This week’s #spellbooksaturday feature was… fine. Have you ever read a book about which you felt intensely neutral? For me, that was…
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Deborah Harkness’s sparkling debut, A Discovery of Witches, has brought her into the spotlight and galvanized fans around the world. In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782, deep in Oxford’s Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont.
[source: bookshop.org]
While there were elements of this book that I enjoyed thoroughly, I was disappointed that the love story was so full of red flags. (Every time Matthew tried to discourage Diana’s attraction, I was like, “Yes, girl, run!”) Beyond being incredibly heteronormative (yes, there is a lesbian couple, though I don’t think the “L” word is actually used anywhere in the book?), the dynamic between Diana and Matthew gave me the ick. Can we stop glamorizing extremely controlling and toxic men? It’s a trope that’s lazy at best and abuser-apologist at worst, and that’s a dangerous dynamic to romanticize, especially in our current climate. (EDIT: I just discovered this fabulous video, “Romantasy Books are Toxic, Lazy, Conservative Propaganda,” and Willow gives a fabulous breakdown of what makes me so uncomfortable about most “romantasy.”)
That said, I love anything witchy (though I’d definitely prefer some healthier witchy romances!) and I was bemused that a portion took place in Madison, NY! Have you read A Discovery of Witches? Did you enjoy it? More to the point, can you recommend any LGBTQ+ witchy books? Let’s swap recommendations!
Since I stopped using Goodreads, I will be recommending books via Bookshop.org, and have a list of #spellbooksaturday features for folks to peruse. In the spirit of full transparency: as a Bookshop.org affiliate, I will receive a small percentage of book sales purchased through my links. If you find that off-putting, feel free to shop directly through Bookshop.org or your own local retailer! My only goal here is to fight Amazon and the mega-rich.
DID YOU ENJOY THIS SPELLBOOK SATURDAY FEATURE? SHOP THE LIST ON BOOKSHOP.ORG, OR CHECK OUT SOME MORE READING RECOMMENDATIONS…
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