Book #147 of 2026: One Jar of Magic by Corey Ann Haydu As with author Corey Ann Haydu’s later middle-grade fantasy novel The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Greene, this 2021 title stands out in that genre for its realistic portrayal of an unhealthy household dynamic for its twelve-year-old protagonist. Here, though, the adults aren’t simply …
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Book #145 of 2026: Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (Nevermoor #2) I like this children’s fantasy sequel even better than its series debut, although the Harry Potter similarities are heavier this time (which is perhaps not a problem if you’re explicitly seeking a Rowling-free substitute, but does suggest a certain lack …
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Book #144 of 2026: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia #5) [Note: this is an updated version of my review from 2020.] This was always my favorite Narnia volume growing up, and it turns out I actually like it even better as an adult. The nautical adventure …
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Book #142 of 2026: The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub (The Talisman #1) I wasn’t overly impressed when I read this novel a decade ago, but with the news that another sequel would be coming soon, I wanted to return to it to refresh my memory. On this reread I was joined by …
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Book #140 of 2026: Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders An ambitious and experimental novel that ultimately doesn’t quite work for me. I like this conceit in the abstract, of a purgatory populated by spirits who can’t pass on because they won’t admit that they’re dead, and I love the detail of the real …
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Book #136 of 2026: The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones by Lex Croucher When they were eleven, Briar Jones anxiously waited in vain for an admittance letter from Britain’s famous magic boarding school. Their rich best friend did get in as a legacy student, and our protagonist never saw him again — until seven years …
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Book #134 of 2026: Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (Nevermoor #1) There’s a heavy Roald Dahl flavor to this middle-grade fantasy debut — in terms of both the unhappy homes of Matilda or James and the Giant Peach and the eccentric wealthy benefactor of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory — but …
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Book #131 of 2026: The River That Ran Away to Paradise by Victoria Goddard I tend to prefer author Victoria Goddard’s novel-length fiction over these shorter releases, but this latest novella is well-pitched for the amount of story that it has to tell. It also represents my favorite sort of expanded universe item, wherein the …
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Book #130 of 2026: Enchanters’ End Game by David Eddings (The Belgariad #5) A perfunctory conclusion to what’s been an unfortunately pretty generic fantasy saga all along. I wouldn’t specifically recommend the lot, but the worst complaint I can probably lodge against this final novel is that it’s aged as poorly as its predecessors in …
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Book #128 of 2026: The Wizard Who Kept Himself Suspicious by Scott Lynch A charming — pun intended — little fantasy novella, in which a group of sorcerers gather for a regular beachside conclave of their order that takes a surprising turn into a Columbo-like murder mystery investigation when one of them is struck dead. …
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