A long time has passed since my last post about the books I’ve been reading. And I have been reading some really exceptional books, I have to say. Since I don’t have the time or the inclination to review everything that I’ve been reading for more than half a year, I am planning to just tell you about three books that have reminded me how much magic there is in letting myself be absorbed into a written world.
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is the latest one I’ve read from this short list. Maybe it made the list because it’s the last book I read, but it did offer me one of those otherworldly reading experiences that I remember from childhood. Maybe because it’s a story that reminds of a lot of those early readings and because Jane Eyre is mentioned often in its pages. I can’t quite explain its magic, but maybe that’s why it works. It a very dark and intriguing story, maybe a little too depressing even. I found it mesmerizing and inspiring. It reminded me why I always wanted to be a writer and in a way it encouraged me to want to pick up my own writing again and keep at it.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern builds a universe that is completely mesmerizing. A very creative sort of book, unlike any other I’ve ever read. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough if you’re into magical realism (with a extra-large dose of magic).
Night Film by Marisha Pessl is my favorite of the three. I was filled with awe white reading it, exclaiming after every chapter that it’s the perfect book, that it’s amazing, everything I’ve ever wanted in a book. Maybe it didn’t live up to it until the end, but it got pretty close. It has everything: a very mysterious central character, supernatural happenings, a gothic mansion, a cultish following, everything. This is for sure my favorite book of the year.
