Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #602: The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher: The brand-new series from the bestselling author of Practical Magic, following two brilliant young women in 1950s Cambridge, Massachusetts, as they become immersed in a mysterious secret group of witches at Radcliffe known as the Lilith Society.

Once upon a time, women were drowned in the river and the only witnesses were the crows in the trees. The Puritans blamed Eve for the sins of the world. That was when we began to meet in the name of Lilith, Adam’s first wife—banished for refusing to do as she was told.

We Fly Together…

By the 1950s, Cambridge, Massachusetts feels far removed from the legendary witch trials that marked its early days as a colony. Ava, a bright young woman from a small town in Maine, arrives for her first year at Radcliffe College. There, she meets Lauren, her opposite in every way—the wild and brazen daughter of a wealthy and well-established Cambridge family. But the two have more in common than they think. Both are recruited by the Lilith Society, a secret organization of witches at Radcliffe dating back to colonial times. As they learn more about their legacy, Ava and Lauren form a close bond that is put to the test as they learn to navigate their new power, friendship, and love.

While Radcliffe seems like a safe haven, the shadow of McCarthyism looms large, an ever-present threat to the flourishing creative and intellectual life in Cambridge. And as girls from the Lilith Society begin to go missing, Ava and Lauren realize the witch trials of the past may not be as deeply buried as they once believed.

The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman is expected out September 8, 2026 from Scribner.

Why am I waiting on this book? I've enjoyed reading magical realism titles from Alice Hoffman in the past. I like the idea that the past isn't as far away as is generally thought. And I am intrigued by the Lilith Society and what it will come to mean for the girls.

What book are you waiting on? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Though Jet didn't work in the library officially, she was a great favorite with the young patrons. She had the ability to know what people were thinking, and therefore understood that boys who were rude were usually fearful and that quiet girls often had a lot to say. She frequently stopped by to help young people choose books, guiding them to stories that contained magic of the best sort, practical magic that was folded into the everyday world, tales in which people stumbled into enchantments, often while walking down the street in their own hometown, or when they stepped into closets that contained other worlds, or waited for a train that would take them to a place they'd never before imagined.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The last rule stopped Franny cold. “How is this possible?” she asked. “We’re cursed.” 

“Anything whole can be broken,” Isabelle told her. “And anything broken can be put back together again. That is the meaning of Abracadabra. I create what I speak.” (p. 58)

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman was published October 10th, 2017 by Simon & Schuster.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #367: The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman

 

Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Master storyteller Alice Hoffman brings us the conclusion of the Practical Magic series in a spellbinding and enchanting final Owens novel brimming with lyric beauty and vivid characters.

The Owens family has been cursed in matters of love for over three-hundred years but all of that is about to change. The novel begins in a library, the best place for a story to be conjured, when beloved aunt Jet Owens hears the deathwatch beetle and knows she has only seven days to live. Jet is not the only one in danger—the curse is already at work.

A frantic attempt to save a young man’s life spurs three generations of the Owens women, and one long-lost brother, to use their unusual gifts to break the curse as they travel from Paris to London to the English countryside where their ancestor Maria Owens first practiced the Unnamed Art. The younger generation discovers secrets that have been hidden from them in matters of both magic and love by Sally, their fiercely protective mother. As Kylie Owens uncovers the truth about who she is and what her own dark powers are, her aunt Franny comes to understand that she is ready to sacrifice everything for her family, and Sally Owens realizes that she is willing to give up everything for love.

The Book of Magic is a breathtaking conclusion that celebrates mothers and daughters, sisters and brothers, and anyone who has ever been in love.

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman is expected to be published October 5th, 2021 by Simon & Schuster.

Why am I waiting on this book? I enjoyed the other books in the series that I have read. I want to see how things get tied up for the characters. 

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Review: Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

 

Once there was a babe abandoned in the snowy woods not far from Hannah Owens home. Hannah took in Maria and raised her. Maria had a talent for the unnamed arts and Hannah taught her all she knew. Hannah admonishes her to always love someone who will love you back.

Disaster strikes. Hannah dies and young Maria is left on her own. Robbed of her childhood by what she witnessed, Maria seeks help from her biological parents. Her father sells her into indentured servitude in Curacao. 

It's in Curacao that Maria first falls in love. She is  subsequently abandoned again. She makes her way to Salem, Massachusetts where witch hysteria is brewing. Along the way Maria will learn more about love. And it is in Salem she will utter the famous Owens family curse.

I liked the characters of Maria, Samuel Dias, and Hannah the most. Faith, Maria's daughter, is an interesting character as well. It's not that Faith is unlikable, but some of her choices are. Generally speaking, the characters in the book are appropriately fleshed out. Those you should like, you will probably like. Those that are less likable, the reader is shown reasons why they are less likable.

The pace of the book is well done. I was only tempted to look ahead once and that was because of a plot point rather than a pacing issue. I was worried for Maria going to Salem at a time when one could be accused and put on trial for witchcraft. I didn't look ahead though. 

