Jump to content

Menu

Book a Week 2021 - BW40: October Spooktacular


Robin M
 Share

Recommended Posts

Happy Sunday!  Welcome to our October Spooktacular reading month. I have the music of The Addams family theme song running through my head today:

Their creepy and their kooky
Mysterious and spooky
Their all together ooky
The Adams family
Their house is a museum
When people come to see 'em
They really are a screaming
The Adams family.
Neat.
Sweet
Petite
So put a witch's shawl on
A broomstick you can crawl on
We're gonna play a call on
The Adams family
Their creepy and their kooky
Mysterious and spooky
Their all together ooky
The Adams family
Strange
Deranged
The Adams family
 

Does it put you in the mood for some spooky or kooky, spine-chilling or thrilling, creepy or cozy, scary or mysterious?  Yes, me too. 

Spooky to me doesn't necessarily equal horror. I detest blood and guts horror books or movies. Give me emotion, give me pee in your pants scary moments.  Give me tense moments that make you laugh or cry. Give me mind bending stories with devious and conniving characters and lots of twists and turns.  Give me stories that make me think and go whoa, I didn't see that coming.  Entertain me, thrill me, shock me. 

If you haven't read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or Bram Stoker's Dracula, now would be the perfect time.  Put away all your preconceived notions as the books are very different from the movies and will shock and amaze you.  If you have read it, dip your toes into retellings of the story as well as the reimagining's of Bram Stoker's Dracula. 

If you are slightly on the squeamish side and can only handle a little bit scary or a little bit spooky, read a cozy supernatural mystery  or what the Austin Public Library considers a cozy horror which includes 

Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None or Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles.  

For those who like psychological thrillers, like me, read Female Psychological Thrillers/Suspense Written by Women.

From historical thrillers to psychological page turners, check out Pan MacMillian's list of the Best Thriller books of 2021

What is one of the spookiest or thrilling books you ever read?

Have fun following rabbit trails!

 *************************

Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 94. Maximilian’s Avowal

Chapter 95. Father and Daughter

Chapter 96. The Contract

*************************

Link to Week 39

Visit  52 Books in 52 Weeks where you can find all the information on the annual, mini and perpetual challenges, as well as share your book reviews with other readers around the globe.

  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I currently enthralled in the Wheel of Time with the last book A Memory of Light and happy to see the characters all coming together or coming back for the final battle.  

I think for my spooky read I’m going to dive into the world of Dean Koontz. I have several books on my shelves to choose from.

Happy to say my nephew is doing better. On oxygen he’s at 90 so has a canula in his nose which is so much better than having to intubate. His brother and sister have been spending time with him at the hospital, rotating since only one person can be with him at a time. Advocating for him, plus getting him to eat. So things are looking up at the moment. My sister has the delta version and I think everyone in our family has lambasted her, kindly of course, but nonetheless given her heck. Thank you for the prayers and good thoughts.  
 

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So Spooky October has long been my favorite BaW month! One year I combined Dracula and The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova http://www.elizabethkostova.com/thehistorian which was pretty perfect but I can’t read them every year......I have read them both more than once!

Last year I just read light cozies and books with a pumpkin theme.

This year I started early by accident when I discovered The Haunted Yarn Shop series https://www.goodreads.com/series/95531-haunted-yarn-shop-mystery. The ghost, Geneva, is simply awesome on the audiobooks. I have one left to listen to and will be sad when they end!

I just finished the fourth Lady Adelaide mystery last night and almost cried when I read the epilogue as this series certainly appears to be over.😢 Lady A’s good for nothing war hero husband is sent to haunt her and try to make up for his husbandly faults while she keeps bumping into murders and a dashing Scotland Yard Detective. https://www.goodreads.com/series/254850-lady-adelaide-mystery.

