginary library, deliver you to a magical kingdom, drop you into the world of virtual reality or trace the quiet unraveling of deceitful friends, all without requiring you to leave the house.
Whatever your taste in literature, books offer a different kind of retreat: one that costs considerably less than the alternatives but delivers its own quiet extravagance. Consider it a holiday for the mind, available for the taking any time.
‘The Midnight Train’ by Matt Haig
‘Dissection of a Murder’ by Jo Murray
‘Rich Little Liars’ by A.J. Carter
‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ by Sarah J. Maas
‘Ready Player One’ by Ernest Cline
‘Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’ by Gabrielle Zevin
‘A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World’ by C.A. Fletcher
‘The Midnight Train’ by Matt Haig
Many of us wax lyrical about the good old days: moments from our past that, in retrospect, seem blissful, innocent or significantly happier than the present moment. So who wouldn’t want a ticket to The Midnight Train, which spirits passengers to their past to relive key moments? For Wilbur, who lost the love of his life, Maggie, while on honeymoon, the idea of traveling back to live life differently is more than a little appealing. Only looking back on our past selves with new eyes may not be everything we imagine. And the stakes are high: by stepping off the platform, Wilbur risks losing everything. If you want a ticket out of here, this book is for you.
‘The Midnight Train’ by Matt Haig.
Viking
‘Dissection of a Murder’ by Jo Murray
Ever been thrown in at the deep end? Barrister Leila Reynolds is new to the job, so the last thing she expects is to be handed a high-profile murder case. Surely it would be better in the hands of one of her colleagues. But apparently the defendant Jack Millman is adamant: he wants her. Defending a high-stakes case early in her career is challenging enough, but with Jack refusing to talk she has very little to work with. Her only hope is to win over the jury, the ordinary men and women who will decide her client’s fate. As she’s fighting to keep her client out of prison, secrets from her own past threaten to surface. This compelling read will rocket you into a nightmare world of twists and turns.
‘Dissection of a Murder’ by Jo Murray.
Macmillan
‘Rich Little Liars’ by A.J. Carter
After Kelly Reynolds survives the house fire that killed her husband, she wants to start again. And where better than the East Hamptons, the home of luxury houses, gated lawns and well-to-do, friendly neighbors. At first, her decision seems perfect: nobody has any idea about her past. But when the anonymous notes begin to arrive, Kelly realizes that someone knows the truth about the fire, who she is and where she lives. Will Kelly be able to keep up the façade? Or will the truth finally catch up with her? And which of her smiling neighbors can she really trust? Her life will become yours as you make your way through this book.
‘Rich Little Liars’ by A.J. Carter.
Boldwood Books
‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ by Sarah J. Maas
Forget escaping to a new location, how about a whole new world? The riveting series by Sarah J. Maas could be exactly what you need. In the first novel, huntress Feyre kills what she believes to be a wolf. But rather than minimize a threat, she’s dragged to a magical land by a creature set on retribution. Feyre finds herself in a world she only knows from legends, with a captor who is not only a beast but an immortal one at that. As she begins to get used to her new situation, though, she finds that under the hatred they have for each other burns a fierce passion, and that legends should not always be trusted. When danger closes in, can Feyre save Tamlin from a terrible darkness that could destroy them both?
‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ by Sarah J. Maas.
Bloomsbury Publishing
‘Ready Player One’ by Ernest Cline
Think the world these days is bad? Transport yourself to 2044, a year in which all your worst nightmares have come to fruition. There’s no oil. The climate is destroyed. People are suffering. The only lifeline for protagonist Wade Watts is the virtual reality world of Oasis, a place where players can choose to live life on any of 10,000 planets. Not only does this new reality offer true escape, but there’s also the chance of life-changing money and power through play: the founder, James Halliday, died without an heir, and riddles scattered through Oasis could lead a lucky player to the jackpot: inheriting a massive fortune and complete control of Oasis. The odds are not favorable. Millions have tried and failed. But when Wade comes across the first clue, he brings us to a world where he races against others to win the ultimate prize.
