Series Review So Far: Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials by Llewellyn Publications

★★★★

I absolutely love Llewellyn Publications. They were the publisher that I first turned to when I started down the pagan path. I'm really excited to share with you my reviews of the first three books from Llewellyn Publications new line of books, Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials. As a series, I think this is a handy collection of reference books for those new to the path or those who are a bit out of touch with their beliefs (that would be me). If you area a more practiced or advanced pagan, then you might want to pass these by- you already know most of this! I also love the way that the covers all compliment one another- you can tell that they're from the same series. Across the board, this is a four star collection from me. Now shall we break it down by book?


Title: Ostara
Series: Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials
Author: Llewellyn Publications, Kerri Connor
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: January 8th 2015
Source: Llewellyn Publications


Book Description via Goodreads:

Celebrate the season of returning sunlight and the bursting forth of the birds, bees, and trees

Ostara--also known as the Spring Equinox--is a time of renewal, a time to plant seeds as the earth once again comes to life. This guide to the history and modern celebrations of Ostara shows you how to perform rituals and work magic to renew your power and passion for living and growing. Rituals Recipes Lore Spells Divination Crafts Correspondences Invocations Prayers Meditations

Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials explore the old and new ways of celebrating the seasonal rites that are the cornerstones of the witch's year.

Review:

Ostara is the first of the Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials that I received to review. This reference book is in a very easy navigate format, with just six simple chapters: Old Ways, New Ways, Spells & Divination, Recipes & Crafts, Prayers & Invocations, and Rituals of Celebration.

The first section, "Old Ways", explains the historical context and more anciently tied traditions of the sabbat. The section of "New Ways" offers more modern day ways to connect to the holiday, like gardening or taking walks or meditation. Things that you can do in your daily life, without a lot of difficulty or struggle. It also suggests places to visit and places to go so you're out in the wonderful springtime.

The "Spells & Divination" chapter contains just that- spells and divination tips and ideas. Some of these include a spell to assist in difficult changes, and a Spring is in the Air Love Attraction Spell. These are written in step by step format, and include lists of the things you will need to follow them. There are also prayers and words to say included. These serve as good jumping off points for beginners to the path. This is expanded on within the "Prayers and Invocations" section as well.

The "Recipes and Crafts" section, again, includes just what you'd think. Some of the recipes included in this book are Mint Lamb Chops and Hot Cross buns. They're short and relatively simple recipes, with the steps written in more of a paragraph format as opposed to a step-by-step list. There are desserts, drinks, and meals for both vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Crafts include Eggshell Plant Pots and Painted Garden Stones. These are largely family friendly and relatively easy crafts that are a fun way to spend the day. I'm not the craftiest person, so I was happy to see that these are things that (I think) I can actually do.

The last chapter, "Rituals of Celebration" includes a ritual for a solitary practitioner, one designed for two people, and one designed for a group.

All in all, I think this is a great place to start as a beginner, or a relatively quick way to brush up on things if you're not in the regular study habit. Reading this book made me request the next book in the series.


Title: Beltane
Series: Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials
Author: Llewellyn Publications, Melanie Marquis
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: March 1st 2015
Source: Llewellyn Publications


Book Description via Goodreads:

Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials series explores the old and new ways of celebrating the seasonal rites that are the cornerstones in the witch’s year.

A well-rounded introduction to Beltane, this attractive book features rituals, recipes, lore, and correspondences. It includes hands-on information for modern celebrations, spells and divination, recipes and crafts, invocations and prayers, and more!

In agricultural societies, Beltane marked the start of the summer season. We all have something we want to harvest by the end of the year—plans we are determined to realize. Beltane is the time to put our plans into action, and this book will show you how.

Review:

The second book in Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials series is Beltane by Melanie Marquis. Beltane is generally thought of as the first day of summer on the pagan calendar. Like the first book, this book is in a very easy navigate format, with just six simple chapters: Old Ways, New Ways, Spells & Divination, Recipes & Crafts, Prayers & Invocations, and Rituals of Celebration.

