Grimoire Girl by Hilarie Burton Morgan

 

I read Hilarie Burton Morgan's The Rural Diaries when it first was published and absolutely loved her memoir about meeting her husband, finding their home in rural New York State, and raising a family together. 

Now she's returned with another kind-of memoir about the magic of every day life and how we can recognize it in all the infinite ways it weaves through our lives. 

This is in parts a how-to with gentle guidance on cultivating  friendships, building memories, and discovering the simple ways we can bring the magic of nature and synchronicity into our lives. It can be as simple as burning a specific colored candle, or recognizing the language of flowers and being intentional in how we cook with love and purpose for those we care about. 

Most of all, it is about seeing how everyone creates their own grimoire--or magic spell book. It can be a physical book you put together yourself, full of memories, notes, incantations, recipes, photographs. It can, in one instance, be an estate with acres of gardens with a hidden message that speaks of a lifetime of grief and love. It's paying attention to the people and places that come into your life at certain moments--it's all the magic of the universe, and it's there for you if you just start paying attention. 

I enjoyed this book and it inspired me to start paying attention to what's going on around me--what patterns are there that I'm just not seeing, because I'm too busy? 

I guess I've already started my own grimoire with the books I keep at home; the books that make my home my special place and tell the story of my life. It's in the things I keep at home that remind me of my loved ones who are gone, and special places I've been. Instead of looking at these items as things I have to dust, I have a new appreciation of them.

So burn the candles, set up your mini altar at home. Play with the cards, write in that journal. Gather things that have meaning to you, and open your eyes. The world is a magical place, and we need to bring that positive energy back into being. 

Rating: 5/6 for an interesting book about myth, magic, creating a home, and taking care of your well-being. A call to remind ourselves we are magic. 

Available in hardcover, ebook and audio. 

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Grimoire Girl by Hilarie Burton Morgan

October Reads: Cackle by Rachel Harrison and Small Town, Big Magic by Hazel Beck

 I've finished two more books out of my ginormous TBR pile to wrap up my staycation. Many more to go, but I feel like I have my reading mojo back again and am so happy about it. I decided to review both of these novels in this post because they're both witchy themed and definitely appropriate reads for October.

Cackle was just released in paperback with a very different cover. I bought the hardcover last year, started it, and yes, you guessed it, put it down and didn't pick it up again for months. I powered through it Friday and finished it Saturday afternoon. I'll confess I was a bit disappointed in it. I think mostly because I was expecting something more along the lines of a lighter fare witch story. It could be entirely my fault for going into it and being dismayed that it wasn't what I was expecting. It was definitely more of a "woman power" novel about finding your own strength and owning it. 

Quick synopsis: Annie is leaving a long relationship where her boyfriend thinks they're better off as friends. She's heartbroken, and leaves NYC to teach in a small upstate New York town. Rowan is a beautiful, Hallmark-esque town with friendly people and quaint shops. Enter Sophie, a beautiful woman who eagerly begins a friendship with Annie. It's weird how the townsfolk seem to be a bit afraid of Sophie and deferential to her whenever she's around. Soon, Annie is exposed to more of Sophie's life, and it's pretty odd. A giant home/castle in the woods, spiders that interact with Sophie, things appearing by magic. Sophie is a witch. And she's nice but if you cross her, she is quick to punish. She wants Annie to come into her own power, forget pining over her ex-boyfriend, and stand up for herself. She doesn't need anyone to live a happy life. Annie struggles with this--it's attractive and hard to resist. 

Will Annie fall under Sophie's "spell"? I felt this novel had some promise, but fell short of what I was hoping to read. I was disappointed in the ending and felt it went from potentially charming to a bit dark and gave me Stepford Wives vibes (I saw the original Stepford Wives movie as a kid on TV and was deeply horrified by it). I guess I don't like the conclusion that you have to be alone in order to be happy and free as a woman. 

I waited months for this to be published, and it's taken me checking it out twice and renewing it a few times from the library to finish it. Ugh! Again, another one I had huge hopes for, but was disappointed. Mostly disappointed in the main character Emerson. Bookstore owner? Love it! Independent woman-Love it! But holy cow she's a real pain in the butt. Annoying doesn't cover it. Always saying how smart she is, how capable she is, how tough she is. It gets. so. old. Emerson and her circle of friends are all witches in the small town of St. Cyprian, MO. Only thing is, Emerson doesn't know she's a witch. There's a horrible governing body of witches called the Joywood who wiped her mind clear in her teens when her powers didn't appear when they were expected. So for ten years Emerson has been oblivious to it all, while her friends have been hiding it from her and protecting her. 

