The most recommended magic books (illusion)

This author is new to me, and the entire time I was devouring this book, I kept thinking, I love the way this woman writes!

I’m not going to lie; the subject matter in this story is heavy—there is childhood trauma on multiple fronts—but somehow, the way the story unfolds leaves you feeling happy and hopeful instead of the normal gut-wrenching dread you might find with another author.

These characters are unique and interesting, and their journeys are interwoven in a seamless and sensitive manner so that you can’t help but cheer them on until they get their happily-ever-after, which, of course, they do.  

Have you ever been to a mathematics lecture where the speaker wore a tuxedo and baffled the audience with his mystifying knowledge of numbers? Well, I have and the speaker was Arthur Benjamin, who combined mathematics and magic. He even displayed this knowledge with Stephen Colbert on his earlier show The Colbert Report. It is our good fortune that he describes much of this mathematical wizardry in this fascinating book. 

Taylor is one of the authors who made me want to be a writer. He’s a magician of the short story, compressing events and characters from the upper South into luminous stories that can seem more real than life. He wrote longhand in poetic lines, usually drafting about a hundred pages for every ten he kept. The result is a rich reduction of scenes that move us to laughter and tears. Taylor holds the mirror up to life, and you can’t help but be drawn in.

The Witches of Vegas is a bewitching read that is hard to put down. Mainly, the narrative is divided between two high school-aged teens, Isis and Zack. Isis is a young witch kept in relative social isolation for her safety and the safety of others. The magic system in this world stems from emotion, and a young witch unable to control their feelings might magically lash out by accident. Zack is an apprentice magician, practicing card tricks and sleight of hand under his Uncle Herb's tutelage.

The Witches of Vegas is an enjoyable and quick read with a unique premise. I found Rosendorf's insight into how street performers pull off their tricks of particular interest.

The first of five volumes, Card College Vol. 1, introduces the serious student to the essentials of artistic card magic utilizing sleight of hand. Much of the material requires diligent practice, often for years, but what a payoff when you master it! 

All the latest techniques of card magic are here, accompanied by clear illustrations, a superb selection of tricks, and insightful essays on the psychology and presentation of magic. 

Giobbi is an excellent teacher and I return to these books often. It will be a long while before anything replaces this series. 

For anyone wishing to learn sleight of hand, this is the place to begin.

What makes the book so good are the more than 1500 illustrations combined with carefully written text. The book is loaded with more performance material than you’ll ever use, but so what?

The variety of magic taught is astonishing.  Bill—a noted sculptor as well as a magician—became a dear friend long after he had written this book. 

My wife and I once went to a magic convention with Bill and his wife Yvonne. The moment we walked into the main hall, he was surrounded by adoring fans who recognized him from his goatee and turtleneck and had grown up with his book by their bedside.    

Perry's female first-person narrator feels authentically womanly—albeit a Seneca kick-ass woman versus my ordinary amateur detective. He pulls this off effortlessly.

Perry is also a master of elongated suspense. You have to keep reading. You can’t stop. One surprising thing leads to another, and only Jane’s bag of tricks enables her to protect the woman she is trying to hide from nasty criminals. On the run with her charge for most of the book, the plot builds to a very satisfying conclusion.

Like many fantasy novels, The Paper Magician revolves around a character who feels small, lost, and powerless.

Although Ceony Twill desperately wants metal magic, she gets assigned to paper and decides to make the most of it. Since I’m half-Japanese, I immediately thought “origami!” when I read about the folding magic. It is the first book in a trilogy and I found the story to be a light, fast read.

Holmberg’s Victorian, gas-lamp world feels familiar, and though I found the characters a little thin (paper joke intended!), I enjoyed Ceony’s adventure. My favorite characters were two of the paper creatures, Fennel and Jonto, and I dare you not to adore them too!

The Magic of Grandfather Time is a beautiful short storybook.

Rose English has a superb talent for making the reader believe they are connected somehow to the story. You instantly fall in love with her characters and their pain is your pain. I love that this story is set on Christmas Eve—I could really feel the heat from the dimming fire, the bitterness of the snow and the sound of the Grandfather clock chiming away. I now want my own Grandfather clock!

A book that packs just enough emotion within, and certainly a story you will want to read again and again.

I randomly picked this book up in a rush out of the library and was pleasantly surprised. I’m a big fan of YA literature, but it’s often a challenge to find one with a female protagonist that doesn’t involve romance. Instead, this story is about loyalty to our family and fighting for something greater than ourselves. 

Biddy is a fantastic protagonist—resourceful, honest, and curious but also self-conscious, insecure, and stubborn. She’s grown up completely isolated on a hidden island raised by a reclusive magician named Rowan and his familiar, a rabbit named Hutchincroft. (sidenote: Hutchincroft was my favorite character in this story and one of my favorite animal characters of all time—he is unintentionally witty and naturally wise). 

Biddy supposedly washed up on the island as a baby. She’s not a mage but is surrounded by magic that is mostly whimsical but can turn menacing. When… show more.