When it comes to stories about witches, I have a very specific idea in my head. I not only expect for them to be powerful, but also to have the ability to overcome a serious obstacle with their magic. If they're lacking in either of those, an interesting story can at least compensate for that. … Continue reading A Witch in Time, by Constance Sayers
Tag: fantasy
Lessons in Magic and Disaster, by Charlie Jane Anders
While pursuing my MFA at Butler University, I had the privilege of meeting Charlie Jane Anders, whose work crossed journalism, fantasy, and science fiction. I remember talking to her at a Visiting Writers event, where she asked me what my MFA thesis was going to be, and when I told her the plot in detail, … Continue reading Lessons in Magic and Disaster, by Charlie Jane Anders
Witch You Would, by Lia Amador
I think this is the first romance I've read in a bit that, to my knowledge, has not been rabidly hyped up on social media. It's probably going to be a while until I read another Abby Jimenez book (Abby, I admire your work, but your formula is wearing off), so books like Witch You … Continue reading Witch You Would, by Lia Amador
Black Woods, Blue Sky, by Eowyn Ivey
Eowyn Ivey is one of those authors who, although you cannot quite remember the ins and outs of her stories, you never forget. I haven't read a book of hers since The Snow Child back in 2018, and it was quite an emotionally compelling read. So, of course, when Black Woods, Blue Sky crossed my … Continue reading Black Woods, Blue Sky, by Eowyn Ivey
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, by Grady Hendrix
You know, the world can make you really, really, REALLY angry sometimes. And one of the best ways to gratify said anger is to pick a book about repressed young women giving the people who wronged and infantilized them their comeuppance through witchcraft. Yes, here we are, another book about women using magic to even … Continue reading Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, by Grady Hendrix
The Wishing Game, by Meg Shaffer
It's a lofty temptation indeed when a whimsical book summary about an overworked adult's childhood dreams coming true comes with literary award nominations. Although, even if The Wishing Game did not come with any accolades, it would have intrigued me enough to open it, because I am also an overworked adult who yearns for childhood … Continue reading The Wishing Game, by Meg Shaffer
The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells, by Rachel Greenlaw
You would think after Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic was such a disappointment that I would not read any other book compared to it. While I probably will not put such high expectations on another Alice Hoffman book, I certainly would read another book about a family filled with magical women in a small town dealing … Continue reading The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells, by Rachel Greenlaw
James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl
If there was a trifecta of books that my classmates and I read in elementary school, it was Roald Dahl's Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and James and the Giant Peach. I suspect it was in part because we all had seen the movie versions of these stories and were familiar with them before … Continue reading James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl
The Witch Haven, by Sasha Peyton Smith
You all know by now of my love (okay, perhaps obsession at this point) with witch books, but The Witch Haven presented a new historical angle to this obsession. The book takes place in 1911 New York City, with a summary that promised mystery, underground societies, and magical sisterhood. So of course I was going … Continue reading The Witch Haven, by Sasha Peyton Smith
‘Salem’s Lot, by Stephen King
I'm most certainly a broken record when it comes to Stephen King at this point. Many of you probably saw King's name in the review title and thought, "I can sit this one out, since it'll be nothing but praise and adulation for King." I mean…you would not be wrong about that. King's career has … Continue reading ‘Salem’s Lot, by Stephen King
The Library Key 