Books are magic. And by “magic” I mean just that: magic. Every book you open unlocks a doorway into another world. The words on the page become images that transport you into other places, to other times, and into other people’s lives. Look at your bookshelf right now; how many doorways do you see? I see porticos to Middle-earth, and Castle Rock, Maine. I see galaxies far, far away, and turn of the century tenement slums. I see Hollywood of the 1950s, and Italy of the 1590s. I see gateways to realms fantastical and mundane; mythical and middling.
Now, books about magic are an entirely different beast. Books about magic carry alchemy of their own, and opening those doors is to invoke dangerous spells and bindings, forbidden arts and forgotten realms. Here are five such entryways that sit on my shelf, waiting to be opened again.