Late January is a weird in-between time for a lot of people. The holidays are over and the excitement of New Year’s resolutions are beginning to fade, but there’s still a lot of cold, dark winter left to get through. I like to embrace the dark and the cold at this time of year, so I thought I’d dedicate January’s list to some of my favorite recent magical realism reads that complement the vibe of the dark half of the year. Just a bit of an escapism-based list that will hopefully help you enjoy these late winter days, while they last.
Once Upon a River
Diane Setterfield
2018
Fiction
Diane Setterfield has recently become one of my favorite novelists, and really, all of her books would be perfect for this list, but I chose my favorite to start with. Once Upon a River begins on the winter solstice, in a pub on the banks of the River Thames. The patrons are hiding away from the dark and the cold inside the pub, gathered around the warmth of the fire to drink and listen to the storytellers spin their yarns. Suddenly, a stranger bursts through the door carrying in his arms the body of a girl who drowned in the river. The patrons help to settle the body of the girl in a back room, where it will stay while they figure out who the girl is and what happened to…
