Stephen King said, “Books are uniquely portable magic.” Here are a few especially magical stories that open up a whole new world of possibilities.
Big Fish
Imaginative, poignant, and bursting with magic, Daniel Wallace‘s Big Fish will open your mind to a thousand new adventures.
Tim Burton’s film adaptation starring Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, and Jessica Lange is the rare movie version that equals the book.
The Time Traveler’s Wife
Like Big Fish, Audrey Niffenegger‘s The Time Traveler’s Wife skillfully weaves authentic human emotion into a fantastical adventure. It’s intimate, funny, and deeply moving.
The film version, starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams, is also worth seeing.
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Garth Stein‘s The Art of Racing in the Rain captures the magical bond between people and their and canine soulmates by telling a human story from the perspective of the family dog. You’ll never look at your dog — or yourself — the same way.
A film version is in the works starring Patrick Dempsey.
If Only It Were True
French author Marc Levy‘s If Only It Were True is a whimsical romantic comedy that is actually both romantic and funny. If you want to add a little magic to your next day of beach reading, try this heartwarming story that will make you want to believe.
Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo starred in a film version called Just Like Heaven, which I suppose you could watch on an airplane or something.
The Griffin & Sabine Trilogy
Magical in both form and content, Nick Bantock‘s Griffin and Sabine Trilogy invites us to eavesdrop on an intimate correspondence by allowing us to read postcards and actual letters. It’s beautiful, intriguing, and wholly unique.
I can’t even imagine how a film version of this would be made, but I’m pretty sure Charlie Kaufman would be involved.