Do You Believe in Magic?

Published on November 04, 2025

By Kara V.

My dad used to play the radio every morning while getting ready for work. It was his alarm clock. Some mornings, when I wasn’t quite ready to get up and moving, I would crawl into my parents’ bed. In the dim light, with the sun just coming out, my day would start with his music: Bob Seger, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Fleetwood Mac, America, and more. There was this liminal magic in the time between getting up and then rushing out the door for the day.

While out on a recent walk, I heard the 1972 song “Ventura Highway” by America come on and all of those mornings came back to me. It was the perfect song for the moment. A little bit of magic was in the air.  

If you are not familiar, this is the chorus:

“Ventura Highway in the sunshine 
Where the days are longer 
The nights are stronger than moonshine 
You're gonna go, I know 

'Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair 
And the days surround your daylight there 
Seasons crying no despair 
Alligator lizards in the air, in the air” (Cool factoid: this lyric is in reference to the singer's, Dewey Bunnell, childhood visit to the coast and the animals he saw in the clouds.) 

The right book can bring so much magic into a person’s life.  It will allow you to escape into places where you can feel the free wind blowin’ in your hair, and alligator lizards are in the air. Anything is possible. I think that is why I like the magical realism genre so much. Magical Realism is defined as (according to quizlet.com) “a literary or artistic genre in which realistic narrative and naturalistic technique are combined with surreal elements of dream or fantasy.” It has the same feeling as that song did when I heard it on my morning walk.  

Wondering where to start with magical realism? Try one of my favorites.

A Love Song for Rickie Wilde by Tia Williams: This is a slow-burn romance about a woman making it on her own and the man she loves, who is cursed to live forever.  

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young: This is my favorite magical realism book. What I loved most about it was the use of the location as a character. In fact, one chapter is from the point of view of the island. There is a touch of witchcraft, a little bit of mystery, and a little bit of romance. It’s *chef’s kiss.*  

Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston: This is Poston’s newest novel, and it feels like it was made for this blog post. A songwriter and singer can hear the same song and communicate telepathically. The only way to get each other out of their heads is to finish the song.  

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck: How can a marriage last when one person is slowly turning into a shark? In a world where people may morph into animals, this story addresses what it means to love someone in spite of the obstacles.  

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger: I read this book a long time ago, before I had heard the term “magical realism.” At the time I thought of it as a story about love, a great love, a love that surpasses time. That was it—a dramatic love story. Now that I’ve seen it on a list for magical realism, I realize I have loved this genre for much longer than I knew. 

Want a little morning magic? These songs wake me up.  

Manic Monday by the Bangles 

Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham! 

Landslide by Fleetwood Mac 

Monday, Monday by the Mamas and the Papas 

Shakedown by Bob Seger  

Have You Ever Seen the Rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival