Magic For Beginners

Magic for Beginners doesn’t teach you how to do magic. Don’t get your hopes up. It’s just a book of short stories. Then again, “just” doesn’t do this book justice. From the moment you start reading, you’re captivated. Kelly Link’s words are enchanting, mesmerizing, spellbinding. They cast you into a daydream so breathtaking that you never want to wake up from it.

Whether writing about a rock star grandma with spiky black hair, a boy named Jeremy who inherits a phone booth in Las Vegas, or an entire faery village that has to move into a woman’s handbag, Link’s vivid imagination never ceases to amaze.

If you like fantasy, this book is perfect for you. And even if you don’t, I’d still recommend Magic for Beginners. More than almost any other short stories I’ve read, these ones come alive. The plots are well developed, characterizations are amazing, and physical descriptions are great as well. Through all of this, Link makes the unbelievable seem believable. Zombies, time travel, talking cats and carnivorous sofas—you don’t even question them while reading.

Some of the nine stories in this collection are available to read for free on Link’s website, www.kellylink.net/. Also, in 2008 she came out with a new book called Pretty Monsters. I’m in the middle of it right now, and it’s proving just as good as Magic for Beginners. Have any of you read anything by Kelly Link? I'd love to hear what you think about her writing, or about any writing in general, so leave questions or comments below.