Books That Feel Like Magic
Magic is real for those who believe and seek it out. Here are some of the books that make me believe.
Reading, in and of itself, is its own form of magic but I recently read a book that I just gobbled up. It was filled with heart and wonder and the entire reading experience embodied what it means to read a book that feels like magic, so I decided to make a list.
These books included in this list are ones that have invoked a sense of whimsy and wonder in me, which is difficult to do. I can be very serious, very critical of my media, sometimes, too cynical for my own good and that makes me a tough crowd. However serious I may be though, I still love a well written story with magical elements and lots of heart at the core - stories that sweep me up and take me away before I even realized that my feet left the ground. The Secret Garden may have been the first one to give me this sensation while reading, but these books are the ones that cemented it as one of the things I crave most in my stories.
If you have books that give you similar feelings, I’d love to hear about them so leave them in the comments.
The Mercy of Thin Air
To anyone tired of hearing me talk about this book, you will also get tired of not hearing an apology for it. This was one of the first books that I remember reading and becoming so immersed into the story that I left it, believing more in the world that was written than the one I actually existed in. While there is no literal magic in this story, that did not stop it from sweeping me away.
In this story, a young girl passes away unexpectedly and she is faced with a choice: go on (to whatever comes after) or stay behind, in between. The way this “in between world” coincided with the real world had me rethinking my own beliefs; it just felt so real! It’s part historical fiction, part romance, part ghost story and it gets weird at times but it absolutely deserves the first spot on the list. Reading this book feels like magic every time I pick it up. (*note - I do not recommend the audiobook format because it is abridged so you don’t get the full story/magic*)
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride
I knew even before I finished this book that it was going to be one of those books I consistently come back to. It is dark and twisty and I felt unsure of what was happening the entire time, but I was hooked and I wanted to stay and explore every dark pathway in hopes of the world coming alive more each time.
In this story, a man enters into a marriage with a woman he is completely enamored with with one condition: he does not dig into her past at all. However, when they unexpectedly have to return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams, the house starts revealing pieces of her past to him and the more he finds out, the more questions he has.
This was dark and so moody; it felt like I was within the pages, exploring the mysterious manor myself and just by typing this out, I know it’s time for me to read it again. GTG
Seance Tea Party
This little graphic novel is so endearing, it feels like a warm hug from a sweet friend. The illustrations are incredible and help bring the story and the magic to life. The story itself follows a young girl as she struggles to connect with her friends who are no longer interested in doing fun things with her. They are growing up and more interested in cool, tween things instead of playing pretend. So, she does what any tween would do… befriends the ghost girl who is haunting her home, who will never grow up! However, we all have to grow up sometime and when that starts happening, she worries she will end up leaving her ghost bestie behind.
This is a darling story with so much heart and it deals with growing up, grief, letting go and everything in between in such a tender, honest way. I remember when I finished this book, I gave it a hug. Magical!
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
It wouldn’t feel right to not include Addie LaRue because this was one of the more recent books I read that not only reminded me that I love magic in my stories but let me know that I might also have a thing for historical fiction.
Our main character in moments away from an arranged marriage she wants no part in when she makes a Faustian deal with a god in the dark for her freedom. The terms? She will live forever but be forgotten by everyone she ever meets.
We go back and forth through time with her, over 300 years of being an immortal but invisible girl when finally… someone remembers her?! The scream I scrumpt. I really enjoyed hearing about her life, how she managed to survive in the midst of having nothing solid to rest on. I liked the romantic bits, I honestly don’t remember if it got spicy or not but maybe that just means I need to read it again!
This read very slow for me but I didn’t end up minding too much because the story was worth spending time with. I highly recommend the audiobook, that is what swept me away initially and then my loan lapsed and I just bought a physical copy. I knew I liked it less than halfway in and if that isn’t magic, I don’t know what is!
The Ghosts of Rose Hill
A novel in verse with one of the most gorgeous covers I’ve ever seen, The Ghosts of Rose Hill felt real and mythical at the same time.
It follows a young girl, of immigrant parents, who dreams of being a musician but since her parents desire something more stable for her future, they send her to Prague to live with her weird artist aunt to kind of show her what her life would look like if she doesn’t choose a more dependable path. Of course, this has the opposite effect, helped along by the fact that she meets a ghost boy haunting a local, abandoned cemetery and a fun, albeit unsettling story of myth and magic unfolds.
This story has a ton of Jewish folklore that brings so much depth to the story and the characters. It is charming, it is a little spooky, it is magic.
Sweet Inferno
This is a romantasy novella about a werewolf shifter who has been sent to observe and extract information from a curvy, sex positive, fire witch… I don’t really know what more you need from me but I will keep going.
I grabbed this as part of research for my Dark Romance Diaries series and what I learned was… I like this, yes. I don’t read much fantasy but I can get on board with a dark, castle setting with gothic vibes and MCs that are interesting and have good chemistry.
It was such a fun read, it has some spice, but mostly, I was just eager to continue the series and dive further into the world. (*note, the rest of the series follows different characters, which made me a little sad because I enjoyed these two so much but it is still a good time*)
The Honey Witch
Ah, yes. The book that inspired the list! The Honey Witch is a sapphic romance following a 21 year old weirdo who finds out she is a witch and is swept off to live my cottage core, beekeeper, witch dreams.
There were a handful of things that I had issues with in this book, but not one of them mattered while I was reading it. It wasn’t until after the proverbial spell broke - aka I had a week or so to really think about it and fully digest it - that I even realized I had any critiques at all. I was simply along for the ride in the most magical way.
There is some spice here and it is somehow not too explicit and actively hot at the same time. The relationships are cute and even though it was a bit predictable, I say again: I was happily along for the ride with no f*cks to give. What a magical time!
For paying members of the Weirdo tier on my Bindery page - Boneyard Picnic - I made a buddy video that goes along with this post and the video has a couple of last minute additions to the list too! So if that sounds like something that interests you, I encourage you to go check it out! Thanks for reading!