A book as a place to retreat to

For the first time since I started this blog I have been struggling to think of something to write and I wondered why.  Then I realised that this morning I started a novel which a friend lent me yesterday.  Now I don't often read novels and rarely in book form.  When I do find one I like it is usually a Jack Reacher or Sue Grafton by which I mean American homicide including gore and violence (pure escapism, I promise I'm not like that in real life) and I read it on my kindle as my eyesight is rubbish and the kindle makes it easier to have large font without admitting I need it.  So today saw me reading a novel in the form of a proper book (with my glasses on so I could see it) and from the first page I was lost in early 20th century South West Australia.  I was on a small island, working a lighthouse and could see it all in my mind's eye.  This so rarely happens that I was amazed, when I put the book down the first time, to discover that an hour had passed without me thinking of real life at all.  I would never have chosen this book myself even if it had been recommended and have no idea what made me open it today but am so glad I did.  This then is something else to add to my list of things for the winter.  Try new authors and seek out books which take me to another world and give me something else to think about.  I once would have thought that spending a whole day reading a book was a wasted opportunity to get something done so that's another lesson learnt.  Real life is sometimes so complicated that escapism in one form or another is something we should take for  ourselves whenever possible.  You never know when you'll get your next chance.  Suggestions for novels I can lose myself in can be given on the fb page.

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