Litsy

Chronicles of Whetherwhy: The Age of Enchantment | Anna James

so-so

Spotted the book I recently finished in a bookstore ✨!
💫Chronicles of Whetherwhy: The Age of Enchantment is an entertaining book featuring a magical school in a fantasy world. 💫
You can read my review here: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2025/06/28/review-chronicles-of-whe... 🌟
⁛
#middlegrade #bookreview #magic

7 likes

monalyisha

Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic | Tabitha Stanmore

Stanmore couldn‘t have stood less of chance.

However, much as I loved Idle Grounds, Moominland knocked it out of the running on the left side of the board. AND, much as I loved Moominland, I expect my Wild Card to sideswipe it in the end.

The drama!!!

#2025ReadingBracket
#ReadingBracket2025

CSeydel

monalyisha *Technically,* Anne of Green Gables should‘ve won the spot this month. But it‘s a long-time favorite. If I include it, I know it‘ll cease being a competition. So, let‘s agree to ignore technicalities. I almost always do, anyway! 😜 2d

peanutnine I don't count rereads for my brackets, it feels like cheating and I want to see what new favorites I acquire! So I totally get you on that 2d

CSeydel @monalyisha @peanutnine Same!! 2d

monalyisha @peanutnine @CSeydel Glad we‘re in agreement about how to rebel! 😎 2d

47 likes4 comments

monalyisha

Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic | Tabitha Stanmore

June ended up being more about quantity than quality. I‘m still surpassing my reading goals but I didn‘t LOVE anything this month (other than Anne, of course, which was a reread). Cunning Folk seemed like it was going to really do it for me, for a while, but it fell short stylistically.

Better luck next month, me!

#AWreads2025

54 likes

New Kid on the Book

Chronicles of Whetherwhy: The Age of Enchantment | Anna James

so-so

“The thing about her magic that (Juniper) had always known, and kept as a bright and uncertain secret within her, was about to be shared, and she rather suspected it would change everything.”🌟✨🔮
I give Chronicles of Whetherwhy: The Age of Enchantment 3⭐ and ½
💫Read my review here! https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2025/06/28/review-chronicles-of-whe... 💫
⁛
#middlegrade #bookreview #magic

36 likes

monalyisha

Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic | Tabitha Stanmore

pick

When I began reading this history of “practical magic” in 1300s-1600s England, I was nothing short of obsessed. My interest, however, slowly tapered off. There are interesting bits sprinkled throughout…but it started to feel like a lot of the same. I‘m also not a big fan of the stylistic, “as we will see in the next chapter” phraseology.

What initially hooked me was the close overlap of priests & “cunning folk”, religion & “service magic.”👇🏻

monalyisha 1/7: I know my understanding of the history surrounding witch trials is colored by my geography (I actually lived in Salem, MA for a spell, while the author‘s from the UK) but I still found a lot of what Stanmore uncovered shocking! I was under the impression that anything smacking of magic would‘ve been condemned as witchcraft & grounds for getting a person (usually a woman) hanged during this time period. 👇🏻 (edited) 4w

monalyisha 2/7: Instead, Stanmore‘s research suggests that “cunning folk” (with proven track records of helping their communities) were largely safe & well-regarded (even the women!) for most of this time even amidst “witch fever.” Although she admits that “such a relaxed attitude towards magic becomes much rarer in the 16th & 17th centuries,” she writes that “scholars have noted that up until the 15th century, magic is largely portrayed as morally neutral.” 4w

monalyisha 3/7: During that time, priests & monks could & did employ “cunning folk”; some even identified as “cunning folk” themselves! A few of the more popular practices included finding lost things, finding lost people, and healing the sick. The exact rituals, which Stanmore describes whenever possible, are hugely fascinating! 4w

