A year for escapism

Perhaps it was because we were into the second year of the pandemic, or perhaps it was the personal events in my life, but this year I used books for pure escapism. I wanted to be whisked off to a different world.

Any book that can take your mind off the reality of your everyday can be an escapist read. For me, an escapist novel provides a narrative with clear resolution, often a happily-ever-after (such as in romance novels) and/or whisks you off to other worlds or alternate realities (such as through fantasy, horror, and science fiction). Even reading young adult fiction tends to be escapist for me – a trip back to the time of youth without the current worries or stresses of adulthood.

Escapist literature can still be thought-provoking, deeply moving, and deal with intense themes. Many of the books in this list are like this. It is more about how these books approach these themes and the sort of resolution that the book comes to which makes it escapist. A good escapist book is one I can get lost in, momentarily forgetting my everyday stresses and emotions, but still make me think and ponder about the world and human nature. Here are some of my favourite books that I read this year (although many have been published earlier). Each was a brief escape from my reality but also moved me and stayed with me long after the last page was turned.

And that is it, my favourite books of 2021. There were so many more that were close, but these are the ones I found myself recommending to friends over and over again. What were your favourite books of 2021? Were you also looking to escape into the pages like me?