The best books to put a little witch into your week

It doesn’t take much beyond the term “sapphic witches” to get me really excited about a book. Additionally, we’ve got elemental magic, blood rituals, and the store in Salem where the main character works is called the “Fly by Night Cauldron” and I was completely sold. This is a light, fun read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I was drawn in by the conflict, not only with the main villain, but a tense history with an ex, and a potential new romance. I really enjoy finding fantasy books where the queerness of the character is not an “issue” or questioned at all. It was something I badly needed as a teen, and it's a relief to be finally getting this kind of thing in literature. I wish I could send it to my younger self!

I found the magic system to be delightful as well, with the elemental powers reminding me strongly of the types of fantasy books I grew up reading.

These witches do not disappoint.

A laugh-out-loud snarky (and definitely steamy) enemies-to-lovers story about a witch hunter falling for the witch he’s supposed to kill. Though there’s a lot of romance and tension between the characters, we also get a good amount of action and exploration of this world of “Chasseurs” and witches. 

A gorgeous story set in New York’s “gilded age” about magical women forming strong bonds. Also, it’s set in a tea shop called “Tea and Sympathy” and I just wanted to live in that world as I was reading. Not only is Ami McKay a terrific writer, her attention to detail and her research shines through in this book, as even the witchcraft the women practice is based on old folklore and tradition.

A dark and complex feminist story of magic and the patriarchy. A young woman living in a puritanical society discovers the power within herself. Echoes of the church’s own dark history with witch hunts can be found throughout the story, which makes Immanuelle’s story feel real and powerful. With my own history of growing up in religion, the town’s rhetoric about purity and sinfulness really hit home for me. It was in places (particularly at the start) difficult for me to read. But it also completely captured my attention as it felt so real, and it made the ending feel more like a triumph than ever. As someone with a complicated past with religion, there's something cathartic about reading about a character who seizes her own inner power and uses it to tear down the system.

I absolutely loved this story of brujas, magical disasters, and unexpected (and queer) love triangles. Labyrinth Lost explores the subject of family, generational magic, and feeling out of place in your own world. We embark on a quest to rescue Alex’s own family, through the strange, monster-filled underworld of Los Lagos. Welcome to the in-between.