Books like 'The Phoenix Ballroom'
Readers who enjoyed The Phoenix Ballroom by Ruth Hogan also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
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The Houseplant by Jeremy Ray
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsGeorge, a fern, doesn’t appreciate being bought by Brenda at Garden Palace.And he certainly doesn’t appreciate being trapped in her house of humans. He yearns to be with the plants outside in the garden. With time, George learns to trust Brenda and think of her as his human. Then one day, tragedy strikes and George’s life will never be the same...Categorized as:
literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism adult anthologies audiobook contemporary fiction -
La Ménagerie de papier by Ken Liu
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsElle plaque la feuille sur la table, face vierge exposée, et la plie. Intrigué, j'arrête de pleurer pour l'observer. Ma mère retourne le papier et le plie de nouveau, avant de le border, de le plisser, de le rouler et de le tordre jusqu à ce qu'il disparaisse entre ses mains en coupe. Puis elle porte ce petit paquet à sa bouche et y souffle comme dans un ballon. «Kan», dit-elle. «Laohu»...Categorized as:
magical-realism literary-fiction family low-fantasy fantasy fiction contemporary audiobook -
The Oversoul Seven Trilogy: The Education of Oversoul Seven, The Further Education of Oversoul Seven, Oversoul Seven and the Museum of Time by Jane Roberts, Robert F. Butts
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJane Roberts has contributed to The Oversoul Seven Trilogy as an author.Roberts was considered one of the most important psychics of the twentieth century...Categorized as:
literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism adult anthologies contemporary fiction philosophy -
The Secrets of Lost Stones by Melissa Payne
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA soul-stirring novel about the bonds between mother and child and the redemption that comes with facing the past and letting it go.Thirty-two-year-old Jess Abbot has lost everything: her job, her apartment, and—most heart-wrenching—her eight-year-old son, Chance, to a tragic accident...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism adult audiobook -
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Joe Nuthin's Guide to Life by Helen Fisher
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA thoroughly uplifting novel about a neurodivergent young man who unexpectedly builds a community and saves a friend in need by following—in a way only he can—his mother’s words of wisdom.Joe-Nathan likes the two parts of his name separate, just like dinner and dessert. Mean Charlie at work sometimes calls him Joe-Nuthin. But Joe is far from nothing...Categorized as:
literary-fiction friendship female-mc magical-realism low-fantasy fiction contemporary audiobook -
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsYears ago, a reclusive mega-bestselling children’s author quit writing under mysterious circumstances. Suddenly he resurfaces with a brand-new book and a one-of-a-kind competition, offering a prize that will change the winner’s life in this absorbing and whimsical novel.“Clever, dark, and hopeful . .Categorized as:
magical-realism literary-fiction female-mc family friendship romance fantasy fiction -
Silver Threads by Bette Lee Crosby
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOn the day Jennifer Green was born a pile of stones was placed alongside her scale of life. A few were the dark gray of sorrow, but most were a pale blush color. The largest stone was the rose hue of a sunrise. That one would be placed on the scale the day she married Drew Bishop. Even more brilliant but a wee bit smaller was the pink stone glistening with specs of silver...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship literary-fiction magical-realism adult book contemporary -
The Loft by Bette Lee Crosby
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings50 YEARS OF MEMORIES ARE HIDDEN IN THE WALLS OF THE LOFT... Annie only needs to find one... the one that will save Oliver's life. On the day of their wedding, Annie saw nothing but happiness ahead, but when an accident calls her back to Memory House, her world is changed forever...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship literary-fiction magical-realism adult book contemporary -
When the Butterflies Came by Kimberley Griffiths Little
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEverybody thinks Tara Doucet has the perfect life. But in reality, Tara’s life is anything but perfect: Her dear Grammy Claire has just passed away, her mother is depressed and distant, and she and her sister Riley can’t seem to agree on anything...Categorized as:
family friendship literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism animals book children -
