*Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshipers, and Other Pagans in America Today
Margot Adler
(Expanded and revised edition) Not a book for the light reader (it's definitely huge), but definitely worth the reading. A lot of useful information on various parts of Paganism. Well researched and put together. While Adler uses the terms witchcraft and Wicca interchangeably majority of the time, she explains that she is using witchcraft to refer to Wicca, and at no point claims that Wicca is the only form of or religion that uses witchcraft. Touches deeply on Pagan paths that are often misunderstood or are (were) seen in a negative light by fellow Pagans. This book does receive some bad marks on including outdated information. This is due to the fact that the book was put together in the '70's. The revised edition includes end notes on almost every chapter and includes extra information. Even some of the updated parts are outdated now, as the revised edition was published in 1986.

*Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft
Raymond Buckland
A good book with lots of useful information. I don't particularly agree with all of the material, but it is accurate. The exception being the history (supports the universal Earth Goddess, Hunter God. Many religions had a number of earth goddesses and hunter gods, but all the deities in the pantheons were viewed individually, not combined into two). I particularly love how in-depth Buckland goes into things such as making tools and developing one's own rituals. The questions at the end of each chapter are wonderful for enhancing learning and inspiring creativity in one's faiths.

Practical Candleburning Rituals
Raymond Buckland
Contains some unethical spells, but some of the others can prove useful if they reach out to you. Claims the unethical spells are included for historic value, but there's no proof of dates.

*The Well of Understanding
Johonet Halsted Carpenter
This is a modern day fable. This book has been criticized by the adult community for being childish nonsense. The thing about fables, is that they're great for children. They are stories for children. However, a fable differs from a mere child's story in that it has underlying themes. This fable has underlying themes dealing with spirituality. I quite enjoyed this fable because as I read it I could see the different clusters that people in the "New Age" community seem to get stuck in. Sometimes we may go through all the work of being in touch with our spirituality in whatever means we find appropriate. However, we sometimes also take it just a bit too far, losing touch with things that may be more pressing at the moment. Carpenter has also gone through and added several quotes from various religions that relate to some of the symbolism and ideas behind "The Well of Understanding." (*Note: This book can only be found at www.wellofunderstanding.com.)

Celtic Magic
D.J. Conway
The tables of correspondences are worth the price and accurate. It is informative and useful to the beginner. There are a few problems, however. The book seems to make the God seem like an assistant of little importance compared to the Goddess (a fault found in number of books, to be fair). The book can sound a little too exacting at times. The history isn't too far off the mark. Although, I don't understand the comment about St. Patrick being responsible for the burning of Pagan documents as it was thanks to the actions of St. Patrick that much of Pagan literature, such as the Greek and Roman tragedies, are available to us today. *Wiccan Warrior
Kerr Cuhulain
A great book. Spends a lot of time clearing up historic misconceptions that Wiccans seem to follow. Gives evidence to support that the facts he presents are accurate. I found it to be inspirational as well. Presents another Wiccan lifestyle that is misunderstood.

Full Contact Magick
Kerr Cuhulain
Surprisingly, a bit disappointing. There are parts of the book that include sections that are merely inserts from the first and so it kills that inspiring feeling one had when first reading Wiccan Warrior. However, it is still useful as it helps to create a BoS layout different from others I have come across. It also gives wonderful reasoning to refer to magick tools as weapons (something that up until now had been a pet peeve of mine). The glossary reminds me more of his usual writing, getting down to facts and telling it like it is. It's still worth reading and I do like Cuhulain's approach to explaining certain things. As always, it's refreshing to have more information on an archetype that often gets overlooked in our community. I just found it to not be as "monumental" on a personal level as his first had been.

Magical Herbalism: The Secret Craft of the Wise
Scott Cunningham
Contains information and ideas for the magickal uses of herbs. Easy to read and great for learning to begin incorporating herbs into magick. It lists examples for spell ideas using herbs for a variety of uses (love, protection, success, et cetera). Also includes ideas for oils, incense, and your own magickal herb garden.

Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs
Scott Cunningham
(Sequel to Magical Herbalism.) A good read and nice resource. Includes detailed information on a large variety of herbs, including other names, associations, folklore, and magickal uses. There are pictures (not photographs) for almost every herb listed. It focuses more on the magickal use of herbs than the medicinal uses (as Cunningham states in this book, there are already plenty of great, informative books with that focus). Has a very useful cross-reference index.

*Earth Power
Scott Cunningham
A wonderful book that provides information and techniques to getting in touch with and performing magick through nature. This book presents natural magick in a light so that anyone of any faith can utilize it. It's easy to read and provides a number of spells for one to use.

