The Night Circus

It probably helped that this book was a gift from a dear friend, but that still didn't prepare me for just how much I loved it. Reading it was one of those rare experiences of finding a book that's perfectly suited to your tastes. Set in a circus in the late 19th/early 20th centuries, it's a love story and a gorgeous immersive experience. Celia and Marco have been raised by their respective guardians to be rivals in a competition of real magic, but their mentors don't reckon on them falling in love. Erin Morgenstern's use of language and her descriptions is simply stunning; you feel like you've visited the circus and all it's wonders. The narrative might not be for everyone: it's not linear and it follows a number of characters whose relationships are always clear from the start, but seeing how all the various threads mesh together in the end is satisfying, and increasingly nerve-wracking. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.