Annoying asshat Mayor Skip tries to have Emerson killed by some heavy black magic, and low and behold, Emerson's hidden powers appear and she destroys the black magic. She finds out she's a Confluence Warrior, and she's meant to save the town from a horrible black magic flood that's going to destroy not only St. Cyprian, but possibly the Midwest. This black magic is concentrated in the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers, right where St. Cyprian is located. But Emerson must find the ritual that will stop the flood before it's too late. And she has to do it in secret, with her friends, so the Joywood don't find out and destroy Emerson. 

There's some romance, but it's low level between Emerson and Jacob, her love (she kind of remembers, but kind of doesn't thanks to the mind wipe) from high school. Still friends, and some smoldering occurs. She's got a heck of a great guy there, but doesn't seem to appreciate him as much as I'd expect. He's a peach. While their relationship progresses, it seems as though it's Jacob doing all the heavy lifting and Emerson accepting it without much giving. 

Anyway, I will read the next book, which is out sometime in 2023 just because this novel ends with a huge cliff-hanger moment. I'm interested enough in the other characters and what happens with all of them. Emerson's circle of friends are the best part of the novel. Emerson is annoying and hard to like as a character. 

Rating for Cackle: 3/6 for potential as an interesting novel about owning your own power, living your life. Fell short of my expectations. 

Available in hardcover, trade paperback, ebook, and audio. 

Rating for Small Town, Big Magic: 3/6 for a novel with a lot of potential that was almost sidelined by the annoying main character Emerson. I really liked her circle of friends and will read the second book to see where it goes. It is touted as a rom-com, but it's definitely not one at all. 

Available in trade paperback, audio, and ebook. 

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October Reads: Cackle by Rachel Harrison and Small Town, Big Magic by Hazel Beck

The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina by Zoraida Cordova

 

The Montoya family is an interesting group of people; their matriarch Orquidea Divina is especially interesting and different. She's quite magical, too. Appearing in Four Winds decades before as a very young woman, she created an oasis out of nothing, leaving the townspeople to whisper about her and send the sheriff out on occasion to try to get her to leave. 

However, Orquidea stayed. She never left her little oasis, where food was always plentiful, the weather was beautiful, and there was a definite other-worldliness about it. 

Now Orquidea is calling her children and grandchildren back to Four Winds because she is dying and it's time to leave each of them an inheritance. When her family arrives, they are shocked to see Orquidea is not only dying, but is slowly transforming into a tree. Questions abound!

Now it's seven years later, and two of her grandchildren and one great-grandchild have gifts that are definitely odd: Rey, Marimar, and Rhiannon all have flowers growing out of their flesh. None of them understand why or what the flowers mean. 

Soon it becomes clear something is stalking the Montoya family, and it wants to destroy them. Seeking to figure out what is killing family members, they travel to Ecuador, Orquidea's home, to discover where her story began and to uncover the truth before they are all destroyed. 

Wow. This was one heck of a great read. Magic is everywhere in this story, and toss in a circus with a mysterious connection to Orquidea and you've got quite an interesting tale of bad decisions, promises made and broken, and heartbreak that never goes away. Revenge weaves its way through Orquidea's life story, and a big theme is the damage done to children by parents who do not love or care for them. Those children grow up to inflict damage on themselves and others, because of their rage, sorrow, and unanswered questions. 

I loved the mix of legends and magic, folklore and family love and connections. The story goes back and forth between present day (7 years after Orquidea transforms) and decades before, slowly revealing her journey and the price she paid for freedom. It all culminates in a showdown between the evil that stalks the family, and the gifts Orquidea gave her grandchildren. 

If you're looking for books with magic, cultural lore and otherworldliness, you'll enjoy this very much. The cover is just gorgeous. 

