Chickling Chronicles

Book of Shadows: Top Witchy Reads That Cast a Spell

Hey! Hi! Hello! If folklore gave the witch her bones, books gave her a voice. In Part 2 of Witchtober, we crack open a different grimoire, the one on your bookshelf, to trace how authors reinvent the witch across eras and genres: from revolution and selfhood to legacy, history, ecology, and found family. This episode is a cozy-cinematic tour for readers hunting their next fave and writers looking for comp titles, tropes, and craft sparks. Light a candle that smells like old paper and rebellion, then let’s read our way through the evolution of the witch. 🕯️ 💌 Links & Extras All the things (podcast, socials, bonus content, and my novel The Missing Reflection) live here: linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles [https://linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles] Loving Witchtober? Follow/subscribe and drop a quick rating & review. It helps our little coven grow. Leave a 🕯️ if this episode added a book to your TBR! 📚 Sources & Further Reading/Watching Featured Books (Episode Core) * Alix E. Harrow — The Once and Future Witches * Madeline Miller — Circe * Anne Rice — The Witching Hour * Louisa Morgan — A Secret History of Witches * Stacy Schiff — The Witches: Salem, 1692 (nonfiction) * Rachel Griffin — The Nature of Witches * Sangu Mandanna — The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches Bonus Witchy Reads (Indie/Underrated Vibes) * Alyssa Palombo — The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel (gothic romance & folklore) * Carissa Broadbent — The Serpent and the Wings of Night (for romantasy comp energy) * J.A. White — Nightbooks (MG dark whimsy, great for trope study) 📬 Join the conversation What’s your favorite witchy read or your go-to comp title when you’re pitching a magic-forward story? Drop it in the comments or DM me on IG. Bonus emoji if you share the vibe: 🕯️ (cozy), 🌩️ (stormy), 🥀 (gothic), or ☕ (comfort). Next up: Double Double: Witches on the Big Screen. Don’t miss the cinematic spell!

Born of Fire: The Folklore Roots of the Witch

Hey! Hi! Hello! Witches are everywhere each October, but where did they actually come from? In this Witchtober kickoff, we fly from mud-brick Mesopotamian rooms and Greek crossroads to Slavic forests and Salem courtrooms, tracing how the witch evolved from healer and threshold-keeper to scapegoat, fairy-tale trial, and modern icon. It’s cinematic, cozy, and a little eerie. Perfect for readers, writers, and anyone who loves a good origin story told by firelight. You’ll hear how Hecate’s torches, the völva’s prophecies, Baba Yaga’s chicken-leg cottage, and real-world panics (hello, Malleus Maleficarum and Salem) shaped the archetype we still write and film today. And if you’re building worlds or characters, I’ll share clear takeaways for turning folklore into fresh, living fiction. Light a candle, pour something warm, and step into the firelight. 💌 Links & Extras Curious about my own eerie tale? All my links live here: linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles [linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles] Grab The Missing Reflection (out now!), find socials, bonus content, and Witchtober goodies. 🎧 If you loved this one, make sure you’re subscribed and drop a quick rating/review, it helps our little coven grow. Feeling the vibes? Leave a 🕯️ so I know your lantern’s lit. 📚 Sources & Further Reading/Watching Books & History: * Stacy Schiff — The Witches: Salem, 1692 * Ronald Hutton — The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present * Katherine Howe (ed.) — The Penguin Book of Witches * Malcolm Gaskill — Witchcraft: A Very Short Introduction * Dubravka Ugrešić — Baba Yaga Laid an Egg (modern myth remix) Folklore-to-Fiction (for inspo) * Madeline Miller — Circe * Alix E. Harrow — The Once and Future Witches * Anne Rice — The Witching Hour * Louisa Morgan — A Secret History of Witches * Rachel Griffin — The Nature of Witches Watchlist (Episode 3 sneak peek!) * Häxan (1922) — folk horror/docu hybrid * The Wizard of Oz (1939) — the pop-culture split: Glinda vs. Wicked Witch * Wicked (2024) - the wicked witch's reimagining * The Craft (1996) — teen power, price, and aesthetic * Hocus Pocus (1993) — cozy camp classic * The Witch (2015) — dread, belief, and the unseen * Practical Magic (1998) — grief, sisterhood, and domestic enchantment 📬 Join the conversation What witch from folklore or fiction haunts your imagination? Drop me a note on Instagram or YouTube comments—bonus points for a 🧹 or 🕯️ emoji. P.S. This is Part 1 of my Witchtober mini-series. Next up: Part 2 — “Book of Shadows: Top Witchy Reads That Cast a Spell.” Make sure you’re following so you don’t miss it.

