Welcome to Litsy!

Love all , trust a few , do wrong to none - great start - holiday read number 3 & sad news 🗞️ this morning waking up in Greece 🇬🇷 to hear Diane Keaton has died 😢so that‘s Robert Redford (possibly THE most beautiful man who has ever lived ) Ozzy Osbourne, Jilly Cooper, Katherine Duchess of a Kent (lovely lady one of the best royals ) RIP ,

Great characters, great writing, good story....it had a little too many elements to it and dragged on just a wee bit...but overall a good book and time well spent

“There are none who can fight as fiercely as a mother and daughter, and none who can forgive more completely.”

In this prequel to Practical Magic, we are told the genesis to the Owen‘s bloodline. After Maria Owens is betrayed by the man she loves and accused of witchcraft in the 1600s, she invokes a curse that will haunt her family for generations to come. I was captivated by this story despite Hoffman‘s slow burn writing style. 4/5

“These are the lessons to be learned. Drink chamomile tea to calm the spirit. Feed a cold, starve a fever. Read as many books as you can. Always choose courage. Never watch a woman burn. Know that love is the answer.”

Took me awhile to finish this prequel to Practical Magic, but it seems Hoffman is always a slow read for me. This is the story of the beginning of the Owens women (in America), telling Maria‘s story. She makes a lot of mistakes, including the curse about the men that love Owens‘ women. It‘s a well-told, interesting story of women caring for each other & dealing with patriarchy in the witch trials era. #frightclub #haunted shelf

Book 51, this is a reread, going to try to read the whole series in order. Does anyone else want to eat all the food they make in the books?? 🤤 Mmmm!

#catsoflitsy

Finished this one off while recovering from my wisdom tooth removal. The story of Maria Owens has been a great distraction from my swollen face.

I love the practical magic book series all of them have been beautifully written by Alice Hoffman. This is my favourite one.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Absolutely love my new book pouch from the quirky cup collective 💜

In 1664, Hannah Owens finds baby Maria wrapped in a blue blanket in the woods and she brings her home to raise as her own. Maria is not an ordinary child and quickly learns the healing properties of herbs. Having been an orphan herself, Hannah takes pride in teaching Maria how to read and write which are valuable tools during this time period. The lessons of magic are delicate and sacred; not to be entrusted to those who do not value its purpose

I liked the last quarter of this almost 400pg book. So it gets a so-so. I loved the movie Practical Magic-I wished for you too!!…😭😭💔So I thought I would love this but the lovely writing doesn‘t support a strong story. There‘s a floofiness and flimsyness, a floofy flimsyness, lol, I didn‘t care for in here. I was missing the grit and heartache 1600s Salem Trials and being a witch ought to have. This was read for bookclub tomorrow. The best👇🏼

Litsy hasn‘t worked for me all day, so after logging out & back in, I can finally post my #jolabokaflodswap gifts. Had to include the wrapping paper in this pic, so cute with the unicorns, rainbows, cats, & llamas. I‘m excited to finally have this book & so much chocolate! (the glass is mine) And I love small candy canes! Thanks so much Rebecca! @Branwen @MaleficentBookDragon

November #bookspin

Nothing like waiting until the last minute!

I really enjoyed the historical setting, but of course still mostly appreciated this one for its connection to the tales of the modern Owens women I love so much.

Next book

I went into this with low expectations, as I don‘t really ‘do‘ witches, plus it‘s a prequel and I didn‘t know if it would stand alone. I only read it because part of it is set in #curacao, but I ended up really liking it. (And it‘s fine as a standalone)

I‘m not sure I would read any more of the rest of the series though, but this was certainly a pleasant surprise.

#readingtheamericas23

When Baby Dude refuses to be happy until he can sleep on you, you are forced to read 😂
A great origin story full of very fun characters, though TBH kind of wanted to slap Faith, haha. IYKYK.
You're going to want to read if you're a fan of Practical Magic or just witch families. That said, I did feel it was a little lengthy due to some passages that drew me out of the story and into historical commentary, IMHO.

This was a reread of my favorite of the Practical Magic books. This is the story of Maria Owens and her coming to the States. And the beginning of the curse 🧡
#DoubleSpin @TheAromaofBooks
#NoShameReadathon22 #HistoricalRomance @Nessavamusic

I just love this world and would spend all the time in it! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

This was a #bookspin or #doublespin for me earlier this year but snuggling with one of my 6 yo right now so not getting my notebook to find out which one 😁

Some fall reading 🍁🍂

I absolutely ADORED this book. By far my favorite of the Owens story. Started it in Salem, so a bit fitting, will certainly be coming back to this one. I‘m giving it the coveted 5⭐️ #botm

Wow!! This book just felt like home!! Since reading Practical Magic .. I knew I wanted to find out more!! This is how it all started in the 1600s!! So good!!