Your Absence is Darkness by Jón Kalman Stefánsson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA spellbinding saga about the inhabitants and inheritors of one rural community, by one of Iceland's most beloved novelists. A man comes to awareness in a church in rural Iceland, not knowing why he’s there or how he arrived... -
Gorilla by Anthony Browne
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAnthony Browne’s incomparable artwork illuminates the deeply satisfying story of a lonely girl, a friendly gorilla, and their enchanted night out.Hannah spends all of her time reading gorilla books, watching gorilla TV shows, and drawing gorilla pictures. She has gorillas on her bedside lamp and even on her box of cereal...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship low-fantasy magical-realism abuse action-adventure animals -
The Shiver by Jakub Małecki
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsONLY ONE CHAPTER - 1938-1969 One of the most renowned books of 2015.Polish bestseller.The book compared to the works of Johnatan Carroll, Fiodor Dostojewski, Andy Weir and Jurij Andruchowycz.The novel has been recommended by the best Polish Wiesław Myśliwski, Jacek Dukaj, Szczepan Twardoch, Wit Szostak.Masterly prose wrapped in magical realism...Categorized as:
literary-fiction magical-realism family fiction contemporary audiobook historical-fiction fantasy -
Three Scenarios In Which Hana Sasaki Grows A Tail by Kelly Luce
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThree Scenarios in Which Hana Sasaki Grows a Tail is a debut collection of stories from Kelly Luce. Hana Sasaki will introduce you to many things—among them, an oracular toaster, a woman who grows a tail, and an extraordinary sex-change operation. Set in Japan, these stories tip into the fantastical, plumb the power of memory, and measure the human capacity to love...Categorized as:
literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism adult anthologies contemporary dark fiction -
Poor Deer by Claire Oshetsky
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA wondrous, tender novel about a young girl grappling with her role in a tragic loss—and attempting to reshape the narrative of her life—from PEN/Faulkner Award nominee Claire OshetskyMargaret Murphy is a weaver of fantastic tales, growing up in a world where the truth is too much for one little girl to endure. Her first memory is of the day her friend Agnes died.No one blames Margaret...Categorized as:
magical-realism literary-fiction family female-mc fiction contemporary fantasy grief -
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Imagine a Place by Sarah L. Thomson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIf you can imagine a place, you can go there. Imagine a place that makes you feel as free as a bird. Imagine a place where getting there is worth whatever it takes. Imagine a place that makes you feel like it's always been your destination. Imagine a place made out of pure imagination...Categorized as:
low-fantasy magical-realism book children children-books contemporary fiction fantasy -
Once Upon a Book by Grace Lin, Kate Messner
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom Caldecott and Newbery Honoree Grace Lin and bestselling author Kate Messner comes a modern folktale about the joy of reading.Once upon a time, there was a girl. She went to a place alive with colors, where even the morning dew was warm. Alice loves to imagine herself in the magical pages of her favorite book...Categorized as:
family magical-realism low-fantasy fantasy children-books action-adventure fiction children -
In a Thousand Different Ways by Cecelia Ahern
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFinding your way is never a simple journey…Alice sees the best in people.She also sees the worst.She sees a thousand different emotions and knows exactly what everyone around her is feeling.Every. Single. Day.But it’s the dark thoughts.The sadness. The rage.These are the things she can’t get out of her head. The things that overwhelm her...Categorized as:
family literary-fiction magical-realism low-fantasy fiction contemporary fantasy audiobook -
Imagine a Night by Sarah L. Thomson
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsImagine a night when you can ride your bike right up the stairs to your bed. Imagine a night when your toy train rumbles on its tracks out of your room and roars back in, full sized, ready for you to hop on for a nighttime adventure. Imagine a night when a farmer plays a lullaby on his fiddle, and his field of sunflowers begins to dip and sway to the rhythm...Categorized as:
family low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure book children children-books contemporary -
The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEverywhere, the birds: sparrows and skylarks and thrushes, starlings and bellbirds, fantails and pipits – but above them all and louder, the magpies. We are here and this is our tree and we’re staying and it is ours and you need to leave and now.Tama is just a helpless chick when he is rescued by Marnie, and this is where his story might have ended...Categorized as:
