The best books when you want to believe in magic again

I devoured this book when it first came out in 2006, indulging in every delectable morsel of its language, culture, and history. I remember racing to finish the last hundred pages before my children (now grown) hopped off the school bus.

There are scenes from this novel that remain as fresh in my mind today as when I first read them. Urrea creates an immersive, lush, and lyrical setting for this story based on the life of his real great-aunt, Teresita, who had healing powers and was acclaimed as a saint.

I love reading historical fiction that transports me to another time and place and educates me without feeling like a history lesson. 

I love books about books, so I was thrilled when Oxford's Bodleian Library and a bewitched alchemical manuscript turned up as the linchpin of this enchanting love story between a vampire and a reluctant witch.

While this story was made into a television series, do yourself a favor and read the entire trilogy. Harkness creates a compelling framework of history and heroics, love and loss, and friendship and betrayal for her underworld creatures to inhabit. And these are not your typical creatures of the night, but accomplished scholars, physicians, and scientists.

This book is one of those rare novels I wish I could read again for the first time and fall under its magical and mesmerizing spell anew.

I am often drawn to books that have a strong sense of place. I hit the jackpot with this book since the novel's main character and unifying force is a parcel of land in Massachusetts.

I smiled a great deal while reading this novel because it was such a fun literary ride. The construction of the narrative, a series of stories spanning generations, allowed me to play along with Mason as he expertly shifted from one era to the next, layering the magic of nature, destiny, and the never-ending cycle of life to create a masterpiece of storytelling.

This book is always on my list of favorite reads. Morgenstern invites us to inhabit a world where magic not only seems possible but wholly believable. I’ve read this book numerous times, and it always casts a spell over me so completely that the rest of my troubles disappear as quickly and mysteriously as the circus moves to another town.

The competition-turned-love story between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, moves the plot forward at a driving pace while enchanting subplots abound. Whenever I feel like I need to rekindle the magic in my own life, I pull this novel off the shelf.

Isn’t it wonderful when you pick up the right book at the right time? That’s exactly how I felt about this book.

I inhaled this novel, reading it in just a few sittings over two days. I loved how the three female protagonists were linked through time by their connection to Weyward Cottage and their exceptional connection to nature.

This novel moves effortlessly between points of view in 1619, 1942, and 2019. Hart ties the three women’s stories together beautifully at the end, making this read as satisfying as a perfect cup of tea on a cold winter’s day.