Books like 'The Memory Gardener'
Readers who enjoyed The Memory Gardener by Meg Donohue also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary mystery fantasy magical-realism aging family outdoors friendship female-mc low-fantasy
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Where Butterflies Wander by Suzanne Redfearn
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of In an Instant comes the moving story of a family grappling with grief and a woman with the power to help them through it—or stand in their way.After a tragic accident claims the life of one of her children, Marie Egide is desperate to carve out a fresh start for her family... -
![The Candymakers by Wendy Mass]()
The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsFour children have been chosen to compete in a national competition to find the tastiest confection in the country...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure audiobook book -
![The Last Present by Wendy Mass]()
The Last Present by Wendy Mass
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsDon't miss the latest entry in the incredible Willow Falls series by Wendy Mass!Amanda and Leo have a history with birthdays. Now their friend's little sister, Grace, has fallen into a strange frozen state on her birthday, and Amanda and Leo must travel in time in order to fix whatever's wrong. As they journey back to each of Grace's birthdays, they start seeing all sorts of patterns . .Categorized as:
family friendship low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure audiobook book children -
![Silver Fox by Zoe Chant]()
Silver Fox by Zoe Chant
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe thinks life — and love — have passed her by. He can fix everyone's love life except his own. Until a freak snowstorm gives them a chance ... Sensible Aunt Doris. That's what Doris Lebowitz's family thinks of her. And she really can't argue. At age 62, she's resigned to being the level-headed one in her sprawling, boisterous family. A state of permanent spinsterhood suits her just fine... -
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![Magic Uncorked by Annabel Chase]()
Magic Uncorked by Annabel Chase
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsWitches are created, not born.The only magic word Libbie Stark seems to know these days is ‘ibuprofen’ thanks to a headache-inducing job, two teenagers, one ex-husband, and a deadbeat boyfriend—until the death of a friend brings unexpected consequences... -
![The Case of the Earth Spell by Amorette Anderson]()
The Case of the Earth Spell by Amorette Anderson
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAre you ready to learn some Earth Magic? Penny Banks, amateur sleuth and witch-in-training, is hitting the books. This time, she's studying elemental magic -- Earth Magic in particular. At the same time, a skeleton turns up in her friend's back yard... -
![This Book Is Not Good for You by Pseudonymous Bosch]()
This Book Is Not Good for You by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsBetween the pages of this book lies the secret to the best-tasting chocolate in all the world. I promise, your taste buds will tingle. Your palette will sing! Oh no, have I accidentally tempted you to read this book? I will warn you, however, the most delicious things are never good for you..Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure animals audiobook -
![Brewing Trouble by Christine Gael]()
Brewing Trouble by Christine Gael
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter barely escaping the business end of the hangman’s noose, Cricket Hawthorne wants nothing more than to forget it all...Maude the magical typewriter, Zoe’s stolen cauldron, Patrick the betrayer, and definitely the witch-hating, robe-wearing cult who tried to end her. Unfortunately, pressing the reboot button isn’t an option... -
![The Secrets of Lost Stones by Melissa Payne]()
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... -
![Some Kind of Happiness by Claire Legrand]()
Some Kind of Happiness by Claire Legrand
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsTHINGS FINLEY HART DOESN’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT• Her parents, who are having problems. (But they pretend like they’re not.)• Being sent to her grandparents’ house for the summer.• Never having met said grandparents.• Her blue days—when life feels overwhelming, and it’s hard to keep her head up. (This happens a lot...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure book children -
![Awake and Dreaming by Kit Pearson]()
Awake and Dreaming by Kit Pearson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTheo has always dreamed of belonging to a real family. Her dream seems to come true when she is mysteriously "adopted" by the warm Kaldor clan. For the first time, Theo has brand new clothes, things of her own, security, and good friends. But, as time passes, the magic of Theo's new life begins to fade--really fade. In fact, Theo herself is vanishing...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure book children -
![The Candymakers and the Great Chocolate Chase by Wendy Mass, Mark Turetsky]()
The Candymakers and the Great Chocolate Chase by Wendy Mass, Mark Turetsky
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe highly-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Candymakers by beloved author Wendy MassIt has been a few months since the nationwide New Candy Contest, and Logan, Miles, Philip, and Daisy have returned to their regular lives. But when the winning candy bar comes down the conveyor belt at the Life is Sweet candy factory, Logan realizes something's very wrong...Categorized as:
