Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

It seemed appropriate to be reading practical magic in October, it is about witches after all.  This was a nice light and easy read, nothing too mind bending.  However this will probably be one of the few times I will say this, I enjoyed the movie better.
This is about the Owen's sisters Frances and Jet, Sally and Gillian, Antonia and Kylie.  The aunts (Frances and Jet) take in Sally and Gillian after their parents die and raise the girls.  However Sally and Gillian are most unappreciative of Aunts, and get out as soon as they can.  Gillian much quicker than Sally.  Sally has a two girls Antonia and Kylie who she takes away from the aunts home and attempts to raise them as normal girls.  Then one stormy night Gillian shows up with a dead boyfriend and the aunts are called back when things get to rough.  At the end all the generations are getting along and it is one big happy family.
Can we say bleh.  The characters in this book just seemed a little flat to me, the aunts were barely developed, and there was way more focus on the Antonia and Kylie's relationship that I was expecting.  And it seemed the characters didn't stay in character, for example Sally agreeing to bury Jimmy in her backyard for Gillian.  Sally is supposed to be this uber responsible person and she doesn't bat an eye at burying a dead guy...I don't think so.  Gillian is a selfish brat and she does stay that way pretty well through the book so that is good.  Sally's girls were much older than in the movie and so had a chance to much more developed, but I think that cost the Aunts.  The Aunts were the characters I really wanted to know about and they seemed to just be after thoughts.  There was way too much sibling rivalry and even generational rivalry.  It didn't seem as magical to me.  I mean there were moments and elements, but it just seemed more practical I guess, hence the name.  
Don't get me wrong, I liked but the movie is one of my favorites and I guess I just had higher expectations.

A Prince in Camelot by Courtway Jones (July 2013)

This is a selection from my BOTM club, series edition. This is the third in a trilogy about King Arthur.  This installment follows the life of Mordred, Arthur's bastard son.  Although in this series he is the son of Morgause (Arthur’s aunt) not Morgan (Arthur’s half sister).  This was the most boring of the three. It took me forever to read it because the story didn’t move a long, Mordred came to Camelot was hurt that Arthur didn’t acknowledge him and spent a lot of time being a Knight and blah blah blah.  There was no movement, the story got facts from the previous books wrong, the timelines were all screwy!  I couldn’t wait to get this one over with.

Witch of the North by Courtway Jones (June 2013)

This is a selection from my BOTM club, series edition. This is the second in a trilogy about King Arthur.  This installment follows the life of Morgan l Fey, Arthur’s half sister.  For some reason I didn't find Morgan as enthralling as Pelleas (In the Shadow of the Oak King). Her story really reminded me of Irene Radford's series which is from the point of view of Merlin's daughter. Don't get me wrong I still thought it was good, but I like the first book better.

Jones has Morgan’s love interest being her cousin Gawain, and they never seem to get their timing right, unlike Pelleas and Nithe.  I actually wish Morgan and Gawain had gotten together, I think Morgan would have had a happier life. Gawain would have been more understanding and a better knight.  

As a side note I was pleasantly surprised that Morgan kept mentioning Queen Boudicca. I actually have a book about her in my to read pile, she has moved up higher on that pile.

Tthe third part of the book is a quick read but nothing worth writing home about.  Besides everybody dies and most in a stupid pointless way. There weren't even enough events besides death to help me with the timelines. I have no idea when things happened in the third part. Not so happy with this part, hoping the third book takes me back to my happy place of the first.