Must Read Witchy Books for October

Happy October, everyone! Need I prattle on about how happy I am that it’s finally autumn and the weather is finally reflecting that? Perhaps not. However, I do think it’s the perfect time, being the early days of the spooky season, to prattle on about books with witchy women that make for perfect October reads. 

My Favorites

 

Circe

by Madeline Miller

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In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus. But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

A favorite standalone of mine, this book is about the lesser goddess Circe. She is a witch, perhaps the original witch for, as Circe herself says, “When I was born, the word for what I was did not exist.” My full review here. 

 

A Secret History of Witches

by Louisa Morgan

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After Grandmére Ursule gives her life to save her tribe, her magic seems to die with her. Even so, her family keeps the Old Faith, practicing the spells and rites that have been handed from mother to daughter for generations. Until one day, Ursule’s young granddaughter steps into the circle, and magic flows anew. From early 19th century Brittany to London during the Second World War, five generations of witches fight the battles of their time, deciding how far they are willing to go to protect their family, their heritage, and ultimately, all of our futures.

This was a fantastic book. Slower and subtle, the magic of this book was in the different mother/daughter relationships it focused on and each woman’s own approach to the craft. It wasn’t incredibly powerful women wielding their magic wildly, it was a simple and very realistic approach to witchcraft that was possibly the most realistic I’ve read in a book. My full review here. 

 

On the Radar

 

These are witchy books I’ve yet to read but have my eye on. I can’t actually recommend them, of course, but perhaps they’ll be something you’d like to read this time of year, too. 

 

A Discovery of Witches

by Deborah Harkness 

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Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

 

 

 

 

The Witch’s Kind

by Louisa Morgan 

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Barrie Anne Blythe and her aunt Charlotte have always known that the other residents of their small coastal community find them peculiar — two women living alone on the outskirts of town. It is the price of concealing their strange and dangerous family secret. But two events threaten to upend their lives forever. The first is the arrival of a mysterious abandoned baby with a hint of power like their own. The second is the sudden reappearance of Barrie Anne’s long-lost husband — who is not quite the man she thought she married. Together, Barrie Anne and Charlotte must decide how far they are willing to go to protect themselves — and the child they think of as their own — from suspicious neighbors, the government, and even their own family…

 

 

 

The Familiars

by Stacey Halls

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Young Fleetwood Shuttleworth, a noblewoman, is with child again. None of her previous pregnancies have borne fruit, and her husband, Richard, is anxious for an heir. Then Fleetwood discovers a hidden doctor’s letter that carries a dire prediction: she will not survive another birth. By chance she meets a midwife named Alice Grey, who promises to help her deliver a healthy baby. But Alice soon stands accused of witchcraft. Is there more to Alice than meets the eye? Fleetwood must risk everything to prove her innocence. As the two women’s lives become intertwined, the Witch Trials of 1612 loom. Time is running out; both their lives are at stake. Only they know the truth. Only they can save each other. Rich and compelling, set against the frenzy of the real Pendle Hill Witch Trials, this novel explores the rights of 17th-century women and raises the question: Was witch-hunting really women-hunting? Fleetwood Shuttleworth, Alice Grey and the other characters are actual historical figures. King James I was obsessed with asserting power over the lawless countryside (even woodland creatures, or “familiars,” were suspected of dark magic) by capturing “witches”—in reality mostly poor and illiterate women. 

 

The Glass Woman

by Caroline Lea 

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1686, ICELAND. AN ISOLATED, WINDSWEPT LAND HAUNTED BY WITCH TRIALS AND STEEPED IN THE ANCIENT SAGAS. Betrothed unexpectedly to Jón Eiríksson, Rósa is sent to join her new husband in the remote village of Stykkishólmur. Here, the villagers are wary of outsiders. But Rósa harbours her own suspicions. Her husband buried his first wife alone in the dead of night. He will not talk of it. Instead he gives her a small glass figurine. She does not know what it signifies. The villagers mistrust them both. Dark threats are whispered. There is an evil here – Rósa can feel it. Is it her husband, the villagers – or the land itself? Alone and far from home, Rósa sees the darkness coming. She fears she will be its next victim… 

 

 

 

What Should Be Wild

by Julia Fine 

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Cursed. Maisie Cothay has never known the feel of human flesh: born with the power to kill or resurrect at her slightest touch, she has spent her childhood sequestered in her family’s manor at the edge of a mysterious forest. Maisie’s father, an anthropologist who sees her as more experiment than daughter, has warned Maisie not to venture into the wood. Locals talk of men disappearing within, emerging with addled minds and strange stories. What he does not tell Maisie is that for over a millennium her female ancestors have also vanished into the wood, never to emerge—for she is descended from a long line of cursed women. But one day Maisie’s father disappears, and Maisie must venture beyond the walls of her carefully constructed life to find him. Away from her home and the wood for the very first time, she encounters a strange world filled with wonder and deception. Yet the farther she strays, the more the wood calls her home. For only there can Maisie finally reckon with her power and come to understand the wildest parts of herself. 

 

Witchy Books for Young Readers

 

We don’t want to leave the little readers of our families out this spooky season. Here are some fun witchy books that were favorites of mine when I was a child. I’ve mentioned these in childhood favorites posts, but there’s no better time for a reminder of these Halloween books than the beginning of October. 

 

Big Pumpkin 

by Erica Silverman 

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The witch has grown the biggest pumpkin ever, and now she wants to make herself a pumpkin pie for Halloween. But the pumpkin is so big she can’t get it off the vine. It’s so big the ghost can’t move it, either. Neither can the vampire, nor the mummy. It looks as if there’ll be no pumpkin pie for Halloween, until along comes the bat with an idea to save the day. How can the tiny bat succeed where bigger and strong spooky creatures have failed? You’ll be surprised!

 

The Soup Bone 

by Tony Johnston

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One lonely Halloween night an old lady who lives on top of a hill decides to cook herself some soup. As she digs in the garden searching for a soup bone, she makes the acquaintance of a lively skeleton, and spends a riotous evening playing tricks with him, finally agreeing to be friends.

 

 

 

 

Strega Nona

by Tomie dePaola 

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When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works.

 

 

 

 

 

Are you going to be reading some witchy books this October? Perhaps one of these? Let me know what your TBRs look like in the comments!

Thanks for reading, 

Madison