Books That Will Put A Spell On You
It’s the end of October and we still can’t get enough witchy books. Give me all the haunted houses, mysterious objects, witchy romances, and secret covens.
This is the season of the witch, the ghost, the goblin, but for me it is my favorite time of year to read. Curling up with a cup of coffee or tea, my favorite blanket, and the perfect book is what autumn is all about.
My love of reading and fantasy especially began when I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I still look at wardrobes with a sense of awe and childlike wonder. It is also where I was introduced to the first truly villainous character I had yet to encounter in my reading life—the White Witch. A woman so evil that she could make Edward turn against his family.
I still love a good evil witch, but now my witchy tastes lean more toward humorous stories like Terry Pratchett’s Wee Free Men or Molly Harper’s Witches Get Stuff Done. You will find a good mix in this list. I hope you enjoy these six exceptional witchy reads.
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
Cute, witchy, and with a little bit of spice. At nineteen, Vivi gets her heart broken by Rhys, and since she is a witch, she curses him. Never mix vodka and witchcraft!
Nine years later, Rhys returns to the small town his family established, and that’s when the curse kicks in!
Rhys’ magic is haywire, strange things are happening in the town and they have to work together to try to reverse the spell.
Sparks fly, and feelings return, but can they save the fall festival from ruin?
This is a feel-good romance about the one that got away and second chances. If you like Hallmark movies with some spice, you’ll love this book.
Witches Get Stuff Done by Molly Harper
Someone in my writer’s group recommended Molly Harper at our last meeting and this was the perfect time to read a ‘new to me’ author. Harper’s tone is hilarity with a touch of mystery.
In Witches Get Stuff Done, Riley has recently lost her mother and now finds out she has an aunt she’s never heard of. This aunt wants her to come to Starfall Point, the place where her mother grew up. Hoping to learn more about her mother who never opened up to her, Riley sets off from Florida to Michigan only to find out that her aunt who held all the answers has passed away suddenly.
Now she’s inherited a mysterious mansion with a ghostly butler. Not only that but she’s accidentally entered into a blood contract to be the next caretaker of the house.
This book has a fun cast of characters with a setting full of Hallmark movie vibes. I can’t wait to visit Starfall Point again.
The Wee Free Menby Terry Pratchett
I had heard the name Terry Pratchett for years in fantasy books circles and this is the first Discworld book I picked up. This man is a genius. The Wee Free Men could easily sit on the shelves of a middle school library or side by side with epic fantasy like Lord of the Rings or Wheel of Time.
Discworld is highly respected among fantasy readers because of the elaborate world building, but I also love the hilarious characters. Tiffany Aching is a witch in training armed with a frying pan. She must enter fairyland to find her kidnapped brother. Luckily she’ll have the Wee Free Men at her side, a rough and tumble group of six inch high blue fellows.
This is a five star read for sure!
A Discovery of Witchesby Deborah Harkness
Deborah Harkness creates a dark world of witches, vampires, and demons in A Discovery of Witches, the first in her All Souls Series. I enjoyed this first book immensely. The forbidden romance between a witch and a vampire, a secret book, a main character with tremendous power, all created an engrossing story.
I also enjoyed the television series, especially the time travel aspects. It really made Elizabethan England come alive.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
This book is a warm hug with an adorable found family.
Mika is a witch living in Britain which means she must hide her powers and stay away from other witches.
That’s the only way to keep their magic undetected, but it leads to a lonely life.
Mika does magic “tricks” on the internet, but is sure no one thinks it is real.
When someone reaches out begging her to help three orphaned witches learn to control their magic, Mika heads to Nowhere House to see if she can help.
She finds a welcoming family and a sexy librarian guardian for the girls. Has Mika found her home and how will she protect the girls and help them keep their magic hidden?
If you loved The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, read this book this fall.
Akata Witchby Nnedi Okorafor
When I first learned about Nnedi Okorafor and her africanfuturism books, I immediately said sign me up. I love Nigerian culture probably due to my African history professor in college and my love of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.
Akata Witch is set in Nigeria and draws from Nigerian folklore as it presents a story unlike any I had ever read before.
This young adult novel tells the story of Sunny, a girl with albinism, born in New York and now living in Nigeria. Her classmates call her ‘Akata Witch’ which is a derogatory term.
Sunny soon realizes that she does have some magical powers or juju and she hopes it is enough to escape the vision of destruction she was in the flames.
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Cozy up with a good read and hope to see you
in the middle of a book,
Amy
