Tag: magical

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The Memory Bookshop: A Novel

by Song Yu-jeong (Author), Shanna Tan (Translator) 

192 pages Publisher William Morrow Paperbacks Publication date July 7, 2026

ABOUT THE BOOK

THE KOREAN SENSATION

For lovers of The Midnight Library and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, discover a spellbinding novel about a mysterious bookshop that exists outside of time and space, where the past is only a page away…

If you’re lost or grieving, you’ll find The Memory Bookshop, where the shelves are endless; the books, strangely familiar; and where memories are bound in pages.

Jiwon’s life has been slowly disintegrating since her mother died. Until one day, caught by a sudden downpour, she stumbles into a mysterious bookstore. Inside, she is met by Manager K and offered no explanation, only a mysterious hourglass and a rare opportunity: to travel back to three chapters of her life.

But returning to the past isn’t without risk. In exchange, Jiwon must give up time in her future.

As she wanders between the shelves, the bookshop humming with memories and regrets, she must ask herself: can the past truly be rewritten? Or does the real magic lie in the life she’s yet to live?

Warm, wise, and full of wonder, The Memory Bookshop is a story about the journey of grief and the power of books to carry us home.

MY THOUGHTS

The Memory Bookshop is heartachingly beautiful.
After a woman has trouble accepting and dealing with the grief from her mother’s death seven years later she visits a doctor only to be given no counseling or mental health help but just a prescription by a short-tempered doctor.
Wandering the neighborhood after the visit she stumbles upon the Memory Bookshop which appears to those who need it.
Upon entering she finds books from her childhood bringing back childhood memories and the exact scenes and smells of past events.
Revisiting these moments in time that have passed leads to help in her dealing with grief and really takes the reader back in time and has a profound effect on them. Such a beautiful read and really makes you think.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

Song Yu-jeong has been writing webnovels for six years under the pen name “All Day.” Her novel The Memory Bookshop was initially self-published after reaching 150% of its target on the crowdfunding platform Tumblbug, before being picked up by Dasan Books in South Korea.

Magical bookshop inside a large tree with lanterns, stairs, bookshelves, and people outside at night
A cozy magical bookshop nestled within a giant tree lights up a tranquil evening forest scene.
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The Cinnamon Spellbook Bakery: A BRAND NEW magical small-town romance filled with irresistible chemistry from Ella Cook (The Magic of Hudsbury 1)

330 pages Publisher Boldwood Books Publication date

July 5, 2026

ABOUT THE BOOK

Step into the cosy and magical town of Hudsbury this autumn, where pumpkins can talk (and gossip), pastries have healing properties, and love is brewing like a magic potion. 🥐🍁

Aiden arrived in Hudsbury hoping for peace and quiet – but the quirky little town has other ideas. Nestled among golden leaves and crisp fall air, he’s drawn into a peculiar shop filled with the scent of cinnamon and a hint of magic… and is convinced to become the town’s newest baker.

The residents, and especially a mysterious grey cat named Mist, seem to know more than they let on. Whispering trees, heart-soothing teas, and jack-o-lanterns offering playful romantic advice make Hudsbury a place where the ordinary and magical intertwine.

Then he meets Mia, the practical local nurse. One playful night grows into a friends with benefits arrangement—but under the glow of autumn leaves and cackling pumpkins, sparks are impossible to ignore, blurring the lines of their friendship. As Aiden’s magic grows wilder and long-held secrets from his past begin to surface, he realises that love—and a little enchantment—might be exactly what he and Mia need to finally open their hearts.

A heartwarming, magical tale of scones, spells, and second chances, The Cinnamon Spellbook Bakery is a cozy fantasy full of charm, emotion, and the healing power of love—with just a dash of chaos.

MY THOUGHTS

I seem to find myself reading books that have magic in them recently. Either there has been an increase of this type of book being published recently or I am finding myself now drawn to them and that’s not a bad thing.
Smalltown charm, and a pleasant shop owner drew me right in and I found myself enjoying this book a lot.
The bakery/magical shop is very cozy and inviting. Once you step through its doors it knows what you need and heals you.
From a talking cat to charming and lovable pumpkins the Fall vibes drew me right in. The romance had a natural development. Towards the end there was a serious bit added and I’m looking forward to continuing reading about the characters in future books.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About the author

Ella’s been obsessed with books since the moment she could reach to pull them off the shelf by herself, and has wanted to write for as long as she can remember.

She grew up in London where fairies lived at the bottom of her Grandma’s garden, and she still looks for magic – and often finds it – in everyday life.

She won the SWWJ Floella Benjamin Award in 2019, and published her debut, BEYOND GREY with Choc Lit and Ruby Fiction in 2021. Her books are now published by Joffe Books, who won the IPG Trade Publisher of the Year in 2023. She doesn’t plan to stop writing any time soon.

When she emerges from her fictional worlds, she writes bids for children’s services and lives in Warwickshire (where there are probably more fairies) with her ever-loving husband who reads all her stories first and makes gallons of tea in magical cups that keep drinks warm for whole chapters.

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All the Lost Places

by Amanda Dykes-Review

About The Book

When all of Venice is unmasked, one man’s identity remains a mystery . . .

1807
When a baby is discovered floating in a basket along the quiet canals of Venice, a guild of artisans takes him in and raises him as a son, skilled in each of their trades. Although the boy, Sebastien Trovato, has wrestled with questions of his origins, it isn’t until a woman washes ashore on his lagoon island that answers begin to emerge. In hunting down his story, Sebastien must make a choice that could alter not just his own future, but also that of the beloved floating city.

1904
Daniel Goodman is given a fresh start in life as the century turns. Hoping to redeem a past laden with regrets, he is sent on an assignment from California to Venice to procure and translate a rare book. There, he discovers a city of colliding hope and decay, much like his own life, and a mystery wrapped in the pages of that filigree-covered volume. With the help of Vittoria, a bookshop keeper, Daniel finds himself in a web of shadows, secrets, and discoveries carefully kept within the stones and canals of the ancient city . . . and in the mystery of the man whose story the book does not finish: Sebastien Trovato.

My Thoughts

This book deserves many more than five stars.

I am not sure I have ever read a book quite like this one before.

Some books come into your life, are read and quickly forgotten. 

Not so with this one It will be remembered by myself and many other readers for quite some time.

I feel spiritually fulfilled after reading this.

The descriptions are so vivid that I feel as though I was experiencing this with all the characters in the time periods portrayed.

The book is a real gem, the words are clear, concise and fluid.

I am really looking forward to reading more by this author.

I was given a complimentary copy by Interviews and Reviews and Bethany House Publishers. All opinions expressed are my own.

Grab A Copy Here

The Author

Amanda Dykes is a drinker of tea, dweller of redemption, and spinner of hope-filled tales who spends most days chasing wonder and words with her family. She’s the winner of the 2020 Christy Award Book of the Year, a Booklist 2019 Top Ten title, and the winner of an INSPY award for her debut novel, Whose Waves These Are. She’s also the author of Set the Stars Alight (a Christy Award finalist), Yours is the Night (recipient of the Kipp Award, Christy Award finalist), All the Lost Places (starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Foreword), and three novellas. Find her online at amandadykes.com

Thank you for visiting today. I hope your day is wonderful.