🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Alice Hoffman
In 1983, Hoffman wrote the screenplay for the film “Independence Day” which starred Kathleen Quinlan and Dianne West. The film’s tagline is “A small town is a hard place to have a big dream”. The story is about an amateur photographer, Mary Ann Taylor, who initially believes that she must go to the city to have a chance at pursuing her dreams. When a man named Jack Parker returns to their hometown, he tells her that it is as hard to find success and happiness in the city as it is in their town. The two start to have a budding romance, but their unfolding bliss is cut short when they discover that Jack’s sister Nancy is being physically abused by her husband. In the end, Nancy finds the courage and inner strength to take matters into her own hands.
All Book Series by Alice Hoffman
The Weddings
Latest in the series · book 5 of 5 · published 2019 Anthology · Alexander Chee
Ploughshares, Fiction Issue, Vol. 29, Nos. 2 & 3, Fall 2003
Book 4 of 7 · published 2003
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Eighteenth Annual Collection
Book 5 of 7 · published 2005
Shadow Show: All-New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury
Book 6 of 7 · published 2012
Shadow Show: Stories In Celebration of Ray Bradbury
Latest in the series · book 7 of 7 · published 2015
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Alice Hoffman?
In 1983, Hoffman wrote the screenplay for the film "Independence Day" which starred Kathleen Quinlan and Dianne West. The film's tagline is "A small town is a hard place to have a big dream". The story is about an amateur photographer, Mary Ann Taylor, who initially believes that she must go to the city to have a chance at pursuing her dreams.
Which Alice Hoffman series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Practical Magic series, the earliest of Alice Hoffman's multi-book series: it opens with Practical Magic (1995) and runs to 4 books across 1995–2021, ending with The Book of Magic (2021). Alice Hoffman's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Alice Hoffman written?
Alice Hoffman has 63 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1977 and 2026. 18 of them belong to 5 named series — the largest being the Inheritance Collection series with 5 books — and 45 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Alice Hoffman's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Alice Hoffman's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Practical Magic (1995–2021, 4 books), Water Tales (2001–2002, 2 books) and Green Angel (2003–2012, 3 books), plus 2 more.
How are Alice Hoffman's books organised into series?
This guide splits Alice Hoffman's 63 books into 5 named series and 45 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Inheritance Collection (5 books, 2019); Practical Magic (4 books, 1995–2021); The Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories (4 books, 2022–2025); Green Angel (3 books, 2003–2012); Water Tales (2 books, 2001–2002).