I have some funny spooky planned with vampire accountants https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22081680-the-utterly-uninteresting-and-unadventurous-tales-of-fred-the-vampire-a?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=MCT9HXkbwL&rank=2 and a town filled with all sorts of shifters, including raccoon in the Pecular Mysteries series. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26138169-you-ve-got-tail?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=TTutg3zFJS&rank=2. I read the first last year and enjoyed it so much I bought a few more for this year.

I have been stocking up on free witchy romances all year so am ready for light spooky ready.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some bookish posts ~

When love flourished in M for medical textbooks by Eva Ibbotson

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/jul/09/fiction.features

From the Word Wenches: What We Are Reading—The September Edition!

https://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2021/09/what-we-are-readingthe-september-edition.html

THEY'VE SEEN THE FUTURE AND THEY DON'T LIKE IT: THE YEAR'S BEST SCIFI NOIR (SO FAR)

https://crimereads.com/the-years-best-scifi-noir-so-far/

Regards,

Kareni

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Robin M said:

Happy to say my nephew is doing better.

Glad to hear that.

Read the latest Laurie King (Sherlock & Mary series) set in Transylvania, a fun read.

Found a new series called 'Shadows of Athens' set in Periclean Athens, a murder mystery, by 'J M Alvery' or Juliet McKenna under another name. Really enjoying it. 

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I don't post now I'll run out of time .....  (hope to be back to continue reading later).  

Titles just begun:   Miss Silver Comes to Stay: Bk16 ~ Patricia Wentworth, narrated by Diana Bishop  this is a repeat, late-night, listen.

Confessions of a Bookseller: Diary of a Bookseller Bk2 ~ Shaun Bythell (library loan)

Being an avid avoider of spooky/horror reads I thought if I, still, can’t settle to listening to Frankenstein this year perhaps reading a rather short gothic work by Elizabeth Gaskill - I’m slowly working my way through her books – might (?) be my personal nod towards Spooky October:  The Poor Clare ~ Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

Completed last week:    Prince Philip Revealed: A Man of His Century ~ Ingrid Seward, narrated by Julie Teal (3) The beginning of the book was interesting, then the author started to repeat herself which makes a biography lose its sparkle.  I’m rather a fan of Queen Elizabeth II, and, Prince Philip so was happy enough to listen to Ingrid Stewart’s take on ‘presenting’ Prince Philip to us, yet this isn’t a book I’d really recommend to others unless they knew next to nothing about Prince Philip (and/or don’t mind the repetitious factor).

Edited by tuesdayschild
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think someone here may have already read The Right Sort Of Man https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41150342-the-right-sort-of-man Perhaps @Kareni?  I just finished it and totally enjoyed it.............Post WWII a grieving widow with a 6 yo lord to be and a former spy meet at a wedding and decide to open up a marriage agency.  When a client is murdered and another client is framed they enter the crime solving business.  I have been “seeing” this book for a while and didn’t expect to like it.😂 I was so wrong!   Fortunately it already has two sequels and I have them both on hold.  I can’t wait to learn what happens next!

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

I think someone here may have already read The Right Sort Of Man https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41150342-the-right-sort-of-man Perhaps @Kareni?  I just finished it and totally enjoyed it.........

That was indeed me, and I enjoyed it and the second book. I need to read the third book now. I'm glad you liked it, too.

Regarding ~

When love flourished in M for medical textbooks by Eva Ibbotson

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/jul/09/fiction.features

 

18 hours ago, tuesdayschild said:

This true story is just lovely!  Thanks for sharing.

 

19 minutes ago, bookbard said:

Oh, this was fabulous! 

I'm happy you both enjoyed it, too. Eva Ibbotson is a well regarded author of books for both children and adults. I've read some of her books for children and liked them; I should try one of her adult books. 

Regards,

Kareni

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Kareni said:

I'm happy you both enjoyed it, too. Eva Ibbotson is a well regarded author of books for both children and adults. I've read some of her books for children and liked them; I should try one of her adult books. 