*Earth, Air, Fire & Water
Scott Cunningham
(Sequel to Earth Power.) A wonderful book that provides techniques to performing magick through natural resources. It's easy to read and provides even more spells for one to use. Also includes a wonderful chapter regarding how to write your own spells.

*Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner
Scott Cunningham
A great book to introduce one to Wicca. Only contains basic information, but a good start.

*Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner
Scott Cunningham
A great book to further introduce Wicca. Still contains only basic information, but gives strategies and ideas to help the beginner along the path of Wicca.

*The Truth About Witchcraft Today
Scott Cunningham
A very generalized, but accurate look at witchcraft. The book focuses on Folk Magic and Wicca. Once you get over the fact that Cunningham insists that witchcraft is a term solely for folk magic and/or Wicca, you realize that it's a great source of general information on Wicca.

Divination for Beginners
Scott Cunningham
A good introduction to over 100 different forms of divination. I'm not entirely sure of the historic accuracy. This book doesn't go into detail so much as it merely gives enough information for the practitioner to decide whether they are interested or not.

*Cunningham's Book of Shadows: The Path of an American Traditionalist
Scott Cunningham
When I first saw this book sitting on a Barnes & Noble bookshelf, I was highly suspicious of it. I didn't buy it until a couple weeks later when the memory of it continued to nag at me. The book itself is wonderful in many ways. If you ignore the constant inserts of information from Cunningham's previous works to "fill in the gaps" as the publisher claims, this book is loaded with information. While much of it can be found elsewhere, it's refreshing to see it come from Cunningham. Much of Cunningham's books on Wicca were geared toward non-initiated solitaries, and as such seemed overly positive and lacking in many details, albeit wonderful starting points in research. This book shows more of Cunningham's own experiences as a Wiccan with less solitary focus and more inclusion of coven-related concepts and rituals. Much of the information shows more of a balance in magick, Wicca, and nature, which was not as present in the solitary books. Some of the works in this book do appear to be altered rehashes of the other books. However, as you'll find in the stories at the end of the book from those who knew him, the manuscript used for this book was meant to be used for his students that he had lost the time to teach.
A part of me still feels suspicious of this work. Considering it was meant for his private students, would he appreciate it being "completed" and published for all the world to see? Also, did Cunningham feel the manuscript was complete as it was without all the inserts of his prior books? Would he be offended that this BOS that he compiled together was turned into yet another newbie-style book? Then again, perhaps Cunningham would see all of us who started this path using his works as guides as his students, and would be happy to be able to share this finally. The waiting period of over a decade to publish this manuscript worries me that it is merely a profit-seeking scheme. Regardless of the publisher's intent, I would recommend this book to fans of Cunningham, seekers, and anyone interested in BOS.

*Book of Shadows
Phyllis Curott
A great story of a woman's journey to finding Wicca and the Goddess. While the coven she joins focuses primarily on the Goddess, there is an explanation to their reason for doing so that brings a new thought to those who disagree. Curott discusses her fears and experiences and misunderstandings of the world around her. This is a must read for everyone!

*Witchcrafting
Phyllis Curott
So far an informative read with several exercise that is always incredibly useful to the witch. Curott also dives into different aspects of Wicca and, while not altogether disregarding it, manages to debunk while building it back up in a new fashion that is realistic and more fundamental for the Wiccan path. As with Book of Shadows, Curott once again writes with a sense of passion and appreciation for the path of and life as a witch.

*Wicca for Men
A.J. Drew
Usually I overlooked this book because I'm a woman. However, I decided it would be interesting to see a different perspective than I'm used to and bought it. Amazingly enough, Drew actually wrote it, not just for men, but for women to acknowledge the male side of Wicca. It is wonderful and presents the Goddess and God in a different perspective and in more detail than I've seen in "beginner-type" books. There are some differences from more popular thoughts on some things (like tools and circle casting), but Drew is wonderful in explaining the reasoning and symbolism for it.

Everyday Wicca
Gerina Dunwich
This book provides mostly correspondences and ritual ideas. Contains a few of her poems, which are rather good. And, of course, it offers several rituals and days of importance throughout the year.

