The Book Grind
  • Home
  • Book Reviews
    • By Title
    • By Author
    • By Year Read
    • By Series
    • Advanced Reader Copy Reviews
    • Archive (sortable)
  • Blog
  • Contact Me
    • Review Policy
Category:

Magical Realism

  • Book ReviewsContemporary FictionMagical RealismSpeculative Fiction

    Matt Haig: The Life Impossible

    by Jefferz September 15, 2024
    September 15, 2024

    This is my fourth Matt Haig novel that I’ve read (though I have another three that I already own but keep putting off) and The Life Impossible is both somewhat on-brand for what you would expect yet also quite out there in the back half of the book. If you are a fan of The Midnight Library but have yet to read his other works or are picking this up as your first Matt Haig novel, I would strongly recommend trying out his other books first and coming back to this one later. While The Life Impossible is filled to the brim with introspective reflections and lengthy internal monologues that are to be expected for Haig’s style, I found the fantasy/magical realism plot elements in this one to be quite bizarre, random, and less effectively incorporated into the character work of his previous books. That’s not to say that The Life Impossible isn’t well-written; it’s very ambitious and complex. It’s that the presentation and the plot devices are nowhere near as mass appealing or accessible as the Midnight Library and even as a fan of Matt Haig’s books and slower reads, even I had trouble staying invested in this one…

    Read more
    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditWhatsappEmail
  • Book ReviewsFantasyKorean LiteratureMagical Realism

    Mi-ye Le: The Dallergut Dream Department Store

    by Jefferz August 25, 2024
    August 25, 2024

    Creatively whimsical, The Dallergut Dream Department Store fits nicely into the cozy magical realism/fantasy-feel genre that admittedly is normally not my thing. Lee’s debut novel follows a similar formula of other Asian-translated cozy reflective stories in a similar style of Kawaguchi’s Before the Coffee Gets Cold or Aoyama’s What You Are Looking for is in the Library. However unlike many books it’s drawn similarities to, The Dallergut Dream Department Store is presented in a far more whimsical manner that focuses on the Dream Village and the inner workings of how dreams are created, sold, and used by sleeping customers. Like those other novels, there isn’t much of an overall plot or storyline as the main character Penny serves as a surrogate for the reader experiencing and learning about the Dallergut Dream Store. While I wasn’t necessarily hooked by this book, I was impressed by its creativity and appreciative of how well it accomplished what it was trying to do with its premise. At just over 200 pages, it’s also an incredibly easy and breezy read that you can pick up and put down casually without sacrificing details or the reading experience. Cozy reads are typically not my go-to genre, and…

    Read more
    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditWhatsappEmail
  • Book ReviewsContemporary FictionMagical RealismRomance

    Ashley Poston: A Novel Love Story

    by Jefferz July 4, 2024
    July 4, 2024

    Charming, cozy, and exceedingly clever, I thoroughly enjoyed Ashley Poston’s A Novel Love Story that delivers on its creative premise. Beyond Eloraton’s warm vibe, this book is filled to the brim with numerous book references and has a lot going on beyond the focal romance plot thread. I generally liked The Dead Romantics and thought The Seven Year Slip was great, however A Novel Love Story is easily my favorite and has solidified Ashley Poston’s work for me. Well-written and lovingly crafted, this is an easy recommendation for anyone who like romance (particularly high-concept ones), cozy/easy reads, or even light touches of magical realism (a genre I typically do not care for). When this book was announced, I automatically added it to my reading list purely based on the premise which is one of my favorite tropes if done well. From the start, the story reminded me a lot of the BBC’s miniseries Lost in Austen which also features the main character being transported into their favorite literary world, in that case being Pride and Prejudice. A Novel Love Story doesn’t have the luxury of working off a popular established piece and has to work a lot harder with its…

    Read more
    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditWhatsappEmail
  • Book ReviewsJapanese LiteratureMagical Realism