I too liked the three Ibbotson books my (younger years) DD handed to me to read, because she though they were, "So good":  they were.  

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Things are looking better these days, my neurologist thinks I may have transverse myelitis that is responding well to treatment. Less therapy means more time to read. 😉  I don't remember my last update, but I have gotten through the following:

Forgotten in Death by J.D. Robb.  I'm still tagging alone.  I love the series. I had the murders figured out early, right down to the motive, which is more unusual for me.  

True Dead (Jane Yellowrock) by Faith Hunter. I gave it five stars.  I'll be so sad to see this series go.

The Bone Scroll (Elemental Legacy) by Elizabeth Hunter.  This was a nice wrap to Ben and Tenzin's story arc, although I'm sure we'll see more of them in other books to come.  I love the descriptions from her recent trip to Ethiopia.

The Escape (John Puller) by David Baldacci.  Once you've read book one you have to know what happened to the brother. 🤷‍♀️

I also finished the Thieves Series as it stands by Lexi Blake.  It's Lexi, so adult content is a given.  

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Kareni Enjoy your DD’s visit!🙂
 

For years now BaW people have been read Devon Monk’s paranormal books happily.  I read their reviews and check the first in one of the series and never seem to make it beyond the first few pages.  So someone recently reviewed the first book in her Ordinary Magic series, @Robin M I think, and I faithfully put it on hold.  I started reading last night and am very close to finished.    I really like the concept behind this one......a special place where immortals and gods go to be on vacation! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27828473-death-and-relaxation

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, mumto2 said:


For years now BaW people have been read Devon Monk’s paranormal books happily.  I read their reviews and check the first in one of the series and never seem to make it beyond the first few pages.  So someone recently reviewed the first book in her Ordinary Magic series, @Robin M I think, and I faithfully put it on hold.  I started reading last night and am very close to finished.    I really like the concept behind this one......a special place where immortals and gods go to be on vacation! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27828473-death-and-relaxation

I forgot about this series.  I've read books 1-3 and Dirty Deeds.  The characters are so entertaining.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a book hangover.  Just finished the Wheel of Time series with the last book A Memory of Light - 900 pages of an almost never ending Last Battle and both main and side character deaths.  Not sure I like the ending so need time to process it. 

@mumto2 Not sure it was my review but have been talking up Devon's books for a long time. One of my favorite authors. Totally liked Ordinary Magic so glad you have enjoying it.

@melmichigan Glad to hear you are doing better. More time to read is always a plus.

@KareniYeah for your daughter coming to visit. Have loads of fun. 

Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers for my sister and her kids. Joe's improved enough to be moved out of ICU. Yeah. 

Kathy and niece are still feeling miserable and isolating at home. Hubby's doing a great job of taking care of everybody. 

Our refinance is still rolling along and I think the bank manager is writing a book on hubby and the business to present to the underwriters. Fingers, legs, and everything else crossed.  

Edited by Robin M
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just finished 'Shop Class as Soulcraft' which I think I heard about on this board (not necessarily this group though). It was a bit disappointing because it wasn't actually about shop class. I did get the sense that lots of shop classes (which I assume mean metalwork, woodwork etc) were closed down in schools. But does that mean no schools have them? Is there still a system of becoming an apprentice trade worker in the US? I feel like there was a cultural gap in understanding all this which wasn't met. Basically it was mostly about the author who did both electrical engineering and bike mechanics, as well as dabbling in becoming an academic, and chose trades and felt that the physicality of trades was better. He had some good points - but it wasn't, at all, about shopclass. (Nor did he bring up why a lot of tradesmen don't want that life for their kids - it is very harsh on the body as  you age. He had a 90 yr old academic sharing his hallway, but I bet he didn't have a 90yr tradesman fixing his bike). 

Ended up reading two murder mysteries side by side, one set in Ancient Greece, on in a kind of fantasy regency London with fairies. They were ok, I preferred the former, I think. 

 

 

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...