Rating: 5/6 for a tale of one woman's choices that create a magic safe place for family that is threatened by an evil that seeks revenge and will stop at nothing to destroy everything. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina by Zoraida Cordova

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix

 

I've read a few Garth Nix novels over the years and he remains one of my favorite YA and children's authors. This novel got me just by the title. I was a bookseller for 25 years, and those many years sharing my love of reading and books gave me some of the best memories and made me feel like I made some impact, however small it might have been.

Have you ever heard of a runner's high? That thing that happens when you hit a time during a run where it feels effortless and magical and you could run for hours? Well, I would get that feeling at work when I talked to people about books. Not all the time, but boy, when it did happen, it was pretty awesome. I'd actually come home exhausted and feeling pretty drained from all of it. I still get that feeling sometimes when I talk to people about what I've read, or what I'm reading. It fills me up when I'm running low. 

Anyhow, back to this novel. It took me a few weeks to read it, and I wish I'd just kept plugging away and finished it in a few days. I am also reading a few other books at the same time, and kept bouncing around and not accomplishing much. But I buckled down and finished it this morning. I was reminded again how much I love British mythology and magic. It's one of my favorite fantasy elements to read about when I'm looking for something to read. This definitely fit the bill. And made me long to return to England for a visit. Someday. 

This novel is set in 1983 London. Susan Arkshaw has just turned eighteen and is moving to London to attend art school, and also to look for her father. She's never met him, and her mother is very vague about who he is and where he went. Susan doesn't even have a name to go by. But, her mother does have a few connection in London and Susan decides to start with one of those connections. And that is where Susan's story takes off. 

Crime boss Frank Thringley has invited Susan to supper, but something wild happens and Frank ends up dead-actually turned to dust by a pin prick. The person who did the deed is a young man named Merlin, who dresses with a whole lot of flair and wears a glove on his left hand. Merlin quickly rushes Susan out of Frank's house, telling her if they stay she will be killed. Susan's time in London quickly spirals into a world she was unaware of, but one in which she may belong. Merlin and his sister Vivien are booksellers; Merlin a left handed one, and Vivien a right handed one. They have magical powers; Merlin is a fighter, and Vivien, as a right handed bookseller, uses her intellect. Together they, along with hundreds of  other booksellers, keep the peace in England. 

However, someone wants Susan dead, and she's thrown into wild adventures with Merlin and Vivien as they connect Susan's mother with the murder of their mother years ago. Who killed their mother? And how does Susan's father factor into all of it? And why is Susan in danger? 

The magical elements in this novel were a big hit for me. Old world magic and New World magic battling for control; ancient rituals and connections to the earth and elemental beings--all the stuff I love! I can't wait for more. I hope there is more! 

This is written as a YA novel; if that makes you hesitate, please don't let that stop you. Garth Nix writes such a good story any age will dive right in and gulp it down. Reading this has me thinking that I probably need to rediscover some of Mr. Nix's previous works. He has just the right blend of action, adventure, and darkness to keep you engaged. His characters are well developed and interesting, too. 

Rating: 4/6 for the start of a what I hope is a new series. Booksellers, London, magic, and ancient powers all blend into a novel about a young woman who wants to find her father. Plenty of action, mythology, and book talk to keep you reading late into the night. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix

Trail of Lightning: The Sixth World, Book One by Rebecca Roanhorse

I've been itching to read a good fantasy novel for a while. My book group meets tomorrow night, and we have chosen to read a book that is either written by a Native American author, or has a Native American theme. I took this as as opportunity to find a fantasy novel with a Native American theme, and found this very creative and well written first in a series by Rebecca Roanhorse. 

Set in the near future, the world as we know it has been destroyed by the Big Water, which pretty much wiped out much of the United States, caused an energy war, and has reborn the Navajo Nation, known as the Dinetah.  

Gods and heroes of the Dinetah are real, and so are monsters. Maggie is a monsterslayer. She's young, beyond tough, and has a huge ax to grind. And you can't blame her one bit for it. Surviving a horrific night of torture and the death of her beloved grandmother, her clan powers are ignited: she is one who kills. The power rushes into her, she sees just how she will kill and she does it with skill, strength, and some supernatural power. She's also feared, alone, and nursing a broken angry heart from her mentor and lover, Neizghani-a God himself. 