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monalyisha 4/7: I was particularly rapt when learning about how amulets were made (harnessing the unique properties of the stars, writing powerful inscriptions (sometimes prayers), and intentionally choosing metals based on which planet they corresponded with; as well as supplicating or trapping angels and/or demons). 4w

monalyisha 5/7: I loved reading about how ghosts were believed to be attached to treasure as a form of penance for the person who‘d died, and therefore could be helpful to treasure hunters rather than a source of fear. It was believed that *some* ghosts wanted the pure-hearted to find the wealth they‘d selfishly hoarded while alive so they could be forgiven the sin of avarice and move on. So, a haunting wasn‘t always a deterrent; sometimes, it was desirable! 4w

monalyisha 6/7: Folks also found biblical justification for the practice of palmistry (see: Exodus 13:9), stemming from the conventionally accepted idea that God commonly drew signs in nature — our bodies being part & parcel. These signs could be “read,” therefore, for wisdom or clues about the future. 4w

monalyisha 7/7: This sort of fantastical & spiritual grey area is totally my jam. If I were a more diligent researcher, I imagine this is exactly the book I‘d write. But I‘m too dreamy & distractible to have written it at all, & certainly to have written it in the style that Stanmore did. She‘s academic & colloquial in equal parts but always, unfailingly direct. I like more pottering lyricism to my prose. Less enthusiastic a pick than I imagined…but a pick! 4w

AnnCrystal Insightful review 👏🏼☺️👍🏼🧹📚💝. 4w

Clare-Dragonfly I love a less-than-enthusiastic review that makes me want to read the book. 😄 This sounds right up my alley! 4w

monalyisha @Clare-Dragonfly It‘s definitely thought-provoking and I‘m not mad I read it! 4w

62 likes2 stack adds10 comments

monalyisha

Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic | Tabitha Stanmore

Puppy‘s first pool time. Summer is coming. 💦

dabbe 💜🐾🖤 4w

AnnCrystal 💕🐕🌊🐾💝. 4w

65 likes2 comments

monalyisha

Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic | Tabitha Stanmore

Fiction: Juno Loves Legs (book club)
Nonfiction: Cunning Folk (just started)
Audio: Of Time and Turtles (nearly done)

I just cracked open the middle book this morning & I‘m already slightly obsessed (despite the fact that it has endnotes, which make me want to rip my hair out; fortunately, it seems like they‘re mostly just crediting source material & I can ignore them without missing anything). Also, how gorgeous is that cover?! 🤩

#weekendreads

rachelsbrittain

rachelsbrittain Oo that one sounds super interesting! I'm going to have to check it out 👀 1mo

monalyisha @rachelsbrittain YES! I think what‘s been most fascinating to me so far is the close overlap of priests and “cunning folk”, religion and “service magic.”

I was under the impression that anything smacking of magic would‘ve been condemned as witchcraft & grounds for getting a person (usually a woman) hanged during the trials. But it seems like “cunning folk” were largely safe and well-regarded (even the women!). 1mo

monalyisha @rachelsbrittain And priests could/did employ and sometimes even WERE “cunning folk.” Practices included finding lost things or people, healing, etc. And the exact rituals are hugely fascinating!

I know my understanding is different because my witch trials history is US-based (I actually lived in Salem, MA for a spell) while the author‘s from the UK & digging into the history there. But still! 1mo

rachelsbrittain That's fascinating! 1mo

68 likes1 stack add4 comments

hissingpotatoes

Fiber Magick: A Witch's Guide to Spellcasting with Crochet, Knotwork & Weaving | Opal Luna

pan

2/5⭐ Very bloated, repetitive, surface-level text. Appropriates things like chakras, spirit animals, and mojo bags. Cites freaking Silver RavenWolf. Pretends to be general witchcraft when it's clearly Wicca. The projects are mostly very basic. I like the idea of incorporating witchcraft into fibercraft, but this book didn't inspire me or give me any ideas I couldn't figure out on my own with just a moment's thought.

5feet.of.fury That‘s too bad, seems like a good concept! 2mo

14 likes1 comment

NotCool

The Pale Queen | Ethan M. Aldridge

pick

There are shades of Labyrinth in this book, by which I mean the Lady of the Hills and Jareth could both have been played by David Bowie, in my head.

10 likes

aa_guer2021

The Forbidden: A Fantasy Romance Series | Lori Holmes

I was sold when this was advertised as a book series similar to the Earth‘s Children series, and it is indeed similar to that though different enough to stand on its own right. Thankful to Kindle Unlimited for allowing me access to the first four books. #currentlyreading

15 likes

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