Category: Library

Five hundred years ago, midwives were the leaders in reproductive health. These healers were wise in the ways of plants and herbs, wombs and childbearing, and were frequently targeted as witches (Ehrenreich and English). Though these “witches” were the ones who understood bones, muscles, herbs, and drugs at a time when physicians “were still deriving […]

Have you always wondered about fairies (faeries, or "the fae")? Were you one of those kids who played in the backyard or the woods, talking to imaginary friends, and collecting treasures from nature as if they were gold? These book recommendations are for the brave souls who step off beaten paths and walk the margins […]

By Kristen Renee: My eyes linger on the train window, the landscape a blur that brings the promise of the unknown, the possibility that something hidden might be found. It’s the waterfall, spotted in a moving car, a brief break between trees revealing a vista. A blink or you’ll miss it. Something out there even when all signs point to […]

What makes a novel a fairy tale retelling? Some faithfully recast characters that we know well in modern-day settings, like the characters in Helen Oyeyemi's Gingerbread, who live in present-day England and use toxic gingerbread to travel to a distant, mystical land. Other retellings are set in the past and use the fairy tale as […]

At the start of this tale, one Smoky Barnable sets off to marry Daily Alice—but first, he has to find her. Edgewood is off the beaten path, much like Little, Big itself—no ordinary dwelling place. The upstate New York mansion has three hundred and sixty-five stairs, seven chimneys, fifty-two doors, twelve (“twelve what? There must […]

Why are we so afraid of witches? What does it mean to be a witch? How does one get started with witchcraft? This list is geared towards answering these questions. If you’re ready to look deeper into witchcraft--it's history, society's relationship with it, practical tips--take a look at these fascinating nonfiction musings from a few […]

Do you love epic stories about gods and goddesses, but want a contemporary twist to the telling? One glance at this lineup of modern mythological fiction, and you'll notice that most of them have a couple things in common: they're written by women, about women. Maybe that's because mythology needs a female-centric recasting, a feminine […]

The word "witch" conjures a plethora of images: trick-or-treating children in pointy hats, a woman with a green face riding a broom, a trio of hags chanting over a cauldron. There are many interpretations of witches, and many many hundreds of books about witches in the world. Typically, this topic is owned by the fantasy […]

Need that perfect gift for the reader or writer in your life? Here's our lineup for 2023's best gift ideas, from classics to recent releases. Fiction For the Bibliophile Reading Once Upon a Tome by Oliver Darkshire is like stepping into an episode of Fawlty Towers or the British version of The Office, except in […]

Do you love magic, but don’t typically read fantasy? Literature-lovers rejoice: there’s enchantment to be found in the everyday world (of fiction). Supernatural and mythic abilities, creatures, beasts, and fairies, and even magic portals. You’ll recognize the worlds the characters of these novels inhabit, but be charmed and enchanted out of your own. Here are […]