Maggie is called on to hunt down and rescue a little girl snatched from her home by a monster. This begins Maggie's journey to find out who is creating these monsters, and why. Visiting Tah, her medicine man "grandfather", she meets Kai Arviso, who is Tah's actual grandson, and someone who has clan powers of his own. What they are...well, you'll have to read to find out. Together Kai and Maggie venture out into a hostile land to stop the monsters from terrorizing and killing across Dinetah, and stop whomever or whatever is creating them. 

There's much more to this, of course. But I have to leave you plenty to discover on your own. I read this in stops and starts, and I wish I'd read it in bigger chunks and a shorter amount of time. I enjoyed it-it's pretty dark. The world is not a good place. I kept hearing the end music from Terminator in my head, as Sarah Connor is driving towards the mountains and the growing storm. Da da dada da. Da da dada da.  I found the Navajo culture and mythology fascinating, and the idea that clan powers are real and something that is handed down through the generations, and a gift to be honored, no matter what form it takes. 

I will read the second in the series, since book one leaves you wanting answers. Book two is Storm of Locusts, and more adventures for Maggie Hoskie await. I like Maggie. She's so tough, but inside there's an insecure young girl who wants peace and love, and is afraid she's not worthy of either of them. She both embraces her clan powers, and loathes them.  I'm really hoping her further adventures with Kai will lead her to a better place. 

Rating:  4/6 for a new series that centers on the Navajo people, a post-apocalyptic world where fuel and water are in short supply, and gods and monsters are very, very real. If you like mythology, you'll like this series. 

Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audio.

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Trail of Lightning: The Sixth World, Book One by Rebecca Roanhorse

See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt

A friend of mine talked about this book in last month's book group, and I gladly accepted his offer to read the book this month.  It had been on my radar for a few months, and after Kirk's review of it, I couldn't wait to dig in--and this was the perfect introduction to my favorite holiday, Halloween.  

Lizzie Borden, as we know, is infamous for the murders of her father, Andrew Borden, and her step-mother, Abby Borden, on August 4, 1892 in Fall River, Massachusetts.  They were both bludgeoned to death by an ax in their home:  Abby upstairs in the guest bedroom; Andrew lying on the couch in a downstairs parlor.  Lizzie was charged with their murders, brought to trial, and found not guilty.  She lived the rest of her life in Fall River, a bit of a pariah, and died in 1927 of pneumonia.  She never married.  

Lizzie Borden

These are the basic facts.  What Sarah Schmidt has done is to recreate the days leading up to the murders, and the few days after the murders, as told through the eyes of Lizzie, her older sister Emma, the maid Bridget, and a very unsettling young man named Benjamin.  Moving back and forth between these characters, we learn bits and pieces of events surrounding the murders, and a little bit about each person.  It quickly becomes apparent that each had a motive for murder, and at least two of them are completely unhinged.  

The brilliance of this novel is the unbalanced feeling you have while reading it.  The best analogy I can use is to imagine yourself on the deck of a ship in the middle of a storm, trying to constantly keep your balance; shifting your weight, wondering when the next roll of the deck will come.  That's how I felt, especially while reading from Lizzie's viewpoint.  Her behavior and thoughts are, at times, downright repulsive.  Her tangled relationship with Emma, her love/hate for her father, and her disdain for her stepmother all are constantly changing as her mind wanders between the brutal present and the past.  Bridget is the only really normal character.  Stuck as a maid for the Bordens, she's been saving her money in a tin box underneath her bed, so she can leave and go back home to Ireland.  When Mrs. Borden finds out she wants to leave, she takes away Bridget's tin full of money.  Bridget's resentment of Mrs. Borden, her feelings of helplessness, and her awareness that "this family just isn't right" (my words, not hers) seems like the only normal part of the story.  Everyone else's views are subject to half-truths, truths, and lies. 

Benjamin is one awful man.  He's sent by Lizzie and Emma's Uncle John to take care of Andrew Borden.  Take care of how, it's not quite clear, but would involve violence.  He's really angry when he arrives and things aren't what Uncle John promised.  Don't even get me started on the high creep factor Uncle John brings to the story.  His treatment of Lizzie made my flesh crawl; sexual predator came to my mind more than once.  Emma's a whole lot more aware of Uncle John's creepiness and keeps well away from him. 

There are two points in the story where you realize who committed the murders, and when two other characters realize who committed the murders.  One of the turning points is fairly quiet, but made me say "Holy Crap!" out loud.  The other involves the murder weapon, and what becomes of it.  

