Normaal leg ik mezelf geen lijsten op met boeken die ik pakweg de komende week of maanden moet lezen. De enige uitzonderingen daarop zijn de momenten waarop ik meedeed aan leesuitdagingen in een bepaald thema met specifieke opdrachten. Daarvoor zocht ik immers wel vooraf alvast geschikte boeken uit. Ik heb ook lange tijd gedacht dat ik me bij wat ik lees niet liet beïnvloeden door de seizoenen. Misschien telt dat ook daadwerkelijk voor de lente en de zomer maar in het najaar merk ik dat ik dat soms wel doe.

Kerst en winterse boeken spreken me immers veel meer aan in de aanloop naar Kerstmis en ook al lees ik het hele jaar door graag fantasyboeken boeken met heksen en magie spreken me nog meer aan wanneer het herfst wordt en Halloween/Samhain in het zicht komt.

Daarom besloot ik er mijn fysieke TBR even bij te nemen (Niet letterlijk natuurlijk want dan zou ik me een breuk tillen tijdens het uit de kast nemen van al die exemplaren. Goodreads is veel spier -en gewrichtsvriendelijker) en te kijken welke boeken daarvan in aanmerking kwamen voor het najaar en deze boeken haalden de najaarsselectie …

Skinwalker van Faith Hunter

Jane Yellowrock is the last of her kind—a skinwalker of Cherokee descent who can turn into any creature she desires and hunts vampires for a living. But now she’s been hired by Katherine Fontaneau, one of the oldest vampires in New Orleans and the madam of Katies’s Ladies, to hunt a powerful rogue vampire who’s killing other vamps.

Amidst a bordello full of real “ladies of the night,” and a hot Cajun biker with a panther tattoo who stirs her carnal desire, Jane must stay focused and complete her mission—or else the next skin she’ll need to save just may be her own…

Never been witched – Annette Blair

Three’s a charm, and the third Cartwright sister, Destiny, is certainly not lacking. However, she is troubles by her attraction to paranormal debunker Morgan Jarvis. Destiny opts out of a week in his company, hoping that a meditative stay alone at her sister’s lighthouse will shed some light on her contrary feelings and her psychic gifts.

Unbeknownst to Destiny, her sly sister also left keys with the unsuspecting Morgan. Late one night, they literally stumble upon eacht other – and the lighthouse’s ghostly inhabitants. Destiny and Morgan have nothing in common other than the one bed they need to share and some crazy physical attraction. Raising the dead might be easier than trying to make these two opposites work together, but Destiny has experience – and love – on her side …

My favorite witch – Annette Blair

Jason Pickering Goddard’s career as a playboy hockey star comes to a dramatic halt when he tragically damages his legt in a car accident. Swearing off women, he decides to stand in as Director of Special Events at the Pickering Foundation in the interim – knowing his celebrity status will greatly help the foundation’s foster home for boys.

A sexy witch cursed by a cheating ex-fiancé, Kira Fitzgerald has closed the book on men. But a new chapter in her life opens when she’s appointed as Jason’s coordinator. The clash of their strong personalities ignites Jason’s competitive streak and sparkt an inner fire that threatens to melk the ice around his heart – a slow warm-up that weakens Kira’s own defenses. And there’s not a spell strong enough to save her …

Undead and Uneasy – Mary-Janice Davidson

Betsy Taylor, undead vampire queen, has been given a new nickname by her nearest and dearest: Bridezilla. Because whether you’re alive or undead, planning weddings is a bitch. Especially when your groom thinks the whole thing is a waste of time.

Betsy’s also dealing with a full house: she lives with a ghost (Cathy), a werewolf (Antonia), a gay physician/human (Marc), her fiance and vampire king (Eric Sinclair), her best friend (Jessica), a recovering Fiend (Garrett). But when Sinclair disappears, Betsy begins to get seriously uneasy…

Undead and Unworthy – Mary-Janice Davidson

Having recently lost her dad and stepmother, Betsy Sinclair (née Taylor) is adjusting to rather more than just married life. Their untimely deaths have left her and Eric as sole guardians of her little brother, Jon. Two vampire parents – albeit vampire royalty – for a decidedly human baby. Still, Betsy is more than up for the challenge. If only everyone would stop being so nervous around her, given her sudden recent burst of power. Betsy most emphatically Does Not Want To Discuss It, and for the moment, everyone is following her lead.