literary-fiction magical-realism family low-fantasy fiction fantasy animals contemporary -
It's Raining Men by Milly Johnson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA getaway to remember. But is a holiday romance on the cards? Best friends from work May, Lara and Clare are desperate for some time away. They have each had a rough time of it lately and need some serious R & R, so they set off to a luxurious spa for ten glorious days. But when they arrive at their destination, it seems it is not the place they thought it was... -
Portable Childhoods by Ellen Klages, Neil Gaiman
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEmerging from a unique and powerful voice, this innovative collection offers a tantalizing glimpse of what lies hidden just beyond the ordinary, skirting the border between childhood and adulthood...Categorized as:
literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism anthologies contemporary fiction lgbtq magic -
The Infinity Year of Avalon James by Dana Middleton
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAvalon James and Atticus Brightwell have a secret--one that they aren't allowed to discuss with anyone. This secret is shared between two best friends. When you and your best friend turn ten years old magical things are said to happen. You both will receive some kind of magical power. It can be a power you can call on time and time again. Or it can be a power that comes once when you need it most... -
Safe as Houses by Marie-Helene Bertino
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSafe as Houses, the debut story collection of Marie-Helene Bertino, proves that not all homes are shelters. The titular story revolves around an aging English professor who, mourning the loss of his wife, robs other people's homes of their sentimental knick-knacks. In "Free Ham," a young dropout wins a ham after her house burns down and refuses to accept it...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction magical-realism adult anthologies contemporary female-author fiction -
The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsInspired by C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, this wild and wondrous novel is a fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the back of wardrobes—just in case—from the author of The Wishing Game...Categorized as:
magical-realism literary-fiction family female-mc low-fantasy fantasy fiction contemporary -
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All About Evie by Cathy Lamb
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSet against the natural beauty of the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest, acclaimed author Cathy Lamb’s latest novel tells the emotionally compelling story of one woman’s life-changing discovery about her past . . . As a child, Evie Lindsay was unnerved by her premonitions... -
A Lifetime of Impossible Days by Tabitha Bird
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA thoughtful, uplifting and magical story of childhood, family and finding ways to change the inevitable . . .Meet Willa Waters, aged 8 . . . 33 . . . and 93.On one impossible day in.1965, eight-year-old Willa Waters receives a mysterious box containing a jar of water and the instruction: 'One ocean: plant in the backyard...Categorized as:
family friendship literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure adult audiobook -
Timeskipper by Stefano Benni
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom the author of Margherita Dolce Vita One late-winter morning as he is "hop-hiking" downhill toward his character-building destination, a vomit-yellow cube surrounded by a garden of barbarously unkempt weeds known as the Bisacconi elementary school, Stefano Benni's young hero encounters a peculiar man--as big as a mountain and as filthy as a garbage dump, with a vast beard the color of a...Categorized as:
literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism adult book coming-of-age contemporary fiction -
O by Eka Kurniawan
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTentang seekor monyet yang ingin menikah dengan Kaisar Dangdut... -
The Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom the author of The Lies Among Us comes a magical tale about mothers and daughters, choices and consequences, and the real meaning of home when every place feels like a cage.Ten months. That’s the longest Elisa has stayed anyplace, constantly propelled by her fear that if she puts down roots, a family curse will turn her into a tree...Categorized as:
magical-realism family literary-fiction female-mc low-fantasy fantasy fiction gothic -
The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom the author of the phenomenal bestseller The Keeper of Stories, comes the next uplifting story of how the most unexpected friendships are forged in the most unlikely of places . . .Jo Sorsby knows she is hiding from her past when she steps in to look after her uncle’s stationery shop...Categorized as:
