Harry Potter: Knitting Magic: The Official Guide to Creating Original Knits Inspired By the Harry Potter Films by Tanis Gray

Not only does this book have lovely patterns, but each has an explanation about which movie it is based on and where you can see what it is based on in the movie with photos from the movie as well. The patterns are well written and there are instructions in the back of the book that explain some of the more difficult bits. This book is a must-have for Harry Potter loving knitters!

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo

The author of this book explains that racism is a system of white power and control over black people.  This is different from mere prejudice or discrimination.  It is a system that is based on an ideology and we live in this system, therefore, by her definition, all white people are racist, however, she does not define racist as someone who intentionally doesn't like people because of race, but rather as unintentional members of a system of racism.  The book is enlightening and brings up some very good points. 

Purrfect Magic (Whisker Witchcraft, #1) by Samantha Coville

This is a cute, short, lighthearted fantasy.  Eighteen year old Harper Bishop got into the prestigious Jourdemayne Academy of Witchcraft easily because her parents are famous witches and she is famous for being their daughter as well as for her own fashion sense.  She begins by not attending her college classes until she hears kittens calling her and students begin dying. Now it is up to Harper to find out who is killing the students and stop them.

Knit Two (Friday Night Knitting Club #2) by Kate Jacobs

It has been 5 years since Georgia's death and Dakota and the members of the Friday night knitting club have floundered some in their grief, but in this poignant tale, we see them grow and find themselves.

The Friday Night Knitting Club (Friday Night Knitting Club #1) by Kate Jacobs

This book made me laugh and cry, which, I think, makes it an excellent book.  It tells the story of several very different women who knit at a local yarn shop in New York City.  The story centers on Georgia, a single mother, and owner of the shop, but other main characters include Anita, an older wealthy widow and Georgia's mentor and several other women who meet together on Friday nights to knit, chat, and eat muffins and treats made by Georgia's 12 year old daughter, Dakota. 

Sugar Spells by Lola Dodge

This is a sweet story (see what I did there?) about Anise, a teenage witch who bakes using her magic, but after a battle in the first book, which I haven't read, she is tainted with death  magic, which is not good for her or her baked goods.  She works to rid herself of the death magic and to free Wynn from his debt in this slightly silly tale.

Beartown (Björnstad #1) by Fredrik Backman

It took me a long time to read this book because I don't care for sports.  The first half of the book is just hockey and how the people of the town have made hockey their lives and I just could not get into it at all.  I put it down once at 33% for many months and then again at 50% and then I finally picked it up and finished it.  I love Bakman's other books that I have read, but the excessive sports focus in this one was just not interesting to me.  It is a good book and I think that people who do like sports probably will enjoy it more than I did.  The book, however, really isn't about hockey, it is about rape and how sports fans, among others, tend to blame the victim.  It is a well written story.