Life is about to get a little more magical. Practical Magic 2 is hitting theaters 28 years after the original cult classic movie debuted, once again starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock. But did you know the original movie was based on a book? There’s an entire Practical Magic book series, perfect for fans who want to go beyond the new movie sequel or for anyone looking for a fall read.

However, if you want to read the original series, there’s a decision you have to make: what order to read the books in. There are two different ways the series can be read, so there’s no right answer.

Author Alice Hoffman wrote the original Practical Magic in 1995. She returned to the series in 2017, eventually writing two prequels and one sequel to add to the series. That means the books can be read chronologically based on the story, or in publication order based on when Alice Hoffman published them. Neither answer is wrong!

On her website, Alice Hoffman writes: “I'm often asked about the order in which you should read the books in the Practical Magic series. It’s your choice! You can read them in the order they were written or you can read them in chronological order. It’s up to you!” Here’s how to read them each way.

Chronological

The first option is to read the series chronologically. This will follow the story of each generation of the Owens family from start to finish, beginning in 17th-century England and ending in modern day.

This is how to read the books in chronological order, ignoring the publication dates:

  • Magic Lessons (2020)—set in England, 1600s
  • The Rules of Magic (2017)—set in NYC, 1960s and ’70s
  • Practical Magic (1995)—set in Massachusetts, late ’90s
  • The Book of Magic (2021)—set in the 2020s

By publishing date

The second option is to read the books based on the order Alice Hoffman wrote them in. This will be more “authentic” to the original reading experience as she released the books over time, but it will mean skipping around between generations and time periods in the story.

These are the books in original publishing order:

  • Practical Magic (1995)—set in Massachusetts, late 90s
  • The Rules of Magic (2017)—set in NYC, 1960s and 70s
  • Magic Lessons (2020)—set in England, 1600s
  • The Book of Magic (2021)—set in the 2020s