My favorite books that provide an entertaining escape from reality

Why am I passionate about this?

I always look for an escape from reality, but it’s not always because the world gets exhausting and I need a change of scenery. Sometimes, I’m looking to learn. As an autistic person, people can be very confusing to me. I love a book that throws something new at me to try and figure out how a certain person functions, or why they think/feel the way they do, and if I can’t do it on my own, I can discuss the book with friends and family and create a discussion through the medium of storytelling and novel writing. Autism can be very debilitating at times, so an escape is always a handy thing to have!


I wrote...

Colour Coded: The Black Bullet

By Katy Jordan,

Book cover of Colour Coded: The Black Bullet

What is my book about?

Colour Coded is a secret organisation situated in the middle of the Cairngorms of Scotland, that work from the shadows to assist law enforcement while keeping everyone oblivious to their existence. Made up of people who drop their identities upon entry, that is their one absolute rule; no pasts allowed. So when Bullet’s previous boss Neon threatens to reveal her past along with the identities of everyone else, all of their missions grind to a halt, as she and the rest of the team must try to stay one step ahead of him, with the aim of stopping him once and for all.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Truth or Dare

Katy Jordan Why did I love this book?

If you want an escape to a mystery with a plot twist you’ll never see coming, then this one’s sure to be a treat! A well-kept family secret comes to light, and it’s nothing like you’d expect. This was maybe the first book to ever inspire me as a writer, particularly for my current series—a past that no one wants to come to light, but through perseverance and fresh curiosity, the main character of this book doesn’t stop until he has all the answers, all the while dealing with his own issues.

By Celia Rees,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Truth or Dare as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A room of secrets in a house of lies....

When Josh explores his grandmother's house he finds an attic up a closed-off staircase. In it is a collection of strange drawings by his uncle, Patrick, who died suddenly in his teens. But he has no grave, and his name is never spoken.

And Josh begins to uncover the dark truth his family has hidden for forty years.....

'Truth or Dare doesn't let up - and hits you with a final twist.' Daily Telegraph

'An unsettling, unputdownable mystery.' TES

'A moving book.' The Times

'Cecila Rees recounts a terrible human tragedy.'…


Book cover of Stormbreaker

Katy Jordan Why did I love this book?

If you’re all about spies, you should be all over this series. It was this series that got me hooked on spy genres, whether for young adults or above, but this series remains to be a good read no matter what age you are. Peculiar circumstances cause teenage boy Alex Rider to be inducted into MI6, as not only his skill set but the fact that he hasn’t reached adulthood yet bodes well in their favour. A slight relation to my series; the reason for joining, for the complete change of lifestyle, and continuing to pursue it. Alex’s spy journey is personal.

By Anthony Horowitz,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Stormbreaker as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

The first book in the number one bestselling Alex Rider series.

In the first book in the number one bestselling Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz, fourteen-year-old Alex is forcibly recruited into MI6. Armed with secret gadgets, he is sent to investigate Herod Sayle, a man who is offering state-of-the-art Stormbreaker computers to every school in the country. But the teenage spy soon finds himself in mortal danger.


Book cover of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Katy Jordan Why did I love this book?

Not only does this series contain one of—if not the most—famous protagonists of all time, it also contains one of the most famous villains. The relationship between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort is very similar to that of my characters and their antagonist in my series; his relentlessness in trying to break them down and kill them, and the race against time between the main character(s) and the villain on who gets the upperhand first. I don’t know many people that weren’t inspired by this series, whether they turned to writing or not.

By J.K. Rowling,

Why should I read it?

36 authors picked Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Galloping gargoyles ... 2022 is the silver anniversary of J.K. Rowling's magical classic Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone!

The boy wizard Harry Potter has been casting a spell over young readers and their families ever since 1997. Now the first book in this unmissable series celebrates 25 years in print! The paperback edition of the tale that introduced us to Harry, Ron and Hermione has been updated and dressed in silver to mark the occasion. It's time to take the magical journey of a lifetime ...

