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Fiction That Feels Like a Total Escape 

Speculative fiction and psychological suspense sit side by side on our list of essential escapist titles for summer.

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

'The Spin' by Faith Gardner

'A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World' by C.A. Fletcher

'Alchemy of Secrets' by Stephanie Garber

'The Jellyfish Problem' by Tessa Yang

'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. Yet looking back on our past selves with new eyes may not be everything we imagine. And the stakes........

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