The Real Witches of New England by Ellen Evert Hopman

Reveals the origins and history of the New England witch hysteria, its continuing repercussions, and the multilayered practices of today’s modern witches 
• Shares the stories of 13 accused witches from the New England colonies through interviews with their living descendants 
• Explores the positive role witches played in rural communities until the dawn of the industrial age, despite ongoing persecution 
• Includes in-depth interviews with 25 modern witchcraft practitioners, interwoven with practical information on the sacred calendar, herb lore, spells, and magical practices 
Exploring how the perception and practices of witches has evolved and expanded over the centuries, Hopman also includes in-depth interviews with 25 modern-day practitioners from a variety of pagan faiths, including druids, wiccans, Celtic reconstructionists, and practitioners of the fairy faith. Emerging from their insights is a treasure trove of practical information on the sacred calendar, herb lore, spells, and magical practices. Bringing together past and present, Hopman reveals what it really means to be a “witch,” redefining the label with dignity and spiritual strength.

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Ok, so first off, as a Pagan, I was super interested in getting my hands on this book. As someone who is married to a history buff, I was even more excited. Now being that I have read a lot on this subject out of curiosity and a craving for how someone like me could have had to live before the 1st amendment, I did still learn some new things from this book. 

On top of providing essential information for any practitioner on our history, it also gives some unique looks into the ritual practices of some more famous modern day practitioners of various faiths. While there are a ton of books written by various authors on their own practices, you are usually get only 1 view per book. The Real Witches of New England gives us multiple views, and to me that is very important to include when speaking on a lifestyle that is so diverse. 

This book has obviously been well researched, and considering that its a historical text, it reads almost like any other book you could pick up. The interviews and the stories presented inside give it that "novel" feel while still keeping it all very informative.This makes it easy to read and makes it a must have for all practitioners, history buffs, and anyone with a piqued curiosity.

Pages : 400

It comes out on September 18th 2018 guys! And you can get it on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, or you can find it at your local bookstore using IndieBound.

Knights Club:The Bands of Bravery by Shuky

"Introducing a new series of interactive, pick-your-panel graphic novels for middle grade readers, full of adventure, magic, and fun! Knights Club is a hilarious, medieval-themed quest for bravery and glory.

The year is 1012 in the kingdom of the good king Louilepou. Three brothers dream of joining the Royal Order of Knights: fearless adventurers, able to travel long distances, slay the most dangerous theives, and defend the valorous peasants. And one of these brothers is you!

But the road to knighthood is long. You must journey through snowy mountains, haunted lakes, and dark forests in search of the bracelets of bravery. During your expedition you will come face-to-face with a troll, an old wizard, or a warrior. You must solve riddles, discover hidden compartments, learn combat techniques, and gather magical objects. Your success depends on your choices alone, because the hero is you!"

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Originally published in 2012 in France as Chevaliers: Journal D'un Heros , this book feels like a throw back to the build-your-own adventure goosebumps books I read as a child. Couple this with me being an avid Dungeons and Dragons player and DM, I had a blast following this adventure! It has a few "game overs" and some surprises that break the 4th wall.... but all of this will keep kids coming back to this story. 

Its full color pages are engaging, and knowing where to go is easy with a quick three page "how-to" at the front. The digital copy I received had 6 character trackers that were dotted (unsure if they will be perforated or simply dotted and need cutting out) but could easily be copied onto lined paper, or in a machine if this book is bought for a classroom.

This story is set apart from other "choose your story books" by having you keep track of what you have done/earned and makes reading feel like a game. The puzzles in it add an extra layer of problem solving that isn't always there in a book, let alone a game.

I cant suggest this book for a Kindle read, as the way you read this book is difficult on a computer (how I received my ARC copy) and I imagine would be slightly frustrating on a small screen as well.

This book is set to release on September 4th 2018 on Amazon here And is now available for preorder!

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Here are a few of the pages from the book to give you an example of the artwork and how this choose your own story flows! (I purposely didn't get the frame # in that second picture as to not ruin the story! And please excuse the grainy quality, that is my phone not the comic!)

   

   

As you can see, your decisions have numbers attached, and you follow the numbers to whatever panel is next in the story progression. This means that sometimes you will visit the same page several times, and that each read through can be different than all the previous ones! You can also see how vibrant and colorful this comic is, and wonderfully detailed in ways it doesn't have to be but it is!