*Sexy Witch
LaSara FireFox
I was scared to buy this book at first thinking it was just some of the usual hype. However, while at the book store, it was recommended by a gentleman who said two women in his life were very moved by it and that it is truly something all women ought to read. This book is absolutely wonderful for women. It discusses media, cultural, and personal effects on women and how it all consequently affects our treatment of our bodies. Through seeking knowledge, self-reflection, activities, and ritual, LaSara helps us open up to ourselves and our bodies. Once we learn to accept and love our bodies (and take care of it properly), we knock down the very real barriers that keep us from being the truly spiritual beings that we are. LaSara teaches us to be comfortable with our bodies. They are sexual and we should know everything about our womanly parts and how they function. As you progress through the book, you can clearly see how the physical world and spiritual can come together. I only hope there's a man out there courageous enough to write a Sexy Witch for men.

*Witchcraft Today
Gerald B. Gardner
I absolutely love Gardner's way of clearly stating when he is only suggesting possibilities when touching on history. There are far too many authors who have worded speculation to lead the reader to believe it to be pure fact. Gardner did not do this. When there is no evidence to support a theory, he explains this. The only argument for inaccuracy as far as his history would be is linking it to theories as far as an organized witch cult (which wasn't uncommonly agreed upon before the massive disproving of Margaret Murray's theories). I will not add to the debate as to whether his claims to former Wiccan covens is true or not. While after reading this book, my views have altered slightly, the book review page is certainly not the place to add to the already overly-argued controversy. This is definitely a must-read for anyone interested in the path of Wicca.

*The Meaning of Witchcraft
Gerald B. Gardner
It's strange to see that Gardner doesn't seem to be so exacting as far as how things are done. (Makes me wonder where the strictest of Gardnerians got their need for everything to be done right down to the nitty-gritty.) As for the history of Wica, though he mixes fact with disproved theories (at the time, there were plenty of sources with theories yet to be fully disproved), he clearly states in the opening of the chapter that he can't possibly know (as he doesn't believe anyone will ever know the true origins) but the information provided is what he thinks after his lengthy research. I particularly liked the "Some Allegations Examined" chapters at the end of the book. Reading about the techniques the sensational press used reminds me a lot of how some "check-out magazines" twist and make up things based on nothing at all for the sake of slamming movie stars, political figures, and others in the public eye.

*The Druid Magic Handbook
John Michael Greer
I wasn't sure how much this book would have to offer for Wiccans. However, I personally enjoy learning about different paths and approaches and couldn't resist. After reading it, I would recommend this book to any practitioner of magick. While the Druid ritual format differs greatly from that in Wicca, it is worth the study if only for the knowledge of other methods. However, the first Part of this book is the big kicker. While meant to pertain to Druids specifically, this entire section provides information and ideas that can be valuable to anyone on a magickal path, even if only as food for thought. This is definitely a book for anyone with an interest in magick to take a look at!

The Witch's Familiar
Raven Grimassi
This book is very unethical in my most honest opinion. It starts out nicely, but by Chapter 2, it drastically goes downhill. Implies that non-physical, spiritual familiars should be treated as mere tools and should be locked away like dangerous criminals when not in use. Use of blood and sexual fluids (physical substances) to bond with non-physical spirits makes no sense, and sounds rather perverted. Also uses the Witchcraft Trials from the Burning Times to explain a lot of material (considering most information from those days is made up, why would he use it?). I haven't read any of Grimassi's other books, but I wouldn't recommend this one.
(I was informed that Grimassi follows the Stregga path more so than the Wicca path. This may be a reason that I am not comfortable with some of the information in it.)

The Wicca Handbook
Eileen Holland
While this book is called the "Wicca" handbook, I think it would be better off called something else. There is information on Wicca in the beginning, but it seems mostly geared towards magick. In a handbook for Wicca, some of the spells contained within seem pointless. Holland should have saved them for a spellbook instead of putting them here. On a personal level, I had trouble taking things seriously after pg 63 where there is an invocation that starts, "Coventina, Mother of Covens..." My matron has been Coventina for several years. She is a little known Celtic deity. She has a well perhaps believed to contain healing waters and may have a connection with water nymphs. There is nothing, save for the first five letters of her name, that links her to covens. Also, on pg 60 the cutting of hair lessening a witch's power is ridiculous. Perhaps it was superstition somewhere, but it is not something believed in Wicca. We cut our hair to keep it healthy like everybody else. If Holland felt such a strong need to include this piece of superstition in her book, perhaps placing it somewhere pertinent would have worked. (It's found in a paragraph about the power of the Moon that has nothing to do with hair.) However, I would not call this book a total waste. There is a lot of information covered in this book and plenty of correspondences for study. I personally enjoyed the Egyptian tidbits that give a more spiritual look at things I studied years ago on the culture of ancient Egyptians. Again, this book would be much better suited to a wider audience and under a different title.

