My fascination with witches began like any girl growing up in the nineties. The nineties were ultimately the best witch-filled nostalgic time in my life. I fell in love with the carefree and mischievous Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus. After watching The Craft, I tried to conduct a séance from a kit I bought at Spencer’s gift store for a sleepover. I tried to do my own love spell that a Wiccan friend gave to me which was a huge fail when I realized that I needed to somehow attain a piece of my crushes hair. Nowadays, I would much rather read about my brujas instead of attempting one of my failed witchy schemes. Here is my TBR with a bruja vibe and I hope that these reads bring some brujita magic into your life!
Labyrinth Lost (Brooklyn Brujas #1) by Zoraida Córdova
Alex is a bruja who despises magic. When her Deathday Celebration comes she performs a spell to get rid of her magical powers and it takes a turn for the worst. Alex’s family disappears and the only person that can help her bring her family back is a brujo named Nova who she doesn’t trust.
First off, I get a little thrill knowing that the main witch in this book shares the same name as me! For some reason, I knew of the book Bruja Born which is the second book to this series. Cordova’s books just passed me by and after reading a couple of lukewarm witchy reads at the time I never thought to pick it up. Until just a couple of weeks ago, I was sold when my favorite author Nina Moreno, stated that Cordova’s books were one of her top Latinx reads. I am looking forward to picking up this duology during the spooky season and I am ready to ride into some witchy adventures.
Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore
The Nomeolvides women have tended the garden of La Pradera for as long as they can remember. The beauty of the La Pradera garden estate has brought visitors from all over the world but it also hides a heartbreaking secret that the Nomeolvides women have to live with. They are cursed against falling in love because whenever they do their lover disappears. Until a boy suddenly appears in the garden in front of the Nomeolvides woman Estrella and he is a mystery to the women of the family as much as he is to himself. The only thing he knows about himself is that his name is Fel. Together the Nomeolvides women unlock secrets about Fel and they learn about the magic that is inside of themselves, their family, and the mysterious beauty of La Pradera.
This magical realism read has been sitting on my shelves for a while and I am so happy that I finally get to delve into McLemore’s lush prose. I am currently entranced with the complexities of the characters and the alluring setting. Wild Beauty has own voices Latinx LGBT representation and I am deeply mesmerized in this poetic read and I want to just get lost in the mysterious world of La Pradera for a little awhile.
A Dash of Trouble (Love Sugar Magic, #1) by Anna Meriano
In Rose Hill, Texas lies an adorable little Mexican bakery owned by the Logroños family. They are getting ready for the Dia De Los Muertos festival and they are baking all the delicioso cakes and cookies to begin the festivities. Leonora wants to help her family bake all the buttery-sweet sugar skull cookies and cakes, but her family keeps her away from the kitchen claiming she is too young. When one day Leonora sneaks into the kitchen to suddenly discover that the women in her family are witches who mix up some magic to every sweet baked treat. Leo takes the opportunity to secretly whip up her own magic to prove to her family that she is a little brujita herself.
This middle-grade has three things that I am deeply passionate about. Witches, Latinx representation, and baked goods! I have a feeling that Love Sugar Magic is going to be a delightfully spooky-sweet Halloween read!
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