#TravelTuesday – Magical lands await
There are many locations you could travel to via books. There’s also some magical ones you discover as a child but there are more than a few fantastical places to seek out as an adult if you know where to look. A magical mystery tour of books awaits…..
Fantasy: Fairyland Real: Cottingley, Yorkshire
BookTrail it: The Cottingley Secret
You will have heard of the story of the story of the two little girls who made the whole world believe that fairies really did exist. Not only that, they fooled people as prominent as Arthur Conan Doyle who, like many others, believed that photographs held truths and that the photos of the fairies proved that mythical creatures and spirits not only existed but that they could be captured on film. These were the early days of cameras when people really did believe the phrase “the camera never lies”. Of course today’s world of Photoshop and filters takes away that magic, but in this novel, Hazel Gaynor has brought it back with a sprinkle of literary fairy dust. It’s a real gem of a read this one
Fantasy: A gothic old house with a secret locked upstairs Real: Wales
BookTrail it: Snow Sisters
Never before ( apart from reading Jane Eyre) have I felt so excited yet nervous of finding out what’s in that attic. This is the secret trapped in an old sewing box, where young girls come to play, and where the garden below casts its own kind of spell.
The story set in a gothic old house, named after a bird which sweeps and swoops in the wind, is a story of secrets, locked away for years until that secret asks to be set free. You can almost feel the creak of the stairs, the dust on your hands as you turn the pages and discover the secrets for yourself
Fantasy: The Night Circus in a wood Real: Who says it’s not real!
These lines made me shiver with excitement when I read them, and they still do:
“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”
I am not usually a fan of fantasy novels but this is a world created in such minute detail and magic that it’s very hard to resist. The moments when it blends with the real world in the shadows made me feel nostalgic for circuses and what lies within that striped tent.
The entire concept of the book, never mind the great story, was a world which drew me in, made me believe and made me feel very bereft when the book was finished. It’s sprinkled with curiosity, excitement and magic with a generous dose of open mouthed amazement.
Roll up for a circus which appears as if by magic….
Fantasy: A doll’s house Real: Amsterdam
BookTrail it: The Miniaturist
Ever wanted to live inside a doll’s house? Wonder what goes on in there when you’re not looking? Oh the thrill of this book then will really make you squeal with glee
The clever thing about this book, apart from a great and historically fascinating plot, is the real life dollhouse which inspired it. The story of how rich people in the 1600s would dress a miniature model of their own house, to show how wealthy they were and how their status was in society.
The spooky element of this book comes when the Miniaturist, who is tasked with objects to dress the house , suddenly starts to send items which haven’t been asked for. Objects which seem to show or predict what happens to the inhabitants of the real house…..
You can go into the Rijksmuseum to see this doll’s house for yourself and after reading this novel, the fascination of miniature objects takes on a whole new meaning.
Hope you’ve enjoyed your magical mystery tour via books. Where’s your favourite literary setting real or otherwise?
