It’s time for Top 5 Wednesdays, a weekly meme created by gingerreadslainey and hosted by Sam @ThoughtsOnTomes. If you want to know more or join as well, just go to the Goodreads group by clicking here. Today we were supposed to choose some books that are basically like gateway drugs to our favourite genre. I had so much in mind for this, but finally settled on Magical Realism. It is a sub-genre of Fantasy and not exactly easy to define, since there are so many crossovers these days. I guess the easiest way to explain it, is to say that it has magical elements in a world that is otherwise rooted in our typical reality. It often draws on myths and folklore to create that magical connection. So, I guess my choices could be on the debatable side a little, but you should be the judge of that yourself.
What’s your favourite genre? Do you like Magical Realism?
I loved The Raven Boys! I think I might want to add We Were Liars to my to-read list as well. I’ve been wanting to read more magical realism 🙂
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The books I’ve spotlighted here are all on various degrees of magical realism, We Were Liars probably being the least magical one hahaha but I still loved it. It’s best to go into this without knowing much of anything.
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CHARLIE ST CLOUD. I will be crying now. Seriously I haven’t read the book (should I?), but the movie turned me into a sobbing mess. I guess that’s how I know it wasn’t that bad, I cried and felt way too many things while watching this.
The Raven Boys, my raven boys, I love them so much, but you know that already ❤
GReat choices! Oh and I would love to read another book kind of like "We were liars". Obviously not the same book, it'd be a stupid copycat or something, but … you know, a book that feels like a slap in the face.
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I am telling you Marie, Charlie St. Cloud is even more emotional in book-format!
I would like to read something similar to We Were Liars too. I haven’t yet found anything like it.
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I love your list! I haven’t read nearly enough magical realism and I’m always looking for good ones to read! I especially want to get to The Night Circus and finish the Raven Boys! One I really love is the Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender! Again, great choices, love this post! ❤
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Thank you! I am glad you like my choices 😀 The Night Circus is absolutely fantastic, although I hear people think it’s too slow sometimes, but I loved that about it.
And I know Ava Lavender! The cover of that book is so gorgeous!
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The Raven Boys!! ❤ I enjoy magical realism more than fantasy stories that don't have many roots in our world, I have a hard time believing and connecting to a story and characters if I don't feel a sense of familiarity. My all time favorite genre is psychological thrillers because I love creepy and torturous characters :p
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I like almost all Fantasy novels, but I do get confused if there are too many new elements and creatures, so magical realism or Urban Fantasy it is for me.
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Love your list, every-time I think of We Were Liars – I remember how much I enjoyed it and how the ending shocked me! I wasn’t expecting that, I still need to check out The Night Circus. I have seen it and been recommended it so many times that I should hurry up and just purchase it shouldn’t i XD
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The Night Circus is one of my all time favourite books! It’s so beautiful but I should really try and lower your expectations, because I hear people not liking it because they expect too much or think it’s too slow.
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You know my favorite genre already. 😉
As for magical realism, I like it, though I normally don’t seek it out. By the way, isn’t The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho a magical realism story?
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I haven’t read the Alchemist, so I am not the person to ask about that xD
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Oh yeah, you told me that once. Shame, I think you’re missing out.
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I’ve heard a lot of mixed reviews about How I Live Now. Maybe I should watch the movie first…Have You watched it?
My T5W! 😀
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I’ve seen the movie! It’s very different from the book in many ways, but it is gorgeous in the visuals department!
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I’ll have to watch it! 🙂
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ooh excellent choices!! I love all the books on the list (well except charlie st cloud cos I haven’t read it)
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Charlie St. Cloud is one of the most heartbreaking books I’ve read. Did you ever see the movie? I am not a Zac Efron fan, but I do like that movie.
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Yeah I confess I did see the movie- and I really liked it- honestly until I read your post I didn’t even know it was a book!
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[…] Gateway Books to Magical Realism […]
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