Twilight Saga Movies: Camp, Chaos, and Cultural Impact

What does it mean when a messy, awkward, campy teen vampire saga becomes one of the most defining pop culture events of the 2000s?✨🎬 Hey! Hi! Hello! In this episode of Chickling Chronicles, we’re wrapping up our glitter-soaked trilogy by stepping into the cinematic chaos of the Twilight movies. So reapply your body glitter, cue the Paramore playlist, and grab some popcorn, as we dive into how Twilight conquered the big screen and why we’re still talking about it nearly twenty years later. 💌 Links & Extras Curious about my own eerie tale? Check out ⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles⁠⁠⁠ [⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles⁠⁠⁠] for The Missing Reflection (available now!), plus all my socials, bonus content, and spooky behind-the-scenes ramblings. 📬 Want to share your favorite (or cringiest) Twilight movie moment? Drop a 🎥 or 👶🏻 in the comments on YouTube or DM me on Instagram. I live for this stuff! 📚 Sources & Further Reading/Watching The Films: * Twilight (2008), dir. Catherine Hardwicke * New Moon (2009), dir. Chris Weitz * Eclipse (2010), dir. David Slade * Breaking Dawn: Part 1 (2011) & Part 2 (2012), dir. Bill Condon Behind the Scenes & Culture * Catherine Hardwicke interviews on Twilight’s indie approach * Chris Weitz commentary on New Moon’s production * David Slade on balancing horror vs. melodrama in Eclipse * Bill Condon on adapting Breaking Dawn * Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart interviews (2008–2012) * Quileute Nation – Move to Higher Ground Cultural Critique & Fandom * Anne Helen Petersen – “The Kristen Stewart Backlash” (Buzzfeed, 2012) * Lindsay Ellis – Dear Stephenie Meyer (YouTube) * Jenny Nicholson – The Hot Mess That Was Twilight (YouTube) * Twilight in the Cultural Imagination (fandom studies essays)

Twilight, the Book Series: From Eye Rolls to Appreciation (Sort Of)

✨📚 Hey! Hi! Hello! In this episode of Chickling Chronicles, we’re cracking open the sparkly, storm-clouded pages of Twilight, yes, the books, and asking: How did a saga this flawed become so unforgettable? We’ll revisit each installment, from the swoony meadow of Twilight to the unhinged chaos of Breaking Dawn, and talk about: * Why Bella Swan is more blank slate than badass * Why Edward Cullen’s behavior would get anyone else a restraining order * Why Jacob imprinting on a baby still makes us go 👀😬 * And how a self-insert fantasy from a dream in 2003 became a billion-dollar genre juggernaut More importantly? We’ll dig into what writers can learn from the mess So grab your glitter, brace for the drama, and maybe bring a chagrin counter… we’re going back to Forks. 💬 Whether you’re Team Edward, Team Jacob, or Team “they all need a long nap and several therapists,” you’ll find something to scream (or laugh) about in this deep-dive. 💌 Links & Extras Craving more moody forests and paranormal messiness? Check out ⁠linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles [linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles] for The Missing Reflection (available now!), my socials, spooky bonus content, and other behind-the-scenes fun. 💬 Got Twilight opinions? Drop a ✨, 🩸, or 🐺 in the comments or your review—I read them all and scream into the void with you. 📚 Resources & Further Reading/Watching The Twilight Saga (Stephenie Meyer): * Twilight (2005) * New Moon (2006) * Eclipse (2007) * Breaking Dawn (2008) * The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (2010) * Life and Death (2015) * Midnight Sun (2020) Critique, Commentary, and Cultural Context: * Edward Is a Vampire (podcast) – thoughtful, hilarious, and brutally honest * Magic by Mikaila (YouTube) – commentary gold with razor-sharp insights and reenactments * Team Jacob: The Evolution of a YA Werewolf by Shani Silver (essay) * The Problem with Twilight’s Romance – Lindsay Ellis (video essay archive) * Stephanie Meyer and the Rise of YA Paranormal Romance – BookRiot article Craft & Writing Analysis: * Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody * The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maass * Writing Irresistible Kidlit by Mary Kole * You’re Allowed to Write Cringey First Drafts – and Twilight proves it

