Reading Recommendations: Time-Travel Adventures
A new month means another batch of reading recommendations! This month’s theme is time travel adventures that take readers throughout history, into the future, and beyond. Enjoy!
Kagome Higurashi, a 15-year-old schoolgirl from Tokyo who is transported to the Sengoku period of Japan after falling into a well in her family shrine, where she meets the half-demon dog Inuyasha. When a monster from that era tries to take the magical Shikon Jewel embodied in Kagome, she inadvertently shatters the Jewel into many pieces that are dispersed across Japan. Inuyasha and Kagome start traveling to recover it before the powerful demon Naraku finds all the shards. Inuyasha and Kagome gain several allies during their journey, including Shippo, Miroku, Sango, and Kirara.
Though it’s categorized as a shonen manga, this series also has a lot of shojo themes, especially because of the romance between Inuyasha and Kagoma throughout the entire series. The detail of the historical period makes this series a very immersive read and it’s sometimes funny to watch Kagome’s 21st-century mannerisms in the feudal era. I like that series is action-packed and though it’s long it manages to keep readers hooked with its characters and plot twists.
Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, an African-American woman, is suddenly and inexplicably wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. After saving a drowning white boy there, she finds herself staring into the barrel of a shotgun and is transported back to the present just in time to save her life. During numerous such time-defying episodes with the same young man, she realizes the challenge she’s been given…
Butler paints a very real portrait of history and this book shows many horrors of the past. Dana’s journey is many things: harrowing, terrifying, visceral, and difficult to read at times. Though Dana and her husband are aware of history, experiencing everything firsthand leaves them scarred mentally and physically. It’s something that they will never forget. Butler is a fantastic writer and I loved how she created the characters, attention to detail, crafting the plot, and exploring race through a Sci-Fi lens. (Review)
Texas kindergarten teacher, Brielle Montgomery, finds comfort in the mundane routines of her life, but when her archaeologist mother asks her to accompany her on a dig in Scotland, she decides to step out of her comfort zone. Once in Scotland, they discover a secret spell room below the castle ruins, and Bri finds herself transported back in time and suddenly married to the castle’s ill-fated Laird. Now, she must work to change the fate of his people, all while trying to find a way to return to her home and century. But with each passing day, Bri finds herself falling more deeply in love with her new husband. If she can find a spell to bring her home, will she use it? And if she stays, will it ultimately mean her own death as well?
A series that I started years ago and need to finish one day. If you’re a fan of the Outlander series or enjoy reading Highlander novels this series may appeal to you. While it is primarily a romance novel it also has equal amounts of suspense too. There’s the big mystery surrounding Bri’s time travel but also surrounding the secrets of the castle. It was a fun reading experience and I loved piecing together the clues to figure out the big reveal at the end.
Sixteen-year-old Portia White is used to being overlooked—after all, her twin sister Alex is a literal genius.
But when Portia holds an Egyptian scarab beetle during history class, she takes center stage in a way she never expected: she faints. Upon waking, she is stronger, faster, and braver than before. And when she accidentally touches the scarab again?
She wakes up in ancient Egypt—her sister and an unwitting freshman in tow.
Great.
Mysterious and beautiful, Egypt is more than they could have ever imagined from their days in the classroom. History comes alive as the three teens realize that getting back to the present will be the most difficult thing they’ve ever done. Stalked by vicious monsters called Scorpions, every step in the right direction means a step closer to danger.
As Portia and the girls discover that they’re linked to the past by more than just chance, they have to decide what it truly means to be yourself, to love your sister, and to find your way home.
I’ve always found Egyptology to be very interesting and the setting of the backdrop was so detailed. Not only do we learn about Egyptian history, but you can truly get a feel for the landscape within Josey’s descriptive writing. As the three struggle to adapt to their new surroundings, they try to figure out a way to get back to their modern-day home. Adding to the time travel narrative are many elements of fantasy magic, as the three discover that they may have untapped power hidden within them. (Review)
Pemberton Academy is not just a school, it’s a gathering place for the children of the future that are afflicted with Temporal Displacement and Telepathy; in short, time travelers and mind readers who have been diagnosed with this “disease.” The Academy is not all as it seems after an explosion nearly takes one of its classmates, but not before Carter Gabel rescues her by using an unknown symptom related to his described illness. An unsanctioned group called the Program begins taking notice as the two classmates exhibit stronger abilities when they are together. Carter’s sense of reality begins to unwind as he learns more about his estranged father’s involvement with it all.
A Time to Reap is a nice start to the beginning of a thrilling sci-fi adventure! Our main character is Carter, a high schooler, who is trying to keep a hold on his special abilities. He can leap through time, and eventually, he learns how to alter people’s memories, and fight his way out of danger. The whole time-traveling/jumping aspect of the story is what makes this novel so interesting to read. You’re not only trying to follow the main storyline that is set in the present but it also ends up jumping into the past and even dabbling in the future. (Review)
Genna Colon desperately wants to escape from a drug-infested world of poverty, and every day she wishes for a different life. One day Genna’s wish is granted and she is instantly transported back to Civil War-era Brooklyn.
This novel felt like a more modern-day version of Kindred as Gemma is transported back into time through a mysterious portal and ends up being launched back in time. It’s a novel with a message of “be careful what your wish for” as her wish to leave her current home turns into a harrowing experience in the past. Soon she is desperate to get back to her own time and tries to survive the best way she can. Like Kindred, it doesn’t shy away from the horrors of the past and paints a vivid portrait of the time period.
That concludes my reading recommendations for time travel adventures! What books do you recommend or what are your favorites? Comment below!
I didn’t realize Kindred was a time travel story! My favorite time travel book would probably be What The Wind Knows by Amy Harmon, although there are others I enjoyed (including Outlander, The Psychology Of Time Travel, Recursion, In A Holidaze).
Yep, Kindred is. It’s not a light-hearted time travel story but I like that it sticks to the roots of history. I’ll have to check out the book by Amy Harmon. Thanks for the recommendation.