September and October 2024 Wrap Up

Sorry for the delay in getting this posted. Time really gets away from me these days.

Work is still crazy, but I'm not going to get into it right now.

Being a mom is still hard, but I love my little munchkin more than I could have expected.

It's hard not to feel like I am failing left and right these days, but that is something I am working on. And getting counseling for.

Gabriel had his first Halloween. He was a bat! There are a couple of photos on my Instagram for anyone interested in seeing. But he was the cutest little bat ever, if I do say so myself. Halloween was also Kevin's and my third anniversary.

I read a lot of books, especially in October. I am going to try to keep the reviews short. Here we go!

 

Made You Up by

Francesca Zappia

Narrator: Amanda Ronconi

Re-read

5 stars out of 5 stars

 

The Sword of Summer, the Hammer of Thor, the Ship of the Dead

and Hotel Valhalla, Guide to the Norse Worlds

by Rick Riordan

Narrators: Various

Re-reads

Rating: Overall 4 stars out of 5 stars 

 

The Graveyard Book by

Neil Gaiman

Narrator: Neil Gaiman

Re-read

5 stars out of 5 stars 

 

Castle of the Cursed by

Romina Garber

Synopsis/Thoughts: This was an Owlcrate book and I participated in a read-a-long on the Nest app. Estela is the only survivor of a mysterious accident on a subway, an accident that claimed the loves of both of her parents. With no where else to go, she is forced to return to her family's ancestral home--a castle in Spain. But la Sombra is harboring secrets and mysteries of its own that Estela must solve to understand her family and her place in it. This book was alright, but I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Some things just struck me as odd and some were maybe too formulaic, in my opinion.

3 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Wrath of the Triple Goddess by

Rick Riordan

Narrator: Jesse Bernstein

Synopsis/Thoughts: This is the seventh book in the Percy Jackson series and I had to read it ASAP. Luckily, it takes place around Halloween time, so it fit great! Percy needs three letters of recommendation in order to get into the university in New Rome. To that end, he has to house- and pet-sit for Hecate. But her pets and her house are far from normal. I enjoyed this book very much, which is not at all surprising.

4 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Witchy by

Ariel Slamet Ries

Synopsis/Thoughts: This graphic novel was included in an Owlcrate box some time ago. This is the first in a series. It is about Nyneve whose very long hair should indicate that she has extraordinary powers to go with it, but that couldn't be further from the truth. When the Witch Guard comes to her school to recruit students, she is conflicted. The Witch Guard is influential and powerful, but they are also responsible for the death of her father. I enjoyed this and will consider reading more of the series. I appreciated the diversity and thought the story and characters were interesting. 

3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

 

House of Salt and Sorrows by

Erin Craig 

Synopsis/Thoughts: This is an older Owlcrate book and a re-telling of the twelve dancing princesses. Annaleigh and her family might be cursed. Once there were twelve sisters. But once her mother died, she was followed by a few of her sisters: one to a plague, one to drowning in the bath, one to a fall in the library, one to a long fall off a cliff. What is even worse is that it seems the disturbed spirits of her sisters still haunt the halls of their home. Meanwhile, Annaleigh and her remaining sisters discover a way to travel to other lands and attend wonderful balls where no one knows them and no one thinks they are cursed. This book was absolutely appropriate for Halloween. Parts of it were seriously creepy and occasionally a little scary (for me, but I am a wimp). It was a very good read, even if some of the images still haunt me.

4 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by

Shea Ernshaw

Narrator: Cissy Jones

Synopsis/Thoughts: Following Sally's marriage to Jack, the Pumpkin King, she begins to struggle with going from nobody to the Pumpkin Queen. Distressed by her inability to fit in, she travels to the grove of trees and finds another door. But she accidentally releases a monster into Halloweentown that puts everyone to sleep. It will be up to Sally to save her home and maybe she will learn how to be a proper queen in the meantime. This was a fun little read, definitely worth looking into if you like the Nightmare Before Christmas world.

3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Lenny Among Ghosts by

Frank Maria Reifenberg

Synopsis/Thoughts: Lenny (the second) ends up needing to get to a boarding school at the last minute so his parents can travel for work. In a strange turn of events, he ends up at Shadowsout Castle Academy. But he quickly learns that the school is full of ghosts. But the castle is also at risk of being torn down and Lenny might be the one to save it. This is a middle grade novel (or younger), but it was surprisingly charming. It was a pretty fun, quick read.