In the first chapter, entitled "Old Ways", this book introduces and explores the history of the holiday of Beltane. It talks about May Day and things such as the Maypole that are even still used in modern spring and summer celebrations. The "New Ways" chapter explains modern rituals, and talks about how different paths of pagans, from Heathens to Wiccans, celebrate Beltane. It talks about where it's still celebrated and gives advice on how to celebrate in a modern day lifestyle. It also suggests some activities, such as ways to be creative and how to refresh your life for the new season.

Then, there is a chapter called "Spells & Divination" that includes spells and other means to help achieve goals during this time of Beltane. These include the Sun and Citrine Spell for Energy and Purification and Fortunetelling with Eggs and Bannocks. There are good steps to follow to help you through it, which is good if you're a beginner to paganism. This chapter also includes a nice rundown of the basics of tarot cards. This chapter partners well with the chapter on prayer. The following chapter includes recipes and crafts, such as Blessed Lemon Custard, Supercharged Sun Cakes, and a Beltane Floral Crown. There are well detailed, step-by-step instructions for all of these, and there's a nice variety to the recipes.

There is a final chapter for Rituals of Celebration. These include fully detailed rituals from prayers to actions to meditations for the solitary practitioner, a handfast union, and a group ritual too. There's also additional reading, and a cheat sheet of sorts for symbols and things associated with Beltane.


This is a great continuation in this series that I think is best suited to beginners of the craft.


Title: Midsummer
Series: Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials
Author: Llewellyn Publications, Deborah Blake
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: May 8th 2015
Source: Llewellyn Publications


Book Description via Goodreads:

Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials series explores the old and new ways of celebrating the seasonal rites that are the cornerstones in the witch's year. A well-rounded introduction to Midsummer, this attractive book features rituals, recipes, lore, and correspondences. It includes hands-on information for modern celebrations, spells and divination, recipes and crafts, invocations and prayers, and more!

Review:

The third book in Llewellyn's new "Sabbat Essentials" is Midsummer. Midsummer, or Litha, is one of the four sun-associated holidays on the Wheel of the Year, and is otherwise known as the summer equinox. This is the day where the sun shines the longest. Like its predecessors, this reference book is in a very easy navigate format, with just six simple chapters: Old Ways, New Ways, Spells & Divination, Recipes & Crafts, Prayers & Invocations, and Rituals of Celebration.

The Old Ways section of this books goes discusses the history of the holiday and how it was celebrated by different cultures, including communicating with fairies and bonfires. The New Ways section that follows includes how to celebrate in a modern setting, whether you're out in the country or in a big city, and also includes descriptions of different pagan paths and how they may celebrate Midsummer.

There are two chapters, Spells & Divination and Prayers & Invocations, that discuss how to pray, meditate, and cast spells. Some of the ones included in Midsummer include Modern Tarot Divination as well as Herbal Spells and Charms. The following chapter has to do with recipes and crafts, and includes things such as Ale for the Gods Bread, Cherries Jubilation Fruit Soup, Viking Boats, and Cinnamon Brooms. These are easy to follow instructions that even beginners and those who aren't so crafty (like myself) can follow along. There's also a list of rituals, additional readings, and a cheat sheet for facts about the sabbat.

This book blends in well with the rest in its series, and is something I'd recommend more to new pagans than old practitioners.

I received copies of these books in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Summer Loving

Title: Summer Loving
Editor: Alison Tyler
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: July 21st, 2014
Source: Netgalley & Fido Publishing



★★★ ★

Three and a half stars.

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Summer Loving is an anthology of super short erotica stories that all follow one central theme: summertime. This collection contains twenty stories from some of my favorite naughty authors, and these stories were written for a great cause. For more information on that, check out my earlier post here.