But then the ghost of Betsy’s stepmother turns up at their house. And as stubborn and insufferable as she was in life, she’s even more annoying in death – especially as she regards her demise as all Betsy’s fault!

Undead and Unwelcome – Mary-Janice Davidson

Betsy Taylor has problems that only a vampire queen/suburban wife could possibly understand…such as fifty thousand angry werewolves. That’s what Betsy is facing when she takes her werewolf friend Antonia’s body to Cape Cod, where the Pack resides at Wyndham Mansion. Because Antonia died in her service, Betsy is alive and well – and wracked with guilt. She has no idea if the Wyndham werewolves will welcome her with fangs or friendship.

While Betsy and her husband Sinclair try to make nice, their legal ward BabyJon is freaking out every werewolf he comes in contact with. Meanwhile, Betsy’s posse back at the St Paul mansion are not happy. Increasingly frantic emails alert Betsy to her half-sister’s increasingly erratic behavior. Looks like the devil’s daughter is coming into her own – and raising hell. All in the name of making Betsy’s life easier, of course.

The Kiss Curse – Erin Sterling

Gwyn Jones is perfectly happy with her life in Graves Glen. She, her mom, and her cousin have formed a new and powerful coven; she’s running a successful witchcraft shop, Something Wicked; and she’s started mentoring some of the younger witches in town. As Halloween approaches, there’s only one problem—Llewellyn “Wells” Penhallow.

Wells has come to Graves Glen to re-establish his family’s connection to the town they founded as well as to make a new life for himself after years of being the dutiful son in Wales. When he opens up a shop of his own, Penhallow’s, just across the street from Something Wicked, he quickly learns he’s gotten more than he bargained for in going up against Gwyn.

When their professional competition leads to a very personal—and very hot—kiss, both Wells and Gwyn are determined to stay away from each other, convinced the kiss was just a magical fluke. But when a mysterious new coven of witches come to town and Gwyn’s powers begin fading, she and Wells must work together to figure out just what these new witches want and how to restore Gwyn’s magic before it’s too late.

Grave Dance – Kalayna Price (Ja, ik besef nu dat ik het foute deel op de stapel heb gelegd.)

After a month spent recovering from a vicious fight with a sorcerer, Grave Witch Alex Craft is ready to get back to solving murders by raising the dead. With her love life in turmoil thanks to the disappearance of FBI agent Falin Andrews and Death’s shocking ‘L word’ confession, Alex is eager for the distractions of work. But her new case turns out to be more of a challenge than she was expecting.

The police hire Alex to consult on a particularly strange investigation in a nature preserve. The strange part? There are no bodies, just leftover pieces. With a probable serial killer on the loose and no way to raise a shade without a body, Alex will have to rely solely on her ability to sense the grave to lead her to the dead. But with the strain of overusing her magic, this might be the last case Alex ever solves . .

Cemetery Boys – Aiden Thomas

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

Hex Appeal – Kate Johnson

Essie Winterscale lives in a huge and ever-changing house in the village of Good Winter, in deepest, darkest Essex. She lives with various witches of various ages, one of whom is still a bit salty about being hanged in the 1700s, one who keeps accidentally casting fertility spells, and one who knits things that create the future.

All Essie ever wanted was to have a normal life but in the end she found herself drawn back to Beldam House because she just can’t stop her witchiness (although the ability to instantly chill wine is pretty awesome, even she has to admit).

Into this coven of chaos stumbles gorgeous, clueless Josh, their new landlord – and he’s just discovered his tenants haven’t paid rent since the 1700s! As Josh is drawn further into the lives of the inhabitants of Beldam House, Essie is determined to keep him at broomstick’s length. That is, until a family secret, lying hidden for centuries, puts Josh firmly under her spell…

Charms & Chapters – Elle Adams (ik was er duidelijk niet goed bij toen ik mijn boekenstapel samenstelde want ook hier ligt een fout deel in de plek)

Rory Hawthorn is adjusting to her new life as a witch working at her family’s enchanted library in the coastal town of Ivory Beach. Between the library’s bewildering magic and her eccentric new family, life is never dull.

