41. The Magic of Magical Realism

how a book genre can show us something new about life plus great fall releases

When I was little, I thought magic was real. I grew up with the Disney princesses, and I devoured Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, among others. I grew up running through the forest with my cousins, pretending I was Katniss Everdeen - I even built a lean-to.

As a child, you have enough belief in the goodness of the world that you genuinely believe magic is real. Learning that magic isn’t real is a bit of a rude awakening, and it often comes with seeing the harsh realities of the world we live in.

However, when you become an adult, I think it’s possible to choose to find the magic again. As an adult, you have experienced the worst of humanity and this earth but you have witness and discovered the greatness, the beauty of it too. Everyone is faced with a choice - do you focus on the good or do you focus on the bad?

I recently posted on my Instagram about a Dopamine Menu, aka a list of things that bring me joy. Can you guess what they centered around?

Friendship, animals, reading books, candles, going for walks and adventures, an adrenaline rush, laughing.

Is that not magic? Is it not magic to choose to focus on these things - laughter, butterflies, a dog kiss? Does it not give you chills when you see a beautiful sunset? Does you not feel fulfilled after a quiet walk, just taking in life?

Magical Realism is a genre that takes this idea and builds on it. I love, love, love magical realism. A weaving of the unbelievable with the real, and sometimes the purpose is to show you that magic isn’t better than reality. It gives adults a slice of joy to experience it again. The magic is new, too - anything from your ancestors to an apartment.

So, sometimes I do think magic is real. I know it in the movies that play through my head when I read; I feel the goosebumps it gives me when I witness something beautiful; I see it in the moments when I get off my phone and focus on the world around me.

Some favorites:

1. The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

2. A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston

3. A Million Junes by Emily Henry

4. The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

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We’re getting major fall vibes, and I am here for it. Also: affiliate links

1. Fear The Flames (book 1 rerelease) by Olivia Rose Darling (Fantasy): September 17, 2024

2. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman (Mystery): September 17, 2024

3. The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave (Thriller): September 17, 2024

4. What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson (Nonfiction, Science): September 17, 2024

5. The Banned Books Club by Brenda Novak (Romance): September 17, 2024

6. A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft (Fantasy): September 17, 2024

7. Stay by Elle Kennedy, Sarina Bowen (Romance): September 17, 2024

8. An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson (Fantasy): September 17, 2024

9. Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novak (Fantasy): September 17, 2024

10. The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club by Susan M Boyer (Mystery): September 17, 2024

Books I’ve compiled from mainly the NYT Bestsellers List, but also the B&N Top 100 and Amazon Bestsellers in no particular order. I’ve decided to simply add the books I haven’t before, since I’ve caught up to the new additions. If you’re curious, last week’s post can be found here.

1. Passions in Death by J.D. Robb (Mystery)

2. Vince Flynn: Capture or Kill by Don Bentley (Thriller)

3. Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver (Romance)

4. The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen (Fantasy)

5. The Life Impossible by Matt Haig (Fiction)

6. The Cursed by Harper L. Woods (Fantasy)

7. Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors (Fiction, Family)

8. Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner (Thriller)

Just a reminder to comment any recommendations or email me: thesundayreads@gmail.com!

1. Do you have any magical realism recommendations for me?

That’s all for today! Much love

Izzy