thoughts on books

Category: magical realism

  • Destination funeral by Paige harbison

    Another fun time loop magical realism with some light romance elements from Paige Harbison. Four friends go to an island for a funeral and a long weekend, only to learn they have inherited her home. And that long weekend becomes longer than they expect when they keep living Saturday over and over again.

    This was a nice escape from reality and although the time loop felt pretty derivative, there were a few lines that had me laughing out loud. The characters, for me, were mostly one dimensional and I was really hoping for more in the character arc that would have made them develop more. Both individually and as a unit. I was a big fan of her debut novel and perhaps had too high of expectations for this one. I do think it’s worth reading for the writing style and for the setting.

    Also- please be aware she refers to alcohol and drinking excessively in her novels. Not alcoholism or addiction issues, but there are more references to alcohol than in most novels.

    Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC. Book to be published July 20, 2026

  • missed connections by aimie runyan

    For fans of magical realism and the fine dining industry- it is like a mixture of Aftertaste and your favorite Ashley Poston. Who hasn’t wanted a magical remote control that could allow you to return to certain points in your life and do something differently? Sabrina Sorensen is at a point in her life where she wants to be a Michelin guide, but her career in the restaurant industry has gone sideways. From the chef’s assistant to lots of kitchen roles, sauce person and General manager and front of the house roles, she has a culinary degree and many connection across the globe. She gets into a special airport lounge that gets her a flight to a certain point in the past.

    At times romantic, I see this as much more of a contemporary light-fantasy-magical realism book than a traditional romance. I liked the storyline and the idea that in our 30’s we are much less insecure and able to speak up for ourselves. Most of our regrets become in being braver, speaking up and taking more risks rather than playing it safe.

    The big surprise and win here is the level of detail and setting of fine dining, not just in running a kitchen, but the career path of someone in this field. Everyone eats at restaurants, but very few have the level of detail and experience in knowing how cut throat and political this can be. I loved the setting and hearing more about what this is like and the interpersonal relationships involved. I loved Sabrina’s character arc and the variety of people who changed based on her path back as a cosmic re-do.

    I definitely recommend this unique story. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

    Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the ARC. Book to be published May 26, 2026.

  • the underachiever by david a price

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    A delightful YA Dystopian satire that will warm your heart and make you laugh. This speculative fiction read is about AI taking over in the not-too-distant future. Our hero is Wyoming, a dumb yet lovable prep school kid in Washington, DC. He comes from money and doesn’t see the need to try too hard at life. He figures he should interview for Harvard, since that’s where his parents would want him to go. And he would like to “lie in the grass” there, he mentions this several times. However, he crosses paths with Kayleigh, who has been ostracized for seeing that AI may be sentient. Soon Kayleigh and Wyoming need to team up and save the world.

    I stumbled across this funny book offered on NetGalley, it was a delightful surprise. As someone concerns about the rise of AI and the problems it could cause, I also find the teenage boy endearing. Because I am a mom to a teenage boy, who is as smart as he is dumb. The book gave me a lot to think about but plenty of opportunities to laugh. I loved the idea that the AI started putting extra fingers in our art as a way to give humanity “the finger.” Kayleigh was a great foil. The book has a great message without being too heavy handed.

    Also- the acknowledgements are written from the PoV of the main character, who thanks the author, which was creative and really cute.

    Thank you to NetGalley and Houston Street Press for the ARC. Book out now! Congratulations Houston Street on your debut title!

  • ideal life by evelyn skye

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    Lightly magical, this is a romcom tech industry with a wristwatch that works exactly like the time turners from the Harry Potter universe. A few different POV, ideal life is a company owned by Talia Morgan, a Stanford grad with the ability to quickly rewind time. Her lifelong best friend Sam is in love with her. He makes Talia promise to only use it in case of an emergency. As time goes on, she finds herself becoming perfectionists and controlling.

    A blend of magical realism, romance and tech boom culture, I would have liked a bit more character development and a
    Deeper dive into the Ideal Life products and how they work. I saw infinite possibilities and I wish it had been explored a bit more. A clever premise! For me, this one was a like, not necessarily a “love.”

