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They’ll Put a Spell on You: The Once and Future Witches and Murder Most Fowl

6 Oct

Here are two of my recent reads that are sure to bewitch you too!

The Once and Future Witches
Three very different estranged sisters reunite to join their powers in Alix E. Harrow’s novel The Once and Future Witches.  I enjoyed the unique interweaving of women’s suffrage in with the idea of women’s magical power being suppressed by men who labelled their magic as a weaker branch of sorcery, just as women were labeled the “weaker” sex.  As the sister’s explore their heritage and create new spells they also discover their path forward in life and find hidden strengths that they will need to overcome the obstacles in their path.  This is Harrow’s second novel after The Ten Thousand Doors of January. It is available in print and as an ebook.

Inspired to make some magic of your own? Check out Basic Witches: How to Summon Success, Banish Drama, and Raise Hell with Your Coven by Jaya Saxena and Jess Zimmerman.

Murder Most Fowl
Murder Most Fowl is the latest in one of my favorite mystery series centered on Meg Langslow, a blacksmith and mother of twins.  In this spooky edition perfect for the lead up to Halloween, Meg’s husband is rehearsing a performance of the “Scottish Play.”  Unsettling things keep turning up from oddly shaped mushrooms to a fragment of a creepy spell.  Although the book keeps to Donna Andrews light hearted touch it definitely has a much spookier atmosphere than many of her other works. You can borrow it in print from BCCLS libraries or as an ebook from eLibraryNJ (log in with your Hoboken Library Card for access).

Hunting for more fictional witches? Click on the links for our previous posts on magical historic fiction involving NY and books centered on magical family bonds.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Head of Information and Digital Services

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Come to the “Pumpkins & Pages” Library Festival, in Church Square Park on October 2 and meet Romance Author Jennifer Wilck!

29 Sep

This year’s Library Festival, October 2 from 11 AM to 4 PM,  is a community-wide celebration of reading and everyone’s favorite season: Fall!  One of the not to be missed attractions is the local authors tent featuring authors from Hoboken, NJ, and NY including author Jennifer Wilck, who writes contemporary romances.

Wilck’s In the Moment features Cassie Edwards, a former foster child, who bought an old Victorian because it was the one place during childhood that felt like home. Rayne Tucket, a photojournalist, is looking for a distraction when Edwards hires him as a handyman; he is trying to heal from events in Afghanistan. Check it out to see if love can soothe both their hearts!

Waiting for a Miracle is set during Hanukkah; like many of Wilck’s stories it feature Jewish characters in non-religious settings. Can Benjamin, a widowed father and Rachel his daughter’s teacher find love’s bright light; if Benjamin’s mother who is Rachael’s neighbor has her way they certainly will.

Other ebook romances available from Hoopla by Wilck include the Serendipity series: Addicted to Love, Five Minutes to Love, and Learning to Love. Just released this year is A Reckless Heart, the first in her new Scarred Hearts series.

Romance fans will also have the opportunity to meet authors: Miriam Allenson, Victoria Jayne, Carol Van Den Hende. 

If you enjoy mysteries as well, you can learn more about the mystery writers attending (Jason Pinter, Peggy Ehrhart, Erica Obey, Tim O’Mara ) and their novels in our previous blog post. 

We haven’t forgotten kids with children’s book authors Timothy Becker, Raakhee Mirchandani, and Patricia Ann Keeler!

Poets Robert Anthony Gibbons, Lynne Shapiro, Carrie Magness Radna, and Danny Shot will be reading their poetry in the tent throughout the day. 

Other HPL Pumpkin and Pages Festival Events include:

♦ Welcome to the Festival, with our new Library Director, Jennie Pu

♦ Monster Story Time, with Jack Silbert  (11 am in the Main Event Tent: For Everyone)

♦ The Mentalist (12 pm in the Main Event Tent: For All Ages)

♦ The Propbox Players (1 pm in the Main Event Tent: For Children & Families)

♦ Keynote Speaker, Author Jason Pinter (2 pm in the Main Event Tent: For Adults)

♦ Raffle Drawing

♦ Kulture Kool International Dance Performance (3 pm: For Everyone)

PLUS, fun activities throughout the day, including:

Arts and Crafts Tent for Children

TeenTent ♦ Caricature Artist  (11 am – 1 pm) ♦ Tarot Card Reading (2 pm – 4 pm)

E-Content and History Tent: Learn all about e books and e resources. Learn all about Hoboken History and what the library has to offer. Stop by and Win A Prize!

Friends of the Library Book Sale: The Friends will be selling gently used books throughout the library fair. Stop by the tent to say hello!

Literacy Tent: Find out about all the great literacy and life-skills programs and services — including ESL classes! — available to you free from your library.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Head of Information and Digital Services

Tags: , , ,

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