Heloise Calico
This is a solid introduction to Kemetic spirituality!
I was looking for a book to get me started on the basics, and I think this book did that. It discusses the main gods and goddesses, the concept of Ma'at, symbols and hyerogliphs, divination methods, and more.
That said, please keep in mind that this is a SHORT INTRODUCTION. If you're looking for an intermediate book and/or already know the basics of Ancient Egyptian religion, this is not the book for you. It is very basic and meant for total beginners!
In general, I found the book well-written and researched, but there were points where the author kind of stated something as fact despite a lack of evidence, so I will caution fellow readers to take any statement that cannot be proven and think critically about it before deciding whether you believe the same as the author or not.
Otherwise, this is the lovely introduction to Kemeticism that I wanted!
As a Brazilian, it took me waaaay too long to read this popular classic of our literature. I've always heard people sing praises to this book, and it's a staple in every book store I've ever entered.
And let me tell you, it did not disappoint!
The story is quite short and sweet in my opinion (comparing here to my usual 300-500 pages books), and it held me all the way through!
I wasn't allowed to read this when I was younger because my parents were very conservative and didn't like that the book deals with spirituality and a diversity of beliefs (although they never actually read it themselves, of course).
I found the story inspiring and beautiful. Paulo Coelho really seemed to lean into what we call animism, the idea that everything has a spirit or soul— and as a pagan, I loved it!
The nature-worshipper in me was singing with delight whenever our boy discovered he could speak to and understand the language of nature. And despite this being very much a fictional book, I find its core lesson to be very much relevant in the real world, especially if you, like me, believe in what Paulo Coelho calls the “Soul of the World”, the idea that we are all intrinsically connected. That we are in the Soul of the World, and the Soul of the World is in us.
This is a wonderfully-written story about life, change, taking risks and overcoming fear, and, above all else, the interconnectedness of things. It helped deepen the way I see my life and the world around me!
Honestly, I don't know what else to say of this book other than that I loved it and will definitely read it again— in Brazilian Portuguese next time!
I read this on the Kindle app and I can't wait to snatch myself a copy in both English and Brazilian Portuguese for my bookshelf, and that I can mark and draw in as I please.
My only regrets are not having read it sooner and not having read it in Brazilian Portuguese the first time.
Otherwise, lovely story!
I loved this book so much!
It's a very insightful and helpful resource for anyone wanting to practice magic and/or worship the Theoi from a modern lens.
This book is not geared towards reconstructionism, but it can definitely be a great resource for basic information on the main deities of Ancient Greek religion.
This book thoroughly explores the major deities of Ancient Greece, with helpful personal insights from people who work and/or worship them.
It also names and explains a little about several other deities you might want to research further if they call to you.
Although both authors come from a Wiccan background (and I'm not Wiccan myself), I find that they're very inclusive of different practices, and the rituals given as examples can be done by non-Wiccan witches easily.
As a mostly Hellenic witch who's trying a path that is not entirely reconstructionist, I had been mostly worshipping/working with Zeus and Hestia (with a few communications with Eros).
I really wanted to learn more about Aphrodite, Apollo and Ares in particular, and since listening to their portions of the book, I felt confident enough to reach out to each of them.
I learned so much from this book and will definitely be seeking out a physical copy I can annotate and engage with further. It is definitely a resource I'll return to whenever I find myself feeling pulled to a new deity (or want to review the basics of those I already have on my altar)!
I needed an audiobook to listen to and this book caught my eye!
As a (mostly Hellenic) pagan, I wanted to learn more about Pan, who always seemed like a fun god whom I knew little about.
I also wanted to maybe learn more about Cernunnos amidst the wealth of misinformation online about “Celtic” (usually Irish) mythology and culture.
This book taught me so much! Not only did I learn what I wanted about Pan and Cernunnos, but I learned so so so much more about so many figures of mythology and folklore associated with the Horned God.
The rituals in this book are definitely helpful if that is something you are looking for! Although I cannot say anything about their results as I have not tried them (and currently do not plan to).
This book is inclusive of different sexualities, gender identities and even takes into consideration that not all witches believe the same things. It's very clearly well researched, with vast information about the history of the Horned God, horned gods and the horned god concept.
Definitely got a lot more than I thought I would! I recommend it to anyone who is looking to learn more about this topic.
I'm going to buy the physical copy as well so I can annotate and study it further.
My next audiobook is a book by the same author focused on magic and the Greek gods, which is very much up my alley!
This is my first ever Agatha Christie novel!
The way the female characters are constructed and portrayed feels surprisingly feminist despite the very misogynistic and sexist views of most men in it.
It took me a while to get fully into the story, mostly because I disliked the protagonist and narrator (the Vicar), even though I will admit he was quite funny at times.
