Today I Have Mostly Been Reading...

'An ABC of Witchcraft' by Doreen Valiente



I haven't picked this up in a while, because had it pegged as a 'beginners' book and having been a Wiccan for over a decade, I thought it would be old hat. Hand up, I was wrong.

I recommend this to all the old pagans as well as the new, because it informs on different levels for both. The newbies find out what it's all about, while the old ones not only remember what it's all about, but with that experience under their belts read more than they would have done before.

'Shelters of Stone' by Jean Auel



It's been about a decade since I read the first four books, so this was like revisiting an old friend to find that nothing much has changed, and it's all very comfortable. For that reason, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Auel fans will know what I'm talking about, while those new to her books would be better starting at the beginning with the 'Clan of the Bear Cave'. You won't be disappointed.

'Witchchild' by Celia Rees



I was sent 'Witchchild' by a friend and found it easy to read, though the content was disturbing. I read it in one sitting.

As both a High Priestess and an historian, I didn't learn anything new from this. In fact, I could have written a far more gruesome account of the Burning Times based purely on evidence from the time. However, it is an excellent introduction for those new to the subject and it's billed as a children's book - I would have no problem with any children in my circle reading it.

It purports to be a true story and only checking with its publisher classification shows that it is fiction.

I would like to read the sequel 'Sorceress', so it must have claimed my imagination!

'Palestine' by Joe Sacco



Perhaps it's the fact that this is a graphic novel which makes it so disturbing. I did have to put it down once, when the mother tells of her youngest son being killed at school, because I was emotionally right there in a way which doesn't often happen in plain text books.

Joe Sacco actually spent a couple of months in Palestine and Israel collecting the material for his graphic novel. The whole novel describes his journey and I thoroughly recommend it.

'The Order of the Pheonix' by JK Rowling



Surely I don't need to review this one - I managed to spend most of a day at the Glastonbury Festival perched on a camping chair finishing the last 300 pages, it was that good. Harry Potter has attitude and it's even darker than the last one. I loved it.

'The Wee Free Men' by Terry Pratchett



Granted, it's supposed to be a children's novel, but since when has that stopped any of us? It's also supposed to be a Discworld book, but none of the familiar characters turn up except in a cameo role at the end.

The story is fun and easy on the brain, only later do you realize that there were some deep questions about reality in there. I enjoyed every page of it.

'The Easter Rebellion' by Max Caulfield



For any historian who loves the trivia and the anecdotal evidence of those who were there, this book is a must. It describes the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin in a way which leaves you thinking that you knew what happened minute by minute.

I spent a fair portion of it laughing, as well as gasping with horror. It's a narrative which shows you the human face of dusty history.