Fiction That Feels Like a Total Escape 

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.