friendship literary-fiction magical-realism family romance fiction contemporary audiobook -
Курильщик by Mariam Petrosyan, Мариам Петросян
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsНа окраине города, среди стандартных новостроек, стоит Серый Дом, в котором живут Сфинкс, Слепой, Лорд, Табаки, Македонский, Черный и многие другие. Неизвестно, действительно ли Лорд происходит из благородного рода драконов, но вот Слепой действительно слеп, а Сфинкс - мудр. Табаки, конечно, не шакал, хотя и любит поживиться чужим добром... -
The Doll People by Ann M. Martin, Laura Godwin
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAnnabelle Doll is 8 years old--and has been for over 100 years. Nothing much has changed in the dollhouse during that time, except for the fact that 45 years ago, Annabelle's Auntie Sarah disappeared from the dollhouse without a trace. After all this time, restless Annabelle is becoming more and more curious about her aunt's fate...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure audiobook book -
The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsOne photograph, one treasured memory, one chance to go back . . . In a cosy photography studio in the mountains between this world and the next, someone is waking up as if from a dream. A kind man will hand them a hot cup of tea and gently explain that, having reached the end of their life, they have one final task...Categorized as:
magical-realism literary-fiction low-fantasy fiction fantasy contemporary audiobook cozy -
The Midnight Bookshop by Amanda James
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsLong ago, a bookshop was born – the beating heart of all those who find hope within the pages of a book. With the words penned upon the echo of old forests, new worlds are created. It’s ready and waiting to welcome all those who know where to find it… Strangers Jo, Adelaide and Kye are the least likely people to find themselves across the threshold of a bookshop... -
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The View from the Seventh Layer by Kevin Brockmeier
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsKevin Brockmeier--award -winning author of The Brief History of the Dead--has been widely praised for the richness of his imagination, the lyrical grace and playfulness of his language, and the empathic emotional complexity of his storytelling. And this dazzling collection once again affirms his place as one of the most creative and compassionate writers of his generation...Categorized as:
literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism anthologies audiobook contemporary fiction magic -
Green Frog: Stories by Gina Chung
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA short story collection that explores Korean American womanhood, bodies, animals, and transformation as a means of survival...Categorized as:
magical-realism literary-fiction family low-fantasy fiction fantasy contemporary audiobook -
Black Girls Must Be Magic by Jayne Allen
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn this highly anticipated second installment in the Black Girls Must Die Exhausted series, Tabitha Walker copes with more of life's challenges and a happy surprise--a baby--with a little help and lots of love from friends old and new.For Tabitha Walker, her grandmother's old adage, "Black girls must die exhausted" is becoming all too true... -
The Knife Thrower and Other Stories by Steven Millhauser
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Knife Thrower introduces a series of distinctively Millhauserian worlds: tiny, fabulous, self-enclosed, like Fabergé eggs or like the short-story genre itself...Categorized as:
literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism adult anthologies audiobook contemporary fiction -
The Threads of the Heart by Carole Martinez
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThey say Frasquita knows magic, that she is a healer with occult powers, that perhaps she is a sorcerer. She does indeed possess a remarkable gift, one that has been passed down to the women in her family for generations...Categorized as:
family literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism 21st-century adult book contemporary -
Lost Coast Literary by Ellie Alexander
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBook editor Emily Bryant finds herself unexpectedly in the charming town of Cascata on California’s Lost Coast, holding the keys to her grandmother’s rambling Victorian mansion. While sorting through her grandmother’s things, Emily learns that she must edit old manuscripts to inherit the estate. It’s a strange request from a family member who was basically a stranger... -
The Wrong Heaven by Amy Bonnaffons
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"In her amazing, wildly inventive collection, Amy Bonnaffons writes about transformation, each story further complicating the world as we know it. With a style that blends humor and sincerity in such strange, perfect ratios, Bonnaffons reveals the mysteries inside of us, just waiting to make themselves known. The Wrong Heaven, so wondrous, will alter you in all the necessary ways...Categorized as:
literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism adult anthologies audiobook contemporary feminism -
Before You Go by Tommy Butler
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn this “dazzling debut” (Publishers Weekly), the moving story of one man’s quest for happiness is interwoven with speculative tales of the Before and After, resulting in a profound yet playful literary journey into the ache and wonder of being human.In the Before, humankind is created with a hole in its heart, the designers not realizing their mistake—if it was a mistake—until too late...Categorized as:
friendship literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism adult audiobook book coming-of-age -
The Garden of Magic by Sarah Painter
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA magical Pendleford prequel novella from the bestselling author of The Language of Spells, that introduces the world to Iris Harper – the original Harper witch.Iris Harper has lived in Pendleford for decades, the local witch is mistrusted by the townsfolk, but that doesn't stop some coming to her begging for potions, spells and quick-fixes...Categorized as:
family female-mc literary-fiction magical-realism adult anthologies audiobook contemporary -
Blinding by Mircea Cărtărescu
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsPart visceral dream-memoir, part fictive journey through a hallucinatory Bucharest, Mircea Cărtărescu's BLINDING was one of the most widely heralded literary sensations in contemporary Romania, and a bestseller from the day of its release...Categorized as:
family literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism 20th-century adult book contemporary -
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In the Penny Arcade by Steven Millhauser
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe seven stories of In the Penny Arcade blend both the real and the fantastic in a seductive mix that illuminates the full range of Steven Millhauser's gifts, from 'August Eschenburg', the story of a clockmaker's son whose extraordinary talent for creating animated figures is lost on a world whose taste for the perverse and crude supersedes that of the refined and beautiful, to 'Cathay', a...Categorized as:
literary-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism 20th-century adult anthologies contemporary fiction -
Bloom by Nicola Skinner
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA beautifully written, incredibly original and wickedly funny novel for readers of 10 and older – BLOOM is for everyone who has ever felt like they didn’t fit in, and for anyone who has ever wanted a little more colour and wildness in their lives…Sorrel Fallowfield is growing up – in a REALLY surprising way…Sorrel Fallowfield is so good at being good that teachers come to her when they need help... -
Dreamer, Wisher, Liar by Charise Mericle Harper
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen her best friend is moving away and her mom has arranged for some strange little girl to come and stay with them, Ash—who is petrified of change and new people—is expecting the worst summer of her life. Then seven-year-old Claire shows up. Armed with a love of thrift-store clothes and an altogether too-sunny disposition, Claire proceeds to turn Ash’s carefully constructed life upside down...Categorized as:
family friendship low-fantasy magical-realism secrets action-adventure book children -
May We Shed These Human Bodies by Amber Sparks
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratings***Best Small Press Debut of 2012 -- The Atlantic Wire***May We Shed These Human Bodies peers through vast spaces and skies with the world's most powerful telescope to find humanity: wild and bright and hard as diamonds...Categorized as:
literary-fiction magical-realism adult anthologies contemporary female-author fiction fantasy -
The Lonely Ones by Kelsey Sutton
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFain hasn’t always been lonely. Her family used to be close; she used to have good friends. But as circumstances—and people—changed, Fain was left behind. That's when the monsters appeared.While her parents argue and her peers and siblings either pick on or simply ignore her, Fain spends time in a world of her own making...Categorized as:
family friendship low-fantasy magical-realism abuse book children-books coming-of-age -
Bubbles by Abby Cooper
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn this funny, heartwarming contemporary novel for middle-grade readers, people are more than what they seem--or what they think.Twelve-year-old Sophie Mulvaney's world has been turned upside down. Mom lost her job at the TV station and broke up with Pratik, whom Sophie adored. Her teacher is making them do a special project about risk-taking, so Sophie gets roped into doing a triathlon...
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