    Recommend? Sure. It was harmless and cute.

    Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC. Book to be published August 18, 2026.

  • take me with you by steven rowley

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    A quietly humorous, self-deprecating contemporary story of a long term relationship, being abandoned, and finding your spirit. Part “Same As It Ever Was” [Claire Lombardo] and part “Then She Was Gone” [Lisa Jewell] and part “Emperor of Gladness” [Ocean Vuong]

    Jesse and Norman have been together for decades; they’ve settled into their privileged life, and suffer from the general malaise of late capitalism. Jesse is a semi-celebrated writer, teaching at university, whose most celebrated work may be behind him. His husband Norman goes to the backyard to investigate a soft but encompassing light in the backyard one night, then disappears.

    Jesse needs to grieve the loss, learn who he is without Norman by his side, and come to terms with feeling abandoned by his father before he was born and his emotionally distant mother. He is joined by his sister-in-law Lally, who is also grieving the disappearance of her brother, figuring out what middle age is going to look like for her, and figuring out how to get close to people who might leave.

    This is beautiful writing, surprising in its simplicity, and with deep themes. The writing is clever, not laugh-out-loud funny, but specific to really develop the characters into being endearing. It all builds up to a heartwarming scene. With Steven Rowley, you always know he’ll make you think, laugh, and cry. This one fits the bill.

    4.25/5 stars “I loved it”

    Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC. Book to be published May 18, 2026.

  • the forget me not library

    If you are looking for an entirely wholesome light-magical realism heartwarming small town, look no further than Forget-me-not, Alabama. This is one of the most wholesome books I have ever read. Even the inner dialogue is quaint and truly big hearted. There are two POV- assistant librarian and single mom Tallulah, who lives in Forget-me-not with her grandfather. She was divorced 18 months ago. The other POV is Juliet Nightingale. She is a school nurse on a road trip after losing her memories in a lightning accident. Juliet’s car breaks down and starts smoking blue smoke. Their lives are entwined as they get ready for the climax at the town “Flour festival” which highlights baked goods.

    Many thanks to Macmillan as a part of the early listeners program. The audiobook narration was fantastic- the Alabama accent was authentic and pleasant while engaging. The pacing is deliberate and intentional- for me I found the speed I was able to follow best was 2.0. It was easy to follow Tallulah vs Juliet’s chapters.

    Katie was a great child, I loved her personality. There are no major villains in the story, the conflict comes from the characters accepting their destiny. Who doesn’t love a book about libraries and books? Another plus for me was an anecdotal story about a queer character.

    It’s a good story and one you wouldn’t be embarrassed to listen in front of your kids.

    Thank you Macmillan for the ALC ! #macaudio2025

  • in time with you by kristin dwyer

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    For fans of Ashley Poston and Lynn Painter, this is a very classic magical realism YA romance. Short on details of world building, this is best read as you let go of trying to understand the time travel consequences and think of it as a journey towards trying to change the past to the “meant to be.”

    Nieve lost her boyfriend Carter in a drowning accident. They are only sophomores in college and somewhat legacies, kids with money and connections. Nieve blames herself, and Carters best friend Max blamed himself. Very quickly into the narrative, Nieve wakes up a year earlier in her dorm at the start of freshman year before she met Carter and Max. She is determined to not let him get into the water this time, but seems to start to feel differently about Max.

    This book is for everyone who has ever thought, “I couldn’t everything better if only I could go back in time.” This one is lighter on the spice but not entirely what I would consider closed door. Less sci fi and more magical realism, you won’t want to spend time hoping for lengthy explanations and world building, but enjoy the banter and characterization.

    Most time travel stories are either “butterfly effect” or “final destination,” and this story explores them both. The heroines journey is a well paced one, causing Nieve to grow and mature to be able to understand both versions of herself, what she wants, and wherein lies her true north.

