As we officially enter into fall, the witching season is upon. Not only have witchy books been hotter than ever – for the past few years we have seen an influx of magical tales with no sign of their popularity slowing – but now the release of Practical Magic 2 has readers, film goers, and everyone in between looking for more magic in their lives. While there are plenty of Alice Hoffman books for readers to dive into, from her Practical Magic series to her latest release, The Witches of Cambridge, there is certainly no shortage of witchy reads to keep your patrons satiated. From dark tales of ancestral magic to cozy romance, there is something for every reader. Here is a list of witchy books for fans of Practical Magic (book or movie) that feature family drama, sisterhood, romance, and more, perfect for reading with a Midnight Margarita in hand.

 

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

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This lush, gentle book of enchantment is perfect for Alice Hoffman fans. A story of sisterhood and Southern magic, Garden Spells is a heartwarming story with magical realism and characters seeking connection. If you like this one, be sure to check out its sequel, First Frost.

 

From the publisher: The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers. Generations of Waverleys have tended this garden. Their history is in the soil. But so are their futures.

A successful caterer, Claire Waverley prepares dishes made with her mystical plants—from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets and the pansies that make children thoughtful, to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile, her elderly cousin, Evanelle, is known for distributing unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverleys—except for Claire’s rebellious sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before.

When Sydney suddenly returns home with a young daughter of her own, Claire’s quiet life is turned upside down—along with the protective boundary she has so carefully constructed around her heart. Together again in the house where they grew up, Sydney takes stock of all she left behind as Claire struggles to heal the wounds of the past. And soon the sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy—if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom—or with each other.

 

The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang

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The Wilderwomen may not feature traditional witchcraft like we see with the Owens sisters, but the Wilders are magical, nonetheless. Two sisters seek out their long-lost mother in this moving, atmospheric story that blends mystery and wonder.

 

From the publisher: Five years ago, Nora Wilder disappeared. The older of her two daughters, Zadie, should have seen it coming, because she can literally see things coming. But not even her psychic abilities were able to prevent their mother from vanishing one morning.

Zadie’s estranged younger sister, Finn, can’t see into the future, but she has an uncannily good memory, so good that she remembers not only her own memories, but the echoes of memories other people have left behind. On the afternoon of her graduation party, Finn is seized by an “echo” more powerful than anything she’s experienced before: a woman singing a song she recognizes, a song about a bird…
When Finn wakes up alone in an aviary with no idea of how she got there, she realizes who the memory belongs to: Nora.

Now, it’s up to Finn to convince her sister that not only is their mom still out there, but that she wants to be found. Against Zadie’s better judgement, she and Finn hit the highway, using Finn’s echoes to retrace Nora’s footsteps and uncover the answer to the question that has been haunting them for years: Why did she leave?

But the more time Finn spends in their mother’s past, the harder it is for her to return to the present, to return to herself. As Zadie feels her sister start to slip away, she will have to decide what lengths she is willing to go to find their mother, knowing that if she chooses wrong, she could lose them both for good.

 

 

Black Candle Women by Diane Marie Brown

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Love curses, family drama, and generations of magical women – ring any bells? Black Candle Women is a moving saga full of complex, authentic characters perfect for fans of Practical Magic who want to keep diving into magical lineages.

 

From the publisher: Generations of Montrose women—Augusta, Victoria, Willow—have always lived together in their quaint California bungalow. They keep to themselves, never venture far from home, and their collection of tinctures and spells is an unspoken bond between them. But when young Nickie Montrose brings home a boy for the first time, their quiet lives are thrown into disarray.

For the family has withheld a crucial secret from Nickie all these years: any person a Montrose woman falls in love with will die. Their surprise guest forces each woman to reckon with her own past choices and mistakes. And as new truths about the curse emerge, they’re set on a collision course dating back to 1950s New Orleans’s French Quarter—where a hidden story in a mysterious book may just hold the answers they seek in life and in love…

 

 

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova

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Do you like your magic with a darker twist? The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is a tale of succession in a troubled family, magical gifts, and murder. A blend of intrigue and magical realism, this story slowly intensifies as the magical Montoyas are pursued by a dangerous outside force and must confront their own roots to protect their magic.

 

From the publisher: The Montoyas are used to a life without explanations. They know better than to ask why the pantry never seems to run low, or why their matriarch won’t ever leave their home in Four Rivers—not for graduations, weddings, or baptisms. But when Orquídea Divina invites them to her funeral and to collect their inheritance, they hope to learn the secrets that she has held onto so tightly their whole lives. Instead, Orquídea is transformed into a ceiba tree, leaving them with more questions than answers.

