​September 6 is National Read A Book Day. There are so many of us who make National Read A Book Day almost everyday, but September 6th seems like a great day to introduce yourself to a new book!

Tea with the Midnight Muse: Invocation as and Inquiries for Awakening Written by Shilo Sophia and published in 2017. Not an exact work of fiction, this book is pieced together from stories, poems, letters, prayers and invocations covering twenty years written to the collective feminine from and by them and the men who love them.

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy) Written by Deborah Harkness and published in 2011. The tale of a scholarly discovery, by a young student and descendant of witches, an alchemical manuscript which brings to the light the dark underside of our world.

Ragnarok Written by A.S. Byatt and published in 2011. A mid-20th century tale of a young girl struggling being disenfranchised during World War Two, who is given a book of Norse legends and how she comes to understand and cope with her environment, as she feels an instant kinship to these Gods, but with a twist that spans five decades.

The Magicians Series Written by Lev Grossman and published in 2009. A hugely popular series of books that inspired the ScyFy channel series tells a similar (but much more fleshed out) story to Harry Potter of a school of magic, this tale however crosses over to include deals with Gods, both good and bad and the heroics and evils of both the light and dark paths of magic.

​The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane​ Written by Katherine Howe and published in 2009. A story of the connection between Salem 1681 and Marblehead, Massachusetts 1991 – and the young lady tied to both.

The Sweep Series Written by Cate Tiernan and published in 2007. “Morgan Rowlands never thought she was anything other than a typical sixteen-year-old girl. But when she meets Cal, a captivatingly handsome coven leader, she makes a discovery that turns her whole world upside down: she is a witch, descended from an ancient and powerful line. And so is Cal. Their connection is immediate and unbreakable; Cal teases out Morgan's power, her love, her magick. But Morgan discovers too soon that her powers are strong, almost too powerful to control. And she begins to suspect that Cal may be keeping secrets from her, secrets that could destroy them both”

Anansi Boys Written by Neal Gaiman and published in 2005. Tied loosely to American Gods, this is another story in the fictional world of Gods alive in America and the story of one man who discovers what it can mean when your father is a God.

Practical Magic Written by Alice Hoffman and published in 2003. The very famous story of the Owens sisters and their eccentric pair of aunts. It is the story their place in a small Massachusetts town where their family have been known as witches for over 200 years. It is a story of being an outsider and how two sisters handle it in very different ways.

Confessions of a Pagan Nun: A Novel Written by Kate Horsley and published in 2001. The story of a young nun who secretly records her pagan upbringing while cloistered in a monastery of Saint Brigit, and how the words and knowledge of her youth may come to save the day.

Witch Hill Written by Marcus Segwick and published in 2001. “The fire was a family tragedy that Jamie can't forget, even in his dreams. Now something terrifying involving a witch and a frightened girl is happening to Jamie in Crownhill, the village where he's been sent to get over his problems”

American Gods Written by Neal Gaiman and published in 2001. The story of the Old Gods of the world as they are now in America; tired, lonely and seeking to be once again worshiped.  The story of what happens, the mischief and misadventure, and what is left behind to be picked up when man moves beyond legends and Gods.

The Witching Hour (The Lives of the Mayfair Witches Series) Written by Anne Rice and published in 1993. From the acclaimed Vampire author is the story of a family of witches given to poetry, incest, murder, and philosophy.

Rhinegold Written by Sephan Grundy and published in 1992. A tale “Set in the sensuous & exuberant world of North European myth & saga, this epic of heroism & betrayal, incest & tragedy breathes life into an age of unequaled grandeur, bringing intimacy & poignancy to the tumult of legend.”

Druids Written by Morgan Llywelyn and published in 1990. “ ‘Mine was the vast dark sky and the spaces between the stars that called out to me; mine was the promise of magic’. So spoke the young Celt Ainvar, centuries before the enchanted age of Arthur and Merlin. An orphan taken in by the chief druid of the Carnutes in Gaul, Ainvar possessed talents that would lead him to master the druid mysteries of thought, healing, magic, and battle— talents that would make him a soul friend to the Prince Vercingetorix.”

​The Firebrand Written by Marion Zimmer Bradley and published originally in 1987. Another retelling of classic fiction by MZB, this is the tale of the Trojan War and the life of those involved in the conflict as told through the eyes of a priestess-princess warrior.  

Jitterbug Perfume Written by Tom Robbins and published in 1984. This is the story of man’s discovery of the Gods (the amazing and quirky Pan for one), reincarnation and our ability to control our own destiny and what is and what will come again all masked behind the great story of the mystery behind an elusive perfume scent. 

The Witches of Eastwick Written by John Updike and published in 1984. The first story of what became The Eastwick Series of novels. Set in Rhode Island at the end of the Vietnam war, it is the tale of what happens; the good, the bad and the scandalous, to three women when the devil comes to town.

Mists of Avalon Written by Marion Zimmer Bradley and published originally in 1984. This is the first book of what has become the Avalon series and tells the story of the Arthurian legend through the eyes of the women who influenced his rise to the throne and the power behind it.

