Other Worlds and Escapism

Other Worlds and Escapism

I find that during a bad migraine, I tend to escape into other worlds- worlds of words or even television worlds. They take my mind off the pain- for a little while at least. I also think that it is a coping mechanism- and this is true for many migraneurs. Lewis Carrol wrote Alice in Wonderland while dealing with migraines and smoking opium in Oxford. Other famous writers have done the same.

So when the pain becomes too much (and I am on speaking terms with the English language), I find myself picking up a book and escaping into another place, another time, and another world. I realize that this is probably one of my oldest and best ways of coping.

So here is a list of favorite coping books:

Harry Potter- the entire series

Chronicles of Narnia

The Aubrey- Maturin series by Patrick O’Brien (or anything about British Naval History)

Bernard Cornwell- I particularly enjoy his Saxon Chronicles- if you want a good story about how England, as we know it came to be- read it.

Bedlam’s Bard by Merceded Lackey

Anything by P.G. Wodehouse

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz.

I will admit that I generally like the fantasy genre.  I also love history.

Pretty much any light mystery will do as well.

So there you have it- my list of books to read when you have a headache.

I will also say this. I blame my father for this addiction to literature. He raised three children to love books. Unfortunately, his bill for books at Borders, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble has always been high. But I suppose he would rather have us reading.