Vibrant Nation

I've long been an inveterate traveler -- the armchair and library kind, that is. Here are some suggestions for "light" books that will take you voyaging to other times, places and cultures. Some of these series are a bit on the exotic side, while others give a new perspective on the seemingly mundane details of life. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

1. No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith Originally billed as a mystery series, McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies novels are a delightful escape into the everyday life of southern Africa. McCall Smith's characters face life's dilemmas with grace, humor, and gallons of bush tea, which might just be an elixir for happiness. Highly addictive!

2. Tales of the Otori by Lian Hearn Technically speaking, these are fantasy novels, set in a country that bears a striking resemblance to feudal Japan, but that's just Hearn's sly way of giving her characters room to breathe without being weighed down by historical baggage. If you've ever been intrigued by the beauty of Japanese art, or enjoyed a haiku or Japanese fairy tale, these are for you. Be warned: there's bloodshed here, and no little heartbreak, but if you're anything like me, you won't be able to put these books down!

3. Gervase Fen mysteries by Edmund Crispin Murder, mayhem - and hilarity - at Oxford. Instigated by one of the most wittily eccentric "detectives" you'll ever meet, an absent-minded (but very astute) don named Gervase Fen. The Moving Toyshop is my favorite.

4. Lauren Willig's novels by Lauren Willig Swashbuckling lives! Lauren Willig's novels are equal parts comedy of manners and Scarlet Pimpernel. The colors in each title are actually code names for various female spies working for England during the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars. The opening book in the series is closest to a genre romance, but it's very witty, and things pick up from there on in.