The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight

This was a lovely story, touching on female friendship, the societal pressures on mothers, and family secrets. I was sucked in immediately and was heavily invested in Pen’s story.

Recommended!

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

I couldn’t help but think to myself while reading this book “could this happen again?”. Not so much the witchcraft but the sending of pregnant out of wedlock girls (I wanted to say women, but our protagonists are girls. Heartbreakingly so.) to homes to await the birth and subsequent adoption of their children.

When you have no agency, no power, how far might you go if the chance for power and revenge was in front of you?

This gripped me from the first page and I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended for older teens and up.

The Bones Beneath My Skin by T. J. Klune

I loved this SO MUCH! I literally could not put it down once I started. You’ll fall in love with Nate, Alex and Artemis, I promise.

This sci-fi novel dissects found family and what it means to be human. From what I remember, Nate’s coming out to his parents happened all too often (and still does, sadly) in the nineties.

I’d highly, highly recommend this for older teens (one spicy scene) and up. It’s so wonderful.

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire

Nadya’s story will break your heart. McGuire deftly dissects foreign adoption, the agency of children and once again, how even the best intentioned parents can really screw up their kids.

This series is gentle while laying some uncomfortable truths about parenting out on the table. I know I’ve squirmed some while reading. Recommended for teens (tweens might enjoy it, but may be a little young for the subject matter), as always, don’t start the series with this one. It’s fairly stand alone, but the world will be richer if you start with the first book.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi

This book is bonkers. Scalzi throws all the rules about science out the window (except he kind of doesn’t, which makes it even more bonkers) and I LOVED IT.

Something happens to the moon, something truly bizarre, and we explore this through the eyes of many witnesses. (think World War Z only no zombies) Each chapter is a different person’s perspective on the Event, some are directly involved, some are on the peripheral.

I couldn’t put it down. Recommended for tweens and up.

Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North

This is a lovely re-romance? I’m not sure what the term is for second chance romance (maybe that’s it, oh well, too late now) novels. I really loved how the importance of communication was highlighted, and how to step outside the box of ‘normal’ communication. Also loved how North subtly made it clear that this was a novel set in Canada. (I understand why Stellar did what she did, I live in Alberta.)

The Witch's Book of Spells by Lindsay Squire

A good resource for spell casting. Nicely grouped together, well laid out and good graphics. None of the ingredients are too esoteric, but you might want to make a list and hit up a good occult shop before starting. Squire does list correspondences, which is handy. One thing, many of her incense recipes require use of a charcoal disk to use, if that’s not your thing (it isn’t mine), try and find stick or cone incense. I was also quite happy to see "smoke cleansing" instead of smudging.

I'd recommend this book for anyone who'd like to start a spell library.