    Toshikazu Kawaguchi: Tales From the Cafe

    by Jefferz March 19, 2024
    March 19, 2024

    Book #2 in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, I picked this up with the hope that it would be a more refined and improved version of the stellar premise introduced in book #1 of the anthology series that I felt was hindered by lackluster execution. While I did find that it introduced more creative and ambitious stories, ultimately it largely feels like the same misguided experience which I’m unfortunately not a fan of. Much like Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Tales From the Cafe feels like a slow and thoughtful reflection on one’s regrets and “what if’s”. Similar to book #1, the cafe Funiculi Funicula’s timeless setting is still quite an aesthetic location that lends itself perfectly to the premise of time travel. Based on context clues and the presence (or lack of) of certain characters, Tales From the Cafe takes place roughly seven years after the events of Before the Coffee Gets Cold. I found that the four short stories were at their best when it connected the four focal time-travelers to characters featured in previous stories, particularly when it involved guests seeking to speak with characters who are no longer alive. On the flipside, stories that…

    Read more
    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditWhatsappEmail
  • Book ReviewsMagical RealismRomance

    Ashley Poston: The Seven Year Slip

    by Jefferz March 9, 2024
    March 9, 2024

    The Seven Year Slip has already been well-received with a following but admittedly it took me a while to get into it (as usual contemporary romance fiction without witty comedy is not my go-to genre). While the listed romance genre is prevalent right from the get-go, about a third of the way into the book, the plot and character development ramps up substantially and crosses over into straight contemporary fiction drama. While the romance and chemistry are good, the Seven Year Slip’s synopsis doesn’t include the more nuanced topics covered in the back half of the book involving grief and loss, one’s goals, “happiness”, losing yourself and understanding that constant changes that are inevitable over time. Our main character Clementine is an ambitious, workaholic publicist working at a small yet successful publishing company who is personally tasked by one of the co-owners to sign an up-and-coming chef James Ashton for a cookbook publishing deal after one of their biggest clients jumps ship to a rival publisher. She throws herself fully into her work 24/7 so there’s no time to have to worry about her recent breakup or the loss of her aunt who she was close to. Just as she’s…

    Read more
    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditWhatsappEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts

☕ About Me

Reader & Coffee Connoisseur

Reader & Coffee Connoisseur


I am a reading enthusiast and book reviewer who enjoys reading with a warm latte in-hand, breaking down what I read in detail. Although my favorite genres are sci-fi, high/epic fantasy, mystery noir, and a sprinkle of contemporary romance, I consider myself a variety reader.


With a coffee (or favorite beverage) of choice, join me on The Book Grind as we read and sip our way through some great novels.

Professional Reader10 Book ReviewsFeatured Book Reviewer

☕ Currently Reading

Mi-ye Le: The Dallergut Dream-Making District ReviewAva Reid: A Study in Drowning Review

☕ Recent Reviews

  • Kathryn Purdie: The Forest Grimm Review

    July 5, 2025
  • Chip Pons: Winging It With You Review

    July 1, 2025
  • Daria Lavelle: Aftertaste Review

    June 25, 2025
  • Holly Race: Six Wild Crowns Review

    June 19, 2025
  • Colin Searle: The Call of Abaddon Review

    June 15, 2025
  • Cara Bastone: Promise Me Sunshine Review

    June 9, 2025
  • Robert Jackson Bennett: The Tainted Cup Review

    June 7, 2025
  • Beth Cato: Cheddar Luck Next Time Review

    June 3, 2025
  • Holly Jackson: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder Review

    June 1, 2025
  • John Scalzi: The Kaiju Preservation Society

    May 27, 2025
  • B.K. Borison: First-Time Caller Review

    May 25, 2025
  • Alex Howard: The Ghost Cat Review

    May 22, 2025

☕ Recent Blog Posts

  • 2024 Most Disappointing Reads

    February 24, 2025
  • Kindle Unlimited Reading Marathon Picks

    February 9, 2025
  • 2024 Most Pleasantly Surprising Reads

    January 31, 2025
  • 2024 Reading Wrap Up’s

    January 9, 2025
  • Goodreads
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Email
Footer Logo

@2025 - All Right Reserved.


Back To Top
The Book Grind
  • Home
  • Book Reviews
    • By Title
    • By Author
    • By Year Read
    • By Series
    • Advanced Reader Copy Reviews
    • Archive (sortable)
  • Blog
  • Contact Me
    • Review Policy