This week's theme: BOOKS THAT PROVIDE A MUCH NEEDED ESCAPE.
For me, I turn to more light-hearted, magical reads when I need an escape from real life: books with humor & heart, quirky friendships, cute dogs, exotic settings, swoony romances, a touch of the supernatural, and of course, a happy ending. But really, any favorite book can be a welcome escape! Here are ten of mine:
Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca
Silverborne by Patricia Briggs
The Confessor by Daniel Silva
The Gargoyle Gets His Girl by Kristen Painter
(Though all of Painter's Nocturne Falls books are favs.)
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Something From the Nightside by Simon R. Green
Beauty by Robin McKinley
Altar of Eden by James Rollins
The Match by Sarah Adams
Space Cadet by Robert A. Heinlein
My Phony Valentine by Courtney Walsh
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
(Or any of Jane Austen's books really.)
The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller
This list of books could be A LOT longer; I have so many books that I turn to when I need an escape from real life. But I think I better stop here. Can't wait to check out your favorite escapes.
Happy Reading!
My escapist books would be anything by Agatha Christie, Barbara Pym, or D.E. Stevenson. Oh, and any teenager adventures by Enid Blyton too. :)
ReplyDeleteAgatha Christie is definitely an author whose books I can happily escape into at any time! And I love Pym and Stevenson, too. :D
DeleteI love reading books about cute, happy pets.
ReplyDeleteHere is my Top Ten Tuesday.
Yes! Cute happy pets make any book better. :D
DeleteYou always provide the most intriguing lists!
ReplyDeleteThanks! This one was actually kind of hard because I have so many favorite books I struggled to narrow it down to just ten (or twelve). ;D
DeleteI tend to escape into more light-hearted or comedic, too. I also fall into the familiar, so I'll turn to an author or series that is always a hit for me.
ReplyDeleteI turn to favorite authors a lot when I'm feeling a need for a bookish escape...those authors you know you can count on for a really good read. :D
DeleteSo agree with the sentiment, Lark. And yay for anything by Jane Austen, Mercy Thompson and Beauty, although I think my favourite Robin McKinley is Sunshine. I'll look up Altar of Eden, it sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've read Sunshine. I'll have to check it out. And James Rollins is a favorite author of mine. There are many of his books that I love.
DeleteWhat a great list! I tend to escape into the same kinds of books when I need a break from real life. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's the best thing about books...how they let us escape into another world for awhile. :D
DeleteI used to really enjoy Robert Heinlein. Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteThere are a few of Heinlein's books that I just love and have read many times. :D
DeleteThanks for the list. I haven't read any of these.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see a list of your favorite bookish escapes sometime. I bet there'd be some good ones on it. :D
DeleteMost books are an escape for me as well (unless I have to read it!!). Great list!
ReplyDeleteBooks are the best escape imo. :D
DeleteI can see any of these as an escape.
ReplyDeletePam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/the-hs-have-it-ten-titles-starting-with-h/
For me, all books are a happy escape. :D
DeleteI went to Amazon to check out the plot of The Widow of Rose House and it sounds good and the gilded age is a setting I enjoy for a novel. Also I must read Daniel Silva and will look into The Confessor.
ReplyDeleteI thought The Widow of Rose House was really good. And I love Silva's Gabriel Allon novels. They're all so good; but The Confessor is definitely one of my favs. :D
DeleteLoved Silverborne! The whole Mercy Thompson/Alpha Omega series is a comfort read to me. I've re-read them multiple times now. I also loved Beauty and The Widow of Rose House. Isn't that cover so gorgeous?! Still need to read the Painter series. Great list, Lark! :)
ReplyDeleteI've reread the Mercy Thompson books a lot, too. I love those characters. And I think you'd like Kristen Painter's series...just know that the first one is probably my least favorite, so maybe start with one of the others. :D
DeleteI have only read 1 of these! Patricia Briggs is a favorite. I see a few more books that are hanging out on my tbr - something to look forward to.
ReplyDeleteI love Patricia Briggs' books. And I always enjoy rereading them. :D
DeleteMore book covers with faceless people! Geez (not aimed at you, obv)
ReplyDeleteI don't know who started that faceless trend, but it is a little strange. ;D
DeleteThese are the types of reads I turn to for escape too.
ReplyDelete:D Though when you're a reader, really any book will do.
DeleteI did read one of Kristen Painter's Nocturne Falls book but I can't remember the title. It was okay, not my favorite. Have you read the Happily Everlasting series? My favorite is Curses and Cupcakes by Michelle M. Pillow but you can read in any order.
ReplyDeleteBeauty & Pride and Prejudice are two of my favorite books though I haven't re-read them lately.
Have a lovely day.
I haven't read any of Pillow's Happily Everlasting series, but they sound like very fun books! Thanks for the recommendation. :D
DeleteSeeing that Heinlein cover reminded me of how much "escape" his YA science fiction novels provided me back in the day. They are still kind of comfort reads for me, and I revisit them every so often to this day.
ReplyDeleteThere are several of Heinlein's books that I still love: Farmer in the Sky, Have Spacesuit Will Travel, Space Cadet, The Star Beast, among others. :D
DeleteEscape books are great--I like comic ones for that, but also really long fantasy tales that you know are going to end well are good, too.
ReplyDeleteFantasy novels that end well are great escape books! I totally agree. :D
DeleteI don't know many of your books but I definitely agree with the Jane Austen ones.
ReplyDeleteI can always happily escape into any of her books. :D
DeleteSo can I. And I intend to re-read all her books next year for her 250th anniversary.
DeleteWhat a good idea! I reread Emma last year, but haven't read her other books in awhile.
DeleteIt wasn't my idea. I've seen it several times in other blogs and I think it's great.
DeleteLook here: https://theclassicsclubblog.wordpress.com/2024/08/19/reading-austen-2025
I loved Biller's Hotel of Secrets so much that I frequently forget about The Widow of Rose House. It was another good one! I just read a Jen DeLuca that was lots of fun. I really need to read more by her. Great list!
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed all of Jen DeLuca's books that I've read. And I still need to read Hotel of Secrets.
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