Book Review: "The Book Witch" by Meg Shaffer

“All stories are love stories if you love stories.”

Even before I descended into a constant pit of despair about what’s going on in our country, I always loved when books I read had elements of magical realism. Some of my favorite authors create these storylines so masterfully, including Meg Shaffer. Her newest book was one I eagerly anticipated given how much I enjoyed her two previous books.

Rainy March is a Book Witch, like her mother and grandfather before her. Book Witches are responsible for protecting books and their characters from those who wish to do them harm. She jumps in and out of books, saving them from book burners, rogue villains, and the occasional character who goes on the lam.

Book Witches follow a strict code of rules. Real people belong in the real world, fictional characters belong in works of fiction. They’re never supposed to tell the characters that they’re not real people. The biggest no-no? Falling in love with a fictional character.

Rainy has some trouble with the last rule. She is in love with the Duke of Chicago, a handsome British detective who is the lead character in her favorite mystery series. She keeps getting reprimanded from pulling Duke into reality, but when her beloved grandfather disappears and a priceless book is stolen, Rainy needs Duke to help her solve the mystery. But the lines between reality and fiction are blurrier than she realizes.

The concept of this book really made me smile. Who wouldn’t want to help their favorite literary characters and protect the books they love? At times things got a little confusing for me, but in the end, the story warmed my heart.

Book Review: "Served Him Right" by Lisa Unger

I do love it when a thriller or mystery keeps me guessing until the end! I’ve been seeing this one all over the place and I finally had to see what the buzz was about.

Ana is through with her ex, Paul. So through, in fact, that she and her friends are going to gather for an “ex-orcism,” where they all delete him off all of their social media and every other form of communication. In the middle of their girls’ brunch, the police show up. It seems that Paul has been found dead.

It’s not long before the police find out that Ana definitely had motive to murder Paul. But she swears she is innocent, and it appears that Paul had a long list of people who might’ve wished him harm. Yet when Ana’s best friend Iggy, who was also at the brunch, becomes seriously ill as a result of poison, everyone—including Ana’s older sister Vera—starts to suspect Ana.

It turns out, however, that lots of people are hiding secrets. As the police start closing in on Ana, she and Vera are both working on trying to clear her name. But their investigations put them both at risk, and stirs up tensions with a secret group of people with their own axes to grind.

There are a lot of characters who narrate the book, and the story shifts between Vera and Ana’s childhood and the present. I liked learning about natural methods of healing and enjoyed the book’s message about how much harder women have to work and how “perfect” they must be in order to succeed.

Book Review: "The Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping" by Sangu Mandanna

I’ve been waiting for this book for a while!! I absolutely loved Sangu Mandanna’s previous book, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, and this book has been on my eagerly anticipated list for quite some time. The good news is, it was as sweet and charming as I hoped it’d be.

“…when you hold tight to the little magic you find, when years go by and the world loses much of its colour and still you refuse to forget the magic, magic will go out of its way to show you that it remembers you too.”

Sera was a powerful young witch in the UK. But when she used her power to bring her beloved aunt Jasmine back from the (relatively recent) dead, she loses most of her magic. To make matters worse, her actions cause her to run afoul of the British Guild of Sorcery and is exiled.

Now she assists Jasmine with running her family’s dilapidated inn. It is enchanted, so the inn is only visible to those who need it, and the magic within it is fairly unpredictable. But the inn is mostly home to guests who’ve become lodgers—and quite an odd crew at that.

When Sera finds out that there is an ancient spell that could help restore her magic, she desperately wants to figure it out. And when Luke, a magical historian who studies ancient languages, arrives at the inn, his no-nonsense attitude both irritates and entices Sera. He can’t wait to leave the inn but yet is compelled to stay, and much to his surprise, agrees to help her with her spell.

I love stories of chosen family, and this book grabbed hold of my heart. The supporting characters are wacky (there’s even a zombie rooster), and I love anything with a dash of magic. Mandanna is such a wonderful storyteller!

Book Review: "Disco Witches of Fire Island" by Blair Fell

How could I resist a book with a title like this? My thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the advance copy!

In 1989, Joe and his best friend Ronnie plan to spend the summer working and playing at the gay mecca of Fire Island Pines. Ronnie is looking for a sugar daddy, while Joe realizes it’s time to move on from grieving his late boyfriend Elliot, who died of AIDS.

When Ronnie’s promised job and accommodations both fail to materialize, Joe meets Lenny and Howie, two older gay men who are housecleaners on the side. They take Joe under their wing, and although they’re tremendously kind and generous to him, they seem to have a lot of secrets and quirky habits. What are they hiding?

Howie and Lenny are part of a coven of disco witches. They use dance to conjure up protection for the younger gay men who might become overwhelmed by the availability of sex and drugs on Fire Island. Both of these have destroyed too many men already, and they’re committed to protecting Joe. But the coven has been depleted by the loss of many of its members to AIDS, so they’re not as powerful as they once were.

While Joe works as a bartender, he finds himself attracted to a bisexual ferryman, and tantalized by a muscular man that keeps disappearing. Lenny and Howie try to warn Joe away from the mysterious hunk, saying that he represents impending danger. Will the disco witches be able to keep everyone safe?

This was such a fun, poignant, nostalgic, and steamy book. I can’t pass up anything set in the 1980s, and when you throw in a little magical realism—plus disco—I’m hooked. I really enjoyed this, and it made me think back to those we’ve lost.

Book Review: "A Sky Full of Dragons" by Tiffany McDaniel

I was lucky enough to win a giveaway for this book! I don’t normally read middle-grade fiction but I love a good fantasy, plus I’ve been a fan of Tiffany McDaniel since her debut novel, The Summer That Melted Everything.

Spella was found in a cauldron one night by a witch known as Aunt Cauldroneyes, because of her ability to find almost anything in a cauldron. She raises Spella as her own, and teaches the girl how to make magical hats for all sorts of creatures.

When Spella turns 8, she gets an invitation to attend school at Dragon’s Knob, famous for teaching wizards and witches. But when Aunt Cauldroneyes is kidnapped (swallowed, actually), it’s up to Spella and her classmates to figure out what happened.

There are so many themes I love in this book—found family, friendships, finding your place and purpose, bravery, and, of course, magic. McDaniel’s storytelling is so hypnotizing, and I’d imagine it will resonate so much with anyone who loves magic.

I’m so grateful for the giveaway win and you can bet I’m ready for the next book in this series!

Book Review: "The Women Could Fly" by Megan Giddings

Megan Giddings' newest book is utterly unique, powerful, and thought-provoking.

Thanks so much to BookSparks and Amistad Books for providing a complimentary copy of this book as a part of #SRC2022!!

Jo’s mother disappeared 14 years ago, and no one ever knew what happened to her. Did she leave for a fresh start somewhere else? Was she abducted, or worse, murdered? Or were the rumors true, that her mother was a witch? In a world where expectations are that you’ll tow the line—especially women—the idea of having a witch as a mother is a dangerous prospect.

Now Jo is 28, only two years away from the state-mandated deadline that women marry by the age of 30 or register to be monitored. But Jo isn’t interested in getting married, although the idea of giving up her freedom certainly doesn’t appeal.

When she gets the opportunity to carry out a request from her mother’s will, it takes her to another place entirely, and she feels a connection to her mother she never expected. But beyond that, she realizes who she is and what she wants for the first time.

This is a fascinating social commentary on the role of women, made even more timely by what’s been happening in the U.S. lately. Even though the idea of witches may seem like this book is fantasy, it’s really much more contemporary fiction. And it’s tremendously well-written!!