There seems to be not much light right now. So much so that I feel like I am fumbling around in the dark to find the right words.

They remain hidden from me.

I wish I had answers or at least pithy things to say to make you laugh, but I don’t. I don’t understand why there is so much hatred in the world and violence. I just know that whenever the world gets to be too much, I slip into the safe world of a book.

In hope to provide reprieve, here is a list of some of my favorite escapist books.

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer–I love this series more than I can say.  But I am going to try anyway in a later post. If you want the world to melt away and you enjoy fairytales, this is the series for you.

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien– There are battles between good and evil, but good triumphs. It is nice to know good triumphs. And eating multiple breakfasts is celebrated.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith–A girl lives in a castle. There is a crazy love triangle. There is a much to do about a wireless. What’s not to love?

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery–I want to live in a world with Anne and Gilbert. Do I need to say more?

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins–I talked about Lola and the Boy Next Door before, but my best friend said this is the best of the series. So I am recommending it to you. I mean, it is set in Paris.

Fangirl/Carry on Simon by Rainbow Rowell–Okay, we can get really meta about this because the main character from Fangirl escapes into an imaginary world. Which became the book Carry on Simon. So way to make an equally awesome spinoff from an already fabulous book, Rainbow.

When you are done with your escape, please come back refreshed. I hope the books make you more compassionate and stronger. More willing to love and strive for justice. Because, despite all the dark, I believe the light can and will return.

I think a scene in the Lord of the Rings trilogy sums it up best. Our heroes pass a statue of a broken king, destroyed by evil forces. But a flower still grew from the rubble. There is still hope among destruction. Not to be too cheesy, but I think those flowers are us.

What are your favorite escapist books?