Witch, Please

Our top witchy books for this spooky season

I was never a huge fan of Halloween, just ask my mother. I loved the costumes and candy, but once the holiday became all scary stuff, I wanted nothing to do with it. As I’ve gotten older I’ve begun to appreciate the cozy spookiness of the season; the leaves changing, a coolness in the air, and pumpkin-flavored things. While I still can’t read a truly scary novel, I do appreciate a good theme. So here are some fun witchy books to get you in the Halloween spirit.

Practical Magic

I first read Practical Magic, when I was 22 years old. It was the first ‘real’ book I read to celebrate finishing graduate school. Telling the story of two sisters, Sally and Gillian Owens, and the effects that a curse rendered by their ancestors has on their lives centuries later. It is a perfect mix of magic and realism that makes Practical Magic so believable and beautiful. It was only recently brought to my attention, however, that Alice Hoffman has written two prequels about the Owens women. So this is my October task, a Practical Magic series binge, complete with a movie viewing.

Hocus Pocus

No October is complete without watching the Disney cult classic Hocus Pocus. In my house, it is pretty much mandatory viewing. But did you know Disney published a book and a sequel? I didn’t know either until my roommate found it in Target. The book follows Max, Dani, and Allison as they fight the three Sanderson Sisters for the future of Salem. It is almost a word for word adaptation of the movie, with a few new insights that set you up for the sequel. The All-New Sequel, as it’s called, introduces us to Max and Allison’s daughter, Poppy, who then inadvertently brings the sisters back from the dead (again!). All I can say is I hope this is the story they chose to make into the movie sequel. But it’s just a  bunch of hocus pocus, right? 

Harry Potter

Oh Harry Potter, forever my favorite amongst tales of witches and magic. I don’t necessarily think of HP as Halloween specific (what’s with all the Christmas movie marathons?) but as we’re talking witches I can’t leave it out. Don’t be fooled by what you’ve heard, these books are not just for children. They follow Harry and his friends through all the trials of growing up, not to mention fighting Lord Voldemort and saving humanity from unthinkable evil. The magic and wonder in this world are almost without equal and the expanse of the fandom has created even more avenues to explore.

It is worth noting that, while I do think everyone should read these books at least once, I do not agree with the author’s stance on Transgender and LGBTQ+ rights. These books are about love and the power of it to triumph over everything else, so it baffles me that their creator can be so narrow-minded (more on this another day). They have held a special place in my heart and on my bookshelf for many years and I hope they will for others too. 

A Discovery of Witches 

One of the better Witchy/Paranormal series, A Discovery of Witches follows Diana, a witch and a professor at Oxford, who meets Matthew, a Vampire, and scientist. They fall in love, which is what you might expect, and then work together to unravel the secrets around Diana’s family and the origin of her magic. My favorite aspect of this series is how realistic this world is.

Unlike Harry Potter, where wizards exist in secret but apart from Muggles, in this series witches, vampires, and daemons live amongst us and often have large political, social, or creative influences. I would describe this series as part historical fiction, part fantasy, and I love it. I spent a significant amount of time looking for a comparable series and have yet to find one. Full disclosure: I have not watched the series, so I can offer no honest option there, but it’s on my list just as this book should be on yours!

How to Hang a Witch

Adriana Mathers’ How to Hang a Witch is a delightfully eerie, adventurous novel. Set in Salem, Samantha Mather finds herself mixed up with the Descendants, direct descendants of the original Salem Witches, and a curse that threatens all their lives. I loved the characters and connection to history, the author herself has family ties that go back to Sleepy Hollow, Salem, and the Titanic. This happens to be the theme of Samantha’s second adventure, Haunting the Deep. As we get to know more about the descendants and follow Samantha as she comes into her powers. This book kept me up all night because I simply couldn’t put it down! These are the perfect books for the witchy season, but be warned, they may leave you wanting more. 

Wicked

I couldn’t end this post without mentioning Gregory Maguires’ Wicked. While not strictly Halloween themed, I feel that Glinda and Elphaba (The Wicked Witch of the West) were the OG witches of my imagination. This book is delightfully dark, bringing OZ and the politics of a divided nation into focus while experiencing life through the eyes of two young witches. Did you say dark, Isn’t this a musical? Why yes, it is!

Although the broadway retelling is significantly shinier and, of course, musical, (really, there aren’t words to describe it) the original story has so much more. In the way only Gregory Maguire can, he has taken the story we all thought we knew about Oz, It’s wizard, It’s witches, and the little girl who changed everything and flipped it on its head. The novel presents a version of the world over the rainbow as being not all that different from our own, teaching us valuable lessons in corruption, greed, acceptance, and friendship.