M Is for Magic

M Is for Magic

Neil Gaiman2007
Eleven stories that involve strange and fantastical events.
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Reviews

Photo of Laura Mauler
Laura Mauler@blueskygreenstrees
4 stars
Dec 25, 2023

Neil Gaiman reading his own books aloud to you is its own special magic. To demonstrate, follow this recipe: Start by being sick in bed with a cold. Best to be past the first day, maybe day 3 or 4, to make sure you are properly bored and irritable. Get a fresh pair of sheets on the bed. Just a fresh pillowcase will do in a pinch. Make a hot cup of tea with honey and lemon. This will be the first of dozens, and is integral to success. Put on this audiobook, loud enough that you can hear fine even with one ear flat on the pillow but not so loud that you are unable to doze. Settle in and let the stories surround you. By the end of the book the magic will have taken hold, and you will surely feel better than when you started.

Photo of Courtney
Courtney@courtacademia
4 stars
Apr 28, 2023

** spoiler alert ** I always enjoy anything by Neil Gaiman, but noticed some repeat short stories that I read either in Smoke and Mirrors or Fragile Things.

Photo of Ryan LaFerney
Ryan LaFerney@ryantlaferney
4 stars
Dec 15, 2022

Like many reviewers, I find Neil Gaiman's short stories to be hit or miss. I have a sort of love-hate thing with Neil's short stories. Some of them are the best stories I've ever read, and some I find to just be tedious. Gaiman is fine with this. As he admits in his introduction: you don't have to like them all. So instead of focusing on what I don't like. I'll tell you why I think this is my favorite collection of short stories by Gaiman. Sure, they are all recycled from other publications, but that doesn't bother me. You see M Is for Magic collects my favorite four Gaiman short stories in one book, so for me it's a win-win. Chivalry is hands down one of my top three favorite short stories of all time. It's brilliant. It's up there with Flannery O'Connor, Bradbury, and Shirley Jackson's short stories. I'm also quite fond of Troll Bridge, The Price, Sunbird, and How To Talk To Girls at Parties. Instructions, a wonderful short poem at the end of this collection, is also an amazing picture book for children that I admire. Now why isn't this five stars? Well, the other stories in the collection just weren't my cup of tea and I thought they were week entries in what could easily be a greatest hits collection. The title, while a nod to Ray Bradbury, is a bit misleading as well. You would think this is a story collection for young tikes. I don't think this a book for children per se. However, it is a good middle grade/young adult read. There are some mature themes within this book. If you haven't read Chivalry yet, do yourself a favor, read it!

Photo of Haley Murray
Haley Murray@fortunesdear
4 stars
Oct 4, 2022

* The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds 4/5 * Troll Bridge 2.5/5 * Don't Ask Jack 5/5 * How to Sell the Ponti Bridge 4/5 * October in the Chair 5/5 * Chivalry 3/5 * The Price 4/5 * How to Talk to Girls at Parties 2/5 * Sunbird 2/5 * The Witch's Headstone 5/5 * Instructions 5/5

Photo of Alexia
Alexia@apolasky
3 stars
Dec 17, 2021

This was a solid three-star short-story collection. My favorites were October in the Chair, Chivalry and Instructions.

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Isidora Vatali@eleaza
4 stars
Oct 30, 2024
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Arihant Verma@arihant
5 stars
May 13, 2024
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Emma Daniels@pudgethefish
4 stars
Nov 21, 2023
Photo of Raven Mason-Uyeda
Raven Mason-Uyeda@ravenaponadream
5 stars
Nov 2, 2023
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Chrystal Giordano@kika91
3 stars
Mar 26, 2023
Photo of Tim Pennington-Russell
Tim Pennington-Russell@timpr
3 stars
Dec 15, 2022
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tabata gallina@baudelaire
5 stars
Sep 13, 2022
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IS@cink_ibrahim
5 stars
Aug 21, 2022
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Stephanie Ridiculous@stephanieridiculous
5 stars
Aug 21, 2022
Photo of Celeste Richardson
Celeste Richardson@cecereadsandsings
4 stars
Aug 11, 2022
Photo of Natalia Hernandez
Natalia Hernandez@chubidubi
3 stars
Aug 2, 2022
Photo of Treslyn Welters
Treslyn Welters@treslyn
4 stars
Mar 25, 2022
Photo of Edith Quijano
Edith Quijano@equijanoricalde
1 star
Mar 2, 2022
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Samiha Tasnim@samihatasnim
4 stars
Jan 17, 2022
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eve@oceanwaves
5 stars
Jan 16, 2022
Photo of Fabio Mologni
Fabio Mologni@fabio_m
5 stars
Jan 10, 2022
Photo of Elizabeth Garza
Elizabeth Garza@pocketedition
4 stars
Dec 31, 2021
Photo of Mircea Tara
Mircea Tara@mirceatara
3 stars
Dec 21, 2021
Photo of Timi Uysingco
Timi Uysingco@timinottimmyreads
5 stars
Nov 18, 2021