escape to another world

away from, but also with, january

As we plod through the doldrums of January, allow me to present to you a few options for escape. Sure, reading is often transportive, but these three books have protagonists who find themselves in other worlds, dimensions, realities and realms. So, some truly intense getaways are going on here. If you too feel the need to leave this world behind for a few hundred pages, let one of these be your escape pod.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

Vermont, early 1900s. January lives as the young ward of Mr. Locke, a mysterious collector of curiosities from around the world, while her father adventures around the globe gathering these treasures leaving her behind. As the “willful, temerarious” January grows up, and experiences a grievous loss, she begins to chafe at the constraints of Good and Proper Lady which leads her to find solace, adventure and answers in a book about “… passages, portals and entryways". This one has unique worlds, adventure, magic, and a dash of romance but most of all, it is a tale of a woman declaring herself for herself and carving out her very own story, shattering the one built up around her.

This is one of those books that I’ve given many times as a gift and recommend quite often because it is so lovingly written and empowering. I’m so into Harrow’s writing, her worlds and characters and especially how she highlights the value of mythologies and storytelling in all her novels. Each novel weaves together stories within stories, myths, legends and histories reveling in their transportive and transformative power. They all click so well together by the end too. Doors is beautiful, magical and whimsical but still deals with some intense themes with a very human, nuanced (even sometimes frustrating) protagonist. Her heroine’s journey is not immediate nor easy, but meandering and full of wins, losses and discoveries.

I need to re-read this one soon actually…

Because there are ten thousand stories about ten thousand Doors, and we know them as well as we know our names. They lead to Faerie, to Valhalla, Atlantis and Lemuria. Heaven and Hell, to all the directions a compass could never take you, to elsewhere.

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai

2016¹, United States. But not our 2016. Tom lives in an alternate 2016 ² where technology has solved all the world’s ills. “No war, no poverty, no under-ripe avocados” because in 1965 the Goettreider Engine was invented, creating unlimited clean energy, yay! Oh, there is also a time machine in this 2016, invented by Tom’s father. Through a series of fateful circumstances, extreme self-pity and abject stupidity, Tom ends up in our 2016. The one with lots of war, poverty and hard as rock avocados, you know the one. Here he encounters the alternate versions of his world, friends, family, job etc and so Tom must decide if he will stay or if he will go. Also, if i is even possible for him to stay or go. Timey wimey events ensue.

The pacing in this is real fast. The chapters are like 1-5 pages so it gets addicting, to “read just one more chapter” and then you’re halfway through the book before you know it.³ Its sci-fi-ness is easy to grasp, but still well thought out with a few “of course!” time travel elements that I haven’t seen elsewhere. Fun and funny, this still packs a consistent emotional wallop. There is one specific part that is actually quite stressful, a real gut punch. I remember feeling mildly nauseous when it happens, so yeah maybe have some like peppermint tea on hand as you get towards the end to prep for that.

I brought an advance readers copy of this book on a trip with friends to Thailand in 2016⁴ and read it in like 2 days; completely engrossed, laughing, gasping and stress rocking the whole time. ⁵ Because of this normal reaction, each of my trip companions demanded their turn so it passed from person to person and got completely banged up, ripped and monsoon-ed on. A well loved memento. Ah memories.

I need to re-read this one too actually…

Existence is not a thing with which to muck around

Note: this image is the UK cover because, like with most books, the UK cover is better. I ordered the hardcover from the UK because I love this book and it deserves this cover. I don’t remember who I lent my paperback US copy to and miss it very much. If any reader has my water logged, battered, taped and signed⁶ arc of this book, I hope you loved it and also, can I get it back?

The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker

Nora is stuck; in life, love and with her dissertation. While at a friend’s wedding weekend she takes a moping walk into the woods ⁷ and ends up in another realm altogether. Here, she ends up somewhere way too good to be true and eventually, reluctantly comes under the protection of a grumpy, ornery magician, Aruendiel,⁸ who has some pretty dark secrets. Clever, stubborn and lost, Nora decides to bring her modern sensibility, literary expertise and scholarly mind to the task of learning" “real magic”.

This has a delightfully detailed and creative medieval-ish world and walks you through the arduous process of magic learning so you really feel Nora’s failures and successes while getting invested in her journey, tribulations and achievements. It can be dark and heavy, but not really gritty. It’s got lively pacing and has a mild romance element that while in the background, is still juicy. Because Nora studies literature in the real world, there’s all sorts of fun references scattered around so readers of the classics will have fun picking those up.

It sequel took its sweet time coming ⁹ and I’m sorry to say I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as this one. Worth reading sure, but this one is a pretty complete story so I give you permission to see it as a one off and ignore “How to Talk to a Goddess and Other Lessons in Real Magic” if you so choose.

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Even though “Reader” makes up the bulk of my exciting personality, my home library is actually not that extensive ¹⁰ because I’m pretty minimalist, but for what is worth I do own each of these books. Because I love them that much.

If you’ve read these, what did you think? What other escapist books have you enjoyed lately?

1. isn’t that year apt, as it started us on The Darkest Timeline?

2. would that we all could

3. wish i could go back and read this again for the first time… but gotta be careful with time travel

4. november! like 3 days after you know what. a good time to escape the country

5. i’m so fun to be around

6. the author had an event at seattle public library and i had him sign a very specific page. if you read it, you’ll probably know the page when you see it.

7. armed with a worn copy of pride and prejudice, very rory of her

8. love when a book has a grumpy, reluctant mentor with a dash of sexual tension don’t you?

9. like 8 years

10. it resides on only one bookshelf, with cookbooks taking up another