While Tree and I were brainstorming potential Blogtober posts ideas, I realized that I tend to pick up a lot of witchy books. Therefore, I decided to do some mini reviews of my most recent witchy reads! This was actually good motivation for me to read some of my TBR, so I might have to do this again.
The Babysitters Coven by Kate Williams
4/5 stars
Overall, I did enjoy this book and I’m excited for the rest of the series. Unfortunately, because this is book 1 of a series, there was quite a lot of world building and set up for the following books. Due to this, I didn’t really get into the book until about 60%, when the action actually picked up (but then I was hooked). I was laughing throughout the entire book because the humor is on point and the book is filled with snappy one-liners that made me guffaw. Also, I love how the characters acknowledged the similarities between them and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. To say the least, I’m looking forward to seeing what other Sitter shenanigans Esme, Cassandra, and Janis get into next.
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Loved by P.C. Cast + Kristin Cast
[I know this is technically a vampire series, but they have magical powers and do spells, rituals, etc., so I’m counting it as witchy.]
3.5/5 stars (+ .5 for nostalgia)
So, all year I’ve wanted to do a House of Night reread, but the entire series consists of like, 12 books and I finally decided I couldn’t do that to my TBR. Then, recently I found out about this new spinoff series, House of Night: Otherworld, and I got really hyped. This book read just like the original series and I found myself really enjoying revisiting all the characters, especially since I didn’t have to watch their painful maturation arcs again. So, my main problem was that it took me a while to wrap my head around the fact that the entire first series takes place in the span of year (or less?). But this book picks up on Zoey’s 18th Birthmas, and I guess it broke my mind a little to think only a year had pasted in their time. Looking back, it just seems like one hell of a year.
*Thank you to Edelweiss + for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson
4.5/5 stars
Okay, so this book was not actually on my TBR for this month, but I happened upon the audiobook when I was browsing my library’s e-catalog on Libby and couldn’t resist. This book has been floating around my TBR forever and I’m glad I finally picked it up! I thought that it might be a little cheese-y, and I worried about the zombies/witches aspect, but my worries were unfounded. Undead Girl Gang keeps the story fun and playful, while still delving into emotional depths and heartbreaking loss. I also appreciated that all the loose ends were wrapped up. I absolutely flew through this book; I think I listened to the entire thing in one sitting. This book was surprising witchy, and I kind of just want more of it. The only thing that kept me from giving this book 5 stars is that everything was wrapped up a little too conveniently. I feel like there should have been bigger aftereffects.
These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling
3.5/5 stars
I actually read this one all the way back in June (thankfully I took notes) but I didn’t end up writing a review for it because I could never decide how I felt about it. I was super excited about it too. I mean, queer witches with elemental powers? Like, hell yeah, thank you, more please. Anyways, I don’t know what it was, but this book just never rose to its potential. I thought that maybe it was slow because it was setting up a series, but I recently found out it’s just a duology. I wish the characters and plot had some more depth to them, and that they hadn’t spent the entire book “hiding” their magic from mortal. These Witches Don’t Burn had the potential for supreme witchiness and ultimately fell very flat. I’m still planning on reading This Coven Won’t Break. I want to see how the story wraps up, and I’m hoping it might redeem book 1.
Season of the Witch by Sarah Rees Brennan
3.5/5 stars
So, let me start off with this: Season of the Witch is a good book to read, if you’re already a fan of the Netflix show. If not, I really don’t know what pull it might have. This is a really quick read, and that might be because it’s plot-lite. Basically, nothing much happens in this book. A forest nymph gets up to some hijinks, and Sabrina casts a spell gone awry (the usual). It’s basically 15 minutes of an episode, and leaves the reader lacking. The plus side of this book is that you get a peek into the cast of characters that are not Sabrina. You get inside their heads in a way the TV show can’t, and it humanizes the characters a little bit more. I especially enjoyed witnessing how Prudence thinks and processes things. I’d would definitely read a book from her POV.
*Thank you to IReadYA and Scholastic Inc. for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
What witchy books should I pick up next?
xoxo, Bree
Words About Words 
It looks like a nice list of witchy books! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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