‘Ready Player One’ by Ernest Cline.
Ballantine Books
‘Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’ by Gabrielle Zevin
Sam and Sadie first bonded over games played together in hospital, becoming each other’s lifeline in a place in which long, miserable hours could feel torturous. When they cross paths later in life, there’s an instant spark, but rather than romance, they fall into a creative collaboration where the two become superstars of the gaming world. But with success comes envy, creative differences, highs and lows, and both Sadie and Sam will be tested to their limits. In the end, after tragedy, loss, wealth and devastation, will the thread that connects them be strong enough? Set both in the real world and virtual, this book will whisk you away to a place where people get to craft their own fiction yet struggle to shape their own reality.
‘Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’ by Gabrielle Zevin.
Knopf
‘The Spin’ by Faith Gardner
Do you think your life is bad? Well, sometimes it’s all a matter of perspective. In this novel, an average American family is turned on its head when Rose, wife to advertising executive Leo and mother of teenager Melinda, disappears during a family vacation, then reappears seemingly changed. At first she seems to readjust to normal life. Then watching a color television sends her spiraling. Are voices really talking to her through the screen? Is she having a psychotic breakdown? Doctors seem to think so, and Rose is locked away in an institution. Desperate to help his wife, Leo begins to dig a little deeper. What he discovers will shake his family to the core, help to explain Rose’s behavior and reveal a very real danger.
‘The Spin’ by Faith Gardner.
Mirror House Press
‘A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World’ by C.A. Fletcher
Don’t let the title fool you. This YA classic, enjoyed equally by adults, is ultimately uplifting in its message. That said, it does start off in a post-apocalyptic world. There we meet Griz, who’s been dealt a bad hand in life. He’s never had friends, never been to school and has met only a handful of people in his life so far. But at least he has his dog, his parents and a home on a remote island. That is, until someone comes along offering friendship and regaling Griz with stories of distant towns and cities. One morning, Griz wakes up to find the stranger gone, and he’s taken Griz’s dog with him. Determined to reclaim his beloved pet, Griz sets off in pursuit into what’s left of the world. There he uncovers secrets: the events that led to the end of the world, the truth about his family.
‘A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World’ by C.A. Fletcher.
Orbit
‘Alchemy of Secrets’ by Stephanie Garber
These days we’d probably all agree that sometimes truth can be stranger than fiction, and that’s certainly the case in this novel. When graduate Holland St. James attends a class on Folklore and Local Legends in an old movie theater, she begins to believe that the stories told by the mysterious professor might actually be true. But could some of the most infamous Hollywood murders really have been committed by the devil? Far-fetched as it might seem, the idea that those who attain the highest level of success may have “made a deal with the devil” has been around for eons. Holland sets out on a quest to unravel conspiracy from fact, to discover the realities behind magical stories, and finds herself in a race against time after a mystical figure tells her that her life will be cut short on Halloween. Secrets are uncovered, magic is unearthed, but will Holland discover the answers she needs before it’s all over?
‘Alchemy of Secrets’ by Stephanie Garber.
Flatiron Books
‘The Jellyfish Problem’ by Tessa Young
If there’s something guaranteed to get your mind in the moment, it’s the prospect of a giant monster intent on destroying you, your family and your way of life. When jellyfish enthusiast Dr. Jo Ness receives a call from an old friend, Nadia, who tells her that she and other locals on her small Maine island are being threatened by an enormous, glowing jellyfish, she’s skeptical. But then, the reclusive doctor is also short on human company: her best friend and research partner, Aldo, has recently died, and she hasn’t heard from Nadia in years. It could be a giant hoax, but she flies out hoping to help. Only when she arrives, Nadia is missing, and the islanders have some strange tales to tell about giant jellyfish “Clementine,” and how encounters with this mystical monster can change a person forever.
‘The Jellyfish Problem’ by Tessa Young.
Berkley
