best books on wicca

I have always been into wicca, when i was a teenager i practiced it a lot. But i lost my way with it as i became adult and now several years after, i want to get back into it and am wondering what new good books there are out there about wicca?

What would you recommend?

I keep looking for a book specifically on Wicca that I can recommend to people. I have to say I haven't found it yet. There is, however, one I recommend to everyone and anyone remotely interested in any Neopagan paths (and even those who aren't, honestly):

Joyce and River Higginbotham's "Introduction to Paganism." Far and away the best introductory book I've come across and there is still nothing in its class. It's one of the only ones out there to bother to address underlying philosophical and theological issues head-on instead of being a generic "how to" cookbook. Even those who aren't Neopagan will get something out of this book. Their sequal, "Pagan Spirituality" is also extremely good, but I wouldn't suggest it for a beginner.

[norseman]

The only book I would bother with is "The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft" by Professor Ronald Hutton, University of Bristol. An extremely well-researched, peer-reviewed academic work.
You could add "Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits" by Emma Wilby, Fellow of the University of Exeter. This one explores the visionary, shamanistic traditions of early modern British Witchcraft.

One slight word of caution. You must be aware of the divergence between European-UK and North American pagan beliefs and practices which includes wicca.

Hutton's book is great, but I really wouldn't suggest it for a beginner or someone of lesser education. It's an academic work and, frankly, pretty darned impenetrable at times compared to other academic works on Neopaganism I've read. Your average person isn't going to have the patience for it. For a good, academic history of Witchcraft that is significantly more penetrable, you're better off going with Greenwood... specifically this book which you can obtain online used for like... $4 even after shipping. I'd read that first, THEN attempt something impenetrable like Hutton. It'll give you enough background that his writing won't sound completely arcane to you.

Yeah, that divergence is one of the reasons I have yet to find a basic Wicca book that I find to really cover the bases. The book just probably doesn't exist yet. Most books don't make any distinction between the more traditional forms of Wicca (prevailing in the UK) and the more open-source ones that dominate elsewhere.

[norseman]

I think another problem with books on wicca is the lack of actual content. It's like a flash container with little inside. It would help if authors came clean and admitted that wicca is a pic-n-mix sort of thing. OK, I am biased I admit. Very little time for Gardner and wicca.

I don`t read books. It is better to figure it all out yourself. All spells that are written are chaotic. Most of them.

So it is better to try to figure out the universe yourself.

Be good

The first book on Wicca I think anyone should read is the one by Gerald Gardener after all he created the Religion.