Overall, totally worth the read if you like murder mysteries! I was very entertained and invested when the story started to unravel.
And I was, in fact, totally surprised at the end! The final results were something I had a feeling was possible but didn't actually think would be the case.
Loved Miss Marple and Griselda the most! Mary and Mrs. Lestrange were also baddies!
Just women standing up for themselves and doing men's job so much better LOL
This book is, on its own, a good read!
That said, I wouldn't consider it a retelling of the Icarus myth like a few people describe it... it diverges significantly from the main plot points of the original stories, so I would say it's more so inspired by it.
This book takes a few themes (and names, of course) from mythology, but it's just an entirely different story.
It is enjoyable on its own, so please treat it as completely separate and different from the myth when you read it! :)
this book....... oh my gods
this was so good! honestly haven't read something this well written and attention-grabbing in a long time
the historical references are phenomenal! Andrew J. White did a fantastic job at depicting the realities of psychological abuse and what it does to a person (the Mrs. Forrester shoe scene.... literal chills)
i also love how this book portrays the historical use of mental illness as a way to discredit people and justify their oppression and abuse, as well as how words like “sick”, “crazy” and “hysterical” have been weaponized against women and minorities
i am an extremely squeamish person and the medical gore in this book was at times hard to get through, so keep that in mind if you're like me! regardless, i made it through and i loved it
the black pages containing the spirits' perspectives were genius!!! i thoroughly enjoyed them and the depth they added to the narrative
i also love the trans, queer and neurodivergent representation! (Daphne, you own my heart, girl s2)
final notes: i hate cishet white men
where to start...
i thoroughly enjoyed this book! i love that it's short and sweet... it's the perfect length and i was not bored
i loved the characters, especially Angus and Ms. Potter! and i felt like everyone had enough relevance... i could connect to all the characters and i particularly enjoyed the trans/non-binary representation that is more subtle but definitely there... the pronouns thing kind of resembles neopronouns and was really interesting to read
the only reason why this isn't a full 5 star read for me is because i just didn't find it scary at all... or anything even close for a horror
maybe this is because i love mushrooms? i just felt like most of it was at most mildly unpleasant
that said, i really enjoyed the writing... Kingfisher set up the scenes perfectly and i was deeply immersed in that world
i pictured every single place with detail and felt creeped out by the house and lake as much as the characters
this is a solid read and i think anyone interested will enjoy it
if you don't like mushrooms or find them particularly disgusting and want a horror that will get to you, this is it!
I was surprised to find out this is a debut novel, honestly.
It was such a good read. The characters were lovely and well-developed, even the ones that didn't get the spotlight.
I was invested in what would become of everyone up until the last page. The writing was easy to understand and I related to the characters and their struggles more than I want to admit.
I did find Gene annoying a few times, though, so I had my share of eye rolls.
Regardless, I think it's a really good book for anyone who is interested in queer sports romances :)
As someone who loves Howl's Moving Castle, this was just the book I needed right now!
I cannot explain how much I felt while reading. I immersed myself fully in this magical universe and got deeply attached to our trio of main characters.
There were moments where I thought the pacing was a bit slow, but at the end I didn't even care because I just wanted Biddy, Rowan and Hutch to be okay and happy.
This book is definitely already a favourite. I don't know if I will ever get over everything that happened.
All that said, I didn't realize this was YA when I picked it up, so keep that in mind going in!
Regardless, I really enjoyed the writing and the ending was nearly perfect for me :)
I wish I could read this for the first time all over again s2
This was an enjoyable read. As both a fantasy and coffee lover, I thoroughly enjoyed watching as characters of different mythical races learned about coffee and enjoyed the cozy coffee shop!
The characters are all sweethearts, especially Thimble and Cal in my humble opinion :)
The only reason why this wasn't a full 5 star read for me is because I just didn't find myself eager to turn the pages until I was about halfway through.
This is a slow paced and chill read, so be mindful of that if you prefer books that leave you wanting to read more to find out what happens next (in which case this one might not be for you).
I think this book just really wasn't for me. I have issues with the whole “dating someone who idolized you since they were 14” thing, so I didn't vibe with it from the beginning.
It reads like a fanfiction (which is not necessarily a bad thing, there's good fanfiction out there) so be prepared for that.
Although I found Julie to be very relatable, it just wasn't that deep. Elle, on the other hand, was pretty annoying and almost condescending in a lot of ways.
The other characters felt a little too flat for me.
I was very curious to know where the name “Caravalho” came from, though? It's not a real last name in either Portugal or Brazil (as far as my personal experience as a Brazilian and research go), so I wonder where the author got that. The last name “Carvalho” is very common, though.