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, SunNeko Lee, Crystal S Chan, Stacy King

"Nathaniel Hawthorne's powerful tale of forbidden love, shame and revenge comes to life in Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter. When Hester Prynne bears an illegitimate child she is introduced to the ugliness, complexity, and ultimately the strength of the human spirit. Though set in a Puritan community during the Colonial American period, the moral dilemmas of personal responsibility and consuming emotions of guilt, anger, loyalty and revenge are timeless.

This manga retelling of Hawthorn’s classic American novel is faithfully adapted by Crystal S. Chan and features stunning artwork by SunNeko Lee which will give old and new readers alike a fresh insight into this tragic saga of Puritan America."

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This is my first time reading "Manga Classics" and when I first realized what it is, I got really excited. Classical novels, in manga form?  Heck yeah! How awesome would that be? So I checked it out.

Crystal Chan does a wonderful job bringing this classic tale to life. While missing some content, it keeps the structure and integrity of Hawthornes' original story. Its easy to read, and flows well, which makes it ideal for those in a classroom setting; or those who do not enjoy the lengthy prose of the classic; but it is by no means a perfect replacement. It does feel a bit rushed in some places and slow in others, and it lacks some of the depth that you get when you read Hawthornes version.

 SunNeko Lee is a wonderful artist, making sure each character has their own image, and are easy to identify. Her backgrounds are beautifully detailed and intricate.

The one thing I found funny was that it read exactly like a manga. Anyone who has read a physical one before knows that you start at the "back" of the book and read right to left towards the "front" of the book. Well this digital copy made me start at page 312 and move forward from there. It confused me at first, because I had expected it to read normally (it being a digital copy and all), but that was definitely a nice touch.



The Scarlet Letter released earlier this year and you can find it Here

Fizz Boom Bath by Caroline & Isabel Bercaw

"Have you ever been at a store and found yourself staring longingly at a table full of scrumptious-looking bath bombs, shower melts, or lotion bars and thought, “Gee, it would be fun to make these at home, but where the heck would I begin?!” Well, we’re here to take the mystery out of bath and body recipes and give you all the tools you need to crown yourself Archbishop of Bathtopia. We’ll hold your hand every step of the way, and then we’ll exfoliate it with some sugar scrub when we’re finished! This book will teach you how to create all kinds of delightful, natural, homemade treats. From fizzers to scrubs, masks to soaps, bubble bars to shower melts, we’ve got you covered."


Written by the two sisters that brought us DaBombFizzers ; and helped spark the popularity of the bath bomb; these teenage "Archbishops of Bathtopia" have a deep understanding of the process and ingredients involved, and the ability to transfer that knowledge to you in book form!

They list everything you could need right up front, both ingredients and equipment. The next part of the book a recipe for a basic bomb, then a whole ton of variations that they actually sell in stores. The last part of the book has all kinds of other "self care" products, such as body scrubs, shower jellies,(which are easier to make than I thought!) and a setting spray I am excited to try.

The artwork is full color, and beautiful renditions of their product ( and what yours could look like!) My daughter is loving this book (even if its on a computer right now) and Im pretty sure she is going to make us buy one when it comes out, and I am waiting for that day.

Release is scheduled for August 7th 2018 here!

Hunters by Maybury, Tierney, and Valderrama

"Famed warrior Azarias has gathered a small army of varied adventurers on a quest to gather the dust of a distant island god in order to save the life of their king. Along the way, they encounter numerous beasts and monsters all in the process of gathering artifacts necessary to locate the island god before ultimately defeating it."

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Hunters is a beautiful comic with new ideas in a throw back to the traditional Fantasy adventure.

 The artwork is detailed, stunning, and in full color you really get to know the world being presented to you. One thing that both surprised me and made me enjoy this more was that each chapter is drawn by a separate artist. You get to see so many different styles and tones for the adventure. The art does  distract from the story a bit at first, (When you get used to one style then get swung into a new one out of no where for the first time) but overall I enjoyed the differing styles.

Hunters is available now on Amazon in Kindle or Paperback edition.


The full roster of talent contributing to this epic tale include Paul Maybury, Josh Tierney, Miguel Valderrama, Carlos Valderrama, Devin Kraft, Anas Awad, Meg Gandy, Jared Morgan, Irene Koh, Kyla Vanderklugt, Benjamin Marra, Alexis Ziritt, Travel Foreman, Carlos Carrasco, Vlad Gusev, and Ramon Sierra.