4 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Lakesedge by

Lyndall Clipstone

Synopsis/Thoughts: This was an older Owlcrate book that I started a couple of years ago and never finished. Until this year. I didn't start over, just picked up where I left off, so my memory of the start of the story is a bit murky. Violeta and her brother (with his shadowy magic) end up in the cursed estate of Lakesedge with Rowan, the head of the house, and his small household. Due to some dark magic, the corruption of the lake is spreading, ready to claim lives. It is up to Violeta to work with the Lord Under to try to save the estate and the world. But there is more at stake than Violeta realizes. This book was alright. I didn't love everything, but Violeta's connection to the Lord Under interests me. I do have the second book and will likely read it one of these days so I can find out how the story ends.

3 stars out of 5 stars

 

The Cruel Prince by

Holly Black

Synopsis/Thoughts: This was another old Owlcrate book and I did a read-a-long with another Nest user. Jude's world was turned upside down when a mysterious man turned up in her home and murdered her mother and father in order to take her older sister back to the High Court of Faerie. Jude and her twin sister were spirited away with their big sister and grew up in a faerie household. As humans, most fey despise them, but Jude and her twin are desperate to fit in. When the crowning of the next High King goes awry, Jude gets mixed in with her enemy, Prince Cardan, to try to save the High Court. I actually liked this book more than I expected to. I will try to get around to finishing the series in the near future. And I know we aren't really supposed to like the faerie that stole Jude and her sisters and raised them, but we all have a case of serious Stockholm syndrome...

4 stars out of 5 stars

 

A Forgery of Roses by

Jessica S. Olson

Synopsis/Thoughts: Another older Owlcrate book! Myra was born a magical gift: she can change someone's appearance by painting them. She can even heal. With her parents missing and a sick younger sister, she is forced to accept work from the governor's wife that would bring her dead son back to life. But once she arrives at the manor, she discovers that there is much more going on behind the scenes. And to begin, the boy's death may not have been an accident. With the help of the dead boy's brother, they try to uncover the secrets before the clock runs out on Myra's time. There were some things that I really liked about this book. Some things were definitely a bit spooky and I liked some of the characters. Overall, it was a pretty good story.

3 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

The Haunting of Hill House by

Shirley Jackson

Synopsis/Thoughts: This book was included in an Owlcrate box a couple of years ago. I think most people know the general premise of the story. I will say the book is not like the movies that I remember seeing. Some parts were definitely creepy and occasionally scary to me. But it was also interesting to see how the story and characters developed in relation to the house. I think it is worth a read.

4 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by

Josephine Leslie

Re-read

5 stars out of 5 stars

Strange Practice and Bitter Waters

by Vivian Shaw 

Narrator: Catrin Walker-Booth

Synopsis/Thoughts: Strange Practice was a re-read for me (despite telling myself that I wasn't going to read this series this year). I found Bitter Waters, a novella that is book 3.5 in the Dr. Greta Helsing series and I had to read it because I adore these books. Bitter Waters centers on the tale of a young girl who was turned to a vampire against her will and was found and rescued and taken to Dr. Helsing. Then it is up to Greta and her friends to help the girl and figure out how to stop the vampire who turned her. I love these books. I don't even know why. They are often very funny and creative. I love the idea of there being a doctor for the "differently alive" people of the world.

4 stars out of 5 stars

 

Favorite book read in September and October: Aside from The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, the Graveyard Book, and the Greta Helsing books? Probably the Wrath of the Triple Goddess

Least favorite books read in September and October: Maybe Castle of the Cursed

I was finally able to catch up and get ahead of my reading goal. October is always a good time for me to do that. I was behind going into October, but managed to get several books ahead. I have now read 68 books towards my goal of 75 books. I might actually make it this year!

Now it is time to get ready for holidays and holiday reads! I will try to get a post or two up about our goings-on and holiday TBR maybe.

Thanks for sticking with me. I hope other people got to read some fun spooky books. Or maybe found some ideas here for next year.

2024 Spooky Reads

Yay! October is here! My favorite month and favorite season. I think I am generally happiest October through December.

Anyway, it is time for spooky reads!

Most of these came in Owlcrate boxes. I figured I would try to use this month to get through some of the more eerie books. I don't think I will get to all of them, but I will do my best. I am hoping that the Haunting of Hill House won't be too scary for me. I figure I can just stop reading it if it becomes too much.

