A High Summer of reading magic

 Before I begin to wrap up my progress in the High Summer Readathon held at Seasons of Reading this past August, I must confess something; one of my original book picks was DNF’d (Did Not Finish) and replaced with another.

I did give Swapping Lives by Jane Green a fair chance(got up to 40% of the way into it before stopping) and yes, it was a reread but one that I hadn’t picked up in over a decade. Not only was the pacing slow, the material really didn’t age well and it frankly felt like a chore to get through, which is not what a readathon is all about to me.

So, instead of Swapping Lives, I swapped books and discovered the joys of T. Kingfisher. Book of the Month Club had as an add-on her latest fantasy novel, A Sorceress Comes to Call and it was a truly spell binding experience to say the least.

We start off by meeting Cordelia, whose mother is more than just controlling-she can make her daughter “obedient “by using her magic to completely take over her body for hours or even days at a time.

Cordelia lives in terror of her mother Evangeline for good reason as the latter is ruthlessly brutal when it comes to achieving her own selfish desires. When Evangeline targets a lonely noble man to be her new meal ticket, Cordelia feels compelled to warn him and his sister Hester of the danger coming for them but fears the consequences in more ways than one.

Fortunately, Hester is willing to believe her but finding a way to defeat such a vicious villainess, even with a few allies, far from easy yet so worth the doing! Can they save the day or will this potential family merger end in magical murder?

I have heard so much about Kingfisher’s writing(she writes fantasy, horror and under a pen name, children’s books) and none of that praise was exaggerated at all. This blend of magic, intrigue and heart was one of those books that you had  to make yourself stop reading in order to do other things like eat, sleep, do laundry, etc!

If you’re looking for a smart scary read to put you in the mood for Halloween (or just the upcoming Disney/Marvel series Agatha All Along), this book is the perfect portion to conjure up that state of mind:

I kept to my original reading plans after that and the book I followed up with was a far cozier fantasy tale by Sangu Mandanna.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches introduces you to Mika Moon, a young witch who keeps mostly to herself as the rules for present day  spell casters demands that they live apart from each other (except for a few gatherings to check in) and to practice their powers in secret.

Mika, however, longs for more of a real connection and creates a YouTube channel where her videos of “magic spells “ are meant to be seen as fictional fun. However, she gets a very real request to help train a trio of girls who are hidden from the wider world to control their growing powers.

Despite her initial reluctance, Mika winds up becoming their teacher and starts feeling like part of a family for the first time in her life. However, there is a looming threat that could rip apart this safe haven for all concerned. Can that balance between witchy secrets and regular life be struck without causing a catastrophic end?

Again, another book that I have heard nothing but wonderful things about and it was a sheer delight to turn the pages. Filled with engaging characters, moments of charmingly off beat humor and even a touch of romance, this story was all treat and no trick indeed:

Finally, my last book for this challenge was Beth Kendrick’s The Week Before the Wedding.

Emily is preparing to marry Grant, a nice reliable surgeon who adores her and will be much more of a helpful life partner than her driest husband Ryan.

Emily and Grant head off to the town of Valentine, Vermont to have their special day and if things weren’t hectic enough with the wedding plans and the clashing styles of the two mother-in-laws, Ryan unexpectedly turns up.

Very unexpected as Emily hasn’t seen him in over ten years since their divorce from their brief marriage. Claiming to be scouting for film locations (Ryan is now a successful horror movie maker), he makes friends with just about everyone, even Grant. Emily, has her doubts about his actual intentions and she’s right but is also having a few doubts about who she really wants to be with herself.

This is a nice enough novel with some solid sitcom vibes to put that make for a good light read. Think of it as a made for TV version of The Philadelphia Story (I mean that in a good way!)and it’s the type of sweet summer read that goes well with a cold glass of lemonade on a hot day:

My thanks to Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading for another great reason to pick up a book during the last warm days of summer there.

I’m already making plans for FrightFall this October but in the meanwhile, just hoping to have a real taste of autumn energy before winter settles in. Might even rewatch some Gilmore Girls to catch that leaf falling feeling, we shall see: