I'm finally gaining some steam in my goal of reading/reviewing 25 books this year. My reading has slowed down because most nights I fall into bed wanting nothing more than to turn the lights out and sleep. I've been giving myself more time to read lately...this makes me happy.
Garden Spells is the third book I've read by Sarah Addison Allen, and, like the previous two, I really enjoyed it. All of Allen's stories take place in North Carolina, and are like cotton candy--made of sugar, light as air. Allen's characters all have some sort of magical quality about them--in Garden Spells, Claire Waverly understands how plants and foods can influence people, and runs a successful catering business based on that.
Garden Spells starts off a wee bit on the slow side, but once the plot picks up, it's almost impossible to put down. There are descriptions of domestic abuse as one character escapes a violent husband, so trigger warning to anyone who may have a hard time reading such things. But mostly, the story of the Waverly family revolves around the subtle magic of the garden behind their home, complete with an apple tree that tells the future and causes mischief at every turn.
Previously, I've read The Sugar Queen and The Girl Who Chased the Moon. All of Allen's stories are similar in their use of magic and their setting, but each stands on its own--it's impossible to mix up characters from one book to the next, and I never feel like I'm re-reading a previous book when I start a new one. I'm definitely making a point of reading her other books...but first, I've a stack of about a dozen books I want to get through!
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