What are my favourite witchy reads?

I love witches in any form: historical, spiritual, feminist, 90s pop culture...so if a novel has witches in it, I'm immediately excited. My favourite witchy books span a variety of genres, which is just a testament to how ingrained the archetype is in our media, culture, and history. That flexibility is one of the things that makes me love witches so much–they are representative of the lives of girls and women, and not just the struggles of girls and women, but their power and joy, too. I've included seven of my favourite witch-centric fiction reads here, including both YA and adult books across the genres of fantasy, romance, horror, gothic, and historical.

The Witchery

YA fantasy

The Witchery follows the POVs of multiple characters at a boarding school for witchcraft. The school is based in a small southern town bordering a cursed swamp. I get major Harry Potter and Fate: The Winx Saga vibes from this novel. The characters are all so unique and lovable in their own ways, and I love seeing them grow.

The Witches of New York

Historical/gothic fiction

The Witches of New York follows three characters in 1880 running a teashop that caters to helping women. The whimsy and magic intwined with the history of women navigating society in late 19th Century New York is the perfect combination. It has some darker themes and is more based in reality than most of the books on this list, but it also holds so much hope and the writing is beautiful and poetic.

The Lighthouse Witches

Gothic thriller

The Lighthouse Witches ventures more into the realm of horror. A single mother moves to a remote Scottish lighthouse with her three daughters, and one of the daughters goes missing, only to show up 20 years later at the same age. The history of the witch trials and the folklore of changelings is wrapped into this atmospheric and spooky read.

Wild is the Witch

YA fantasy/romance

If you're a nature and animal lover, Wild is the Witch is the perfect read. The main character, Iris, lives and works with her mother on a wildlife refuge in Washington. When she accidentally places a curse meant for the frustrating intern she works with onto an owl, she must chase the owl through the rainy forests before the curse can be unleashed.

VenCo

Contemporary fantasy

Lucky and her vivacious grandmother, Stella, are scheduled to be evicted from their apartment in Toronto. Lucky's discovery of a silver spoon with strange etchings leads to a wild road trip across North America and a secret network of witches. Imbued with humour and magic, VenCo is also a journey about Indigenous kinship and the power of women united.

Cackle

Paranormal horror

After a breakup, Annie moves from the city to a small town in Upstate New York for a teaching job. The town is picturesque and cozy, and she meets an enigmatic new friend who lives in a mansion in the woods and seems a little...magical. This novel has the best combination of cozy and creepy, summed up pretty well by the fact that it has cute, cuddly spiders.

A Wicked Magic

YA fantasy/thriller

Set in an atmospheric west coast town, A Wicked Magic revolves around three girls playing with–and reckoning with–the darker sides of magic. This book explores the complexities of friendship and delves into some difficult mental health struggles. Definitely a more harrowing read, this novel is the perfect example of how books about witchcraft can be illustrative of the darker parts of ourselves.

I hope that you can find a book that you enjoy on this list, and if you have recommendations for witchy novels, I would always love to hear them!