Witchy Reads!

Put on your conical hat, grab that broomstick and follow me into the world of witches, warlocks and all things magical!

All of this week's posts will be about all the spooktacular reads to welcome the festive season into the world! First off, we're going to start with our witch-reads. So get that cauldron bubbling and sit back for the top three  reads!

Courtesy of Walt Disney

1) A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1), by Debora Harkness. 

Headline, 2011

When historian Diana Bishop opens an alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, it's an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordered life. Though Diana is a witch of impeccable lineage, the violent death of her parents while she was still a child convinced her that human fear is more potent than any witchcraft. Now Diana has unwittingly exposed herself to a world she's kept at bay for years; one of powerful witches, creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires. Sensing the significance of Diana's discovery, the creatures gather in Oxford, among them the enigmatic Matthew Clairmont, a vampire genticist. Diana is inexplicably drawn to Matthew and, in a shadowy world of half-truths and old enmities, ties herself to him without fully understanding the ancient line they are crossing. As they begin to unlock the secrets of the manuscript and their feelings for each other deepen, so the fragile balance of peace unravels...

This is actually one of my favourite supernatural/historical romance. Debora Harkness is a historian and she writes marvelously. The entire series is a work of art! Its like nothing I have ever read before and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it - and it was hard to wait for the entire series to come out, let me tell you. It was agony. However, now the entire trilogy is complete and you don't have to wait to devour it. So if you're into witches, cool magical aunts, a house with its own mind, and sexy vampires (that don't sparkle!) then this is a great and sophisticated read. Go on, you know you want to...

2) The Winter Witch, by Paula Brackston. 

St Martin's Griffin, 2013

In her small early nineteenth century Welsh town, there is no one quite like Morgana, who has not spoken since she was a young girl. Her silence is a mystery, as well as her magic. Concerned for her safety, her mother is anxious to see her married, and Cai Jenkins, a widower from the far hills, seems the best choice.

After her wedding, Morgana is heartbroken at leaving her mother, and wary of this man, whom she does not know, and who will take her away to begin a new life. But she soon falls in love with Cai’s farm and the wild mountains that surround it. Cai works to understand the beautiful, half-tamed creature he has chosen for a bride, and slowly, he begins to win Morgana’s affections. It’s not long, however, before her strangeness begins to be remarked upon in her new village. A dark force is at work there—a person who will stop at nothing to turn the townspeople against Morgana. Forced to defend her home, her man, and herself, Morgana must learn to harness her power, or she will lose everything.

I found this book from my love of A Discovery of Witches and if you happen to have read the previous, then you will definitely enjoy this. The history and the romance are impressive and so well written that it jumps out of the page at you. You feel part of the times that you can almost smell and hear the sounds of the Welsh towns. And of course, the main character Morgana is the perfect protagonist for this story! A must read! 

3) Witches of East End (The Beauchamp Family #1), by Melissa de la Cruz. 

Hachette Books, 2011 

 The three Beauchamp women--Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid--live in North Hampton, out on the tip of Long Island. Their beautiful, mist-shrouded town seems almost stuck in time, and all three women lead seemingly quiet, uneventful existences. But they are harboring a mighty secret--they are powerful witches banned from using their magic. Joanna can resurrect people from the dead and heal the most serious of injuries. Ingrid, her bookish daughter, has the ability to predict the future and weave knots that can solve anything from infertility to infidelity. And finally, there's Freya, the wild child, who has a charm or a potion that can cure most any heartache.

For centuries, all three women have been forced to suppress their abilities. But then Freya, who is about to get married to the wealthy and mysterious Bran Gardiner, finds that her increasingly complicated romantic life makes it more difficult than ever to hide her secret. Soon Ingrid and Joanna confront similar dilemmas, and the Beauchamp women realize they can no longer conceal their true selves. They unearth their wands from the attic, dust off their broomsticks, and begin casting spells on the townspeople. It all seems like a bit of good-natured, innocent magic, but then mysterious, violent attacks begin to plague the town. When a young girl disappears over the Fourth of July weekend, they realize it's time to uncover who and what dark forces are working against them.

With a brand-new cast of characters, a fascinating and fresh world to discover, and a few surprise appearances from some of the Blue Blood fan favorites, this is a page-turning, deliciously fun, magical summer read fraught with love affairs, witchcraft, and an unforgettable battle between good and evil. 

If anyone is a fan of Melissa de la Cruz's addictive Blue Blood series then you'll definitely love this! This a mix of genres including family relationships, romance, supernatural and a whole lot more. It's a great beginning to the series. The characters themselves are extremely well done and funny at times. They all have their own individual characteristics and really stand out from the page when you read them. Fantastic read, go and try it!

So if you want a little magical in your life, try these stepping stone reads and delve into series that will entertain you, beguile you and shock you!! 

Magic out. 

Fishy Reads!

Fishy Reads! 

Okay, so I promised some mermaid tales this week! We have already reviewed some mermaid shenanigans, but here's a few more to flip your fins to!

These three books are a selection of different tastes. From mature content, teenage lurrrrve, and belly laughing fun, they've all be chosen to suit certain readers. For anyone looking for recommendations, just keep an open mind with these three. They're all different, but all about love, mermaids and of course, those damn amazing heroines! 

My Mermaid Reading List: 

Goddess of the Sea, by P.C Cast. 

Paitkus Cover

On the night of her twenty-fifth birthday, alone in her apartment, Air Force Sergeant Christine Canady wished for one thing: a little magic in her life. After drinking way too much champagne, she performed, of all crazy things, a goddess-summoning ritual, hoping that it would somehow make her life a little less ordinary...but she never believed the spell would actually work.

When her military plane crashes into the ocean, CC's mission overseas takes an unexpected turn. She awakens to find herself in a legendary time and place where magic rules the land—occupying the body of the mythic mermaid Undine. But there is danger in the waters and the goddess Gaea turns this modern, military gal into a beautiful damsel so that she can seek shelter on land.

CC is soon rescued (literally) by a knight in shining armor. She should be falling in love with this dream-come-true, but instead she aches for the sea and Dylan, the sexy merman who has stolen her heart.

Rating: Mature for content, whole lotta flapping around in the water, annoying knights, sly monks. 

                                                                       

Of Poseidon, (The Syrena Legacy #1) by Anna Banks.

Square Fish, 2013

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom...

Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.     

Rating: T for Tweeny love, cute mer-boys, fun and engaging characters, no-fuss reading!

Sleeping with the Fishes, (Fred the Mermaid, #1), by Mary Janice Davidson. 

Paitkus Books, 2011. 

Fred is not your ordinary mermaid. She's not blonde. She's not buxom. And she's definitely not perky. In fact, Fred can be downright cranky. And it doesn't help matters that her hair is blue. While volunteering at the New England Aquarium, Fred learns that there are weird levels of toxins in the local seawater. A gorgeous marine biologist wants her help investigating. So does her merperson ruler, the High Prince of the Black Sea. You'd think it would be easy for a mermaid to get to the bottom of things. Think again. 

Rating: M for language, chic-lit, Witty and lovable characters, chortling belly laugh read, all about da mermaids, love triangle (but actually a good one!) 

Mer Out!