Seven years later, her gifts have manifested in different ways for Marimar, Rey, and Rhiannon, granting them unexpected blessings and powers. But soon, a hidden figure begins to tear through their family tree, picking them off one by one as it seeks to destroy Orquídea’s line. Determined to save what’s left of their family and uncover the truth behind their inheritance, her descendants travel to Ecuador—to the place where Orquídea buried her secrets and broken promises and never looked back.

Alternating between Orquídea’s past and her descendants’ present, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is a “spellbinding tale, both timeless and fresh, that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page. Prepare to fall in love” (Kim Liggett, New York Times bestselling author).

 

 

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall

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For a more gentle, reflective take on magical stories, look no further than The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic. This cozy witchy romance is the perfect way to kick off the fall season, and there are even delicious recipes you can try at home if you’re looking to make your own magic!

 

From the publisher: Sadie Revelare has always believed that the curse of four heartbreaks that accompanies her magic would be worth the price. But when her grandmother is diagnosed with cancer with only weeks to live, and her first heartbreak, Jake McNealy, returns to town after a decade, her carefully structured life begins to unravel.

With the news of their grandmother’s impending death, Sadie’s estranged twin brother Seth returns to town, bringing with him deeply buried family secrets that threaten to tear Sadie’s world apart.

Their grandmother has been the backbone of the family for generations, and with her death, Sadie isn’t sure she’ll have the strength to keep the family, and her magic, together.

As feelings for Jake begin to rekindle, and her grandmother growing sicker by the day, Sadie faces the last of her heartbreaks, and she has to decide: is love more important than magic? This touching and cozy small town fantasy romance for fans of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake is the perfect heartwarming read to curl up with on a chilly fall night.

 

 

The Crescent Moon Tearoom by Stacy Sivinski

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This whimsical, feel-good historical fantasy about magical sisters being taken in different directions feels like holding a warm cup of tea in your hands. If you’re looking for a fun and fantastical book with a focus on relationships, look no further than The Crescent Moon Tearoom, and check out the next in the series, The Witching Moon Manor.

 

From the publisher: Ever since the untimely death of their parents, Anne, Beatrix, and Violet Quigley have made a business of threading together the stories that rest in the swirls of ginger, cloves, and cardamon that lie at the bottom of their customers’ cups. Their days at the teashop are filled with talk of butterflies and good fortune intertwined with the sound of cinnamon shortbread being snapped by laced fingers.

That is, until the Council of Witches comes calling with news that the city Diviner has lost her powers, and the sisters suddenly find themselves being pulled in different directions. As Anne’s magic begins to develop beyond that of her sisters’, Beatrix’s writing attracts the attention of a publisher, and Violet is enchanted by the song of the circus—and perhaps a mischievous trapeze artist threatening to sweep her off her feet—it seems a family curse that threatens to separate the sisters is taking effect.

With dwindling time to rewrite their future and help three other witches challenge their own destinies, the Quigleys set out to bargain with Fate. But in focusing so closely on saving each other, will they lose sight of themselves?

 

 

The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells by Rachel Greenlaw

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When a young women inherits her grandmother’s cottage on the condition that she stays in her hometown for one winter to fix the place up, she will have to contend with a broken friendship, familial expectation, and the pull of the magic in the mountains surrounding her small town. A cast of eccentric characters and multiple perspectives provide rich world building in this contemporary fantasy.

 

From the publisher: There is an old tale woven through the mountain town of Woodsmoke about a stranger who appears as the first snow falls in winter, who will disappear without a trace as the frost thaws in spring, leaving a broken heart behind.

Carrie Morgan ran from Woodsmoke ten years ago, and the decision has haunted her ever since. Spending a decade painting and drifting around Europe, she tries to forget her family’s legacy and the friends she left behind. But the Morgan women have always been able to harness the power of the mountains surrounding the town, and their spells—and curses—are sewn into the soil. The mountains, they say, never forget.

Sure enough, when Carrie’s grandmother dies and leaves behind her dilapidated cottage, she returns to renovate—certain she will only be there for one winter. She meets Matthieu as the temperature dips, a newcomer who offers to help refurbish the cottage. Before long, and despite warnings from her great-aunt Cora of the old stories, Carrie finds herself falling for the charming stranger. But when the frost thaws in spring, Matthieu goes missing.

