Genre: Fantasy/ Magical Realism
Publication: September 13, 2011 by Random House
Format: Audible
Narrated By: Jim Dale
Narration Rating: 5/5 Stars
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars
From Goodreads: The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.
Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.
My Thoughts: This book was so incredibly enchanting and bizarre! I have never read anything like it before, and sadly I doubt I will ever find anything similar to it or it's quality again. I never wanted it to end! I think that this is one of those stories that people will either love or hate, for whatever reason. However, I found myself taking the long way home from work just so I could keep listening to Jim Dale read me this magical tale.
The story has many different view points, sometimes we are actual patrons of the circus, other times we are witnessing individual characters lives of the circus itself (mostly Marco's and Celia's). We also time jump from past to present frequently. It is a bit to keep up with if you're listening to it, but not impossible or distracting, and very much worth the satisfying ending.
The characters are beyond lovable, and the plot careens, twists, and soars into the depths of your mind, carving the tale of
The Night Circus firmly in your imagination.
As for the audible version and Jim Dale's narration? It was amazing. It didn't take away from the book at all, and Dale gave my drives home this enchanting quality that I could never have reached had I simply read it myself. Which is a bit odd of me to say, but it's true. There was just something about his voice that made me dive into this world of enchanters, seers, and contortionist.
Overall, I highly recommend the audio version of this book!
My Rating:
Chasing Hope by Kathryn Cushman
A Personal Drama of Shattered Dreams and Second Chances
A talented runner fully committed to Olympic dreams, Sabrina Rice's future was shattered by a devastating diagnosis. One forfeited scholarship and several years later, she has new goals and dreams that have nothing to do with running--something that's become far too painful to think on.
Until the day she sees Brandy Philip running across the community college campus, easily outpacing security. Sabrina immediately recognizes world-class speed, and it's all the more painful that it belongs to a teenage graffiti artist. When a chance encounter brings the two young women together, Sabrina becomes Brandy's best hope for staying out of juvenile hall. Soon, Sabrina begins to feel an uncomfortable nudge that her new life is just about to be toppled...that God may be calling her to minister to this talented but troubled girl.
Author Kathryn Cushman
Author Kathryn "Katie" Cushman is a graduate of Samford University with a degree in pharmacy.
She is the author of five novels, including Leaving Yesterday and A Promise to Remember, which were both finalists for the Carol Award in Women's Fiction.
She is also the co-author of Angel Song with Sheila Walsh.
Kathryn and her family currently live in Santa Barbara, California.
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