When Rory and her cousin find the body of a local wizard on the beach, all the signs suggest he was killed by a vampire. Rory already has very good reason to fear the undead… even if she is developing inconvenient feelings for the local reaper.

But it’s not long before her friendship with Xavier draws them both into the investigation, and this time, even the all-knowing library might not have the answers. Can Rory face her fears and figure out the truth, or will she be the next to fall victim to the killer?

Not the witch you wed – April Asher

Magic-less witch Violet Maxwell wants nothing to do with alpha wolf shifter Lincoln Thorne—the man who broke her fragile, teenage heart. But when the two of them are forced by arcane Supernatural Laws to find mates, Violet and Lincoln agree to fake-date their way to a fake-mating in order to conjure themselves some time.

The joke’s on them. When old feelings make a reappearance—along with Violet’s magic—they both realize there’s nothing fake about their feelings. But there are old secrets and looming threats that could snatch away their happily ever after, again. One thing’s for sure: magic doesn’t make dating and love any easier.

What the Hex – Jessica Clare

Penny Roundtree wants nothing more than to be a familiar to a witch. She’s been a member of the Society of Familiars ever since she was old enough to join the Fam. There’s just a small problem—no one’s hiring. Witches and warlocks are so long-lived that there are far more familiars available than witches to train them. So when an unorthodox arrangement to apprentice under the table to a forbidden warlock presents itself, she takes it.

Willem Sauer is banned from having a familiar due to past transgressions, thereby limiting his magic-casting abilities. Unfortunately for the surly, Prussian warlock, he has no choice but to work with enthusiastic Penny as a familiar. They immediately clash like dried roan horsehair and honeycomb gathered by moonlight (it’s a terrible spell combination, ask anyone).

Casting spells has delightful perks Penny never could have dreamed of, but also greater dangers. Someone is targeting Penny. Willem and Penny must work together to catch their enemy, and if their ploy requires a little kissing on the side, who is to question the rules of magic?

A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon – Sarah Hawley

Mariel Spark is prophesied to be the most powerful witch seen in centuries of the famed Spark family, but to the displeasure of her mother, she prefers baking to brewing potions and gardening to casting hexes. When a spell to summon flour goes very wrong, Mariel finds herself staring down a demon – one she inadvertently summoned for a soul bargain.

Ozroth the Ruthless is a legend among demons. Powerful and merciless, he drives hard bargains to collect mortal souls. But his reputation has suffered ever since a bargain went awry – if he can strike a deal with Mariel, he will earn back his deadly reputation. Ozroth can’t leave Mariel’s side until they complete a bargain, which she refuses to do (turns out some humans are attached to their souls).

But the witch is funny. And curvy. And disgustingly yet endearingly cheerful. Becoming awkward roommates quickly escalates when Mariel, terrified to confess the inadvertent summoning to her mother, blurts out that she’s dating Ozroth. As Ozroth and Mariel struggle to maintain a fake relationship, real attraction blooms between them. But Ozroth has a limited amount of time to strike the deal, and if Mariel gives up her soul, she’ll lose all her emotions – including love – which will only spell disaster for them both.

Enkele feiten over deze lijst:

Niet minder dan 5 boeken kocht ik bij de plaatselijke kringloopwinkel. Het zijn willekeurige delen uit drie verschillende reeksen waar ik geen andere boeken van heb. De kans bestaat dat deze boeken me net als de Argeneaux serie van Lindsay Sands niet gaan kunnen overtuigen maar voor 0,25€ per stuk wilde ik ze toch de kans geven.

Er zitten vier tweede delen tussen waarvan ik de voorganger wél al las.

Als ik me niet vergis kreeg ik drie van de boeken via een boekenswap.

Deze lijst is ongetwijfeld veel te ambitieus vermits ik momenteel nog steeds in het eerste boek van deze maand (het laatste boek van de lijst) bezig ben. Maar wie weet zorgt het najaar voor een plotse stijging in zowel energie als leestempo. #wishfulthinking