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

Genre: Magical Realism

  • Book ReviewsHistorical FictionMagical Realism

    Charlie N. Holmberg: The Keeper of Enchanted Rooms

    by Jefferz February 17, 2024
    February 17, 2024

    A haunted- or rather “enchanted” house on a private undeveloped island, a mysterious institute tasked with managing said properties in question, a budding and free-spirited writer teaming up with a prim and proper housekeeper; oh and there’s a dangerous magic-stealer on the loose. Charlie Holmberg’s Keeper of Enchanted Rooms has a lot of great elements working for it that should’ve culminated in an enchanted and dreamy experience. Unfortunately for me these pieces weren’t assembled in the most effective manner which made the overall reading experience feel underwhelming and a missed opportunity. With its diverse plot threads, the Keeper of Enchanted Rooms is a lot of things. Taking place in New England in 1846, it’s sort of a historical fiction novel (more on that below) with a fantasy and magical theme. However in actuality, the story is better described as a cozy fantasy of sorts; I’m not sure how to describe it beyond being slow-paced and comfortable. The fantasy elements are beyond magical realism, the romance isn’t strong enough to be considered romantasy yet the magic is not development enough to be pure or hard fantasy. The book feels like it’s intended as an adult novel due to the age of…

    Read more
    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditWhatsappEmail
  • Book ReviewsContemporary FictionMagical Realism

    Shelby Van Pelt: Remarkably Bright Creatures

    by Jefferz December 20, 2023
    December 20, 2023

    Remarkably Bright Creatures is a rather remarkable novel that was unfortunately not for me, my rating does not represent the quality of this book. Very similar in concept Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen which I had recently read last month, Remarkably Bright Creatures is a shifting perspective narrative focusing on several characters whose only connection at first is living/arriving in Sowell Bay. A quiet, small town nestled on the Puget sound, the most notable attraction in the area is the Sowell Bay Aquarium. Tova Sullivan is a 70-something year old senior who works part time at the aquarium in the evenings as a cleaning lady busying herself with moping floors, wiping fingerprints off aquarium glass, and keeping herself busy. She has a group of fellow senior ladies affectionately called the “knit-wits” (I found this hilarious) she often has lunch with, her evening job making sure the aquarium is clean and orderly, and frankly not much else. After losing her husband to cancer a few years ago and her only son Erik when he was 18 (a mysterious disappearance and suspected drowning in the bay), her life has little meaning or direction apart from an unexpected friendship with Mercellus, a senior giant…

    Read more
    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditWhatsappEmail
  • Book ReviewsContemporary FictionMagical Realism

    Sarah Addison Allen: Other Birds

    by Jefferz November 17, 2023
    November 17, 2023

    This is one of my first forays into the magical realism genre compared to my past reads that are solidly fantasy adventure or straight fiction which is a group of character leading seemingly unrelated lives and stories whose only surface level connection is their shared residence at the Dellawisp Manor/condo. New to the island and fresh out of high school Zoey moves into her late mom’s condo and spends the whole novel discovering parts of herself and finding her place in life through learning about her other neighbors on Mallow Island. The magical realism contributes the presence of certain characters as ghosts who have their memories and stories in-tact but really only exist to connect with those who are actually alive. The story jumps between different characters perspectives in the present tense as well as slowly introducing their backstories which surprise, isn’t as unrelated as things appear. I found the characters backstories and arcs to be quite varied but there’s common themes of broken or flawed familial life, rough upbringings, and a sense of abandonment. The story focuses on the concept of found family and although there are dark elements of child abuse and substance abuse, Other Birds still feels…

    Read more
    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditWhatsappEmail
  • Book ReviewsHistorical FictionMagical Realism

    Matt Haig: How to Stop Time

    by Jefferz October 28, 2023
    October 28, 2023

    Tom Hazard has been alive for four hundred and thirty nine years and over the course of history has spent many of them caught up in the past, protecting himself and loved ones from potential harm in the future, all while rarely truly living in the present. How to Stop Time is a unique read that presents the reader vignettes across Tom’s life (sometimes in and out of chronological order) loosely divided between five arcs that each focus on a particular theme and state of his life. While there are a lot of fun cameo appearances by famous historical figures that pop-up in the narrative (my personal favorite is William Shakespeare, I wish I was more cultured to have appreciated other cameos more), most of the bulk content involves Tom in a state of existential crisis. The overall story reminded me a lot of the 2015 movie Age of Adeline in concept while executed in a more introspective manner. While Age of Adeline was firmly focused on a romance drama, How to Stop Time’s romance serves more as a foundation and event pushes Tom to be the person that he is… hundreds of years later. This is first and foremost…

    Read more
    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditWhatsappEmail
  • Book ReviewsContemporary FictionLGBTQ+Romance

    Casey McQuiston: One Last Stop

    by Jefferz October 19, 2023
    October 19, 2023

    Note: The following original review for this book is old and does not meet current review standards. A fully rewritten review is planned. I had a hard time trying to figure out why I couldn’t really get into this one despite the novel having all the elements to be a compelling and romantic read and I think the biggest problem I had was finding the protagonist August and her love interest Jane to be bland and uninspiring. There’s quite a colorful variety of characters of various ethnic backgrounds and sexualities that provide fun group dynamics and banter which help pad out the novel (the side characters are frankly more interesting than the leads), but I felt like the actual core story and romance was thin and lacking development. To their credit McQuiston tries to pull some creative scenes to break up the monotony of repetitive constant scenes all taking place in a subway train car, but I often found myself applauding the effort that went into the book rather than actually enjoying the book. I also felt like there was very little plot progression in the first 250 pages other than establishing that August is out of place in a big…

    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, noir mystery, urban fantasy, 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

Caitlin Starling: The Starving Saints ReviewChip Pons: Winging It With You Review

☕ Recent Reviews

  • 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
  • Sara Raasch & Beth Revis: The Crimson Throne Review

    May 19, 2025
  • Sienna Sharpe: A Killer Getaway Review

    May 16, 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