Magical realism is a genre of tales where mundane realities blend with the magical and the strange. Regular people can fly, doors can take you to another world, and ice can be 'discovered'. If you'd like to add a little whimsy to your reading list, check out some of these titles.
The Ten thousand Doors of January
Alix E Harrow
January Scaller feels locked up in the sprawling mansion filled with treasures from places she isn't allowed to travel to for herself. When she finds a strange book that carries stories and secrets of places from other worlds she is determined to unlock every door to find them.
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One Hundred Shadows
Chŏng-ŭn Hwang
Written in response to South Korea's Yongsan disaster in 2009, this novel gives a look into the life of an employee whose shop is within a building set for demolition. As they ponder the building's leveled future and what that means for their community, they watch as people's shadows begin to rise.
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The Theory of Flight
Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu
Spanning decades within an unnamed nation in South Africa, the story of Genie's family is long and surreal. Genie's beginning starts after a tumultuous civil war with her allegedly hatching from a golden egg. Before that day comes, we trace through generations of her wonderous family.
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Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Toshikazu Kawaguchi
In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a cafe that offers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time. The rules being, customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the cafe, and they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold.
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One Hundred Years of Solitude
Gabriel García Márquez
A classic must read within the genre of magical realism, this Colombian novel chronicles the lives of the Buendia family. Through multiple generations, we follow their loves, their feuds, and their magic, along with the rise and fall of their isolated village of Macondo.
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About the Author
Emily is a circulation clerk at both the adult and youth desks. She is a fan of books, movies, and manga. Generally, a lover of literary fiction and horror but always down to try anything. When not reading and watching movies she enjoys beading new pieces of jewelry.