I also plan to do a buddy read of the Cruel Prince with another Owlcrate Nest member. That isn't a spooky book, to my knowledge, but it would be nice to read it with another person. Also not shown is Rick Riordan's new book, Wrath of the Triple Goddess, which I have on audio. I just didn't want to wait longer to read it. But it actually takes place right before Halloween and is already a bit spooky. So that was fortunate!

Does anyone else have fun spooky reads this year?

October 2022 Wrap Up

October is usually the best month, right? I love autumn and Halloween. And of course, Kevin's and my 1st anniversary!

Kevin and I did some fun things. We did a haunted Halloween cookie house together while watching Halloween movies. We went to a local pumpkin patch that we have gone to the past few years. It is very cute and has games and things around. Of course we took home a couple of pumpkins.

Last Friday, we had a virtual Halloween party with my friends in Colorado. They set up on Zoom so the couple of us that live out of state could be part of it. It was fun and nice to see everyone. Then on Saturday we went to Boo at the Zoo. It is mostly for kids, but we still had a good time. They had some fun decorations and games and things.

The sad part about this month was that we lost Poseidon. We had an emergency vet visit earlier in the month and they found that he had pneumonia. We tried a couple of antibiotics with no luck, but he was still chipper and eating. Eventually, we were thinking we would need to take him in soon to have him put to sleep because he had mostly stopped eating and was having a harder time breathing and getting around. But that night he passed away on his own. I had spent a lot of time with him that evening because I felt like we were getting closer to the end. I hope that he didn't suffer much. I checked on him right before I went to bed around 11. When Kevin came to bed around 2:30am, I woke up and asked about Poseidon and he told me that he had passed. I wish I had been with him though. He was my oldest rat, nearly 3 1/2 years old. I miss him so much. Our vet kept saying that he was her favorite rat. When I took him over to be cremated, the front desk staff knew us and were very sweet and sympathetic. And they knew that our vet would be sad and they went to get her. She came out to see me and gave me the very best hug and cried with me. I miss my bright-eyed boy. I always called him my precious and my pill and he was so sweet and cute.

In other good news, I got my hair done. Kevin took me to see Moonage Daydream a while back and I was thinking that I really liked David Bowie's hair in his Thin White Duke and the Man Who Fell to Earth days. So I asked my hairstylist to use that for inspiration. I love it. I posted a photo on my Instagram if you haven't seen it.

I read more books this last month than I thought I would. I will keep my reviews very brief.

Title: The Graveyard Book

Author: Neil Gaiman

Narrator: Neil Gaiman

 

Synopsis/Thoughts: I don't think I need to keep reviewing this book. I love it very much and I read it every year and I never fail to cry at the end.

 

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars 

Title: Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places

Author: Colin Dickey

Narrator: Jon Lindstrom

 

Synopsis: A historical look at haunted places and what makes them haunted.

 

Thoughts: This was a good read if you like history, which I do. The author visits a few places so you get some first-hand view points. He also talks about what makes places haunted in the minds of people.

 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars 

 

Title: The Dead Romantics

Author: Ashley Poston

Narrator: Eileen Stevens

 

Synopsis: Florence is a ghost writer for a famous romance author, but after a terrible break up, she can't seem to find the romantic inspiration she needs to finish a series. Her (handsome) new editor demands the document ASAP, even as she is called away after the death of her father. Oh, and she can see ghosts.

 

Thoughts: I didn't really know what to expect and I definitely guessed what was happening early on. But I enjoyed it more than I expected to. It was a nice read and I plan to re-read it in the future.

 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars 

Title: I Choose Darkness

Author: Jenny Lawson

Narrator: Jenny Lawson

Synopsis: A short essay about why Jenny Lawson loves Halloween and spooky things.

Thoughts: In general, I enjoy Jenny Lawson's books. This was a very short listen, only about 30 minutes or so. And it was enjoyable.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Title: Dracula

Author: Bram Stoker

Narrators: Greg Wise and others

 

Synopsis/Thoughts: I have read/listened to this several times. I don't think I need to say much about it. I always enjoy this book. I love that it is written in diary entries, letters, and such things. Great classic.

 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Title: Gallant

Author: V. E. Schwab

 

Synopsis: Olivia never knew her parents, all she has is her mother's old journal. Until she gets a letter inviting her to her ancestral home. The one her mother warned her to stay away from.

 

Thoughts: This may not be my favorite of her books, but I did really enjoy it. The fact that Olivia couldn't speak and could see ghouls was interesting. There were a few parts that creeped me out, perfect for Halloween.

