On my return flight from Mexico, I was struck with the similarities between taking a vacation and reading a great book. Both provide an escape from everyday living, and both–when finished–leave you feeling vaguely disoriented as you attempt to return to real life.

Of course you can always combine these two pleasure…take a trip and read a book at the same time! On my recent trip to Ixtapa I picked a real winner of a book–The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.

This is a story steeped in gothic atmosphere, with a little mystery, a little romance, and a lot of beautifully written prose. It helps if you are a fan of books written by the Bronte sisters, particularly Jane Eyre, as this story is written in that tradition.

I believe it was on the Tuesday of our holiday, that I took this book, sank into a hammock, and read until the sun went down…