My thought was to celebrate Halloween and October by curating a category of witch themed reads, but mostly it was because I really wanted to read what I thought was the last book in Kim Harrison's The Hollow Series that feature the witch Rachel Morgan. I treated myself to an old favorite, The Witch of Blackbird Pond--I got to read more from some of my favorite authors, Tana French and Chris Bohjalian--and I found some great new-to-me authors in Louisa Morgan and Stacey Halls. I had a very well read October/November. 

The book is set in 1692 Scotland, in the aftermath of the massacre of the McDonald clan, who were staunch Jacobites, and it is widely thought the massacre to be at the behest of the new King William of Orange, who usurped the rightful King James Stuart from his throne. Corrag is also a true Scottish "witch" and was indeed involved in the clan uprising. Charles Leslie was also a real Irish propagandist and is believed to be the anonymous voice behind the pamphlet that disclosed the facts about the massacre.  This is the historical basis for the tale.

The novel is a fictionalized retelling of Corrag and the McDonald massacre---and for the vast majority I really enjoyed the book and the lyrical writing. Anyone who knows my reading tastes nows that I am sucker for English-Scottish history and epistolatary writing. But, I agree with other readers--the fictional romance element was not necessary and only served to bring the writing down a notch.

It is 2025, I live in the USA, so I found some delight in the following: William of Orange was from Denmark and usurped the Scottish throne from King James, much rebellion ensued. The Scottish populace refered to him as the "Orange Man". An actual Orange Man now believes himself to be the ruler of the USA--sad but so unfortunately true.

Reading Challenge:

25 in 2025

Once Around the Categories: Bewitching Reads

A "be"witching story set across time. A witch who was bound to her lover by a curse and is doomed to living out the same tragic scenario through multiple time lines and multiple lives. This time around she thinks she might have the power to break the curse...very imaginative storytelleing, I really enjoyed. Read time well spent.

2025 Challenge-Once Around the Categories Categories: Bewitching Reads/ A Matter of Time

I am very much a fan of Mr. Barker and devoured quickly all of the 4MK novels. I plan to continue reading all of his books, as they have proven to be reading time well spent.

This book is Book One of the The Shadow Cove Saga. It is set in parallel time lines. Horror author Thad McAlister is writing a new novel, the tale rooted in the witch trials of Massachusetts, the words are flowing freely...supernaturely freely. Turns out his wife had picked up and gifted him a blank notebook at Leland Gaunt's shop "Needful Things" in Castle Rock, Maine. A nod to and permission from master horror writer Stephen King. Thad is writing about the past, he thinks it is fiction but it is actually a true tale, meanwhile his family is just trying to stay alive at home. Off to hunt for Book 2. The Rise of the Witch.

I adored her first book, "The Ten Thousand Doors of January" and hope she writes a sequel (maybe she already has)... but this book just wasn't what I hoped it would be and I'm sad about that result. I wanted to like it more than I really did. It was just too much- in attempt to be all inclusive it just became instead-- complicated and preachy. Big surprise--the enemies are all old white men. I will give this author one more shot (based on TTTDOJ--but this book was mostly a waste of valuable reading time.

This was supposed to be the last book (#13) in this series about the adventures of Cincinnati witch Rachel Morgan but I recently learned that there is to be a 14th coming out this Spring. A couple of chapters into this one I began to realize that while I thought I had read the 12th installment (The Dead Pool) I clearly had not. I didn't feel as out of the loop as I thought AND as the action started on page 1, I was already hooked, so I carried on. Obviously I love Rachel and the regular cast of characters. I've known her long enough that she's family and as family she does have some quirks that get on my nerves--that being said she would not be Rachel if she didn't.

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What Amazon Says: 

A sweeping historical saga that traces five generations of fiercely powerful mothers and daughters -- witches whose magical inheritance is both a dangerous threat and an extraordinary gift. Brittany, 1821. After Grand-mère Ursule gives her life to save her family, their magic seems to die with her. Even so, the Orchieres fight to keep the old ways alive, practicing half-remembered spells and arcane rites in hopes of a revival. And when their youngest daughter comes of age, magic flows anew. The lineage continues, though new generations struggle not only to master their power, but also to keep it hidden. But when World War II looms on the horizon, magic is needed more urgently than ever - not for simple potions or visions, but to change the entire course of history.

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This is one of my all time favorite books, it lives on my forever shelf, loved it as a young girl, loved it as a young mother, and still love it as a crazy old cat lady.

It is an innocent tale about the perils of being "different" and an intelligent woman in Puritan New England. There is romance, family, and friendship. If you have never read it I highly suggest that you do. 

What Amazon says:

Set in the Vermont countryside, Water Witches is a tale of the clash between progress and tradition, science and magic. In the midst of a nightmarish New England drought, cynical ski industry lobbyist Scottie Winston is trying to get a large ski resort the permits it needs to tap already beleaguered rivers for snow. His wife, his little girl, and his sister-in-law -- dowsers or "water witches" all -- hope to stop him, however, in this gentle, comic, life-affirming novel.

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I saw this book mentioned often by other book reviewers on Twitter and it got a lot of praise. It is set against the Pendle Witch Trials of 1612 making it a perfect fit for this witchy themed category. The author clearly did her research and I give her high marks for sticking to what little is known about the actual history of her main characters. I love a book that builds fiction out of history's dark past and the mystery of Alice Gray leaves a lovely loophole for the imagination to wander. 

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What Amazon Says:

Toby is a happy-go-lucky charmer who’s dodged a scrape at work and is celebrating with friends when the night takes a turn that will change his life—he surprises two burglars who beat him and leave him for dead. Struggling to recover from his injuries, beginning to understand that he might never be the same man again, he takes refuge at his family’s ancestral home to care for his dying uncle Hugo. Then a skull is found in the trunk of an elm tree in the garden—and as detectives close in, Toby is forced to face the possibility that his past may not be what he has always believed.

A spellbinding standalone from one of the best suspense writers working today, The Witch Elm asks what we become, and what we’re capable of, when we no longer know who we are.

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I am came across this book while I was reading The Familiars by Stacey Halls as part of my Bewitching Reads category. The book takes a completely different look at the Pendle Witch Trials-- through the eyes of a different historical character. These books were totally different reads but I will say I did prefer this book.

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