family friendship low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure audiobook book children -
![Eleven Birthdays by Wendy Mass]()
Eleven Birthdays by Wendy Mass
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsGROUNDHOG DAY meets FLIPPED in this tale of a girl stuck in her birthday.It's Amanda's 11th birthday and she is super excited -- after all, 11 is so different from 10. But from the start, everything goes wrong. The worst part of it all is that she and her best friend, Leo, with whom she's shared every birthday, are on the outs and this will be the first birthday they haven't shared together...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure audiobook book -
![Shoes on the Stairs by Jan Steele]()
Shoes on the Stairs by Jan Steele
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsInspired by the many frustrations of parenthood and the ever-present fear of failure, SHOES ON THE STAIRS centers around a mother's struggle to accept what she has left behind after her death. She takes the reader on a journey of both laughter and tears while learning even the smallest of gestures can make a significant and lasting impact.* * *Claire Blackwell can't find that damn white light... -
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![The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer]()
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 . . -
![The Enchanted Garden Cafe (South Side Stories) (Volume 1) by Abigail Drake]()
The Enchanted Garden Cafe (South Side Stories) (Volume 1) by Abigail Drake
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFor her sixth birthday, Fiona Campbell’s mother, Claire, made her a peace sign piñata filled with wishes for a better planet instead of candy. When she got her period, her mother held a womanhood ceremony at their café and invited the neighborhood. On her sixteenth birthday, they celebrated with a drum circle... -
![The Skeleton Makes a Friend by Leigh Perry]()
The Skeleton Makes a Friend by Leigh Perry
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGeorgia Thackery is feeling pretty good about her summer job teaching at prestigious Overfeld College, and she’s renting a rustic cabin right by a lake for herself, her daughter, Madison, and her best friend, Sid the Skeleton. Together again, the trio are enjoying the quiet when a teenager named Jen shows up looking for her friend... -
![The Loft by Bette Lee Crosby]()
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... -
![The Change by Kirsten Miller]()
The Change by Kirsten Miller
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBig Little Lies meets The Witches of Eastwick--a gloriously entertaining and knife-sharp feminist revenge fantasy about three women whose midlife crisis brings unexpected new powers--putting them on a collision course with the evil that lurks in their wealthy beach town... -
![Demon Dentist by David Walliams]()
Demon Dentist by David Walliams
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThis New York Times bestseller from David Walliams, the UK’s #1 bestselling children’s author and “the heir to Roald Dahl” (The Spectator), launched his books stateside in a big way!Walliams makes going to the dentist a wacky adventure with his signature humor—this is one dentist appointment you don’t want to miss.Something strange is happening in Alfie's town...Categorized as:
family friendship low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure audiobook book children -
![Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien]()
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 71 ratingsMrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship low-fantasy magical-realism outdoors 20th-century action-adventure -
![When the Butterflies Came by Kimberley Griffiths Little]()
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... -
![This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron]()
This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsDarkness blooms in bestselling author Kalynn Bayron's new contemporary fantasy about a girl with a unique and deadly power.Briseis has a gift: she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch.When Briseis's aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship low-fantasy magical-realism outdoors action-adventure audiobook -
![Sweet Secrets by J.A. Whiting]()
Sweet Secrets by J.A. Whiting
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis is Book 3 in the Sweet Cove Cozy Mystery SeriesRenovations begin on the Victorian mansion and lead to revelations about Professor Marion Linden and why she left the house to Angie in her will, while questions surface about the Robin's Point land... -
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![Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts]()
Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsRecently widowed Stella Rothschild has found a new love in Logan Kitridge. But there is someone who isn't happy about Stella's growing feelings for Logan: the Harper Bride, an unidentified woman whose grief and rage have kept her spirit alive long past the death of her body... -
![The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner]()
The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCharlie feels like she's always coming in last. From her Mom's new job to her sister's life at college, everything seems more important than Charlie. Then one day while ice fishing, Charlie makes a discovery that will change everything . . . in the form of a floppy fish offering to grant a wish in exchange for freedom...Categorized as:
family friendship low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure animals book children -
![Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar]()
Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThings are only impossible if you stop to think about them. . . .While her friends are spending their summers having pool parties and sleepovers, twelve-year-old Carolina — Carol — is spending hers in the middle of the New Mexico desert, helping her parents move the grandfather she’s never met into a home for people with dementia. At first, Carol avoids prickly Grandpa Serge...Categorized as:
aging family friendship low-fantasy magical-realism outdoors action-adventure animals -
![How to Disappear Completely by Ali Standish]()
How to Disappear Completely by Ali Standish
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings" When Emma discovers the first spot, 'like a tiny bright moon' on her left foot, she's at the funeral of her grandmother, who had been her best friend as well. The diagnosis is vitiligo, a skin condition triggered by stress. Creating a large multigenerational cast, Standish knits an absorbing story of loss, identity, and human connections...Categorized as:
friendship magical-realism family low-fantasy middle-grade realistic fiction fantasy -
![The One Before The One by Emma Cooper]()
The One Before The One by Emma Cooper
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLiv is given the chance to live one life-changing week over, but can she change her future...? And does she want to?When Liv’s boyfriend Kit disappeared on a hike, seven years earlier, she thought her life was over. But with the help of their family and friends, she’s pushed her way through the grief, and now, miraculously, she's found a way to love again... -
![Has Anyone Seen Jessica Jenkins? by Liz Kessler]()
Has Anyone Seen Jessica Jenkins? by Liz Kessler
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJessica Jenkins has always been a perfectly ordinary girl—until one day part of her arm vanishes in the middle of geography class! Jessica’s friends Izzy and Tom are determined to help her develop her newfound invisibility, though Jessica is more concerned with discovering where the ability came from...Categorized as:
friendship low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure book children children-books contemporary -
![The Light Jar by Lisa Thompson]()
The Light Jar by Lisa Thompson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA story of fear and hope, loneliness and friendship -- full of the heart, engaging characters, and propulsive, page-turning mystery that made The Goldfish Boy so beloved.Nate and his mother are running away. Fleeing from an emotionally abusive situation, they hide out in an abandoned cottage in the middle of a forest. Though it's old and run-down, at least it's a place of their own... -
![Verse and Vengeance by Amanda Flower]()
Verse and Vengeance by Amanda Flower
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsUSA Today bestselling author and Agatha Award winner Amanda Flower turns the charm up to ten in her fourth Magical Bookshop mystery. With the help of Walt Whitman's works, magical bookshop owner Violet Waverly puts her pedal to the metal to sleuth a bicycle-race murder that tests her mettle. A bicycle race is not Charming Books proprietor Violet Waverly's idea of a pleasant pastime... -
![Dolphin Song by Lauren St. John]()
Dolphin Song by Lauren St. John
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJust as Martine is settling into life on the wildlife game reserve, she is whisked away on a school trip. She must leave her white giraffe, Jemmy, for 2 weeks! Her class is going on an ocean voyage to witness the Sardine Run, a spectacular natural phenomenon, off the coast of South Africa...Categorized as:
low-fantasy magical-realism outdoors action-adventure animals audiobook book children -
![What Not to Do If You Turn Invisible by Ross Welford]()
What Not to Do If You Turn Invisible by Ross Welford
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA surprising, stunningly beautiful, and funny novel about a girl who turns invisible and, in the process, discovers who she really is, from the author of TIME TRAVELING WITH A HAMSTER Twelve-year-old Ethel Leatherhead only meant to cure her acne, not turn herself invisible. But that's exactly what happens when she combines herbs bought on the Internet with time spent in a secondhand tanning bed...Categorized as:
family friendship low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure animals audiobook book -
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![In a Thousand Different Ways by Cecelia Ahern]()
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... -
![It's Raining Men by Milly Johnson]()
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... -
![The Lost Fairy Tales by Anna James]()
The Lost Fairy Tales by Anna James
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThe second magical bookwandering adventure in the nationally bestselling Pages & Co. series, featuring Tilly Pages as she journeys to France to wander inside a peculiar book of fairytales. Perfect for fans of Inkheart and The Land of Stories...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship low-fantasy magical-realism 21st-century action-adventure audiobook -
![The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead, Wendy Mass]()
The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead, Wendy Mass
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA little free library guarded by a cat and a boy who takes on the mystery it keeps. When a mysterious little free library (guarded by a large orange cat) appears overnight in the small town of Martinville, eleven-year-old Evan plucks two weathered books from its shelves, never suspecting that his life is about to change... -
