Best time travel books to escape reality

Slaughterhouse-Five

Slaughterhouse-Five

1999
by Kurt Vonnegut
5.0

What is Slaughterhouse-Five about?

"Slaughterhouse-Five" isn’t just a war novel, but a masterpiece that takes you from the bombing of Dresden to distant alien planets. Billy Pilgrim, the protagonist, “unsticks” in time, offering a fragmented but brilliant look at trauma, fate, and human survival. Vonnegut’s dark humor makes even the heaviest moments strangely entertaining.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold

Before the Coffee Gets Cold

2020
by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
5.0

What is Before the Coffee Gets Cold about?

Ever wonder what you’d say if you could travel back in time for just as long as your coffee stays warm? In a cozy, hidden Tokyo café, customers are given that magical chance, but with a rule: nothing in the present can change. "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" combines the charm of magical realism with heartfelt stories of love, loss, and closure. It is a mixture of “what-ifs” that appear with every sip of coffee.

Oona Out of Order

Oona Out of Order

2020
by Margarita Montimore
5.0

What is Oona Out of Order about?

Imagine waking up on your 19th birthday and realizing you’re now in your 51-year-old body. Brrrr. In "Oona Out of Order", every New Year’s Eve, Oona jumps to a different stage of her life, living out her years in a completely random order. It’s a wild experience, but a unique exploration of love, heartbreak, and self-discovery. Oona tries to piece her life together, one out-of-sequence year at a time.

The Time Traveler’s Wife

The Time Traveler’s Wife

2005
by Audrey Niffenegger
5.0

What is The Time Traveler’s Wife about?

What if the love of your life kept disappearing into different times? Audrey Niffenegger’s "The Time Traveler’s Wife" is a great romance between Clare and Henry, her time-traveling husband who never knows where, or when he’ll end up next. This isn’t just an average love story, but a multitude of unexpected reunions, painful goodbyes, and the heart-breaking challenge of loving someone you can never fully hold onto.

Outlander

Outlander

1992
by Diana Gabaldon
no rating yet

What is Outlander about?

"Outlander" is an amazing story of time travel to 1743 Scotland. Claire Randall gets to know the world of the past with its war, political intrigue, and clan rivalries. But there is something else that she finds, something more passionate.

Life After Life

Life After Life

2014
by Kate Atkinson
5.0

What is Life After Life about?

What if you could live your life over and over again until you got it right? In Kate Atkinson’s "Life After Life", Ursula Todd is born, and dies, repeatedly, living through a century of wars, heartbreaks, and joys. Each version of her life opens new paths and profound questions about fate, choice, and the meaning of existence.

Doomsday Book

Doomsday Book

1992
by Connie Willis
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What is Doomsday Book about?

One of Connie Willis's amazing books on time travel, "Doomsday Book" takes the reader to the 14th century England. The protagonist, Kivrin, goes on a researching mission to see the reality of living in a medeival village. She forms connections with the people and gains a new perspective of what makes us human.

This Is How You Lose the Time War

This Is How You Lose the Time War

2020
by Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone
5.0

What is This Is How You Lose the Time War about?

Explore a love story between two rival time-traveling agents from warring factions, who exchange letters across the fabric of time itself. "This Is How You Lose the Time War" is a lyrical novella that’s equal parts sci-fi, poetry, and romance. As Red and Blue sabotage each other’s missions while falling in love through their cryptic correspondence, you’ll be enchanted by their dangerous, beautiful feelings through timelines.

How to Stop Time

How to Stop Time

2018
by Matt Haig
5.0

What is How to Stop Time about?

Imagine living for centuries, watching everyone you love age while you stay the same. Tom Hazard has been alive for over four hundred years, stuck in a cycle of starting over and hiding his true identity. In "How to Stop Time", Matt Haig combines time-traveling fantasy with real-life struggles, exploring what it means to live in the moment when you’ve lived for so long.

11/22/63

11/22/63

2011
by Stephen King
no rating yet

What is 11/22/63 about?

Jake Epping, a high school teacher, travels through a time portal with a clear mission: to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He hopes that this action will change the course of history for better — but it's not going to be easy. This novel is one of King's masterpieces, a true must-read if you enjoy the topic of time traveling.

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