My Twitter friend @aestheticsgirl surprised me with a gift: a copy of A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.

“Witches?” I thought, somewhat confused.

“Alchemy?” I worried.

But @aestheticsgirl is a huge reader with excellent taste so I trusted her and dove in. Good move.

What a fascinating read, particularly if you read and liked the Twilight series, but perhaps wished for more from the writing.

The second book in the trilogy comes out on July 10. I pre-ordered for Kindle. These are big books.