The Witches of New York by Ami McKay -> Starting August 4th, 2020

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

The beloved, bestselling author of The Birth House and The Virgin Cure is back with her most beguiling novel yet, luring us deep inside the lives of a trio of remarkable young women navigating the glitz and grotesqueries of Gilded-Age New York by any means possible, including witchcraft...

The year is 1880. Two hundred years after the trials in Salem, Adelaide Thom ('Moth' from The Virgin Cure) has left her life in the sideshow to open a tea shop with another young woman who feels it's finally safe enough to describe herself as a witch: a former medical student and "gardien de sorts" (keeper of spells), Eleanor St. Clair. Together they cater to Manhattan's high society ladies, specializing in cures, palmistry and potions--and in guarding the secrets of their clients.

All is well until one bright September afternoon, when an enchanting young woman named Beatrice Dunn arrives at their door seeking employment. Beatrice soon becomes indispensable as Eleanor's apprentice, but her new life with the witches is marred by strange occurrences. She sees things no one else can see. She hears voices no one else can hear. Objects appear out of thin air, as if gifts from the dead. Has she been touched by magic or is she simply losing her mind?

Eleanor wants to tread lightly and respect the magic manifest in the girl, but Adelaide sees a business opportunity. Working with Dr. Quinn Brody, a talented alienist, she submits Beatrice to a series of tests to see if she truly can talk to spirits. Amidst the witches' tug-of-war over what's best for her, Beatrice disappears, leaving them to wonder whether it was by choice or by force.

As Adelaide and Eleanor begin the desperate search for Beatrice, they're confronted by accusations and spectres from their own pasts. In a time when women were corseted, confined and committed for merely speaking their minds, were any of them safe?

[Deanie]

25%

(view spoiler)[This book is starting out a little slow, but there's a lot of world building and background for the witches vs. witch hunter fight. That poor girl who hung herself... I hope the Reverend and his mystery supporters get theirs. (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

Wow, I'm behind on this one! So sorry!! Will definitely dive into this tomorrow :)

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

starting this now!

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

By Knot of One: (view spoiler)[So far this is pretty interesting. I wasn't expecting so much to happen already but I'm intrigued by all the knots and the whole - witches don't need to apply. (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

Knocks and Rappings: (view spoiler)[..yeah who was that lady and what happened to her? (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

Dr. Brody's Ghosts: (view spoiler)[wow those ghosts were interesting and I feel bad about the girl being raped. I'm also wondering if that guy was describing a oujia board? It seemed like one (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

The Final Fitting: (view spoiler)[Oh no, what's so urgent? Should she go or no? Ugh! How is this going to end? (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

Finished: (view spoiler)[wow that was a pretty good book! definitely happy that I finally got the time to dive into it and meet Beatrice! It was nice to see her grow throughout the book and really come into her magic/power. Now I need another witchy book. (hide spoiler)]

[Deanie]

I actually kind of gave up on this one, but I'll get back into it.

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

Deanie wrote: "I actually kind of gave up on this one, but I'll get back into it."

I hope it picks up for you!

[Deanie]

Alaina wrote: "Finished: [spoilers removed]"

If you're looking for witchy books, I just finished , which is amazing (and there's a buddy read going on now, too). It's one of my favorite books of the year, and is a YA book about (mostly) lesbian teen witches.

I'm also reading , which is a slow starter, but once I got into it, the book is really good. It's modern urban fantasy with bits of history and has witches, vampires and daimons looking for a very old secret magic book.

[Alaina, Head of Monthly Challenges & Keeper of BR Threads]

Deanie wrote: "Alaina wrote: "Finished: [spoilers removed]"

If you're looking for witchy books, I just finished , which is amazing (and there's a buddy read going on ..."

I really want to dive into These Witches Don't Burn! I've read the first three books of A Discovery of Witches. I heard it was turned into a show and I'm intrigued to see how that goes.

[Deanie]

50%
(view spoiler)[More character development, and I liked the part about Beatrice growing into her powers. Otherwise, there's a lot of nothing -- so far. I'm surprised we haven't gotten much more about the clergyman hunting witches (except for the little snippet of him getting his next victim. (hide spoiler)]

[Deanie]

75%
(view spoiler)[Oh no! Beatrice has been kidnapped by the evil witch-hunting (psychopathic, serial killing) reverend. I hope this book has a happy ending and she's not too traumatized. And that she lives. And that the reverend dies. Or gets turned into some sort of amphibian. (hide spoiler)]

[Deanie]

100%
(view spoiler)[The ending is a little trite, but I'm glad the ladies are (more or less) getting their happy endings. They certainly deserve it after all they've been through (especially Beatrice). Though I'm concerned about the body-grabbing guys, and what their boss is up to. Maybe it's nothing... (hide spoiler)]