đź“š Spells8 Book Club! - Introduction and FAQ

The current Book Club Reading Session is here:

:open_book: Spells8 Book Club XXXVI (Feb 23 - Mar 22)



Welcome, everyone!

Thank you again to all the book-loving participants of the Books, Tomes, and Tales Weekly Challenge and all those who expressed interest in a potential reading club in the previous poll.

The book challenge saw so many wonderful recommendations being shared and encouraged many to pick up new books- further developing areas of interest and opening the door to brand new aspects of magic :sparkles:

The challenge started a spark that I would love to fuel into a fiery activity- as a Forum Book Club! :books:

How Does Book Club Work?

Traditionally, in-person book clubs assign one book to all club members and then meet at certain dates to discuss the chosen book.

The forums make it very possible to have open discussions, share recommendations, and discuss books :books: The challenge is, how to choose a book?

As an international community, we may not all have access to the same book sources. Additionally, some books can be quite expensive and we all have different budgets :moneybag:. And finally, witchcraft covers a huge range of topics- everyone has different interests and a book specifically about Wicca or Herbalism may appeal to some, but not others.

So, What Books Does the Club Read?

The goal is to make a book club that is accessible to all- regardless of location and budget! After a lot of thought and much research, it was decided that the best way is to allow everyone to pick their own book.

  • Chosen book titles are shared at the beginning of the reading period.
  • If someone shares a book you find interesting, you can read that one too!
  • All are welcome to chat and share about their books in the current Book Club Discussion
  • At the end of the session, reviews and recommendations are shared in the Readers’ Reviews post

In this way, you are free to read your own book or can read along with someone else/others, and all can benefit from sharing book recommendations. Good books are meant to be shared! :grinning: :books:

Do I Have to Read a Spellbook?

Just like in the challenge, you are very welcome to read any book that relates to or inspires your practice- it does not have to be a spellbook or even a book about magick!

You may be interested in herbs and read about the history of traditional medicine. Fantasy or sci-fi fans may find inspiration and enthusiasm for their practice in story books.

If a book helps you improve your magickal path and spirituality, it is welcome in the club! :grin:

If you choose to read something others may find controversial or offensive, please hide your review/discussion and label it with a warning. Like always, any posts that do not follow the general Forum Rules will be removed.

What if I Don’t Know What to Read?

No book, no fear! You can look at what books other people have chosen to read during the current period and may consider reading the same book.

A list of free online witchy books was shared in the book challenge- check out some of those!

In addition, the Recommendations Category of the forums has many books listed- read through reviews to find something that suits your taste!

How Long Do I Have to Finish my Book?

Some people gobble up books like desserts and can fly through novels in mere days- but others may struggle to scrape out time for reading from busy schedules.

Each reading period lasts 4 weeks. When the reading period ends, everyone will have 1 week to reflect and share about their books before the next reading period begins.

What are Discussions Like?

At the end of the reading period, a Master Post Discussion is open to all participants to share their thoughts/insights/highlights about the book of their choice.

Whether you finished a book or not, this discussion will ideally have recommendations and interesting bits from a wide range of books. You can look here to find new books to read while also picking up bits of knowledge gathered from diverse aspects of magick.

Can I read reviews from past sessions of Book Club?

Absolutely! To see what everyone read and get some great recommendations (and possibly a heads up about any books that sound too good to be true! :laughing:) here is the grand collection of all book reviews shared:

Reading is not just a wonderful past time with proven mental and psychical health benefits- it is also a fantastic way to further develop and grow your magickal practice :sparkles:

Please feel free to comment below with any questions, insights, or feedback you have- your input is very welcome!

Looking forward to reading and sharing with you all soon- blessed be! :hugs:

23 Likes

I do have one question: could my book be one that I started to read but never finished reading it? :sweat_smile: And I think this activity will be fun! I like seeing everybody’s recommendations.

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OOh, this is going to be so much fun! :books: :purple_heart: Of course I’ll probably be adding more books to my wish list because of this. LOL. It’ll be worth it though. Share information and all that. Sounds great!

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I’m in! :grin:
This is going to be fun.

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I love the free format of this book club! I can pick any book I want to share, yay!! :grin: :books:

But it will also be fun if we can find a book that several people have, or want to read!

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Absolutely, @christina4! I know the feeling- there are so many distractions, it can be easy to get stuck in an unfinished book! This could be the push you need to finally finish that book :open_book::grin:

I loved your book report from the challenge, @Amethyst! Can’t wait to see what you’ll be reading first for book club :blush:

Hooray, @Rowan! :raised_hands: Do you already have a book in mind? :grinning:

Yes, that’s the idea, @Francisco! :blush::+1: Everyone is free to read as they like, and I imagine some people will be interested in the same book- it’s fun to read together! :grin:

Perhaps in each reading period, there could be one suggested book (free and online) to make it easier for anyone undecided, have something we can read together, and offer a second-book for any very speedy readers :laughing:

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Thanks hon, I’ll probably be doing the same thing for the book club, taking notes as I write on what I think is important. I’m hoping it’ll help me retain the knowledge easier so I can write a review.

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Ooh I’m so excited! I don’t know what to go for! Eek do I go for something which is already on my list or a newer interest? I’d love to buddy up with someone. Honestly I’m just so thrilled to be reading :sweat_smile: :joy:

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Same, @Limeberry I think I’d like to commit this first read to the Spiral Dance, but yet I also like the idea of pairing up with someone. Decisions Decisions! :smiley:

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Oh hey @Rowan :heart_eyes: wanna be my buddy and read Spiral Dance together? :joy: :joy:

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Sure!!! That’d be Great!!! :heart_eyes: Anyone else interested in Spiral Dance?:nerd_face:

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It’s a great book! I read most of it already but there are parts that I definitely need refreshing! I’m joining in!! :raised_hand_with_fingers_splayed:

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Yay!!! Awesome @Francisco.:grin:

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Yay @Francisco ! Welcome to Team Spiral Dance :dancer:t3::joy:

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This is a great idea! I have a few books in mind. Maybe Psychic Witch by Mat Auryn, Morgan Daimler’s book on Brighid, or Lora O’Brien’s book on Pagan Priesthood :blossom:

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I know they get a lot of Flack by some in the community but any of the Cunningham books are great

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psychic witch is AWESOME, the book is crammed with excercises and Mat does a great job making it super easy to understand

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That’s what I’ve heard @Trey - I just haven’t had a free moment to pick it up lol I’m hoping to for this, though!

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@Trey I just finished Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham- I absolutely loved it. Every time I picked that book up to read a chapter or two I caught myself smiling. Honestly I was actually really disappointed that it had to end :joy:

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Deff check out earth magic its a good read

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