The Night Circus
{4.5/5} “‘Names are not of nearly as much import as people like to suppose,’ the man in the grey suit says. ‘A label assigned to identify you either by this institution or your departed parents is neither of interest nor value to me. If you find you are in need of a name at any point, you may choose one for yourself. For now it will not be necessary.'”
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, published in 2011
In the late 1800s two men make a mysterious wager, one they’ve made before. They will train their new protégés in magic — real magic, not magician’s magic — who will then compete in a game. Meanwhile, a group of people interested in unusual things is creating a new kind of circus — with acts like acrobats, contortionists, and fire artists. And an illusionist.
It has a similar feel to The Prestige (at least the movie, I haven’t read the book).
It’s about people who interact with the most unusual circus ever — planners, performers, and visitors.
The book will transport you to a place where magic is possible.
This is Morgenstern’s only book she’s published so far — hopefully she’ll write another.