Ahhh, my favourite season is here.
October is the moment we’re given permission to lean into all things cosy: getting into bed a little earlier, staying there a little longer, lighting the candles, pulling on the snuggly socks, making a cup of tea and settling in with a good book.
In other words: it’s officially book season.
This year, I’m leaning all the way into the witchy side of autumn, swept up in the Practical Magic feeling of it all. A rewatch of the 90s classic and the excitement around the new film has reignited my love of all things witchy, whimsical and a little bit magical.
A little Practical Magic, magic...
If you haven’t discovered the Owens women yet, consider this your autumn reading prompt.
Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic series follows generations of the Owens family, women who have been cursed in matters of love for more than 300 years. The family rules are wonderfully simple: do as you will but harm no one; what you will give will be returned to you threefold.
But there is one rule above all others:
DO NOT FALL IN LOVE.
Naturally, this is easier said than done.
The Book of Magic is the fourth and final novel in the series. We begin in a library, surely one of the best possible places for a story to be conjured, when Jet Owens, now in her eighties, hears the deathwatch beetle and knows she has only seven days left to live.
From there, three generations of Owens women race to break the family curse, journeying from Massachusetts to Paris, London and the English countryside, uncovering family secrets and old magic along the way.
There are a lot of characters and subplots, and the storytelling can feel a little rambly at times. But Hoffman’s lyrical and atmospheric writing sweeps you along. Ultimately, everything comes together beautifully, and there is something very satisfying about an ending that actually feels like an ending.
Books, Magic, Love
Beneath all the spells and curses, this is really a story about family, books and love. The Owens women – strong, complicated, loyal and fiercely protective – are connected by this wonderful belief that love, however messy, painful or frightening, is ultimately worth choosing.
One of my favourite passages sums this up beautifully:
“How lucky they had been to be raised by women who taught them what was most important in this world. Read as many books as you can. Choose courage over caution. Take time to visit libraries. Look for light in the darkness. Have faith in yourself. Know that love is what matters most.”
The autumnal aesthetic of this story – old houses, wild gardens, candlelight, cosy bedrooms, books – feels perfectly Piglet. Life lived a little more magically.
If you haven't read the series before, I recommend following the Owens women from the beginning – you’ll get so much more from the characters and the family history.
But if you have read the books, or simply love Practical Magic, this is the perfect time to return to them. So, settle down with a slice of chocolate tipsy cake, a cup of courage tea and your cosiest blanket.
And if you're planning a Practical Magic girls' night this autumn, I'll be there with a margarita in hand!!
