Let’s take a step back from the intense horror and high-stakes thriller books and dip into something cosier, shall we? Alice Hoffman’s beloved classic Practical Magic is a blend of family drama and witchy magic that makes for a steady read with all the small town witchy vibes and messages that will sit with you for some time.

The Owens sisters confront the challenges of life and love in this bewitching novel from New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman. For more than two hundred years, the Owens women have been blamed for everything that has gone wrong in their Massachusetts town. Gillian and Sally have endured that fate as well: as children, the sisters were forever outsiders, taunted, talked about, pointed at. Their elderly aunts almost seemed to encourage the whispers of witchery, with their musty house and their exotic concoctions and their crowd of black cats. But all Gillian and Sally wanted was to escape. One will do so by marrying, the other by running away. But the bonds they share will bring them back—almost as if by magic…

You cannot deny the setting lends itself to a wonderful construction of the Owens family house that is equally bewitching, cluttered, and liable to house visitors of the small and winged sort. The house is undeniably a focal point of this novel with its own feelings and mind, and I can see how this would have been a wonderful element to work with in the 1998 film Practical Magic. If this book has told me anything, it is that I need to watch the film ASAP for all the cosy autumnal witchy vibes.

One thing that did lose me with Practical Magic (and this is no fault of the book) is that family drama aspect of it, especially between sisters. I struggle to relate and connect with novels that contain these themes and tropes because of personal background and an admittedly firm lack of interest in the concepts, but I can appreciate the effort and direction Practical Magic takes these in, especially in tandem with the magical direction and essence of the novel. There is something cosy and homey about family drama novels that fits with the vibes created by the odd yet charming Owens house, even once the girls have grown up and left it to the aunts, and overall the novel carries that vibe throughout.

Even though I may not have enjoyed this as much as expected, it doesn’t mean you won’t. I think the main thing for me is a lack of big plot movement, so if you are looking for a character-driven yet slow and vibey read then Practical Magic is definitely something to keep your eyes open for. Practical Magic is undoubtedly a good vibes, cosy witchy read to snuggle up with for an afternoon. If you’re looking for something lighter this Spooktober, maybe something with more familiar notes and heartfelt moments, then Practical Magic is a book for your tbr.