Reading is one of my absolute favorite pastimes. I can become completely immersed in another world within a matter of minutes. A good book will keep me reading into the early hours of the morning. A great book will have me reading everything the author has ever written. Here are a few of my greats.
by: kathryne
Books have been a life long friend. Helping me to escape, creating adventures, and giving me a friend to keep me company. In my adult life I don’t get to read as much as I would like. When I do find the time to read I tend to get so into what I’m reading I forget to sleep and sometime forget to eat. Fortunately, my children are quick to bring me back to the real world.
Everyone deserves an escape to a far away world within the comfort of their own home. Here are the books that have taken me away.
- Still Life by Louise Penny
My mom first introduced me to this series. She was on a trip to Canada a few summers ago to visit family and came across this book at a small café while getting coffee. This is the first in a series of seventeen. It is a murder mystery series, set in a small fictional town of Three Pines in Canada on the border of Vermont. The town is described as so small it’s not even on a map. The book gives the reader a glimpse into the lives of the residents of the Three Pines. They are an extremely unique community with all of the usual small town quirks. Soon a murder shocks this small town and a detective is brought in from Quebec to investigate. Inspector Gamache is a seasoned detective that leads his team to uncovering the murderer and the secrets of the residents of this quaint town.
2. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Practical Magic is one of my all time favorite movies. The bond between the sisters reminds me of my relationship with my own sister. This is the book that the movie was based upon, very loosely. The book is almost nothing like the movie and doesn’t even follow the same timeline. It introduces us to Sally Owens a mom of two young girls. The book follows Sally through her life as a single mom and introduces us to her free spirited sister Gillian. The twist is that the Owen’s women, including the teenage daughters, come from a long line of magic, Practical Magic.
3. The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
Rules of Magic is the second book in the Practical Magic Series. This book flashes back to the lives of the Aunts from when they were young girls and follows them through adulthood. When they were young women in the 1960’s, falling in love and practicing magic in their own shop in New York City. We get a glimpse into the young lives of Jet, Franny and their young reckless brother Vincent. Their adventures in love and magic leads them on a series of tumultuous adventures.
4. Heart of Mist by Helen Scheuerer
Heart of Mist is the first of three books in the Oremere Chronicles. It introduces us to young Bleak, who has just lost her guardian at sea. She lives in a world where her magic is forbidden, she must keep it hidden in order to survive. Suddenly all alone in the world, Bleak seeks out a cure for her powers but is taken by the Kings commander before she can begin her search. Her adventure begins with an unexpected group of allies into the mist. The following two books Reign of Mist and War of Mist continue Bleaks adventure to Oremere. This trilogy was a page turner that I couldn’t put down. I read these in less than a week.
5. The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith
Published under a pseudonym, J. K. Rowling’s brilliant debut mystery introduces Detective Cormoran Strike as he investigates a supermodel’s suicide in “one of the best books of the year” (USA Today). I should be clear that I am completely biased when it comes to J.K. Rowling. I have read all of the Harry Potter books so many times that I can no longer count. They are my go to read whenever I am stressed and want to return to a comforting place, I return to Hogwarts. This new mystery series follows Detective Cormoran Strike a private investigator through the suspected suicide of a clients sister. As with most books that I read, I love a series. Once I’m invested in the main character’s lives I can’t wait to discover what adventures they get up to next. The author does a great job of immersing me in the lives and feelings of these characters. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
I hope these books allow you to immerse yourself into the lives of my favorite characters and schedule an escape to a far away place from the comfort of your living room. Enjoy!
Leave a Reply