Weekly Book Recs 20-2025: Escapism

WEEKLY BOOK RECS: 6 book reviews and suggestions every week

Sometimes reality is a little too loud and a little too much. You don’t need a full vacation, but your brain could use a soft reset. That’s where these books come in. Every pick this week of these escapism book recs offers an escape. Not just fantasy for fantasy’s sake, but stories that pull you somewhere else, slow your thoughts down, or spin your imagination up into something better than the algorithm scroll.

These books take you places. Some feel like curling up in a sunbeam. Some make you want to go build a life on a remote coast. One or two will shake you a little, in a good way. The bonus? Every one of these books looks great while doing it. Covers are bold, colorful, and worth showing off, but the stories inside are what really do the work.

1. “The Strange Library” by Haruki Murakami

⭐ 4.3/5

Tropes/Genre: Surrealism, magical realism, weird library vibes

Description: A boy goes to the library to return some books and ends up trapped in a labyrinthine basement with a sheep man and a creepy old dude who wants to eat his brains. It’s bizarre, dreamlike, and over before you know it.

Review: It’s short but hits hard, like a strange fever dream you kind of miss when it ends. Murakami does that thing where you’re not sure what’s real but you feel all of it anyway. The cover is a burst of color and whimsy, and the story is a quick escape into the weird corners of the imagination. Best read in one sitting with tea or something equally cozy.

2. “This Is How You Lose the Time War” by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

⭐ 4.7/5

Tropes/Genre: Enemies to lovers, time travel, poetic sci-fi

Description: Two rival agents from warring futures leave each other secret letters across the timelines. What starts as taunting becomes intimacy, then obsession. Their war becomes a love story told in fractured time and poetic prose.

Review: This is one of the most beautiful books I’ve read. The writing is lyrical without being too much, and the emotional weight sneaks up on you. The blue and red cover is vibrant and perfectly fits the push-pull energy of the story. It’s short, but you’ll want to reread it just to sit in the language again. Ideal if you want your escape to feel like poetry disguised as sci-fi.

3. “The Island of Missing Trees” by Elif Shafak

⭐ 4.5/5

Tropes/Genre: Historical fiction, magical realism, star-crossed love

Description: Set between war-torn Cyprus and modern-day London, this novel tells the story of two lovers separated by conflict, and the fig tree that witnessed everything. Yes, part of the book is narrated by a tree. And somehow, it works.

Review: Shafak’s writing is tender and rich, and the story unfolds with layers of grief, love, and displacement. It’s a slow read, but in the best way. The natural imagery is stunning, and the colorful botanical cover makes it a total shelf standout. If you want to escape into a story that feels deeply human, this one’s worth the emotional investment.

4. “Under the Whispering Door” by TJ Klune

⭐ 4.4/5

Tropes/Genre: Queer romance, death as a beginning, cozy fantasy

Description: Wallace dies suddenly and finds himself in a strange tea shop run by a reaper and a man who helps souls cross over. He’s grumpy, resistant, and very much not ready to move on. But sometimes the afterlife is exactly where you figure out how to live.

Review: This one is warm and reflective, like The Good Place with more tea and fewer ethics lessons. The pacing is gentle, the message is kind, and the setting is one you’ll want to crawl into. The cover is a full color bomb and perfectly reflects the mix of melancholy and hope inside. A great pick if you want something emotionally grounding but ultimately uplifting.

5. “Piranesi” by Susanna Clarke

⭐ 4.6/5

Tropes/Genre: Mystery, philosophical fantasy, labyrinth setting

Description: Piranesi lives in a house filled with endless halls, statues, and tides. He writes in his journals, talks to birds, and waits for visits from The Other. Slowly, you realize not everything is as serene or harmless as it first seems.

Review: This book is a quiet unraveling. It’s not flashy, but it’s haunting in a soft, elegant way. The world is surreal but peaceful, and the mystery keeps you turning pages without needing chaos. The cover is a vibrant green with mythological artwork, and it fits. Read this when you want to disappear for a while without being overwhelmed.

6. “The Book of Form and Emptiness” by Ruth Ozeki

⭐ 4.2/5

Tropes/Genre: Contemporary fiction, magical realism, coming of age

Description: After the death of his father, Benny starts hearing voices. Not in a scary way, but in a the-objects-around-me-are-talking kind of way. As he tries to make sense of grief, his mother hoards, and a literal book begins to narrate his life.

Review: This one is quirky, introspective, and emotional. Ozeki blends the everyday with the surreal so smoothly it feels normal to talk to your rice cooker. The bright, bold cover mirrors the chaotic but meaningful swirl of thoughts inside. It’s not for readers who need tight plotting, but if you want to escape into something smart, heartfelt, and unique, it’s a good one to try.

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