Overall, this is a fast read of stories that are good to read while you're laying out on the beach or by the side of a pool. I knew that these stories would be short, but I will admit they were even shorter than I anticipated. This gave the tone of the collection more of a teasing edge to it, because just when things would get interesting, it'd switch to another story.

Like with any other anthology, I enjoyed some of these stories more than others. If I didn't like it, chances are it was because I didn't enjoy whatever kink was being addressed, or I didn't like the narrative style. I am not going to review all twenty stories, but I will mention the two that I liked best, in no order. "To Hell with Sunset" by A.M. Hartnett is about a boat tour that is much hotter than the sun they're sailing under. "Summer in December" by Tamsin Flowers is story about a chef who is dying to get her boss's attention, and the nearby beaches might be just the way to do so. These were both steamy, enjoyable reads that I definitely recommend.

This is a good anthology for anyone who enjoy short stories, or who is looking for a hot but breezy read for their beach e-reader. Thanks so much to Netgalley and Fido Publishing for my chance to read this in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Saugatuck Summer

Title: Saugatuck Summer (Saugatuck #1)
Author: Amelia C. Gormley
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: May 19th 2014
Source: Netgalley & Riptide Publishing

★★★★★

Five Stars.

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Topher Carlisle is a twenty-one year old mess. He has a really bad family history of a broken home, is on the verge of losing his college scholarship, and is trying to come into his own as he stays in his best friend's summer house in Saugatuck, Michigan for the summer. Unexpected kinks get thrown into his plan when he has an affair with his best friend's straight and married father, and meets a sexy artist named Jace. Topher has to figure out who he really is and who he wants to be in the whirl of one fabulous roller-coaster ride of a summer.

To be honest, my blurb doesn't really do this book justice. The thing is filled with drama and feelings from cover to cover, and I mean that in the best and most positive way. There were times that I laughed out loud, there were times when I got really angry, and times when my heart broke for Topher. Being a 22 year old queer kid in college from a broken home, I felt that I connected to him on an emotional/mental level and it made me cling to his story from start to finish. I really admire the depth that Gormley gave to her characters without making them seem too cliche.

I'll admit to you all, I picked up this book because I used to go to Saugatuck in the summers of my youth. For me, the setting helped a lot with my enjoyment of this novel. We spent a lot of our summers up near Traverse City, Michigan, stopping at several towns along the way, and while we were there, so when Gormley mentions these towns, I've heard of them and can happily picture them in my mind. Plus, Topher's partner Jace is from Chicago like me, so the references to things like Boystown again helped me to relate to the story.

And then, of course, I have to talk about the sex. This book is the hot, steamy kind of read that is best enjoyed on the beach or by the poolside in the bright summer sun while sipping on something cold and fruity, ideally with a plastic sword of fruit wedged into it. The adult scenes were well-written and detailed without being overtly crass, which in my opinion is a hard line to toe regardless of genre of erotic romance. Another important note is that this book is not about sex. That is, there is plot and rising action and all those things, that just happens to have some intense and smoldering sex scenes peppered throughout.

This book is a fairly rare five out of five stars from me. In a nutshell, the gorgeous Michigan beach setting, the amount of drama, the hot sex scenes, and the likable, relatable characters all meld together to create one really addictive summer read. This is a book that I will need a physical copy of at some point. BUT be warned; this book contains homosexual sex, graphic language, and potential triggers for abuse. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Riptide Publishing for my chance to read this one.

Review: Joyland by Stephen King

Title: Joyland
Author: Stephen King
Format: Paperback, 283 pages
Pub. Date: June 4th 2013
Source: Gift

★★★★

Four stars.

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Devin Jones needed to get away from it all for a little while. The girl he loved more than anything broke his heart, and he needed to take some time to himself to remember what life without her is like. When he gets a summer job at a small town amusement park, he starts to feel at home... At first. When he started to uncover the oddities surrounding the park: a ghost story, tales of murder, and even a hokey psychic who may not be lying after all, he discovered that this summer would change his life completely.... That is, if he survives it.


