This is such a loaded question because the answer is everything, really, and I’m unlikely to receive any books, so this is more of just a wishlist of books that I’ll hopefully get at some point? I exchange present lists with one of my friends every year, and I always put at least twenty books on my book list so that some of it will remain a surprise, but these are all books that I really want, but that I didn’t ask anyone for.

I’ve been following Robyn Valentine on Instagram for a couple years now, and it was somehow only just recently that I got introduced to her friend, Temperance Alden, through her account. Alden seems very similar to Valentine, and I’ve been wanting a few new witch books for research, so I can’t wait to read Year of the Witch: Connecting with Nature’s Seasons Through Intuitive Magick. It looks like exactly what I’ve been searching for.

I mean, everyone and their mother has read The Diviners by Libba Bray except for me, and one of my friends absolutely adores it, and it sounds like historical fiction fantasy, so I’m down! I need more supernatural fiction in my life in the 1900s, and I keep not buying this book so I can finally buy others, so hopefully I’ll finally get around to buying it at some point.

So many people hyped up Piranesi by Susana Clarke to unbelievable heights, and I’ll be the first to admit that while I did partially read the summary, I also immediately forgot what it was about, and now my brain has decided it’s definitely Greek mythology based on the cover, and that’s where I’m at! If it’s not, don’t tell me, and just let me be baffled and surprised when I read it.

Okay, so there’s actually a story behind why I want to read Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, other than the fact that it’s one of the earliest vampire stories. My vampire, Andrew, is two thousand years old, and, in 1910, he flees Portugal with his last lover, Rafael, and they end up in America. They eventually settle down in Boston, where they’ll build a truly massive, sprawling manor that they’ll likely spend the rest of their lives in. And while Andrew is your typical brooding, morose vampire, Rafael is a) a historian and b) an utter nuisance. He lives for vampire adaptations, so while Andrew would rather forget everything, Rafael 100000% names one of the greenhouses the Harker House or something. He calls the manor itself the Carpathian Manor or something, and there’s roses named after Mina, and just all sorts of ridiculous nonsense. But I want to pull from other literature, too, and thus, I’d like to read Carmilla.

I am slowly working through the backlist of a few different authors, and Katherine Howe is someone I’ve utterly loved the writing of, so I’d like to pick up The House of Velvet and Glass next. I have another book by her right now, which I haven’t started yet, so it’ll be a bit before I actually pick this one up, but her books are so excellent that I’m sure I’ll be digging into her backlist for more soon.

Another witch book! The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft: Seeking an Intentional Magical Path by Fire Lyte is probably last on the books I want on this list, just because it seems like a similar witch book to several others I’ve read before, but it looks like it’d be a fun and light read, and I’m always down for those. They generally have the same information in them, but there’s often different rituals or perspectives that I wouldn’t have considered before, and it’s always fun to pick up some new knowledge.

I feel like A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske is being as hyped as Piranesi was, or maybe I’m just seeing it everywhere because it recently came out. But I think it’s queer historical fiction with some slight magic in it, and that is actually my niche genre, so I may need to buy this one sooner than I probably should.

Not going to lie, as I’m drafting this post, I did just buy The Witch’s Path: Advancing Your Craft at Every Level by Thorn Mooney. I was buying books for a crystal healer course that I’m taking to fulfill my required training hours for my yoga license, and I figured, heck, why not grab some other research books. I saw Mooney’s book either on Alden or Valentine’s Instagram recently, and that cover was an instant-buy for me. I also like that it’s not an introduction to witchcraft, like most of the books with those kind of gorgeous covers are, and I can’t wait to learn new things!

I also saw Rise of the Witch: Making Magick Happen Your Way by Whiskey Stevens on someone’s Instagram recently, which I’ve been trying to pay more attention to, when the witches I follow are sharing what they’re reading, so I’m hopeful to get to read this soon. I won’t lie, I’ve read a couple books with covers similar to this, and they’ve really been hit or miss, so I’m crossing my fingers this one’s a hit.

And, of course, if I’m longing for witch books, I’ve got to get Magickal Tarot: Spreads, Spellwork, and Ritual for Creating Your Life by Robyn Valentine. Her Instagram is one of my favorites to follow, and I’ve been meaning to pick up her book for ages now. I don’t normally read tarot books unless they come with a deck, but this one looks like it’ll be more than just explanations of the cards, and I’d love to dive a little deeper into other spreads!

What are you hoping to get for Christmas?