In my office, I have a growing pile of books that are either by witches, or that I got as references for a witchy freelance assignment I’m working on. I thought a mass brag/shoutout of books by our readers, for our readers, might be more efficient for now than letting the pile grow as I try to figure out how to cover them individually.
Here’s where you can order each if you’re interested in a book by a witch or that might appeal to you as a witchy parent. In top-to-bottom left-to-right order, you have:
Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included) by
It’s a Good Day to Change the World: Inspiration and Advice for a Feminist Future by Lauren Schiller and Hadley Dynak
Technology’s Child: Digital Media’s Role in the Ages and Stages of Growing Up by Prof. Katie Davis
Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture by
Burn it Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood by Mo Ryan
The Sacred Life of Bread: Uncovering the Mystery of an Ordinary Loaf by
Growing up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World by
(both her and Katie Davis’ books have much cuter final covers than the temporary ARC covers!)Here are some other new books that I don’t have on hand yet but are by witchy friends hither and yon if you want something to read by someone who might be on the same vibe as you. They are not arranged in any way whatsoever!
The Migrant Chef: The Life and Times of Lalo García, by Laura Tillman (“deeply reported biography of one of Mexico's most famous chefs, for witches who are fans of The Bear.”)
The Possibility of Life: Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos by Jaime Green
Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture by
Change Fatigue: Flip Teams From Burnout to Buy-In Paperback by Jenny Magic and Melissa Breker
Quietly Hostile by my hometown girlie
For Girls Who Walk Through Fire, by
out 9/26/23. “It’s ‘The Craft’ meets ‘Promising Young Woman’ and is about a group of girls who meet in a sexual assault support group and decide to take matters into their own hands by forming a coven and getting revenge on their unrepentant assailants. It’s YA but I believe it will have a strong appeal for adults as well.”Touched Out: Motherhood, Misogyny, Consent, and Control by
(out 9/12/23)Stop Waiting for Perfect: Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone and Into Your Power, by
Skepticism’s Pictures Figuring Descartes’s Natural Philosophy, by Melissa Lo
Plus, some more evergreen books by/for witches:
Brave New Home: Our Future in Smarter, Simpler, Happier Housing by
Babies Don’t Make Small Talk (So Why Should I?) The Introvert's Guide to Surviving Parenthood by
Is This Working? The Businesslady’s Guide to Getting What You Want from Your Career by Courtney C.W. Guerra
How to Choose Your Baby’s Last Name: A Handbook for New Parents by Lorelei Vashti
Congratulations to all these people on the hard work of writing, editing, publishing and promoting a book. I hope a few of you readers find something new to read or a new person to follow.
If you want to shout out any type of book or author you think witches might want to check out (especially if it’s your own—doesn’t matter when it came/is coming out), go for it in the comments.
I am between books, myself. I have a book that I mean to read about what your kid with ADHD wants you to know, but I am never in the mood to start it because I think it will make me feel guilty and/or have to feel like I need to tell my husband stuff I learned from it.
PS This post is a low-key promise to those of you with very young babies that you will have time to read again someday. Not as much as you’d like, but it can happen.
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One witchy thing
By now, there’s a good chance you read the letter to the NYT’s Ethicist from an economy-class wife so beaten down by her terrible first-class husband that she had to write a letter to an expert asking if it’s OK for her to be mad.
Or, as a friend online put it:
Note to witchy authors: I am friends with Kate Harding, newly installed as the events doyenne at Evanston's Bookends and Beginnings. If you want to talk to her about doing something for your book she said it's cool to reach out to her at Kate@bookendsandbeginnings.com. Tell her I sent you!
This isn't a book but an article. The Little Mermaid has made mermaids hype again and there's a new show on Netflix about people who work as human mermaids. I remember reading this article by Virginia way back in 2013 in the NYT Mag and thinking "I want to know the lady who wrote this; this is so cool."
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/07/magazine/the-last-mermaid-show.html