Witch: A Magickal Journey
Fiona Horne
Despite Horne's obvious commercialism (which, to be fair, is sometimes overly-exaggerated), this book can be useful to both the beginner and experienced. Full of interesting ideas and information, it's worth a read. While a chapter or two may be controversial for younger audiences, it's presented in a professional and mature sense (with a touch of humor as well).

Magic When You Need It: 150 Spells You Can't Live Without
Judika Illes
I was a little worried about this book when I leafed through the contents page (I also laughed at some of the names of the spells). From a Wiccan standpoint, many of these spells are unethical and useless to a Wicca's arsenal. However, Illes is a spell collector (amongst other things) and as such never claims that these are Wiccan. They are simply the spells she has gathered and is now sharing. If nothing else, it's worth taking a look at.

A Witch Like Me
Sirona Knight
A very interesting book. Gets you into the minds of some of Wicca and witchcraft's most popular authors.

*The Dynamic Laws of Healing
Catherine Ponder
This book has nothing to do with Wicca or witchcraft. Ponder is a member of the Unity Faith (a Christian denomination). An excellent book about healing. Although it uses quotes and ideas from the Bible and explains things from a Christian point of view, it gives wonderful stand points on practices of healing that can prove useful to any Wiccan or witch, or to anyone of any religious belief. (Only issue is the last chapter about giving. While it is good to give, especially to those who have helped you and those in need, the chapter seems almost brainwashing.)

Celtic Wicca
Jane Raeburn
Good historically (if we are not absolutely sure or have no proof to support a theory, she explains this). Great ideas on how to practice Wicca from a Celtic point of view.

Morgan Le Fay's Book of Spells and Wiccan Rites
Jennifer Reif
No, this book isn't claiming to be an actual spell book from Morgan Le Fay. Instead, all the rituals by the author are supposedly inspired by the Arthurian Legend figure. I bought this book for the beauty of the rituals. No other reason. The first chapter of history is useless. Considering her sources, it makes sense, as they all were written during the time when people still believed the mythological version of Wicca's history. For this, shame on the author for producing a book in 2001 with theories that were long before proven false. Also, there's no need for these rites to be called Wiccan as they are not Wicca specific (back cover even says, "so that any reader may use them immediately, even without prior Wiccan experience."). However, all rituals are directed towards at least one specific deity without any info on the deity. Personally, I think it's worse to call upon a specific deity one is not familiar with than to keep it to your own personal deities. As such, I would recommend "any reader" that will "use them immediately" to do research and study the God/Goddess in question beforehand. Again, this book is solely about the beauty of the rites.

*The Book of Shadows
Lady Sheba
As the title implies, a real book of shadows. Includes the Laws, Sabbat rituals, chants, and more. It is a must have in the study of Wicca.

*Moon Tides, Soul Passages
Maria Kay Simms
This book is a wonderful introduction to lunar astrology. It is written so that even those with no prior knowledge of astrology can understand the material. The author presents and explains this form of astrology using Wiccan and Pagan theology and mythology to better understand the meanings behind and the importance of the different aspects of astrology. The book comes with a software disc that has a program designed specifically for lunar astrology as presented by Simms. By using the software to map out your chart, you can apply what you are reading and learning through the book to your own chart.

*The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess
Starhawk
(20th Anniversary Edition) I've heard a lot of criticism for this book for its history and almost overly-done feminism. While this book does seem to be written in a way that women can better relate to (at times it seems Starhawk viewed her audience as being only women), it doesn't seem to hold women over men. In fact, Starhawk seems to think of gender as over-rated in a way and tries to make Wiccan concepts and mythology to reflect ideas and concepts to everyone of all genders and sexual preferences. The history is based on disproved theories, but Starhawk explains its significance as a religious mythological history. It's very important to read the introductions and refer to the 10th and 20th anniversary commentary as you read this book to see the differences, as some of these ideas didn't become realizations to Starhawk until after the first publication of her book. Includes exercises and rituals that are useful and nicely written.

*The Circle Within
Dianne Sylvan
An absolutely wonderful book explaining that Wicca is a spiritual path, a way of life. It's not just something done on Sabbats and Esbats or when there's need of magick. It gives insight on how to truly live your religion day by day. From giving an in-depth view of the God and Goddess to certain values which should be prized on any spiritual path to a rethinking of correspondences that have been repeated the same way for so many years that we don't even bother to question it, this book will, if not outright inspire you, get you thinking and those creative juices flowing. An absolute must-read for more than just a seeker.

