The "Summer of the Curvy Witch" is a concept that celebrates body positivity and self-love for women of all shapes and sizes during the summer season. It encourages women to embrace their natural curves, break free from societal beauty standards, and enjoy a carefree and confident summer. During the "Summer of the Curvy Witch," women are encouraged to prioritize their own happiness and self-care by engaging in activities that make them feel good about themselves. This could include going to the beach in a swimsuit that makes them feel confident, exploring new fashion styles, or participating in outdoor activities that allow them to embrace their bodies. The idea behind the "Summer of the Curvy Witch" is to challenge the notion that only certain body types are acceptable or beautiful. It aims to celebrate diversity and encourage women to love and accept themselves just as they are.
I created these lists through an alchemy involving age of the protagonists, themes, genre, tone, complexity, reader skill/comfortability level, events and topics a student will likely encounter in their studies during the school year, and books they are unlikely to read for school. I also generally picked more recent materials. Preference to #ownvoices and marginalized authors.
But the evil that sank their island has finally caught up with them, and on the night of the celebration, Mateo s life is forever changed when he witnesses a brutal murder by a person he thought he knew. But when her crush Charlize s cousin goes missing, Raquel starts to pay attention especially when her own mom comes down with a mysterious illness that seems linked to the disappearances.
It aims to celebrate diversity and encourage women to love and accept themselves just as they are. Women are encouraged to share their experiences and photos on social media using the hashtag #SummerOfTheCurvyWitch, creating a community of support and inspiration for others who may struggle with body image issues. The "Summer of the Curvy Witch" is a powerful movement that promotes body positivity and self-love, helping women to feel empowered and confident in their own skin.
The Wednesday Witch at Stump Lake
I could almost believe a whiff of certain smells, caught just right, has the power to physically transport me to another time or place. Sourdough can be like that for me. This summer it was the mint in my garden. Mmm, Oregon cow pasture! Most recently, though, I experienced this transport not with a smell, but with a book.
My sister Kathy is three years older than I. We have both loved books for as long as we can remember, and we loved getting books from the Scholastic Book Club in grade school whenever we had a quarter or two. I would read all of my books and as many of Kathy’s as I was able. She had a good headstart on me. One of her books that I read and loved was The Wednesday Witch by Ruth Chew.
For years, I had no reference points to help me remember how old I was when I read the book, but now it’s easy to find that it was published in 1969. I assume, then, that it was the summer either before or after the second grade. I had no recollection of plot. I remembered that there is a witch (the title helps tremendously), that the witch’s cat gets left with a little girl, that the witch rides a vacuum cleaner instead of a broom, and that the girl feeds the cat canned tuna fish. I don’t know why the tuna stuck with me for over 45 years.
Kathy is an incredible giver. She will use a special occasion as an excuse to give gifts if she needs to, but she doesn’t depend on them. Last time we were together, she handed me a box of things she had collected for me. In the bottom, I discovered a copy of The Wednesday Witch . I almost went to Stump Lake and 1969.
Details of The Wednesday Witch don’t matter nearly as much as where I was when I read it. I grew up in Oregon. My Grandpa and my Dad were loggers. Since the trees there like to get together as forests and the forests are in the mountains and the mountains are often far from home and work starts early in the morning, sometimes it makes sense for loggers to temporarily live closer to the job. Stump Lake is about 60 miles from where we lived. Sixty swervy, curvy (“If you’d sit up and look at the scenery you wouldn’t get sick!”) miles that seem to follow every bend in the Umpqua River. The most beautiful drive in the world. From the Buckhorn Road, past Colliding Rivers, Idleyld Park, Eagle Rock, Watson Falls, Whitehorse Falls, Clearwater Falls, dogwood and water and rhododendrons and trees and water. At that time, it was obvious where the name Stump Lake came from. A logged area had filled with water, but not enough to cover the stumps. It was a fun landmark on our way to Diamond Lake or Crater Lake. I’ve looked for recent pictures of it and seen the satellite photos. The stumps have rotted away.
Photo of my logging Grandpa
Grandpa and Grandma were staying in a camper trailer at the lake on weekdays so Grandpa could be closer to work. They came home on weekends to get groceries, do laundry, and tend to household chores. One week they took Kathy and me to the lake with them! I remember almost no details about that week. But I remember the smell of the propane stove and lights in the confines of the trailer. At the end of the day, Grandpa would bring in the smell of sawdust and chainsaw oil. We would get in bed when it got dark, but we could have light for a while so we could read. The book I had was The Wednesday Witch. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a good book or not. Just seeing the cover takes me back to that cozy bed next to my sister, dark forest outside, Grandma and Grandpa inside, witches won’t hurt me, vacuum cleaners might fly.
The recently formed Fairy Council appears in a public event in the Western Kingdom to fix the Dam damage before the Dam day. Then, Lucy thinks people want a magic spectacle and breaks again the dam. Luckily, Brystal and the rest of the council fix it again before it could cause any more damage. Later, in a parade dedicated to the Fairy Godmother, Brystal starts hearing a voice in her head that only focuses on the bad stuff.
It is a reminder that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, and it is essential to embrace and celebrate our unique qualities..
Reviews for "Curvy Witch Travel Essentials: Must-Haves for a Magical Summer Vacation"
1. Jane - 2/5 stars - I was really excited to read "Summer of the Curvy Witch" based on all the positive reviews I had seen. However, I found the story to be quite disappointing. The characters were shallow and lacked depth, and the plot was incredibly predictable. Additionally, I felt like the author relied too heavily on clichés and stereotypes. Overall, I was not impressed with this book and would not recommend it.
2. Mark - 1/5 stars - "Summer of the Curvy Witch" was one of the worst books I have ever read. The writing was incredibly poor with numerous grammatical errors and awkward sentence structures. The characterization was weak, and I couldn't connect with any of the characters. The plot was confusing and lacked coherence. It felt like the author was trying to cram too many ideas into one story, resulting in a chaotic and unsatisfying read. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
3. Emily - 2/5 stars - I had high hopes for "Summer of the Curvy Witch" as I enjoy supernatural romance novels, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The pacing was slow, and I found myself losing interest in the story. The romance felt forced, and the chemistry between the main characters was lacking. The author also introduced unnecessary subplots that didn't add much to the overall story. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and wouldn't read another by this author.