5 time-travel themed books

I never used to be a fan of time-travel themed books but I’ve had a few recent reads that play with time frames and they’ve been so good I’m now a convert to this genre.

These five books are all great examples (in my opinion!) as they don’t veer into sci-fi territory particularly but they do all tell cracking, clever stories with heart that make you think. Enjoy!

5 time-travel themed books

/ Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

This worldwide sensation hit my heart hard! Set in a mysterious Japanese café, people can time travel for as long as it takes for the coffee to get cold. It features four stories within the overall structure, all so emotional and beautifully written.

/ Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel 

Essentially a follow up to Emily St. John Mandel’s previous books, Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel, Sea of Tranquility is just brilliant. It sets up the plot intrigue, layers in the evocative human angle, references the pandemic situation we find ourselves in and sets it all against a grand time-travelling backdrop that takes us from from 1912 to 2401.

/ Wrong Time Wrong Place by Gillian McAllister

Wrong Place Wrong Time is a crime thriller with a real difference – a murder told backwards. Jen sees her son commit murder then finds herself going back in time to discover the chain of events that led to the murder. It is SO GOOD. I loved the way it was told, the layers about motherhood and the satisfying ending.

/ Space Hopper by Helen Fisher

I love the idea that time-travel in a book is used as a portal to deeper emotions, missed moments and the potential for new memories. Space Hopper is such a gorgeous story that’s an exploration of motherhood, faith, belief, loss and grief. It just cleverly uses the idea of time-travel to convey these conversations.

/ Impossible by Sarah Lotz

Impossible technically deals with parallel worlds rather than time-travel if we’re being pedantic BUT it definitely falls into the suspend your disbelief and let this great story happen territory. It’s an epic, funny, unique love story. Give it a try!

Do you like a time-bending read? Let me know if you have any other suggestions!