We read to enrich our lives and to be entertained. We open books to be distracted or escape our current existence if only for a few short hours. When written well, a story can defy the laws of science and send the mind into another time, situation or world. And the key element that allows this magical transportation is not an Arabian rug or time machine...although that may be a part of the story. Instead it is the setting.

The setting of a story involves the historical moment in time, the geographical location and circumstances the characters find themselves in. If an author uses certain elements - calling upon the five senses to describe, showing (not telling)- then the reader literally travels to that location.

One summer I read Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. A meteor hits the moon and sets off a cataclysmic reaction that blocks out the sun, altering the weather so that it starts snowing in August in Pennsylvania. I read the majority of the book huddled under a blanket - on an 85 degree evening. The author's description of the setting so mesmerized me, I felt like I was freezing along with the characters.

Last year, my father randomly picked up Outlander by Diana Gabaldon at a book swap. The history spanning from early colonial days to present time in Scotland and the geography of France, Scotland and US kept him turning every one of the 900 pages (of each of the seven books)! While the love story and adventure were entertaining, he read the series to experience the eras and scenery.

So as summer begins this month and you find yourself unable to travel to all the exotic locations you dream of, try picking up a book and see how far your mind can travel even if you never leave your comfortable armchair.

[One great place to find books with different settings is Goodreads.com. Search for 'armchair traveling books' and you will see lists of suggestions that you can pick up at your local Book Rack!)