Latte Lines: Your Weekly Dose of Books, Writing & Author Life

Welcome to the forty-third book review of fifty-three. As you know, I used to provide freelance book reviews to several review companies. It was a great experience that introduced me to new authors and their wonderful books. Each week this year, I’m opening my Weekend Coffee shares with a link to a review I’ve provided. Reviews are three stars or higher. The genres range from picture books to fiction and nonfiction titles.

Everyday Witch’s Book of Deities: Ancient Gods for Modern Pagans
The author is Deborah Blake
Published in April 2026
The publisher is Llewellyn Worldwide LTD
Available in Audiobook, eBook, Audio CD, and Paperback (192 pages)
Celtic Religion (Books) | New Age Goddess | Paganism

If we were having coffee, I would share that I read Everyday Witch’s Book of Deities over the summer as part of my summer reading challenge. I didn’t write Goodreads reviews for all those titles, and this was one of the books I only gave a star rating to. I wanted to share that I discovered some new gods/goddesses to research by reading this book.

1. Aine: Irish goddess of love, fairies, and fertility.
2. Arianrod: Welsh moon goddess.
3. Asclepius: Greek and Roman god of healing.
4. Baba Yaga: Russian/Slavic crone goddess.
5. Belenus: Celtic god of healing and the sun.
6. Cerridwen: Welsh goddess of magic, death, rebirth, prophecy, spiritual transformation, justice, inspiration, and wisdom.
7. Dagda: Irish god of life and death and chief of the Tuatha De Danann.
8. Fortuna: Roman goddess of luck and fortune.
9. Hestia: Greek goddess of hearth and home.
10. Janus: Roman god of beginnings and endings, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passageways, and gateways.
11. Pax: Roman goddess of peace.
12. Themis: Greek goddess of prophecy.
13. Thoth: Egyptian god of moon, wisdom, writing, medicine, science, and magic.

Those are a few of the ones that caught my attention. There are so many more.

If we were having coffee, I would share that I’m participating in That Happy Reader’s “The 2026 Christmas Reading Challenge: A Festive Way To Read More This Season #2026ChristmasReadingChallenge.” I will start in November, and I plan to read the following books before the challenge closes:

• The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst because it’s considered cozy
• A Very Cherry Christmas by Cynthia Kafka because I’d like to read an Advent book
• The Gingerbread Bakery by Laurie Gilmore because I’ve enjoyed reading a few of the other books in the Dream Harbor series and gingerbread is Christmasy
• Scythe by Neal Shusterman because banned books are my December Book Club theme

If we were having coffee, I would share that I finally got a library card. It’s strange; the library closest to me and where I attend book club isn’t my zoned library. I live between a small town and a slightly larger one. So last weekend, I went to the slightly larger town’s library because there was a local author event, and I wanted to network. I was surprised to find out that the library isn’t my zoned library either! Anyway, that library signed me up for my card and advised me that I can have my library books shipped to them from my zoned library if they are closer. What a process. That said, I met some great local authors, and I found out the library has a writing group which I’m hoping to attend.

Anyway, I feel like this is a longer Coffee Share than my normal post, so I’m going to pass you the coffee bean grinder so you can tell me about your week. Oh, and Happy Halloween weekend. I will share some pictures of our spooky celebrations next weekend.

By Shari Marshall (2026)