Ink & Intention – July TBR

[thewitchlingshelf]

Even a week in, there’s still magic in writing down what you plan to read.

There’s something sacred in the naming of books—like lighting a candle before a spell. Each one holds a mood, a moment, a possible transformation. I never expect to finish them all, but choosing them is its own kind of enchantment.

Some are carried over from June, like the scent of a story still lingering in the air. Others have waited patiently on my shelf for their season to arrive—and maybe this is it.

🌙 July Reading List

(ambitiously long, lovingly chosen)

The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke (finished 06.07.25)
🌊 Salt wind, tangled myths, flickering truths
🫖 Seaweed green tea or briny Earl Grey

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
🕰️ In-between places, soft regrets, second chances
🫖 Chamomile with honey and lavender

The Power by Naomi Alderman
⚡ Electric futures, sharp truths, shifting balance
🫖 Strong black tea with cardamom

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
🗝️ Thresholds, antique keys, ink-and-parchment wonder
🫖 Rosehip & vanilla rooibos

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
🌿 Quiet questions, overgrown paths, tea in tin cups
🫖 Mint and lemongrass blend

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
🍃 Snow-crusted moss, stubborn scholars, fae secrets
🫖 Heather blossom and elderflower tea

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
🕰️ Clocks ticking backwards, elaborate masks, looping mystery
🫖 Classic English breakfast with a dash of something strange

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
✒️ Bitterness, ambition, ethical shadows
🫖 Burnt sugar oolong or smoky lapsang

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
🖋️ Forgotten names, star-kissed loneliness, centuries of yearning
🫖 Blueberry and violet black tea

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (revisit)
🌌 Childhood nightmares, mythic memory, moonlight on water
🫖 Licorice root and nettle

Babel by R.F. Kuang
📚 Silver-tongued magic, revolution, cold libraries
🫖 Earl Grey with bergamot and smoke

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
✨ Shadowed hallways, biting wit, ink-stained fingers
🫖 Smoky lapsang with lemon zest

Stardust by Neil Gaiman (revisit)
🌠 Falling stars, strange lands, love as adventure
🫖 Elderberry and blackcurrant

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (revisit)
🌿 Locked gates, blooming magic, quiet healing
🫖 Chamomile and rose

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
🕯️ Candlelit kitchens, found family, soft spells
🫖 Gingerbread rooibos or cinnamon vanilla

Caraval by Stephanie Garber
🎭 Carnival illusions, glittering stakes, twisted enchantments
🫖 Cherry hibiscus or candy apple black tea

Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
👗 Witty hearts, fae bargains, regency charm
🫖 Lavender Earl Grey with cream

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
❄️ Snow-dusted folklore, hearthlight, ancient forest whispers
🫖 Spiced chai with oat milk

🔮 What are you reading this month?

If you've written your own list, or are just following the pull of one book at a time, I’d love to hear. Here’s to stories that shape us, soothe us, or spark something strange.