Lammas Night Written by Katherine Kurtz and published in 1983. The story of how England would attempt to stop the secrets of evil witchcraft that Hitler was to use in the World War Two era of the 1940’s. Inspired loosely on the actual workings of Gerald Gardner’s coven.

​The Last Viking Series Written by Poul Anderson and published in 1980. “The saga of Harald Harrede. ‘He was a huge man, fully seven feet tall and no one could stand before him in battle or sport...His manner was often curt and haughty, though he knows how to win to him those whom he liked...and he could never hear enough of far lands’. ‘So wide a world and so short a span to wander it!’ ”

Murder at Witches’ Bluff Written by Silver Ravenwolf and published in 1980. “The story of Murder at Witches' Bluff takes place in Cold Springs, an evil place with an evil history. As with many small towns, the citizens have many skeletons in their closets. As the mystery unfolds, you'll wonder if someone is willing to kill to make sure those secrets are not revealed”

Omega Written by Stewart Farrar and published in 1980. The acclaimed journalist and occult author Stewart Farrar tells the tale of what happens when science, greed, and technology clash with those with a deep seeded respect for the land and are in touch with nature.

The Wicker Man: A Novel Written by Robin Hardy and Anthony Shaffer and published in 1978. The movie came first, but the novelization is great too and does not star Nicholas Cage. This is the tale of how far a coven of hereditary witches will go to remain secluded and bring about the gifts of the God to their ventures. PS: The witches win, always a plus.

Rosemary’s Baby Written by Ira Levin and published in 1967. The tale of a satanic cult who snare and seduce a young woman, who remains reluctant, in order to bring about the birth of the Antichrist in the modern world.

​High Magic’s Aid Written by Gerald Gardner and published in 1949. Now acknowledged as Gardner’s attempt to publicize witchcraft in English isles before the repeal of the witchcraft laws and is a ‘Lord of the Rings’ type story in medieval times where there is a quest to discover the forbidden secrets of the wise.

The Goat-Foot God Written by Dion Fortune and published in 1936. This is the story of crossing centuries and what happens when the God Pan is brought into existence through invocation.

The Sea Priestess Written by Dion Fortune and published in 1935. The story of “Vivien Le Fay Morgan- a practicing initiate of the Hermetic Path. Vivien has the ability to transform herself into magical images, and here she becomes Morgan Le Fay, sea priestess of Atlantis and foster daughter to Merlin! Desperately in love with Vivien, Wilfred Maxwell works by her side at an isolated seaside retreat, investigating these occult mysteries. They soon find themselves inextricably drawn to an ancient cult through which they learn the esoteric significance of the magnetic ebb and flow of the moon-tides”

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun Written by J.R.R. Tolkien. This is a take of two tales of the Poetic Edda as told by acclaimed fantasy author Tolkien recounting the heroic stories and ends to men and women born of Norse legend.

Macbeth Written by Shakespeare and published many centuries ago, 17th century I believe. The story of the man who would be king through murder most foul, temptation of fate or is it his own ambition, and at what cost?

​The Mabinogion Published in 1410, this is a collection of Celtic myths, Arthurian legend and fictional interpretations of British history. The story of the Cauldron of Ceridwen is featured as one of the high points of this collection.

The Prose Edda (Penguin Classic Edition) Written and Translated by Snorri Sturluson and Jesse Byock and published in 2005, original work published 13th century). The collection and source of Nordic tales, poems and stories that tell of heroes, monsters and the land from the beginning of time to the eventual end and rebirth of the world.

The Golden Ass Written by Apuleious and published in 158 (you read that right). The only work of fiction to survive in whole from antiquity, it tells the story of sex and magic and how it can mentally and physically transform and humiliate us.

#ReadABookDay

Updated 11/2017
Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne 
Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. 

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan focuses on the Greeks
After getting expelled from yet another school for yet another clash with mythological monsters only he can see, twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is taken to Camp Half-Blood, where he finally learns the truth about his unique abilities: He is a demigod, half human, half immortal. Even more stunning: His father is the Greek god Poseidon, ruler of the sea, making Percy one of the most powerful demigods alive.

Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan is a sequel series to the PJ series which brings the Roman pantheon to the forefront. 
After saving Olympus from the evil Titan lord, Kronos, Percy and friends have rebuilt their beloved Camp Half-Blood, where the next generation of demigods must now prepare for a chilling prophecy of their own: Seven half-bloods shall answer the call, To storm or fire the world must fall. An oath to keep with a final breath, And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan follow the Egyptian deities. 
Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane. One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.

The Magnus Chase books by Rick Riordan are Norse. 
Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother's mysterious death, he's lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.
One day, he's tracked down by an uncle he barely knows—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. Uncle Randolph tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.
The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
As a professional wizard, Harry Dresden knows firsthand that the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most of them don’t play well with humans. And those that do enjoy playing with humans far too much. He also knows he’s the best at what he does. Technically, he’s the only at what he does. But even though Harry is the only game in town, business—to put it mildly, stinks.