Sara Schmidt is a gifted writer.  Her ability to set you squarely in the Borden home on those hot, humid, awful days creates a the illusion in your mind that you're kind of a peeper, standing in the corners, watching it all unfold.The smells, the textures, the descriptions of food may leave you queasy. I can say the word 'mutton' makes me feel a bit ill.  

I recommend this novel for book groups, folks who love true crime, and anyone who likes a good psychological thriller.  The big theme is the powerlessness women felt while under the thumb of their father; their inability to create a life on their own without the approval of parents, and the frustration that created.  Power is a very big theme--it can bring wealth, but it can also bring resentment, chaos, and violence.  While the murders to this day remain unsolved, Sarah Schmidt has her own idea of who was guilty of the crimes.  

Just in case you're interested, the Borden house is now run as a Bed and Breakfast, and you can stay in the room where Abby Borden was murdered.  It's also known to be haunted by Andrew Borden.  

Rating:  5/6 for a fantastic imaging of the Borden murders.  Highly recommend. A writer who brings all of your senses into play.

Available in hardcover, and e-book. 

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See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt

Quiet by Susan Cain

I finally know the difference between shyness and being an introvert, thanks to Susan Cain and her book Quiet.  I always have called myself shy, but wondered why I wasn't shy all the time, just in certain situations--like a party.  Reading Quiet gave me many "AHA!" moments and a better understanding about the person I am today.

Quiet is about introverts, and how they function in today's world, and how they get lost under all the noise of the loud and extroverted world we work, play, and live in everyday.  Introverts--and there are many of us--are those who prefer to work in a quiet space, enjoy conversations with small groups of people instead of large, loud parties, and work best being creative when they have space and peace.  They think things through before making decisions, and are more apt, as leaders, to provide opportunities for other people to try out their ideas.  Extroverts thrive on the fast pace, the aliveness of today's world; they are charismatic and ebullient; they are most of our leaders.  Donald Trump, I think you're an extrovert.  

This is not to say all extroverts are bad, and all introverts are delicate creatures.  Susan Cain stresses that the world needs both, and we need to be aware of how each works best.  Anyone who has sat in a meeting and been told to "brainstorm" shudders at the thought.  Much better to have everyone go to their separate spaces,  come up with their ideas, and then get together to discuss a plan of action.  As the author says, the person who speaks the loudest is not always the person who has the best idea; why should we automatically assume they do--and why take the chance that they don't have the best idea?  

What struck me the most about this book was the understanding I now have of myself.  No one is a complete introvert or extrovert; we all fall somewhere on the scale.  But what makes an introvert push past their apprehension of standing up in front of people, or speaking up at a meeting, is their passion for the cause they support. I would not want to get up in front of people and talk about computer programming, because it's not something that interests me, and I would be very uneasy being the focus of all those eyes.  But, give me a book to talk about that I love and I think people should read--I have no problem standing in front of a crowd of people and talking about it.  When you have something you believe in (for me, it's books and reading), you as an introvert can use those extrovert characteristics to speak up.  

So I'm okay with preferring to sit at home and read a book instead of going to a noisy bar.  I continue to love having coffee and chatting with a small group of friends about books, life, and whatever else we having going on in our lives.  I am okay with being quiet and listening, but I will stand up and be heard if I have something to say.  And yes, it's okay if I'm tired and a bit drained after spending a weekend with my large, loud, family.  I can be large and loud with them, too.  But I know that I'll need to go home and spend time in the quiet afterwards.  

If you think you may have an introverted child, or even an extroverted child, read this book.  It will go a long way towards helping you understand your child, and how they approach the world.  Too many people are told they are too quiet, and meek.  They're not meek.  They just are more alive and fully functioning in a quiet space.  Creativity needs some solitude sometimes in order to pop out.  There is too much pressure on all of us to be loud, work as a team all the time, and be "on".  Well for some of us, it's exhausting, and for some of us, it's just not the way we roll.  And that is okay.

Rating:  8/10 for an enlightening look at what being extroverts and introverts mean; how the world has changed over the past 100 years to embrace extroverts, and how introverts can thrive and succeed in their own quiet way.  

Available in paperback, audio, and e-book format.  

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Quiet by Susan Cain