    I also appreciated complicated storylines of light academia and deep family estrangement situations. Nieve has a close cousin and grandmother Grandee in both timelines.

    Thank you to NetGalley and st martins press for the arc! Book to be published March 23, 2026

  • every version of you by natalie messier

    Joey is a workaholic corporate lawyer without much of a life. She goes on dates periodically but doesn’t let anyone in because she is secretly in love with Ellie (Elijah) the one who got away. She suddenly dies but gets a second chance at life and she goes back to college in 2012 to have a second chance at love. But instead she finds herself drawn to Alex, a billionaire capitalist that Ellie is friends with, a man she hates. Back in her 18 year old body with a 32 year old soul, she changes so much of what she wishes she could have done differently the first time.

    If I could go back in time to my college days I’d have to do things the same so I could have my kids. But I definitely would find a way to see Whitney Houston, Prince and Michael Jackson live.

    This is well paced and written. The back and forth between her 2026 mind and what she knows in 2012 is a running bit that doesn’t get old. If you enjoy time travel or second chance magical realism romance this is a book you should be reading. There are a lot of characters, many of whom play the same role and the metaphysical aspect of this doesn’t get too deep. I enjoyed the first 25% of the book the most. There were some surprises and twists near the end that were different than most time travel stories.

    Thanks to NetGalley and gallery books for the ARC. Book to be published 4/28/26.

  • second chance cinema by thea weiss

    A very fun, creative, and emotional story about the memories we hold. A contemporary magical realism romance for fans of Kate Robb and Ashley Poston. Will we still be lovable if they knew everything about us? And I mean, everything?

    Ellie and Drake are about to be married when they come across a theatre that operates, seemingly, only for them. The theatre shows “The Story of Us” which is a collection of 10 weekly movies that show both of their lives as a film. Starting with them as babies, the movies progress over time showing the most memorable periods of their lives. They agree to continue to see the movies, week after week, and promise to not let anything they see change the way they feel for each other.

    Of course, there are secrets, and reasons to be jealous and even angry. There are some memorable side characters, like the manager of the theatre, Natalie. When I first heard the premise for this book, I thought this would be kind of a nightmare. I think we all have episodes in our past that we would rather not remember. Something I was curious about while reading is- are we actually seeing what happened? Or are we seeing it as Drake and Ellie remember it? They say that when we remember something, we are technically remembering the last time that we were remembering it. So our memories are notoriously unreliable. Something to consider for this story.

    I found the plot fascinating, the characters are good, particularly Ellie. Drake was less intriguing of a lead, but the magical elements made up for it. The prologue was intriguing and in the back of my mind, how it comes full circle in the epilogue is a neat twist.

    This would be a great book to read for a book club, I think it would encourage great and deep conversations.

    Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC. Book to be published October 7,2025

  • my dear you: short stories by rachel khong

    When I requested to read this book I was unaware that it was a short story collection.  I loved Rachel Khong’s 2024 novel Real Americans and I thought this was her next novel.  I was very inspired by and appreciated this story collection, which are united as they have different main characters but they are all asian women.  

    The stories range from the absurd, to the magical, to the beauty of every day.  The first story is about a woman eaten by a crocodile on her honeymoon at age 30, and her life in heaven, only to fall for her husband of 1 day almost 50 years later.  This story was very romantic.   I also liked the story of a young woman who was the only friend of an AI sex doll, teaching her English and culture just by speaking to her.  Then later feeling sad that she was going to be sold and have a new life in Cleveland.  All of the stories were very emotional or raw.  I love the internal dialogue and I found the characters to be quite lovable, while flawed.  In one story the US government required everyone to take a vaccine that led everyone to see other people as their own race.  What a fascinating concept!

    If you rarely read short story collections, like me, I would encourage you to read My Dear You.  What I really liked is that they didn’t all have a defined “beginning – middle – end”- some were just an image, and I never knew when the story was going to end.  Most of them I didn’t want them to end, they left me wanting more, but in a good way.  

    Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the ARC.  Book to be published April 7, 2026.