This book is worth reading whether you've read the other books yet or not. I give it 5 out of 5 stars. It's well-written. There are interesting characters and plot twists. And it is well paced. I would recommend this book if you've read the others or want to, like historical literature, or like witchy books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my review. 

Teaser Tuesday: Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Everything was white, air and sea and sky, but the weather and the high seas didn't deter her. She had looked in the black mirror and had seen that it was her fate to go to Salem. 

(83% through on my Kindle)

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman was published October 6th, 2020 by Simon and Schuster.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #316: Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Synopsis:

In an unforgettable novel that traces a centuries-old curse to its source, beloved author Alice Hoffman unveils the story of Maria Owens, accused of witchcraft in Salem, and matriarch of a line of the amazing Owens women and men featured in Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic.

Where does the story of the Owens bloodline begin? With Maria Owens, in the 1600s, when she’s abandoned in a snowy field in rural England as a baby. Under the care of Hannah Owens, Maria learns about the “Unnamed Arts.” Hannah recognizes that Maria has a gift and she teaches the girl all she knows. It is here that she learns her first important lesson: Always love someone who will love you back.

When Maria is abandoned by the man who has declared his love for her, she follows him to Salem, Massachusetts. Here she invokes the curse that will haunt her family. And it’s is here that she learns the rules of magic and the lesson that she will carry with her for the rest of her life. Love is the only thing that matters.

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman is expected to be published on October 6, 2020 by Simon & Schuster. It's available for preorder now.

Why am I waiting on this one? I've enjoyed the other books in the series: Practical Magic and Rules of Magic - a prequel to Practical Magic. I've always enjoyed books about witches. This book is another prequel to Practical Magic. And it's definitely about witches. It's not going out on a limb to think I will enjoy this book too.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

He had loved his father and had been in awe of him, but he had never felt as close to him as he did right now. You are the man I admired most of all, Julien would say to him if he could, if they were lying side by side watching the universe expand around them. (p. 284)

The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman was published September 24th, 2019 by Simon & Schuster.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The summer had started them thinking. If they were not like everyone else, who, then, were they? Lately they'd been itching to know what they were capable of. They had never tried to combine whatever talents they might have. 

(p. 75)

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman was published October 10th, 2017 from Simon & Schuster.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday #185: The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

From beloved author Alice Hoffman comes the spellbinding prequel to her bestseller, Practical Magic.

Find your magic.

For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man.

Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the sixties, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood red hair, shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts, and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk.

From the start, Susanna sets down rules for her children: No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And most importantly, never, ever, fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Back in New York City, each begins a risky journey as they try to escape the family curse.

The Owens children cannot escape love even if they try, just as they cannot escape the pains of the human heart. The two beautiful sisters will grow up to be the revered, and sometimes feared, aunts in Practical Magic, while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy. Thrilling and exquisite, real and fantastical, The Rules of Magic is a story about the power of love reminding us that the only remedy for being human is to be true to yourself.

Why am I waiting on this one? It's the prequel to Practical Magic. And it's an Alice Hoffman book. I loved the aunts in Practical Magic. I look forward to reading what lead up to them living their lives the way they do in that book. The Rules of Magic is due out October 10, 2017 from Simon and Schuster.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Review: Nightbird by Alice Hoffman

I don't often read middle-grade books, but I couldn't resist this one having been written by Alice Hoffman. She once again pens a terrific tale of magical realism. I found as the book progressed I read a little slower unconsciously trying to make the book last.

Twig is a young girl living in the small town of Sidwell, MA in the Berkshire mountains of Massachusetts. Her family is a bit unusual and they mostly keep to themselves. At least until this particular summer. A family moves into the house that was owned by Agnes Early, the witch. Agnes Early had placed a curse on Twig's family. Would her descendants have the same kind of animosity for her family? Can she break the curse?

And then there are the woods. Someone wants to sell them for development and someone else is trying to protect them by pretending there is a monster in the woods. The pretender leaves spray-painted designs all over the place asking for help and preservation of the woods and the home of the black sawhet owls.

In short, Nightbird is an enchanting story. There are fantasy or magical elements woven into the story in such a way that it's easy to suspend your disbelief. I consider this a tale of magical realism because most of it is about ordinary happenings with magical elements.

The story continuously propels you forward. You want to know what happens next. Will Twig succeed at what she is trying to do? Who is the monster of the Sidwell woods?

It's a good book basically for middle-grades and up. I give it 5 stars out of 5 stars because of the writing. It's a tale of magic, but it is also a tale of friendship and family.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Teaser Tuesday: Nightbird by Alice Hoffman

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can participate, just do the following:

• Grab your current read and open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and the author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

Published March 10,  2015
by Wendy Lamb Books

The novel is aimed at middle graders, but I am enjoying it all the same. 

My teasers:

location 72 at 3% through:

People in Sidwell argue as much as people do anywhere, but everyone agrees on one thing:Our monster can only be seen at night, and then only if you are standing at your window, or walking on a lane near our orchards, or if you happen to be passing our house.

location 82 at 4% through:

Being unusual is not unusual for the Fowlers.

What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out. Happy Reading!