REVIEW: M is for Magic

M Is For Magic
Author: Neil Gaiman

I became an avid reader in first grade as I learned how to sound out letters and recognize words. Almost immediately I was reading everything that came to hand, even the back of cereal boxes at breakfast. All the way through the end of my college days, I always had a book in my hand. I even majored in Literature. But, alas, eventually life and adulting rammed it's way into my reality and I had to step back from my love of reading for a 20 year span or so while I worked two jobs, raised children, got married, divorced and married again, had a late baby, etc etc.  Life got in the way, and reading got bumped way down on my priority list.

But, my youngest child is now 12. I'm almost 50 years old and I have more free time than I did when I was younger. I know who I am, and I'm well set in my ways and comfy with my life and who I am. So.....slowly, reading has been climbing back up in priority.

There are a lot of wonderful books and authors that I missed while I was away.

Neil Gaiman is one of them.

I can hear it now.....OMG she never read Neil Gaiman??!!  Nope. Not until recently.

I knew his name.....had a couple of his books on my tbr shelf.....and watched television episodes written by him. But I never actually sat down and read any books by Gaiman until this year. I started with The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Loved it! Then a friend recommended American Gods.

I'm hooked.

I guess I should get to the point since this is a review of M is for Magic. After a huge Gaiman tome like American Gods (plus watching the show on Starz), I wanted to try out some of his short stories. I read a few reviews of M is for Magic and learned the stories in the book are reprints previously published in other books and magazines. But, as a new fan of Gaiman's work, they are all new to me.....so there won't be any complaints here about republishing stories.  For those who have read Gaiman before (which feels like everyone on the planet but me ha ha), be aware that all of these stories have been published before. Four were published in Smoke & Mirrors, another story anthology by Gaiman that I have waiting on my TBR shelf.

Stories included in M is for Magic are: The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds, Troll Bridge, Don't Ask  Jack, How to Sell the Ponti Bridge, October in the Chair, Chivalry, The Price, How to Talk to Girls at Parties, Sunbird, The Witch's Headstone, and Instructions.

I chose the audiobook version of this book. I like to hear Gaiman reading his own stories. :) Luckily, his voice is perfect for it.

All in all, I enjoyed this collection of stories. The themes are varied, but all share Gaiman's particular vintage of creepy-cool strangeness. Chivalry is my favorite. The concept of a woman buying the holy grail at a thriftshop is just too cool. :) The cover art is just fantastic as well!

Because I enjoyed this  little collection of tales so much, I'm going to delve into Smoke & Mirrors next. Very curious to find out what creepy goodness lurks between the covers of that book! :)

For more information on Neil Gaiman and his many books, check out his website: http://www.neilgaiman.com/