August 25, 2021

The Magic of an Escapist Read

‘We Were Never Here’ author Andrea Bartz writes a love letter to traveling by book and shares how they opened her pandemic world

The Magic of an Escapist Read

'We Were Never Here' author Andrea Bartz writes a love letter to traveling by book and shares how they opened her pandemic world

In 2020, a few months into the pandemic, I started waxing poetic about what I called my “awaysickness.” Think of it as homesickness for anywhere other than home—a longing for novel places, for the novelty and inspiration that come from being somewhere new. As a travel writer, I was particularly accustomed to regularly using my passport; I flew internationally at least once a month. So when COVID hit and travel ground to a stop, the four walls of my studio apartment in Brooklyn felt tighter than ever.

It’s no coincidence that I set in far-flung settings with a narrator whose wanderlust rivals my own. I too have a close friend in Australia with whom I’ve explored remote corners of the globe (hi, Jen!). Travel shakes me up, fills me with happy froth like I’m a Pisco sour in a cocktail shaker; curiosity and wonder and delight all foam inside me as I take in fresh landscapes and meet friendly locals whose lives are so different from mine. Research shows that travel is a key stoker of creativity, and my personal experience proves that getting out of Dodge makes it easier to work through plot problems and daydream new scenes.

Like many people, I had trouble reading at the start of quarantine. I felt lonely and sullen and sapped, unable to focus on the words marching across the page. But after a while, I bought Madeline Miller’s CIRCE on a whim. Within a few paragraphs, I was no longer on my battered couch with my cat curled against my calves; I was on the breezy, sunlit island of Aiaia, sinking magical herbs into the earth and watching sailboats appear on the horizon. I chased it with WELL-BEHAVED INDIAN WOMEN, Saumya Dave’s sharp and poignant family drama that, for a few chapters, teleported me into Baroda, India.

Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I flew to the Netherlands and elbowed my way into the home of a Chinese immigrant family in Jean Kwok’s SEARCHING FOR SYLVIE LEE; I visited the gritty, patchwork Los Angeles of Steph Cha’s YOUR HOUSE WILL PAY; I appeared, coated with dampened dust, at a rustling ranch in California’s backcountry in Eliza Jane Brazier’s IF I DISAPPEAR. As I tore through these books, I felt it again, the high I’m always chasing as a travel writer—that zapping energy, that thrumming inspiration. The electric thrill of being somewhere new. My awaysickness? Newly bearable.

Stories can transport us to wherever we miss (or long for) most, and I hope inspires readers to daydream about travel again. My goal was to airdrop you into the story’s varied settings, so you’re right there with Kristen and Emily as they explore Chile—munching on empanadas at a roadside stand and admiring the mountain views and dancing to Latin pop on a jungly patio. (And then burying a body in a remote swath of farmland, as one does.) When we can’t travel in person, books are a beautiful way to escape. And as our grounded travel plans begin to take wing—planes hurtling into the air, tires hitting the road as we vroom toward destinations near and far—let’s marvel at books’ simple magic, at their quiet and elegant ability to take us anywhere. I can’t wait to toss a few paperbacks in my carry-on before my next trip, with a silent thank you to books for enriching our lives when we’re stuck in place and when we’re moving.

Nothing better than starting the day with Isola ☀️

📷: @kenzienoelle.reads
#ad You aren’t dreaming! We are adding another chapter to one of your favorite books.

Reese’s Book Club and @IKEAUSA have teamed up to extend the tale of one of our picks, How To End A Love Story by @yulin.kuang. The new chapter will be the perfect bedtime story, and we can’t wait for you to hear it.

Visit our link in bio to shop Yulin’s favorite sleep essentials and check back soon for her extended story. We might just have another one coming…
"Working little by little, day by day, you will get to the end of your journey." 

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Check the link in our bio to start reading Isola.
Our Sunday plan: soaking up sunshine with a great book ☀️📖
And just like that, the highly-requested full library reveal! 😍 Isn't she stunning?

📷: @theintrovertedition
Just the essentials 🥰

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#ad We love a good book as part of our nightly wind down routine!

Thanks to @IKEAUSA we’ll be revisiting some of our favorite books, like Twelfth Knight by @afarolfollmuth, and sharing a brand-new bonus chapter coming soon! Visit our link in bio to shop her favorite IKEA sleep essentials.
“It’s not just that he’s a villain, but that he represents a man of his time.” Author @allegragoodmanwriter shares what makes Roberval such a terrifying antagonist in Isola.
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