![The Mystwick School of Musicraft by Jessica Khoury, Suzy Jackson]()
The Mystwick School of Musicraft by Jessica Khoury, Suzy Jackson
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsLength: 8 hrs and 18 minsHumor, heart, and a symphony of magic take center stage in this middle-grade fantasy, perfect for fans of Nevermoor and The School for Good and Evil series.Amelia Jones has always dreamed of attending the Mystwick School of Musicraft, where the world’s most promising musicians learn to create magic...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure audiobook boarding-school -
![Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier]()
Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsMysterious doors with lizard-head knobs. Talking stone statues. A crazy girl with a hatchet. Yes, Liv's dreams have been pretty weird lately. Especially the one where she's in a graveyard at night, watching four boys conduct dark magic rituals.The strangest part is that Liv recognizes the boys in her dream...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure audiobook book -
![Opal by Maggie Stiefvater]()
Opal by Maggie Stiefvater
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsAn enchanting story from Maggie Stiefvater featuring Opal, Ronan, and Adam from her bestselling Raven Cycle, taking place after the events of The Raven King...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship low-fantasy magical-realism 21st-century action-adventure audiobook -
![Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young]()
Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA rural island community steeped in the mystical superstitions of its founders and haunted by an unsolved murder is upended by the return of the suspected killer in this deeply atmospheric novel.Emery Blackwood’s life was forever changed on the eve of her high school graduation, when the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of murdering her best friend, Lily...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship magical-realism book coming-of-age contemporary fiction mystery -
![The Frame-Up by Wendy McLeod MacKnight]()
The Frame-Up by Wendy McLeod MacKnight
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGreenwillow has bought Wendy McLeod MacKnight's second novel. Twelve-year-old Sargent Singer is sent away from home to reconnect with his estranged father, who is the director of an art gallery. During his visit, Sargent sees a portrait of a girl named Mona Dunn stick out her tongue and the secret of the gallery is revealed...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure audiobook book -
![What a Dog Knows: A Novel by Susan Wilson]()
What a Dog Knows: A Novel by Susan Wilson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Susan Wilson comes What a Dog Knows, another heartwarming novel about humans and the dogs that change our lives.Ruby Heartwood has always lived a life on the move. As a traveling psychic, she makes her living working at carnivals and festivals and circuses around New England. It's a life Ruby has made peace with--settling in one place has never been for her... -
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![The Light in the Lake by Sarah R. Baughman]()
The Light in the Lake by Sarah R. Baughman
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA remarkable debut novel that takes readers on a journey of discovery, magic, science, and hope. Twelve-year-old Addie should stay away from Maple Lake. After all, her twin brother, Amos, drowned there only a few months ago...Categorized as:
family friendship low-fantasy magical-realism audiobook book children children-books -
![Into the Tall, Tall Grass by Loriel Ryon, Marisa Blake]()
Into the Tall, Tall Grass by Loriel Ryon, Marisa Blake
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsYolanda Rodr�guez-O'Connell has a secret. All the members of her family have a magical gift--all, that is, except for Yolanda. Still, it's something she can never talk about...because, if she does, the townsfolk will call her family brujas--witches. When her grandmother, Wela, falls into an unexplained sleep, Yolanda is scared...Categorized as:
family friendship low-fantasy magical-realism audiobook book children-books contemporary -
![This Is Not a Werewolf Story by Sandra Evans]()
This Is Not a Werewolf Story by Sandra Evans
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThis is the story of Raul, a boy of few words, fewer friends, and almost no family. He is a loner—but he isn’t lonely. All week long he looks after the younger boys at One Of Our Kind Boarding School while dodging the barbs of terrible Tuffman, the mean gym teacher.Like every other kid in the world, he longs for Fridays, but not for the usual reasons. The woods have secrets...and so does Raul...Categorized as:
family friendship low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure animals boarding-school book -
![The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer]()
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... -
![Little Free Library by Naomi Kritzer]()
Little Free Library by Naomi Kritzer
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSharing stories we love with one another is one of the most magical forms of connection there is. This is especially so for Meigan, who develops an unexpected friendship with a mysterious borrower of books from her Little Free Library.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied...Categorized as:
female-mc low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure adult anthologies contemporary female-author -
![All About Evie by Cathy Lamb]()
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...
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