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Dana (24 KP) rated Beloved in Books

Mar 23, 2018  
Beloved
Beloved
A.S. Byatt, Toni Morrison | 2006 | Fiction & Poetry
8
6.9 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
I had to read this book for my craft of fiction class. This was my first time reading it, but we were able to look at it as more than just plot, and more about how it was written and why it was written that way.

There are spoilers, so read at your own risk.

I very much enjoyed this book. I loved this view into a post slavery world filled of women who have to deal with the grief that has followed them throughout their lives. Sethe, though she has made her mistakes in her life, is still a sympathetic character who relies on her grief to survive through what she has done. Her daughters are strong women in their own rights. Beloved, being childlike and taking out her rage of her death on her mother and her family through stealing the attention and food for herself. She isolates, makes it so the others feel death hanging over themselves to understand her pain.

The format, being more stream of consciousness and not a cohesive, linear narrative, lends itself well to the magical realism of this book. This is nothing like a Harry Potter type of magical realism though. This is steeped in the tradition of former slaves, magical in their beliefs of the world and the afterlife. Not the people being able to control magic, but allowing it to be a real thing in their lives either way.

I really liked this book. If you want to understand why, check it out for yourself.
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Oct 4, 2020  
Are you a fan of Young Adult fantasy or magical realism books? If so, you have to check out ESCAPE FROM WHEEL by Author Michael Scott Clifton on my blog. There's also a GIVEAWAY to win a signed copy or eBook of ESCAPE FROM WHEEL and/or a $15 Amazon gift card!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2020/10/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-escape-from.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
New Life, New World, New Problems

Alexandria Duvalier’s new life on the magical world of Meredith takes a shattering twist when her father, the Duke of Wheel, pledges her hand in marriage to the cruel lord, Rodric Regret. Desperate to escape his clutches, Alex flees the city with the help of her friend, Tell Tollet, a handsome lieutenant in the city guard. But their freedom is short-lived when Rodric’s brutal brother, Stefan, joins in the pursuit.

Hotheaded Prince Tal, heir to the throne of Meredith, has but one goal: kill the Dark Queen and destroy the Veil, the enchanted barrier which has ensnared generations of his people. He discovers a breach in the magical wall and leads an army through, bent on completing his mission.

When an unusual and potent magic calls to him, he follows its trail back to Alex. Thrown together by circumstances and chased across the wilderness by the ruthless Lord Stefan, Tal and Alex are drawn to each other by the greatest magic of all—love. Now they just need to stay alive . . .
      
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Nov 27, 2022  
Love surfing? Author Kellye Abernathy stops by my blog to share three things you many not know about surfing. While you're there, check out her middle grade magical realism fantasy book THE AQUAMARINE SURFBOARD, and enter the giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy.

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2022/11/pop-up-blog-hop-and-giveaway-aquamarine.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
“Age never matters; these things are about bravery and heart.”

Thirteen-year-old Condi Bloom’s dream is to learn to surf, but her laid-back beach town isn’t what it used to be. Big resort owners are taking over the cove. Worse, someone’s harassing the Beachlings, the mysterious old women living in the cliffs off Windy Hollow, a lonely tower of rock that people say is haunted. When a new surfer boy named Trustin shows up in town and invites Condi to a forbidden surfing spot, she’s swept into an extraordinary underwater adventure, where a surprising encounter with Koan, the Riddlemaster of the Sea, changes her life. Along with Trustin, his quirky twin and a mystical aquamarine surfboard, Condi learns the untold stories of the Beachlings, uncovering the timeless secrets of Windy Hollow.

Ebbing and flowing between reality and magic, times past and present, The Aquamarine Surfboard by Kellye Abernathy is a riveting beach tale about opening up to mystery, building community when and where you can — and discovering the ocean is filled with magic—the really BIG kind—the kind that changes the world.
      
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ClareR (5721 KP) rated Odette in Books

Jan 5, 2019  
Odette
Odette
Jessica Duchen | 2018 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A charming story
A lovely, magical book about a swan that crashes through Mitzi's flat window during a storm, and then at dusk turns into a young woman. This is a reworking of the Swan Princess/ Swan Lake, or rather a 'what would happen if her spell lasted for over 100 years'?
The Princess, Odette, is naive, even though she is over 100 years old (being a swan for half of your time and living in the woods on your own, will do that to a person, I suppose), and adjusting to life in the modern age is quite hard for her. She is adamant that she needs to find a man to love her to break the spell, and Mitzi just wants to protect her and help her where she can.
I really enjoyed this story, which is rich in magical realism. The contrast of old magic and modern British life, made it on the whole quite believable, really!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for the chance to read this story on their social platform!
  
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Dana (24 KP) rated Beware the Wild (Beware the Wild, #1) in Books

Mar 23, 2018  
BT
Beware the Wild (Beware the Wild, #1)
Natalie C. Parker | 2016
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Beware the Wild is a beautifully crafted novel that takes the Magical Realism realm to a new height. I loved how inhabited the world of this book is.

Not only does the swamp become a character in and of itself, it also sets the tone to the creepy and haunting vibe Parker is striving for.

I think what I like most about it is how the magic is wholly ingrained into this society by their obstinate to acknowledge that it is real. Each time it is brought up, especially to people who are able to understand the consequences of what is going on, there is such a fear about the truth that they refuse to talk about it. There's also the fact that, while they know there is something bad and probably magic about this swamp, these people do not know exactly what that magical thing is. SO instead of dealing with it, they build a fence and hope for the best.

The magic itself was something that is both beautiful and corrupting which was very intriguing and well thought out. Props to you, Ms Parker.

The characters in this book were all well drawn out. I was hoping for more of a backstory of what happened to the twins in the swamp to make them how they are. Yes, we do get a small amount of the reason, but I wished it was fleshed out a bit more.

Sterling and her brother had an odd dynamic, but it was a good one. I wish we would get more into Sterling and her motivations to why she makes certain choices, but she is still a strong character.

And Heath. Poor guy just wants to be able to live a little, right? Nope. He is my tragic hero in this book and I hope we get to see more of him in Behold the Bones because I loved him in this one.

I have been wanting to read this book for so long and I am so pleased with it! I was lucky enough to be able to meet the author at Yallwest this year and she was so incredibly sweet.

I am so excited to read the next book! I can't wait to get it!