Here’s a list of books I recommend again and again and again. Yes, I bang on about them all the time, but if you ever need just a really good book pick, here’s what I suggest:
The Thirteenth Tale
Written by Diane Setterfield
Published by Washington Square Press
For fans of slowly built mysteries, this compelling, darkly riveting historical fiction is for you. Either as a physical read or an audiobook (both are excellent) follow along as a little known independent bookseller interviews the most famous author (and infamous recluse) about her past, unravelling a mystery of unsolved murder, ghosts, and tragedy.
You can find it here: Bookshop.org
The Night Circus
Written by Erin Morgenstern
Published by Anchor Books
With every reread I continue to fall under a spell while reading this story – the wondrous imagination, the Romeo/Juliet love story I can’t help but love, the intelligent, full-bodied characters .. Erin launched a circus-themed genre with this story that many try to emulate, but none quite achieve the same magic.
You can find it here: Bookshop.org
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Written by Gail Honeyman
Published by Penguin Books
The heaviest story on this list by far, but still hopeful … it’s that right balance of heavy and hopeful. I loved Eleanor, I thought she was far more than the “curmudgeon” she’s described as. Socially awkward, honest, and deeply scared. All it takes is one caring person to have some patience with her, and then we get to witness her fully come to life. It’s a heartwarming tale that has you laughing on one page and crying on the next. Can’t recommend it enough for literary fiction fans.
You can find it here: Bookshop.org
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Written by Neil Gaiman
Published by William Morrow & Company
In much the same way The Night Circus enraptured me, this itty bitty novel by Gaiman did the same. I was hooked from the first page in this dark story that is simply mesmerizing and very hard to describe. A boy, living in the English countryside, befriends a girl on a neighbouring farm who turns out to have incredible magical abilities that come in very handy when a not-so-kindly woman suddenly appears in his life. That’s a poor one sentence descriptor of a book that really can’t be described, so just read it.
You can find it here: Bookshop.org
Nevermoor
Written by Jessica Townsend
Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers
This Middle Grade series continues to be one of my ever lasting loves in life. Jessica creates a world of whimsy and magic and peril that is simply enchanting. The characters are bright, lively, the plotting is perfect, and each addition to the series brilliantly adds on to the story … it is perfection. What else can I say? Follow Mog, a cursed child doomed to die on her twelfth birthday, but instead is whisked away by Jupiter North (my fav literary character? Yes, I think so), to the world of Nevermoor!
You can find it here: Bookshop.org
Garden Spells
Written by Sarah Addison Allen
Published by Bantam Discovery
Most of these stories share a common element – a titch of magic. A sprinkle of faerie dust, if you will. Sarah has been my go-to for cozy, comforting, touched-with-magic, light romance reads for a decade now (I’m so happy her most recent story Other Birds has brought her more into mainstream markets!). While it is hard to pick just one favourite story of hers – Lost Lake and The Girl Who Chased the Moon are both excellent – Garden Spells is where I started and fell in love. Sisters, a magical tree, a charming small town, delicious food, and a perfectly plotted story with heart and depth await you within these pages.
You can find it here: Bookshop.org
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