In the mood for some stories that are short, sweet (OK, maybe not sweet), and leave you wondering about the very nature of reality? While magical realism can pull us into deeply dark, kaleidoscope-like versions of day-to-day life that change our perspective forever, the truth is that a mini dose of surrealism is sometimes all […]

Let's face it: parenting basically is magical realism. There are lovely moments that glisten like an iridescent bubble rising to the sky, yucky moments that slime like an otherworldly mold, and terrible moments that snarl like a creature in a cave. Novels and short stories that place parenthood under a distorted, almost familiar lens show […]

Need to leave the real world for a bit? Ever dreamt of getting lost in a magical library? (Were you one of those kids who watched the lesser-known Macaulay Culkin movie from 1994, The Pagemaster?) In addition to being the ultimate fantasy of all bibliophiles, the magical library trope is essentially its own genre. One […]

Why is the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale so compelling? In a world where we can easily feel like we're going through the motions, a tale that reminds us to "wake up" and begin participating in our own lives seems timelier than ever. Sleeping Beauty also appeals because of its commentary on the transition from childhood […]

Nothing tops a warm cup of tea and a little dystopia before bed (and no, we don't mean the nightly news). It can be weirdly soothing to read about another world's hot mess to either help contextualize or see loopholes in our own. Dystopian novels remind us of what's at stake. There are many dystopian […]

Have you ever felt a connection to something very deep, very old, and just beyond the grasp of the world you know? It's like you can sense, feel, and taste an opportunity for adventure (or is it danger?) a mile away. There's no doubt there's folklore in your blood. The best way to ignite that […]

Is love more powerful than magic? (Are the two mutually exclusive?) In witch romance books, love and magic are often pitted against one another (see classic precedents like Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic). The best books about witchy romances put a spotlight on the struggles modern women face as they juggle self-identity with the pursuit of […]

It's a powerful thing when a book opens your mind to questions about the human condition, the self, and the nature of existence. Novels that are philosophical in nature take us to fictional worlds that somehow reflect and comment on the human condition better than reality, making you question where you stand and what you […]

Though most associate magic with fantasy books (i.e. dragons, spell-casting, witches, and vampires), magic can also be found in novels about the mundane, everyday world. This is the foundation for magical realism and speculative fiction. This post won't get into the technical or craft considerations for these two genres, but know that there are some. […]

If there was any silver lining to 2020’s lockdowns, it was the rediscovery of nature. There's something uniquely rejuvenating about being outside, feeling bare feet on grass, touching bark, tasting ocean spray. Whatever your preferred landscape, the books in this list will inspire and reinvigorate, intertwining drama and self-discovery with the howling call of the […]