 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Titles: Sandry's Book and Tris's Book

Author: Tamora Pierce

 

Synopsis/Thoughts: These are the first two books in the Circle of Magic series. They are comfort reads for me and I always enjoy them.

 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars 

Title: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Author: Josephine Leslie (Pseudonym: R. A. Dick)

Narrator: Elizabeth Jasicki

Synopsis/Thoughts: Another book I have read many times over. I love this book. Maybe not very spooky, but wonderful.

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

Title: All These Bodies

Author: Kendare Blake

Narrator: Matt Godfrey

 

Synopsis: A series of murders in the 1950s comes to a small town. The strange thing is that all the bodies found are drained of blood. In this small town, they have their first suspect. A girl found at the scene of the crime, drenched in the blood of the murdered family.

 

Thoughts: There were some parts of this book that spooked me. And I would like a sequel because of the ending. But I definitely enjoyed it and thought about it when I wasn't reading/listening.

 

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars 

Title: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

Author: Sangu Mandanna

Narrator: Samara MacLaren

 

Synopsis: Mika is part of a group (a very secret society, if you ask her) of witches. Being a witch means witches are not supposed to gather for too long and they must keep their magic separate. But Mika gets a job offer that breaks all the rules, but one that she is just right for.

 

Thoughts: This was a last minute addition to my spooky reads. It was very sweet and cute. I enjoyed it. If you like found families, it is worth a read.

 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Favorite book read this month: Besides the Graveyard Book and the Ghost and Mrs. Muir? I really enjoyed the Dead Romantics and the Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

Least favorite book read this month: All These Bodies, only because it had the lowest rating. I did enjoy it.

I have now read 75 books and my goal was 60. So that's good.

I hope everyone had a lovely October and a great Halloween!

September 2022 Wrap Up

September was a blur. Anyone else feel that way?

Work has continued to be crazy. I have a lot going on that is all my responsibility including doing training. Which is great, but puts a lot more on my shoulders.

There were a couple hard, sad things that happened in September. But there were some good, happy things, too. One of my oldest friends got married at the end of the month, which was a very happy occasion.

I finished quite a few books this month so I will keep my reviews very brief.

Title: A Thousand Steps Into Night

Author: Traci Chee

Narrator: Grace Rolek

 

Synopsis: Miuko has always felt too big and too loud for the realm of Awara. A chance encounter one night with a demon changes everything. As she starts to turn into a demon herself, she goes through many adventures to save herself and her world.

 

Thoughts: I had heard some things about this book. It took a while for me to get into (may have just been me, I wasn't super focused), but I ended up really enjoying it. It was a good, creative story with a lot of Japanese influence.

 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

 

Title: Lady Knight

Author: Tamora Pierce

 

Synopsis: The last installment of the Protector of the Small series finds Kel, a full knight, leading a refugee camp during the war. But being stuck in one place makes her feel like she will never fulfill her destiny to take down the Nothing Man and his metal monsters.

 

Thoughts: I don't know that I need to say much. I love these books and I still think this is one of Tamora Pierce's best series. I love the Protector of the Small. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry while I read this, even after so many re-reads.

 

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Titles: Wow, No Thank You and We Are Never Meeting in Real Life

Author: Samantha Irby

Narrator: Samantha Irby

Synopsis: These books are collections of essays by Samantha Irby about her real life. They tell stories from her childhood, party days, aging, marriage, and more. They are funny, awkward, and real.

Thoughts: I am not sure how, but Wow, No Thank You crossed my sight a while ago and I got the audiobook. Later, We Are Never Meeting in Real Life crossed my path so I got that audiobook, too. Then I had to listen to them. I listened to Wow, No Thank You first and it took a bit to get into (probably because I didn't actually know who she is), but I was startled into bursts of laughter a few times. She is hilarious and her writing is great and sometimes super relatable. I enjoyed Wow, No Thank You more, but both were good.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars for Wow, No Thank You, 3 stars out of 5 stars for We Are Never Meeting in Real Life

 

Title: Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography

Author: Neil Patrick Harris

Narrator: Neil Patrick Harris

 

Synopsis: The life, times, and adventures of Neil Patrick Harris over the course of his life and career. Need I say more?

 

Thoughts: I love Barney in How I Met Your Mother (who doesn't?) and this was recommended to me by a friend. It may have been better as a physical book, but the audio adaptation was pretty good. I didn't actually know much about Neil Patrick Harris, so it was interesting to read. If you are a fan, it is worth a read.

