M Is for Magic

M Is for Magic by Neil Gaiman

Summary: A collection of short stories that are alternately fantastic, scary, and funny, written during various periods of Mr Gaiman's career.

As this is a collection, I would only like to talk about my favorite stories although as I really enjoyed this I definitely recommend all.

[In the order that I read them]

1. "The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds"-This is sort of a children's noir story with a hardboiled detective Jack Horner searching out the answer to "Who killed Humpty Dumpty?" It starts the book out on a high note.

2. "How to Sell the Ponti Bridge"-funny story about swindling people set in another world

3. "October in the Chair"-I liked the framing story which is of the twelve months gathering to tell stories as each month ends, but I didn't really like the story told by October which was unresolved to my mind.

4. "The Witch's Headstone"-this is the story that became The Graveyard Book, which I really liked. I read it a while ago but I'm pretty sure this extract can be found in its entirety in the book. Unfortunately without the context of the book, I'm pretty sure this story would have left me baffled as it sets up many subplots but doesn't quite connect them.

Overall: 4.5/5 so good!