Carrie is convinced he’s real, and he’s in danger. As she fights her way across the mountains to find him, she must confront all the reasons why she left Woodsmoke and decide whether the place she’s spent the last decade running from is the home she’s been searching for.

Rachel Greenlaw, the beloved author of One Christmas Morning, returns with another beautifully crafted, emotionally charged, and romantic tale about lost love and the magic of coming home.

 

 

The Anatomy of Magic by J.C. Cervantes

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Family drama, a second chance at first love, and learning to release control to regain it are themes at the heart of The Anatomy of Magic, an evocative and intricately plotted tale of magic and memory.

 

From the publisher: Lilian Estrada seemingly has it all: an ob-gyn star on the rise, a master at balancing work with whirlwind romances and part of a family of fiercely loyal and exceptional women, all bound together by an extraordinary secret. The Estrada women each possess a unique power, and Lily shines with the rare gift to manipulate memories. Yet not even her mystical abilities can shield her from a harrowing event at the hospital, one that sends her powers—and her confidence—spiraling out of control.

Seeking solace, Lily retreats to her family’s ancestral home in Mexico, only to find herself face-to-face with a ghost from her past—Sam, the first love she never forgot. Nearly a decade since she last saw him, Sam is hardly the boy she once knew, and as old flames spark to life, Lily must navigate the mysteries of their shared history and the depths of her own heart if she hopes to control her unpredictable magic.

 

 

Strange Folk by Alli Dyer

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In this tale of Appalachian folk magic, a woman returns home to her estranged, magical family to confront a conjuring-gone-wrong. This atmospheric story addresses family secrets, addiction, and legacy with a mother-daughter reconciliation story at its core.

 

From the publisher: Lee left Craw Valley at eighteen without a backward glance. She wanted no part of the generations of her family who tapped into the power of the land to heal and help their community. But when she abandons her life in California and has nowhere else to go, Lee returns to Craw Valley with her children in tow to live with her grandmother, Belva.

Lee vows to stay far away from Belva’s world of magic, but when the target of one of her grandmother’s spells is discovered dead, Lee fears that Belva’s magic may have conjured something far more sinister. As she searches for answers to protect her family, Lee travels down a rabbit hole of strange phenomena and family secrets that force her to reckon with herself and rediscover her power.

 

 

The Women of Wild Hill by Kirsten Miller

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Witches waging war against the patriarchy – need I say more?

From the publisher: There are places on earth where nature’s powers gather. Girls raised there are bequeathed strange gifts. A few have powers so dark that they fear to use them. Such a place is Wild Hill, on the tip of Long Island. For centuries, the ghost of a witch murdered by colonists claimed the beautiful and fertile Wild Hill…until a young Scottish woman with strange gifts arrived. Sadie Duncan was allowed to stay.

Five generations of Sadie’s descendants called Wild Hill home, each generation more powerful than the last. Then, in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy, the last of the Duncans, once prophesized to be the most powerful of their kind, abandoned their ancestral home.

One of them, Brigid Laguerre moved to California and turned her dark gift into fame and fortune. Her sister, Phoebe, settled on a ranch in Texas, where women visit in secret for her tonics and cures. Phoebe’s daughter, Sybil, has become a famous chef. Seemingly powerless, Sibyl has never been told of the Duncan bloodline.

Now Brigid, Phoebe, and Sibyl have been brought to Wild Hill to discover their family legacy. The Old One, furious at the path mankind has taken, has chosen three powerful witches to turn the tide. The Duncans will fulfill their destinies—but only if they can set aside their grievances and come together as a family.

 

 

If you’re interested in exploring more magical books for fans of Practical Magic, check out some of our complete recommended lists here:

 

Love Can Be a Real Witch: Witchy Romance

Witches: Fantasy, History, & the Everyday

 

For more great lists, check out the Recommended Lists section of the Resource Center, home of all the great lists maintained by OverDrive’s staff librarians. Lists include bestsellers, favorite genres, kids and teens, LOTE content, seasonal favorites, and more!

 

 

Thank you for joining us on this week’s round up of witchy reads! Reach out to your Digital Content Librarian or Account Manager for more information on how to provide the best content for your community.

 

 

 

About the author

Claire Weibel has worked in publicity for the arts, public libraries, and archives. At OverDrive she helps public libraries manage their collections and creates lists of the hottest titles to help her partners shop and promote their collections to their patrons. When she isn’t reading she loves to run, try new recipes (while listening to an audiobook), plan her next road trip, or hang out with her pets. Claire is always excited to talk about a good mystery or spooky books!