I was really excited when my girlfriend's mother surprised me with a copy of this book. I'm a big fan of King's, and had fallen in love with the cover. I'm a sucker for stories set in a carnival/circus setting, and I knew I needed to read this one. It definitely didn't disappoint.

The thing that I loved most about this book was, you guessed it, the setting. This crime tale takes place in a Coney Island-like amusement park on the east coast. I loved all of the "Talk" that the carnies used, that is, the slang among them. Whether it's accurate or not, it was really cool to see life at one of these attractions after hours, and from the employee's point of view. The way King writes made it sound like a place I'd want to visit, and a place of sleepy summer life. I felt like I was at the park, from start to finish.

I also really liked the combination of genres in this book. It has supernatural elements, crime, murder, and a good old fashioned whodunnit. I didn't see the puzzle being pieced together until the very end, and then I got irrationally angry at the results. That's a good sign, because it means that King wrote characters that I cared about and really connected to.

The book jumps around a bit in time, but they're easy transitions, and I was at no point in the novel confused by the changes.

This book put me in mind of R.L. Stine's Fear Park series, but for the older crowd. This book contains profanity and sex, but it's a Stephen King book, so you probably guessed as much. I recommend it to anyone who likes a good murder case with a bit of a haunted twist.

Thanks again for the book, Lisa.

Forbidden Boy by Hailey Abbott

Title: Forbidden Boy
Author: Hailey Abbott
Format: Paperback, 256 pages
Pub. Date: April 22nd 2008
Source: Cover2Cover blog

★

One star.

It's summer, and Julianne has some serious plans for fun and relaxation. She's going to try and ignore the tensions at home.... Mansions are being put up each and every day, and the owners are trying to bully the family into selling their home to be part of another vast expansion that they don't need. Their newest neighbors are especially pushy, but who needs them? She's got her projects, and her beach, and summer is calling her name. That is until she meets this dreamy boy, Remi. She's so excited and smitten, but there's one problem- Remi is the son of their bullying neighbors. What's a girl to do, and what's the cost of the perfect summer romance?

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I don't really know where to begin, but I'm going to try and keep this short and professional. Even though I'm raging on the inside and want to rant for the rest of my review.

-The relationship Julianne has with her sister in this story is ludicrous. Who are all of these authors that think that sisters are either absolute best friends or sworn enemies? There is a middle ground, you know. Her sister tries to get her to make out with boys in order to relive stress, and Julianna doesn't find this at all strange or intrusive. Ew. Maybe it's just me, but if my sister was like that, I'd probably flip her off and walk away, not grab a beer and have a giggle fest.

-All of the conversations in this book sound forced and fake. The slang between characters is awful, like something in a Saturday Night Live skit. I never bought into the realism that this realistic fiction eluded to, and preferred the plot when no one was talking.

-The title of this book is Forbidden Boy. That would lead the reader to assume that a boy is, well. Forbidden. I enjoy this type of romance. Take the book [book:Forbidden|7600924], where the lovers in question are brother and sister. Or even Romeo and Juliet, which also involved feuding neighbors. Only, they'd die. That makes their love a bit more forbidden. Just a smidge. This has cranky neighbors. There's nothing forbidden about him. Frowned upon, perhaps. But this isn't at all my definition of "forbidden."

-Instant love. That magical moment when everything in the universe aligns and a boy and a girl, in the most hormone filled time of their life, know that everything will be perfect with that other person. Sigh.

+The cover is pretty. I give it that.

All in all I found this to be a bad attempt at a quick beach/summer read. Maybe I'm just getting old or maybe it's because I'm not a "prep", but I didn't care much for this at all. I'd recommend it for maybe the younger end of young adult. If you read true forbidden romance, or are any kind of alternative stereotype (goth, punk, what have you), I would skip this.

Thank you to Cover2Cover blog for my copy.