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Don’t forget that we have ONE MORE Virtual Book Club meeting scheduled for 2022! And, as every December before this, for as long as Hearts.Wants.Books. Has been in existence, December is for Comfort Reads. So cozy up as we re-join Veronica and Stoker in the third installment of Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell Mysteries series, A Treacherous Curse! You’ve only got 6 weeks to go, so sign up right HERE to join us and let us know in the comments if you’re starting back with A Curious Beginning or relying on your memory to start the third in the series!

Ashley IN MEDIAS RES

• The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher
• Basic Witches: How to Summon Success, Banish Drama, and Raise Hell with Your Coven by Jaya Saxena
• Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham
• A Year of Positive Thinking: Daily Inspiration, Wisdom, and Courage by Cyndie Spiegel

Nikki IN MEDIAS RES

• The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher
• Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes by Shauna Niequist
• The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin

Ashley FIN

• Boss Witch (Fix-It Witches #2) by Ann Aguirre
• The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
• Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorafor
• Strictly Taboo (Trek Mi Q’an #4.5) by Jaid Black
• The League of Gentlewoman Witches (Dangerous Damsels #2) by India Holton
• Witch Please (Fix-It Witches #1) by Ann Aguirre
• Ninja Selling: Subtle Skills. Big Results. By Larry Kendall*

Nikki FIN

• Raising Emotionally Strong Boys: Tools Your Son Can Build on for Life by David Thomas
• A Letter to Three Witches by Elizabeth Bass
• Boss Witch (Fix-It Witches #2) by Ann Aguirre
• The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
• The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy (audio + dead tree)
• The How-To Cookbook for Teens: 100 Easy Recipes to Learn the Basics by Julee Morrison
• Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorafor
• Your New Playlist: The Student’s Guide to Tapping into the Superpower of Mindset by McRae Acuff, L.E. Acuff, and Jon Acuff (audio)
• The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen
• The League of Gentlewoman Witches (Dangerous Damsels #2) by India Holton
• The Soul of a Woman by Isabel Allende
• Witch Please (Fix-It Witches #1) by Ann Aguirre

*Finished in September

It has been a really fun reading month for me, and I have a lot to say, so buckle up!  I achieved my reading goal for the year, which was 104 books (I’m currently at 115).  While I’m not excited that I did so this early, it’s still a month later than usual, so I’ll take it, AND it includes a monthly audiobook, which means time I otherwise would not have been doing something else (as I listen while doing other things).  And I know it sounds weird to be bummed that I achieved a goal early, but I’m not trying to read more books, I’m trying to select the books I read more purposefully, and balance my reading hobby with other demands upon my time, i.e., if I’m not reading, I have time to do other things more.  

This month, in case you didn’t know (HA), we read a lot of witches, and it was a grand time!  I even read a few nonfiction titles (although only one included witch in the subtitle, I can argue another is about the sorcery of parenting), and my monthly audiobook, which was a really fun hang.  I’d previously read (via ebook) Soundtracks by Jon Acuff, so when I heard his children interviewed about the book they wrote on the That Sounds Fun podcast, I knew I wanted to listen to it too (and honestly, I’d have enjoyed Jon’s book more as a listen).  I don’t enjoy that Jon is listed before L. E. and McRae on Your New Playlist and I don’t know if I should feel like the publishing world is trying to capitalize on his name recognition, the patriarchy going after his daughters, or some combination of both.  Maybe I’m looking for something that’s not there and it’s alphabetized, HOWEVER, those women wrote everything except one chapter on each end, they did a fantastic job, and they deserve top billing.  AND if the idea of mental soundtracks and building better ones interests you, please check out one or both of these titles (probably on audio)!

This month, I learned that when I go through my Hoopla favorites and select titles to use my last borrows for the month, I’m shoulding on myself, even if those books are already on my TBR.  AND YET, that led to one of my favorite reading experiences of the month!  It wasn’t witchy, but it sure felt magical to read the dead tree copy of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse while author Charlie Mackesy read it to me via audiobook.  MAGICAL.  I heard about this book first from my favorite newsletter, the Latest Lazy Letter from Kendra Adachi.  No joke, it’s amazing and I generally forward it to Ashley with notes, and not just about the bookish section (which is SOLID).  This is a picture book about companionship, community, and friendship, and I am only sad it took so long for me to read it, and that my people have not picked up this book since it entered our home last Christmas.  Ugh.  

My other favorite reading experience this month was consuming The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen.  Does it help that I was awake stupid early for no reason two mornings while reading this?  Yes, yes it does, and I’m not sad one bit.  In a futuristic time and place, Hart is a sheriff and Mercy is an undertaker.  Their professional paths cross, and sparks ensue in this enemies to lovers, grumpy + sunshine romance novel.  The world building was fantastic, the writing was picturesque, the dialogue was snarky, and the characters were amazing.  This is seasonally appropriate as there are zombies, but don’t let the zombies stop you from picking this book up any time of year!  Y’all, I was ready for the big break, and I knew what was going to cause it (because duh), and how it was going to go down, but JUST WOW I was not ready, and I want to read Bannen’s back list ASAP.

Dear readers, I think Ashley might be about to have a fit because it’s October and I’ve written many words and barely mentioned witches.  Here we go.  The Soul of a Woman: On Impatient Love, Long Life, and Good Witches is my first Isabel Allende title, and I’m so intrigued having read about her life and experiences.  Readers with a favorite Allende are highly encouraged to suggest one for us to read and review.  This title is just as inspirational as the first two books in the Fix-It Witches trilogy are fun.  Danica and Clem are the Fix-It Witches, and drama is about to ensue in several ways, including family, relationship, etc.  They are fun and relatable (even with the magic), and these two open-door romance novels left us quite excited to read the newest release as well.

I did read a couple of meh books this month, which isn’t great, but given the quantity this was bound to happen, and I’m calling it a win, especially the few more days (maybe more) wherein Ashley and I will still be reading about witches, around books for November’s review posts!

What is a title that wowed you?

~Nikki 

To be honest, darling readers, I am more than a little disappointed in my reading life this month which is dedicated to witches. Yes, I finished all our titles in time, even The Rules of Magic for Virtual Book Club last week.Yes, I also met my reading goal for the year this month, 100 books, not the same as Nikki’s 104. But, I have not finished reading my two non-fiction (and witchy!) titles, though I only aim for one a month. Which also means I haven’t finished but ONE title that wasn’t a buddy read. I typically have several that Nikki and I didn’t read together. I realize that I have five more days to finish out this month, but there’s much life to do in these next five days and that always elbows in on my reading time!

Why can’t I just be excited about what I did accomplish and instead have to constantly should on myself to be my version of perfect?…oh yeah…#EnneagramOne

~Ashley

P.S. I finished another book before this went live, but I’m going to leave it as it is for now. 😉

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