Let the Fall reading commence!!

Another delicious, striking, poignant and hopeful installment of the Practical Magic series. A perfect origin story.

Pictured: a bunch of books I was REALLY excited for… & still haven‘t read! 😅🙈

Honestly, all I feel like reading right now is contemporary romance; none of these are that but they‘re what I‘m working with.

Which one would you choose to read next?
I‘m leaning towards Magic Lessons. Maybe. ✨

This book was so good! Such a beautiful and tragic story, full of darkness but also love. I will definitely keep reading this series. 5⭐️

I‘ve had this one sitting on my shelves for what seems like ever. I have to say, I‘m really glad I picked it up. The story of Maria Owens is engaging, empowering and, of course, really entertaining. I read this one without reading Practical Magic or it‘s sequel but that wasn‘t a problem and now I want to read them so the TBR will continue to grow. Great historical fiction.

There‘s nothing like waking up early on a cold, wintery morning and enjoying a good book with a hot cup of coffee (or tea). Definitely one of my favorite things. This book has been on my shelf since well before it‘s release date. It‘s long overdue for a read!

My first read of the games! I'm trying to finish off what I started last month. This book was like a big, warm magical hug. I loved revisiting this world. Excited to read the finale! ✨

#wintergames2021 #mistletoemaniacs #adventathon #botm
@Clwojick @ozma.of.oz

I'm very excited to read this, but I need some advice. Should I read Practical Magic first? This is a prequel to that, so it only makes sense to read it first. Any suggestions?

I (finally) read Practical Magic this fall and was inspired by @mklong to read the series in chronological order.

Magic Lessons starts with the first Owens woman, following Maria from 17th century rural England to Curaçao to Salem. It‘s about women, family, the rules of magic, finding strength, celebrating love, and of course, a family curse, all with Hoffman‘s glorious storytelling and endearing characters. Of course I loved it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It‘s been a couple of days since I finished this fantastic book, and I know that Alice Hoffman writes (really good) fiction and all, but damn if all of that isn‘t as true as can be. ❤️

I had to read the prequel in the Practical Magic series before diving into the 4th and final book. We learn the story of Maria Owens in the 1600s, the one who put a curse on any man who would ever love an Owens woman. I love the way Alice Hoffman tells a story and this is just as good as the rest of the series. I can‘t wait to read the new one! 5⭐️

#BOTM
#historicalfiction
#witchery
#magic

bailed ☹️ I really wanted to love this book, and I was so excited for it. however, I ended up not finishing it, which is very rare for me! it was just too dark, and the elements of the story were not strong enough for me to offset the depressing-ness. maybe I‘ll come back to it at some point.

I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. The story follows Maria Owens, a woman with the power to heal all types of ailments, from Essex County, England to th island of Curacao to Salem, Massachusetts.

#firstlineFriday #firstlinefridays
“She was found on a January day in a field where the junipers grew, wound in a blue blanket with her name carefully stitched along the border with silk thread.”

While this was not my favorite book out of the series, I am glad to have read it. I dig the feminist magic that anchors the series. At the core of this particular story is the message that amazing things happen when women realize their voice has volume.

Isn‘t that the truth.

I loved learning the backstory to the the O.G. Owens matriarch Maria. Vividly told and deftly woven, this story did not disappoint. I‘ve never read Practical Magic, only seen the movie, so I‘m looking forward to reading that one too. #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

My Sunday evening ready buddy, Henry.

Hoping to get to this beauty — along with her newest — next month! ✨
#witchesandwizards #littensdressedinblood @midnightbookgirl

While at my local bookstore, I decided to pick up a paperback of Magic Lessons. I just couldn't resist.

It‘s raining outside and I‘ve spent a delightfully cozy day so far finishing this book. This prequel follows Maria Owens and her daughter as we learn about the start of the Owens family and how they came to be cursed in love. I loved it and I‘m looking forward to rereading Rules of Magic & Practical Magic later this month.

15 points for team theme + 1 participation #teamhendrix #scarathlon2021
8h15min for #screamathon #bookspinbingo #spookoween

Enjoying this witchy historical novel on #audio on my walks. #currentlisten

Freddy likes to keep an eye on me when I read in my bedroom chair, even if it means he falls asleep in the process. He is my best bud.

Well , I finished this, but I‘m not sure why. I‘ve enjoyed Hoffman‘s Owens Family books, but was disappointed by Magic Lessons. The book serves as a prequel to Practical Magic, telling us the us the early tale of Maria Owen and her daughter Faith.

Not much depth. The narrative is quite repetitive and tells us little that we didn‘t already know from the other books in the series. A disappointment.