 

Rating: 3 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Title: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, books 1-4

Author: Rick Riordan

Narrator: Jesse Bernstein

Synopsis: Meet Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon and child of a great and terrible prophesy. Watch as he navigates the world of Greek gods and monsters while trying to be a sort-of-normal teen.

Thoughts: How many times have I read and reviewed these? Too many times. I love them. There is a show coming out in the near future that I can't wait for and I wanted to brush up. If you like Greek mythology, these are wonderful and fun.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

 

Favorite book read this month: I always love Percy Jackson books and Lady Knight. Aside from those, probably Wow, No Thank You

Least favorite book read this month: None, I think.

 

I have now read 64 books this year. My goal was 60.

 

And now October is here! My favorite month! Spooky reads, Halloween, wedding anniversary, all the exciting things. I think we will get to do some fun, seasonal things and I can't wait! Maybe I can even get a couple of other posts up?

 

Here are books that I hope to read. I don't think I will get to all of them, but this is the selection. 

Anyone else have spooky reading lists planned? Please share, I am always looking for more spooky reads!

Happy spooky season everyone!

October 2021 Wrap Up

I really had the best of intentions. This post was nearly finished before I went out of town for our wedding. I also hoped to finish it while I was out of town (which was so silly in retrospect). Then I even took my laptop on our honeymoon thinking I could do it then. And I didn't even look at my computer the whole time we were gone. And getting back into town threw me right back into a crazy work week. So I'm sorry this is so very late.

 

My main life updates were all wedding related. I think I will put together a short blog post to share a few things about that if I can.

But here are the books I read in October. Spooky reads are the best reads. Also, I read almost NONE of the spooky reads I posted in my last blog post. Oh well. I just wasn't feeling them I guess. But despite my busy month with wedding things, I read many more books than I have the rest of the year. I caught up with my reading goal and then some.

Title: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie

Author: Marie Benedict

Narrator: Nicola Barber

 

Synopsis: In early December, 1926, Agatha argued with her husband and disappeared the next day. Her car was found abandoned and there was a large manhunt in order to find her. But she did not appear until nearly two weeks later at a spa with, apparently, no recollection of what had happened. This story takes a spin on the true story. What if she did know what she was doing in order to expose her husband and maintain her reputation?

 

Thoughts: I found this book a bit ago and just thought it sounded interesting. And maybe a good way to get into spooky season: with a little mystery. I have not read anything by Agatha Christie, but I am hoping to do so. I also know next to nothing about her or about her life. But this was a great story and definitely makes you wonder about what really happened!

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Title: Night Shift Witch

Author: Cate Lawley

Narrator: April Doty

Synopsis: Star was just hired onto the night shift of a funeral home. But right when she starts, a body comes in and the man had been murdered. And he was not actually human. Star has to use her witch-y powers and friends to help solve the mystery.

Thoughts: This popped up in a audiobook sale notification I get, and it sounded good so I went for it. It was much shorter than I was expecting which made it feel a bit rushed and almost anti-climatic. And some parts were repetitive. However, I generally enjoyed the story.

Rating: 2 1/2 to 3 stars out of 5 stars

 

Title: The World of Lore, Dreadful Places

Author: Aaron Mahnke

Narrator: Aaron Mahnke

 

Synopsis: Aaron Mahnke is the host of the podcast "Lore." In this book he explores a bunch of different haunted places. What happened to make them haunted and what have people experienced?

 

Thoughts: I have heard of the Lore podcast but it always sounded too scary for me. When I saw this book, I thought that maybe this would be OK. It was certainly interesting and enjoyable, but there were some parts that scared me. And some parts that horrified me and made me gasp and/or cover my mouth. Despite my not going for scary things, this one was alright.

 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 

 

Title: Pumpkin Heads

Author: Rainbow Rowell

 

Synopsis: Deja and Josiah are best friends and now high school seniors. Which means this is their last year working at the pumpkin patch together. It is their last night and they set out on an adventure. Deja wants to try all of the foods she never has been able to eat and she is determined that Josiah finally talk to his long-time crush.

 

Thoughts: This was a cute, fun story. And an easy read. I love Deja's focus on food! And I thought it was funny every time Deja changed Fudge girl's name.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Title: Not Your Average Hot Guy

Author: Gwenda Bond

Narrators: Graham Halstead and Karissa Vacker

Synopsis: Callie has been left in charge of her family's escape room for the weekend along with her brother and best friend. She is expecting a quiet weekend when cultists show up to use an escape room prop to summon a demon. Meanwhile, Luke is the heir to Hell and doesn't quite measure up. In an effort to raise his standing, he allows himself to be summoned in the place of a demon. 

Thoughts: This was the October selection for the Happy Endings Book Club from Nowhere Bookshop. Since I adored the last book, I decided to read this one, too. It was alright. I did not love it as much as the last book, but there were enjoyable parts. And I really liked how the escape rooms factored in because I love a good escape room!

Rating: 3 stars out of 5 stars

 

Title: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Author: Josephine Leslie

 

Synopsis: Recently widowed, Mrs. Muir sets out to find an affordable house for herself and her family. And she finds the perfect house. Except it is haunted by the former owner, Captain Gregg. She makes a deal with him in order to live in the house, but they eventually become friends and companions through life's hardships.

 

Thoughts: I absolutely love this book. This is not the first time I have read it. And I'm sure I have reviewed it on my blog before. I love the movie, too, but the book is different and I love it at least as much.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Title: The Ex Hex

Author: Erin Sterling

Narrator: Caitlin Davies

 

Synopsis: After  young Rhys breaks 19-year-old Vivienne Jones' heart, Vivi and her cousin cast a drunken curse on him. But they are pretty sure it didn't actually work. Fast forward about a decade. Rhys has to return to Graves Glen to represent his family since his ancestor founded the town. But when everything seems to start going wrong, Vivi and Rhys have to figure out how to fix it.

Thoughts: This book was very hyped and I've sort of been in the mood for more romantic or romantic comedy stories. So I picked it up. I have to say, I did not love it. Some things felt too contrived for me mostly. It was fine as witchy romantic books go though, if that is what you are in for.

Rating: 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Title: Anna Dressed in Blood

Author: Kendare Blake

Narrator: August Ross

 

Synopsis: Cas inherited a special knife and a special profession from his father. He hunts and kills ghosts. Namely those ghosts who have legends about them and who have taken many lives themselves. His hunt leads him to a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood. But for the first time, Cas finds a ghost who is unlike many he has encountered. For one, she knows she is dead and he sees that she is not completely in control of her actions. She kills any person who enters her house. Except for Cas. So he sets out to figure out why.

Thoughts: I haven't quite finished Kendare Blake's Three Dark Crowns series, but I have enjoyed them so far, so I figured I would give this a try. It was interesting and occasionally very gruesome. I also had many suspicions, some of which were correct but many of which were not, so that made it intriguing. And I won't lie, there were a couple of parts that really got me. I was creeped out by a couple of things for sure. I think if you read it, you could probably guess the big ones. It was a good spooky read for the season though!

Rating: 3 stars out of 5 stars

Title: The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Narrator: Jim Dale

 

Synopsis: The Night Circus is a completely unique, magical experience, like no circus you've ever seen. For one, it is only open at night. Second, it moves all over the world and you never know where it will be next. Behind the scenes of this amazing place is an intense competition going on between two magicians: Marco and Celia.

 

Thoughts: I have read this book a few times now and I'm sure I have other reviews lurking around on this blog. But I just adore this book and I would love nothing more than to visit the night circus! While Celia and (especially) Marco's stories are of less interest to me, I love just about everything else about this book. And I always cry at the death of one (rather minor) character. I love the magic and the story and the fun of this book.

 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Favorite book read this month: Does the Ghost and Mrs. Muir count? Or The Night Circus?

Least favorite book read this month: Probably have to say Night Shift Witch or the Ex Hex

I have read 44 books this year towards my goal of 50. After being behind nearly all year, I managed to get about two books ahead of schedule in October despite wedding preparations.

2021 Spooky Reads

 Alright! It is that time of the year! The best time of the year and the time for spooky reads!

Here are my goals for this spooky season. Or maybe not "goals," these are all audio books that I already own that are at least a bit spooky. I will just pick them as I feel like. I only really have time for audio books these days so those are the only ones I have included this year.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, of course, will be read. I actually am nearly finished with it already. I love it so much.

There will also be a spooky book coming in the September Owlcrate. I don't know what it is, but I want to read it! Last year's was pretty good so I have pretty high hopes. This is the only physical book I plan to read, but I do have a couple of others if I have time and the mood strikes me.

We have some Halloween decorations out. We might take it a bit easy this year since we are trying to finish up wedding planning.

Anyone else have spooky reads for this year? Any books to recommend to me? As long as it isn't very scary, I'm game!