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping…


Book cover of The Blue Zone

Katy Jordan Why did I love this book?

When a family man runs into problems with the law, he and his family must be moved into the witness protection program, only his eldest daughter chooses not to go with them. Their lives are turned upside down, their identities change, and they must navigate a completely new life whilst trying to forget their past—when they drop their identities, their family and friends, their entire lives, and live under a code name depending on their main skillset. This book intrigued me immensely, and was a huge reason I wrote the ‘no pasts allowed’ policy into my storyline.

By Andrew Gross,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Blue Zone as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the number one New York Times bestselling coauthor of Judge & Jury and Lifeguard comes this electrifying solo debut, The Blue Zone.

Kate Raab's life seems almost perfect: her boyfriend, her job, her family . . . until her father runs into trouble with the law. His only recourse is to testify against his former accomplices in exchange for his family's placement in the Witness Protection Program. But one of them gets cold feet. In a flash, everything Kate can count on is gone.

Now, a year later, her worst fears have happened: Her father has disappeared-into what the…


Book cover of Across The Barricades

Katy Jordan Why did I love this book?

An epic love story. This novel explores a Catholic and a Protestant trying to be together when it was once inequivocally frowned upon. A huge hurdle that tries to prevent love from flourishing. And what’s a story without some kind of love angle in there somewhere? No one can know what they do, so starting a relationship with someone out with the organisation isn’t an option. Unless they’re lucky enough to find love with one of the other members, their fate was sealed when they signed their life away.

By Joan Lingard,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Across The Barricades as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An engaging classroom playscript. Kevin is Catholic. Sadie is Protestant. In Belfast they are supposed to be enemies - so what chance do they have when they fall in love?


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Kanazawa

By David Joiner,

Book cover of Kanazawa

David Joiner Author Of Kanazawa

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

My book recommendations reflect an abiding passion for Japanese literature, which has unquestionably influenced my own writing. My latest literary interest involves Japanese poetry—I’ve recently started a project that combines haiku and prose narration to describe my experiences as a part-time resident in a 1300-year-old Japanese hot spring town that Bashō helped make famous in The Narrow Road to the Deep North. But as a writer, my main focus remains novels. In late 2023 the second in a planned series of novels set in Ishikawa prefecture will be published. I currently live in Kanazawa, but have also been lucky to call Sapporo, Akita, Tokyo, and Fukui home at different times.

David's book list on Japanese settings not named Tokyo or Kyoto

What is my book about?

Emmitt’s plans collapse when his wife, Mirai, suddenly backs out of purchasing their dream home. Disappointed, he’s surprised to discover her subtle pursuit of a life and career in Tokyo.

In his search for a meaningful life in Japan, and after quitting his job, he finds himself helping his mother-in-law translate Kanazawa’s most famous author, Izumi Kyoka, into English. He becomes drawn into the mysterious death of a friend of Mirai’s parents, leading him and his father-in-law to climb the mountain where the man died. There, he learns the somber truth and discovers what the future holds for him and his wife.

Packed with subtle literary allusion and closely observed nuance, Kanazawa reflects the mood of Japanese fiction in a fresh, modern incarnation.

Kanazawa

By David Joiner,

What is this book about?

In Kanazawa, the first literary novel in English to be set in this storied Japanese city, Emmitt's future plans collapse when his wife, Mirai, suddenly backs out of negotiations to purchase their dream home. Disappointed, he's surprised to discover Mirai's subtle pursuit of a life and career in Tokyo, a city he dislikes.

Harmony is further disrupted when Emmitt's search for a more meaningful life in Japan leads him to quit an unsatisfying job at a local university. In the fallout, he finds himself helping his mother-in-law translate Kanazawa's most famous author, Izumi Kyoka, into English.

While continually resisting Mirai's…


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