magical realism

Fiction

More Soul-Satisfying Travels Through Time in Latest Kawaguchi

Reading Toshikazu Kawaguchi is akin to taking a necessary soul-satisfying pause in the middle of a hectic day with a refreshing cold beverage or soothing cup of tea. Before I Knew I Loved You is the sixth book in the best-selling magical, heart-warming series that began with Before the Coffee…

Linda HitchcockAugust 5, 2026

Fiction Hidden Gems Recommended

When Power Devours Purpose and Justice Turns Ferocious

Jonathan R. Miller’s Animal Control is a bold, cerebral and unnervingly intimate exploration of what happens when the need to make the world better collides with the corruptive pull of control. Set in San Jose, this story follows 17-year-old Shay Garner, a young woman whose moral compass starts out strong…

Monique SnymanOctober 8, 2025

Book Club Network Fiction

String of Fate Shows How Long You’ll Live in Stunning Debut

I remember the feedback I gave Nikki Erlick several years ago when she asked my opinion of the first few pages of her as-yet-untitled manuscript. The writing style from Erlick — an occasional reviewer here at BookTrib — was first-rate. The story, as much as I had, was intriguing and…

Jim AlkonJune 28, 2022

Fiction

Tall Poppy Review: A Thousand-Mile Journey with China’s Magical Spirits

After closing the cover of Janie Chang’s new release, The Library of Legends (William Morrow), I was filled with a sense of wonder that sent me to my trusty Merriam-Webster dictionary for a way to describe what I’d just witnessed. A legend is a story that comes down to us…

Kathryn CraftApril 30, 2020

Listicles

Stories that Evoke the Nuance, Fear and Tenderness of Motherhood

When I had my daughter in 2014, it felt impossible to find literature that took motherhood both seriously and tenderly. I could find medical guides or how-to books on sleep training and funny quips about the exhaustion of early motherhood, but all of these books felt very far from the…

Amanda Parrish MorganOctober 20, 2022

Fiction Recommended

Story of Sarcasm, Sisters, and Secret Powers Redefines the Hero Origin Story

Rebels of Dalmora by River Mackenzie is the story of a hero before the battle, where the biggest obstacle to overcome is term papers. Three years before facing unfortunate odds in the struggle between life and death, an epic adventure unfolds where the ordinary hurls our hero toward their destiny…

Elizabeth KonkelJune 27, 2025

Fiction

NYT Bestselling Author Nikki Erlick Explores Grief and Humanity in “The Poppy Fields”

New York Times bestselling author Nikki Erlick has a way of concocting the most implausible premises and making them sound plausible, compelling and thought-provoking. Take her debut novel, The Measure, an instant bestseller, in which everybody on earth opens their front doors on the same day to find a small…

Jim AlkonJune 10, 2025

Fiction Recommended

Death Is Full of Surprises in Touching Literary Fantasy

Here’s how death works: Up there, you’re not allowed to leave your residence or contact other dead people — although you’ll be afforded any leisure pastimes or hobbies that may interest you. No one said death wasn’t boring. The only exception is if your phone rings and you are contacted…

Jim AlkonApril 3, 2025

Fiction

A Recurring Dream Inspired This “Cozy Apocalyptic” Novel

I wanted to write a book about the end of the world — the end end, not a book where it almost ends and someone saves it, or one where it could end if these shadows remain unaltered, or even one where the earth is destroyed but the humans escape…

Suzy KrauseSeptember 17, 2024

Fiction

Historic Edinburgh Gets a Touch of Magic in Popular TikToker’s “The Ghost Cat”

Author Alex Howard completed his doctorate in English Literature while writing his first published book The Library Cat: The Observations of a Thinking Cat, winner of the People’s Book Prize and translated into several languages. This Edinburgh native wears many hats as a theater professional as well as being an…

Linda HitchcockSeptember 12, 2024

Fiction

First Love Gets a Second Chance in Emotional, Visionary Novel

If you were presented with a chance to go back into your past to rekindle a romance with the one that got away, would you take it? Andrea Ezerins explores this tantalizing question in a coming-of-age historical romance tale that contains elements of magical realism. Again and Again Back to…

Natalia KavaleSeptember 3, 2024

Fiction Recommended

Screenwriter Collaborates With Shakespeare’s Ghost on Manuscript That Transcends Time

“Imagine a string of pearls. Each pearl is a life, yet yon string connects each pearl. We are, ultimately, that string.” Therein is just one piece philosophy from William Shakespeare — or, shall we say, the ghost of William Shakespeare, an apparition who plays a key role in the plot…

Jim AlkonMarch 8, 2024

Match Making for Beginners by Maddie Dawson

Miscellany Romance

A Writer’s Journey Through Wart Wishes and Matchmaking Marvels

My grandmother wasn’t like other people’s grandmothers. Not only did she live in a house perched on stilts over a lake in northern Florida — where she calmly contended with alligators, water moccasins, and violent thunderstorms daily — but she also knew how to wish warts away. Yep. Warts. She…

Maddie DawsonJune 11, 2024

Author Spotlight Fiction

Dark, Fabulist Tale “Every Bone A Prayer” Summons Our Imaginations

“Searing and soothing, honest and elusive, Every Bone a Prayer is a gift. It’s the pure truth, told slant.” — Alix E. Harrow, author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January “Haunting and healing ... a powerful debut that will leave its mark on readers’ hearts.” — Kim Michele Richardson, author of The Book…

Valerie Taylor, author of the "Venus Bixby Mystery" seriesAugust 4, 2020

Fiction Recommended

Literary Crime Fiction Meets Magical Realism on Gritty Streets of Greece

In Her Own Devices (Guernica Editions) by Geoffrey Dutton, readers are transported to the bustling streets of Piraeus, Greece, where danger lurks in the shadows, and redemption is something of which people only dream. The plot centers around Swiss ex-pat Anna Burmeister, haunted by a tumultuous past of activism, who…

Wyatt SemenukMay 21, 2024

Miscellany Romance

“The Enchanted Hacienda” Author J.C. Cervantes Teases a Sequel, Talks Magic, Love and Self-Care

“I was born a romantic! There is so much hope and magic in love, and it makes me believe that all things are possible.” Those are the words of J.C. Cervantes, bestselling author YA and adult contemporary romance and fantasy, and so appropriate to consider on Valentine’s Day. In fact,…

BookTribFebruary 14, 2024

When Power Devours Purpose and Justice Turns Ferocious

String of Fate Shows How Long You’ll Live in Stunning Debut

Tall Poppy Review: A Thousand-Mile Journey with China’s Magical Spirits

Story of Sarcasm, Sisters, and Secret Powers Redefines the Hero Origin Story

Death Is Full of Surprises in Touching Literary Fantasy

Screenwriter Collaborates With Shakespeare’s Ghost on Manuscript That Transcends Time

A Writer’s Journey Through Wart Wishes and Matchmaking Marvels

Dark, Fabulist Tale “Every Bone A Prayer” Summons Our Imaginations

Literary Crime Fiction Meets Magical Realism on Gritty Streets of Greece

“The Enchanted Hacienda” Author J.C. Cervantes Teases a Sequel, Talks Magic, Love and Self-Care

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