In love with fabulist books

After reading this list of wonderful fabulist books from Flavorwire, I realized that I'm a huge fan of this genre. Yes, I know that what makes a book a fabulist one isn't clear cut. Are all fantasy books fabulist novels? How about sci-fi? And what about those with magical realism?

I guess these categories all come down to the reader, yes? As for me, I consider novels to be fabulist if they have a touch of magic, with a bit of a whimsical element in the writing. Eric Morgenstern's The Night Circus is a good example; the book is also our selection for the month, and we're discussing it this weekend.

I read The Night Circus almost 3 years ago, and I even posted an entry about it. I remember being captivated by the unconventional love story. It was a magical experience, reading Morgenstern's debut novel. And when I reread it this week, the book has not lost its magic. The fantastical story lines still enthrall, the mysterious characters still captivate.

I'm still craving for more fabulist reads as of the moment. If you have other recommendations that are not on Flavorwire's list, do let me know. I'll be sure to check them out. Right now, I have Helene Wecker's beautiful fabulist debut, The Golem and the Jinni, in my hands. It has Jewish and Persian mythologies, magic, the immigrant experience, and, quite possibly, a love story in its pages. (I'm still just a quarter of the way in!)

Fabulist . . . . Even that very word connotes something special. It reminds me of "fabulous," even though I know that it's root comes from "fable." We need more fables in our lives, yes? We need more people to weave stories that transcend realities of this harsh world we live in. It's precisely one of the reasons why I think I read books. If I want reality, I could just turn on the TV to watch the news.