I’m going to assume that you already understand the beauty and value of books and reading (this is a blog all about writing and editing fiction, after all). Right now, we need some books to help distract us, and maybe even give us some hope. Here are my cheer-you-up fantasy reading recommendations that can help you get out of this world for a bit.

Lose Yourself in New Worlds

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

You know the guy who wrote and starred in the hit Broadway musical Hamilton? Here’s what Lin Manuel Miranda has to say about Pat’s The Name of the Wind:

No one writes about economic reality within this genre like Pat Rothfuss. The real-world weight of the sometimes impossible distance between the things you want and need and what you have in your pocket.

No one writes about music like Pat Rothfuss. The way it sneaks into your soul, the way it feeds you like nothing else.

No one writes stories like Pat Rothfuss. How the right story at the right time can change the world, how the teller can shape a life.

No one writes like Pat Rothfuss. Full stop. Read this book.

That quote sums up The Name of the Wind so eloquently. It’s a stunning book. The story has its fair share of sorrow too though, so this is a book for someone who wants to be distracted with a breathtaking story and world to explore, not with a peaceful or perfect world.

Arcadia by Iain Pears

This story’s a complete mash-up of genres that somehow all end up connecting together. The story’s mysterious and beautifully woven together. It’s a delightful read – perfect for anyone who wants to be distracted by a wildly intriguing and unique plot.

A Wizard of Earthsea series by Ursula LeGuin

Ursula LeGuin once heard someone say that all fantasy novels need war and battles to be fantasy. LeGuin’s drive to prove that person wrong lead to the creation of this beautiful series. It’s stunning, and if you are already a fan of Pat Rothfuss, you’ll immediately recognize LeGuin’s influence on Pat’s writing. So much of what makes Pat’s writing beautiful is what makes LeGuin’s beautiful as well. I highly recommend this whole series.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

For me, this story was love at first line:

Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.

The following chapters do not disappoint. Uprooted is a fairy tale filled with magic, wonder, darkness, and just the right balance of romance. This book will always have a warm place in my heart as one of my favourite novels.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

So much of what I loved about Uprooted comes through again in Naomi’s next book Spinning Silver, but the story’s tone and narrative manage to still be quite unique. Instead of taking place in an entirely mythical world, Spinning Silver transports you to medieval Russia where fairy tale monsters and mythical beings live true. It’s another stunning work and another one of my dearest favourites.

Books that Bring Peace with Pure Beauty

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

This is another story that has you at the first page:

The circus arrives without warning.

No announcements precede it, no paper notices on downtown posts and billboards, no mentions or advertisements in local newspapers. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.

The towering tents are striped in white and black, no golds and crimsons to be seen. No color at all, save for the neighbouring trees and the grass of the surrounding fields. Black-and-white stripes on grey sky; countless tents of varying shapes and sizes, with an elaborate wrought-iron fence encasing them in a colorless world. Even what little ground is visible from outside is black or white, painted or powdered, or treated with some other circus trick.

But it is not open for business. Not just yet.

Within hours everyone in town has heard about it. By afternoon the news has spread several towns over. Word of mouth is a more effective method of advertisement than typeset words and exclamation points on paper pamphlets or posters. It is impressive and unusual news, the sudden appearance of a mysterious circus. People marvel at the staggering height of the tallest tents. They stare at the clock that sits just inside the gates that no one can properly describe.

And the black sign painted in white letters that hangs upon the gates, the one that reads:

Opens at Nightfall

Closes at Dawn

This book invites you to enter gates of the Circus of Dreams and become one of its dreamers. This one’s got magic, romance, but mostly a beautiful, beautiful world for you to explore. The circus and story are truly entrancing. I highly recommend.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Erin Morgenstern gifts us with another beautiful realm to explore in her recent release The Starless Sea. I’m not sure what more I can say than that Erin Morgenstern is a master storyteller. Read her books.

The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss

This one’s a companion novella to Pat’s Name of the Wind series. It’s for fans of the series who want to explore a mysterious corner of his world and get to know one of its most delightful secondary characters Auri in more depth. If you haven’t read the other books in the series, this novella won’t make much sense to you. Though once you do have the context of the rest of the series in place, The Slow Regard of Silent Things is a breathtaking book that really should go on the top of your reading list.

Helping with Humour and Light-Heartedness

Bone by Jeff Smith

This is a graphic novel series that is simultaneously hilarious, epic, and heart-warming. It’s the perfect series to help brighten your mood. Also, in writing this post, I have discovered that Netflix is going to be adapting it into an animated series. I am so excited that I want to pull out all-caps! (I won’t because screaming is grating and I respect your ears, but I am so pumped!)

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Yes, the classic ’80s film that stole all our hearts with the tale of Buttercup and Westley was first a book. As per usual, the book is even better than the movie. The narrative framing is so meta and clever, the world and characters are so much more developed, and the wit and humour abounds.

The one critique I do have about this story is that the only central female character, Buttercup, is also the only central character who isn’t deeply developed. From a feminist standpoint, I won’t lie, it grates on me a bit, but the story is so brilliant that I end up reminding myself that it’s a product of its time and let myself enjoy the rest of the story.

Yarns for the Younger Ones

The Fairy Realm series by Emily Rodda

This series is all about a young girl named Jessica who discovers a magical doorway to the Fairy Realm in her grandmother’s backyard. No matter how scary things get in her adventures, Jessica is always able to make it through by first reminding herself that “all will be well,” and then that “all we need is some human common sense.” By remaining calm and using common sense, Jessica is always able to save her friends and make the world safe again. I read this series as a kid and it really taught me how to remain calm in scary situations and respond with reason and strength. It’s an excellent narrative to give kids (and adults) during this time of anxiety and uncertainty.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Do scary things happen in this book? Yes, yes they do. (Though be reassured: it’s not nearly as frightening as the animated adaptation.) This one’s certainly not for super young kids, but for the older ones, this story is all about showing kids that they can defeat their worst nightmare. This is a book that can give kids who are stressed or struggling a sense of hope as the protagonist perseveres and defeats her monsters.

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

This series is not a happy series. It is an incredibly good one though. If I could pick only one series that I could give my future children, it would be A Series of Unfortunate Events. The writing is brilliant and the Baudelaire children are so clever, resilient, and resourceful. I think it’s important for kids to have these kinds of stories because they’re the kind that equip kids to face adversity.

Despite the misfortune, the story is inspiring and so profound. I honestly think that someday (when the books are old enough for literature professors to take them seriously) they’re going to be considered part of the literary cannon as capital “L” Literature. The writing is that good.

Do you have any reading recommendations you want to share? Feel free to comment below and spread the love! Stay safe and healthy everyone!