I’m participating in the A-Z Blogging Challenge, where I post every day in the month of April (except Sundays) and each day is a letter.

My theme for the month is a series of posts about the things that shaped me.

No Flying in the House

One of my absolute favorite books growing up was No Flying in the House, by Betty Brock. I don’t know anyone else who’s ever read this book, but parts of the story have stuck with me all my life.

A tiny white dog, no bigger than three inches high, arrives on an old rich lady’s terrace and asks for a home for herself and her three-year-old companion. Gloria (the dog) takes care of Annabel (the girl), as Annabel’s parents are currently unable to. But that’s only the beginning of odd things about Annabel — there’s also a mysterious birthmark, the ability to kiss her elbow (I tried for years), and visits from a little golden cat with emerald eyes.

It’s a delightful little story, one that I think all young girls (and otherwise) should read. And I think every children’s book should have some element of magic, like this one.

Night Circus

Heck, I think every book should have some element of magic. And The Night Circus has it in spades.

I love magical realism — magic that takes place in the real world as we know it, but not everyone recognizes magic for what it is. And Erin Morgenstern gave us a stunning tale of magicians battling it out, competing for some unknown prize… and perhaps falling in love at the same time.

It’s a beautiful book, and one that I wish could be made into a film or a limited series, that could do justice to the imagery Morgenstern paints for her readers. (I think it is in development, and I have no faith that the result will ever come close to the visuals in my head.)

What really brings this book to my list, is the fact that Morgenstern wrote it during a couple of NaNoWriMo’s — the annual National Novel Writing Month competition, where you write 50,000 words in 30 days. I’ve attempted it a couple of times, but nothing I came up with was ever as interesting as this fascinating tale. It just goes to show you; if you just make yourself sit down and write, then maybe one day you’ll write something truly magical.

Now, Voyager

I changed my mind — not all stories need magic. Now, Voyager tells the very-grounded-in-reality story of a woman who was beaten down by an overbearing, abusive mother, to the point of a complete nervous breakdown.

With the help of an understanding sister-in-law and a kind psychiatrist, Charlotte Vale finds her self-confidence and her independence. (Unsurprising considering she’s played by the super self-assured Bette Davis.) To avoid going back to her mother’s house just yet, her doctor sends her on a South American cruise — where she meets Jerry Durrance, an unhappily married wannabe architect. Romance ensues.

It’s a phenomenal film, if you enjoy romantic melodrama or ugly duckling stories. I’ve always loved the latter, which is why I watched it in the first place. Well, that, and it has the wonderful Claude Rains — one of the best villainous actors of all time — playing the unusual role of the friendly psychiatrist.

This is one of the few examples in my life where I have not yet read the book the movie is based on, If only because it’s not been easy to get my hands on a physical copy. But for now, I’m okay with that.

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