The True Lore Behind Twilight: Bloodlines & Full Moons

✨🩸 Hey! Hi! Hello! In this episode of Chickling Chronicles, we’re sinking our teeth into the bloodlines and fur-covered folklore that gave rise to Twilight’s iconic monsters. We’ll unearth terrifying origins like Mesopotamia’s restless ekimmu, the Philippines’ winged manananggal, and Greece’s cursed King Lycaon, before fast-forwarding to Dracula, The Wolf Man, Buffy, The Lost Boys, and of course… Twilight. Why do these creatures endure? What do they represent about desire, rage, and transformation? And most importantly, how can writers still make vampires and werewolves feel fresh without recycling the same old tropes? So light the candle, sharpen your stake, and maybe grab a silver bullet; we’re diving deep into the true lore that still howls in our imaginations. 🧛‍♂️🐺 If you’ve ever argued Team Edward vs. Team Jacob, or secretly drafted your own monster romance, this one’s for you. 💌 Links & Extras Curious about my own eerie tale? Check out ⁠⁠linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles [⁠⁠linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles]⁠⁠ for The Missing Reflection (available now!), plus all my socials, bonus content, and spooky behind-the-scenes ramblings. 📬 Want to tell me your favorite vampire or werewolf story? Drop a ✨, 🩸, or 🐾 in the comments on YouTube or DM me on Instagram. I live for this stuff. 📚 Sources I Used & Further Reading/Watching Folklore & Myth • Mesopotamian Ekimmu (restless spirits) • Babylonian Lilitu / Lilith traditions • Filipino Manananggal • Indian Vetala • Ghanaian Asanbosam • Japanese Nukekubi • Greek myth: King Lycaon • Norse Berserkers and wolf-warriors Classic Literature & Media • Bram Stoker – Dracula (1897) • Sheridan Le Fanu – Carmilla (1872) • Anne Rice – Interview with the Vampire (1976) & The Vampire Chronicles • Stephen King – ‘Salem’s Lot (1975), Cycle of the Werewolf (1983) • Annette Curtis Klause – Blood and Chocolate (1997) • L.J. Smith – The Vampire Diaries (1991–1992) • Amelia Atwater-Rhodes – In the Forests of the Night (1999) Film & TV • Nosferatu (1922) • Dracula (1931) – Bela Lugosi • The Wolf Man (1941) • An American Werewolf in London (1981) • The Howling (1981) • The Lost Boys (1987) • Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992 film; 1997–2003 TV series) • Interview with the Vampire (1994 film; 2022 TV series) • Silver Bullet (1985) • Teen Wolf (2011–2017, MTV series) • Twilight Saga (2005–2008 books; 2008–2012 films) • The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare (2007–2014 books; 2013 film; Shadowhunters TV, 2016–2019) Modern Takes & Writing Inspiration • Silvia Moreno-Garcia – Certain Dark Things (2016) • Grady Hendrix – The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires (2020) • Wendy Xu & Suzanne Walker – Mooncakes (2019) • Billy Martin (formerly Poppy Z. Brite) – Lost Souls (1992) • What We Do in the Shadows (2014 film; 2019– TV series) • Hemlock Grove (2012 novel; 2013–2015 Netflix series)