*The Body Sacred
Dianne Sylvan
A great read. Aimed specifically towards women (Sylvan feels she cannot speak so much for men seeing as how she is not a man), the book touches on the reasons why so many people of all shapes and sizes will feel so negatively towards their physical appearances. The book is aimed towards presenting this topic from a Wiccan standpoint and helping women to learn to love their bodies despite all the negative propaganda to feel otherwise that we are surrounded by everyday as well as past experiences we may have gone through to make us think negatively of our bodies' purpose. It includes several exercises, spells and rituals dealing with these issues to help bring an appreciation for the body that the Goddess has provided us with.

*The Real Witch's Handbook
Kate West
Some of the history is a little shaky, but otherwise the book contains good, useful information. Seems to focus more on British witches, but applies to all. One bad trait, is West's use of the terms "Wicca" and "Witchcraft" (she uses them interchangeably, even though not all witches are Wiccans).

*The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft (Third Edition)
Denise Zimmermann, Katherine A. Gleason, Miria Liguana
The history seems to be implying that Wicca is ancient without ever flat out saying such. That aside, it gives the eerie feeling that the book is out to teach you how to be a brand new witch! Yay! Seriously though, that may just be a result of the style that, well, is designed for "idiots" as the Idiot's Guide is meant to be understood by some of the lowest reading levels. It gives it a more friendly, smoother approach. Personally, I feel the book is very informative for a starter's guide. It goes into several different aspects of Wicca and witchcraft. While there's a lot of focus on magick, it never seems to take away from the fact that Wicca is a religion and just spells isn't what it's all about. Instead, the focus seems more of a way of getting your creative mind into it. Offering information on various kinds of spell craft as well as tips on how to put together several aspects to write your own. I'd say it's worth a read for anyone starting on the path.

The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets
Barbara J. Walker
I bought this book for a couple dollars at a yard sale years before I had a chance to pick it up. When I finally did, it was to try to find some information I had meant to read up on. Well, it didn't say much about what I was looking for, but I was excited to see all else it had in there. I started reading a couple entries and something just didn't seem right. So I checked reviews for the book, particularly of the negative variety. Naturally, anyone with scholarly or heavy mythology interests say that this book is nothing more than "feminist" BS. (Note: This book is not feminist. Feminism calls for the equality of men and women. This book is pure sexist. Favors females in all instances.) One review invited the reader to pick a subject they are very well versed in (better yet if you're an expert) and see what happens. Sure enough, every topic I looked up (and I tried to stick to things that I've seen it all, including bad resources). Sure enough, there's information that is total BS, or at least, she's the only person in all the world in all of history to have this information. That doesn't make it a good resource. That makes it personal BS. Now, granted, there were hints of truth here and there, but it was usually mixed with things that can't be found predating this book. It is total garbage. If you don't believe me, take the challenge yourself. (If you don't know anything in the book enough to decide for yourself, research her cited resources and you'll find a totally different story.)

The Wiccaning
Sister Moon
Keep in mind I've only gotten through the first two chapters so far, and I must say it hurt to do so. The history is, well, crap at best. Maybe it was written too vaguely that what it appears to imply is all wrong. Either way, the little hints of truth are exaggerated and I can't help but wonder where the "facts" come from. The author claims a hereditary path, yet I can't seem to wonder where all this information is coming from. Bits and pieces sound to be the right stuff, but little things here and there are thrown in that I haven't heard since I stopped using movies and fiction as an informational resource on the topic of witchcraft. While the author does seem to have some things right in regards to the teaching of harming none, her explanations for her examples seem to miss the point entirely. I can't say I've ever met anyone from a hereditary path that talks the way this author does. The second chapter goes into different values that we hold as witches. At first, I was looking forward to this chapter as her list sounded fantastic. Unfortunately, the author never goes in-depth on the actual definitions of those words and the examples she uses, while they may be great, by themselves and without explanation will leave most readers wondering what exactly she means. Without any substance to go with, the examples might as well miss the point. As I said, though, this is based solely on the first two chapters.

Witches: True Encounters with Wicca, Wizards, Covens, Cults and Magick
Hans Holzer
I can almost guarantee that I will never finish this book. I'm not even a fourth of the way through this giant of a book, and I can easily say that it is a waste of time. Based on this book, Holzer is one of those people who has been looking around for so long he considers himself an expert, but just doesn't get any of it. The book is obviously written nearly completely in the 70's though it wasn't published until the past couple years. It presents theories and information that was discredited more than twenty years ago as pure fact. While I enjoy reading about different people and their experiences with Pagan and/or "occult" issues, many of the stories are unrelated to the topic at hand in the chapter and are misleading. This book has actually put me to sleep a number of times. It is easily not worth the time and effort it would take to finish the thing.