When The World Gets A Tad Bit Bad, I Take Comfort In A Favourite Novel.

Dealing with the new realities of our lives.

As much as we all like to watch the news and events shaping our era, time or year, it can also be extremely daunting. Nations fighting among themselves, perhaps a bad outcome over a territory and weather that is downright frightening. A whole bag of stuff that gets thrown into our path of reality on a daily basis.

Those are the times when reading a book takes on such a special significance. Books have that unique ability to take us on an instant journey away from the current moment. A good book can make us a part of the scene, time and century it is set in.

For me, this form of time travel usually takes me back a century or two. To be precise, I love reading fiction set in the 19th and 20th century. A time before electricity or Internet or modern stuff. Imagine how civilized it must have been, if the way to pick and settle a fight was by lightly slapping your glove over the other man's cheek and fixing a time for a duel...

Oh, I know there was " pinking " in alarming proportions and if a gun was used, then even more of it. The novels of Georgette Heyer are usually set in those times. Times where duels were fought, and marriages were formed by parents, a glance or two dances danced with the same partner. Almost an easy time? Well, I would like to think that Bob would have called someone out for a duel over me! Even picturing Bob in the outfit of a 19th century Gent is well worth it...

My other favourite literary place to escape to is the delectable and wonderful world that Agatha Christie has penned. It is fictional world that has a soothing backdrop of Tea & Scones, Tea-time, knitting, country estates and dashing gents. Oh, and it has a few intriguing and unusual murders in each of her novels.

Apparently Agatha Christie is the third best selling author of all times, after William Shakespeare and The Bible. So if you haven't read any of her books, please try one. If you have the opportunity to get a proper scone or make one yourself, it is a nice treat to accompany the pure pleasure of reading her books...

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