Wednesday, October 31, 2018
The Spooky Halloween Tag!
Monthly Wrap-Up: October 2018
I can't believe October is over already! 😩 But I'm actually already ready for the Holidays! Lol. But first...
😁
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Review: Halloween Night II (Halloween Night #2) by R.L. Stine
Title: Halloween Night II
Series: Halloween Night #2
Previous book in this series: Halloween Night
Author: R.L. Stine
Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller
Publication date: September 1994
Published by: Scholastic
Source: Purchased paperback
Add it to your Goodreads shelf
Buy it: Amazon | Thrift Books
Synopsis:
The chilling sequel to Stine's bestselling Halloween Night. This time Brenda's being terrorized by someone who's determined to make this Halloween night her last. Complete with the author's trademark page-turnging suspense, taut plot, and surprise ending.
It’s been a year since the awful Halloween party in which Brenda’s own friend stabbed her. This Halloween, Brenda is getting threatening messages again. Could it be her cousin Halley who is still living with her family? Or maybe one of her own friends... again?
Monday, October 29, 2018
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #137: Finally Making Progress!
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date and Unleashing Reads.
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Sunday Post #181: Slashstreet Boys
Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Literary Nails: Unfed (Undead #2) by Kirsty McKay
This nail art design I've been working on for a while. I actually chose the nail polish before I settled on the book and design. I ended up choosing this particular book because I thought it would be perfect for a nail polish called Zombie Crush. Lol. So, this nail art design was inspired by the second book in the Undead series, Unfed!
Friday, October 26, 2018
Review: You May Now Kill the Bride (Return to Fear Street #1) by R.L. Stine
Title: You May Now Kill the Bride
Series: Return to Fear Street #1
Author: R.L. Stine
Genre: YA, horror
Publication date: July 2018
Published by: HarperTeen
Source: Paperback won in giveaway
Add it to your Goodreads shelf
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository
Synopsis: Two sisters, divided by time. Each with a terrible resentment she can barely contain.
Two Fear family weddings, decades apart... Each bride will find that the ancient curse that haunts the Fears LIVES ON. It feeds off the evil that courses through their blood. It takes its toll in unexpected ways, and allows dark history to repeat itself.
In this all-new Fear Street story, family ties bind sisters together—till DEATH do they part.
So I actually really, really loved this! I say this because that last Fear Street series, the Fear Street Relaunch, was, overall underwhelming. I loved the original Fear Street series so I was looking forward to that relaunch, but it was just... okay. This book however, it was good! This is looking to be a very promising reboot!
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Review: Haints and Hobwebs (Elemental Assassin #4.7) by Jennifer Estep
Title: Haints and Hobwebs
Series: Elemental Assassin #4.7
Previous books in this series: Spider's Bite (#1) | Web of Lies (#2) | Venom (#3) | Tangled Threads (#4)
Short stories in this series: Poison (#0.1) | Web of Deceit (#0.2) | Spider's Bargain (#0.5) | Web of Death (#1.5) | Wasted (#2.7) | Tangled Dreams (#3.5) | Tangled Schemes (#3.7) | Spider’s Nemesis (#4.5)
Author: Jennifer Estep
Genre: Adult, urban fantasy
Publication date: November 27th 2018
Published by: Jennifer Estep
Source: Anthology borrowed from library, novella preordered
Add it to your Goodreads shelf
Buy it: Amazon
Synopsis: Even the Spider can’t escape a ghost’s web...
I’m being haunted.
As Gin Blanco, aka the assassin the Spider, I’m used to being haunted by all the bad things I’ve done over the years. I suppose it was only a matter of time before an actual ghost came back to haunt me. But for once, I’m not the bad guy, and I wasn’t the person who sent this ghost—this haint—into the afterlife.
But this haint definitely wants something from me, and I can’t help but think that it’s revenge on the person responsible for her untimely demise.
Good thing revenge is my specialty, whether it’s among the living or the dead . . .
Note: Haints and Hobwebs is an 11,000-word story that takes place after the events of Tangled Threads, book 4 in the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. Haints and Hobwebs first appeared in The Mammoth Book of Ghost Romance in 2012.
Ghosts! We get ghosts in this Elemental Assassin novella, and it was awesome! This is actually the first time we see them in this world.
The first time I saw the haint was in the cemetery.
Shocking, I know, a ghost hanging out in a graveyard, but the pale, wispy figure still caught my eye, if only for the fact it was the first one I’d ever seen.
You’d think that I would have been visited by more haints in my time, given the fact that I was a semi-retired assassin–and I’d helped a lot of people move on from this life to the next with a slice or two of my silverstone knives.
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
My Favorite Horror/Halloween Movies!
My favorite movie genre is horror! I love it! I pretty much watch them on a daily basis! Mostly. Lol. I tried to do 31 days of Halloween or horror or whatever that's called, but I skipped a couple days. Ooops. Lol. Anyway, I thought I'd share some of my favorite Halloween movies today! I tried to keep it brief, but man there are a lot of movies out there. Lol.
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Review - Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters by Peter Vronsky
Title: Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters
Author: Peter Vronsky
Genre: Adult, nonfiction, crime
Publication date: October 2004
Published by: Berkley
Source: Purchased paperback
Add it to your Goodreads shelf
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository | Thrift Books
Synopsis:
The comprehensive examination into the frightening history of serial homicide.
In this unique book, Peter Vronsky documents the psychological, investigative, and cultural aspects of serial murder, beginning with its first recorded instance in Ancient Rome, through fifteenth-century France, up to such notorious contemporary cases as cannibal/necrophile Ed Kemper, Henry Lee Lucas, Ted Bundy, and the emergence of what he classifies as the "serial rampage killer" such as Andrew Cunanan.
Vronsky not only offers sound theories on what makes a serial killer, but also provides concrete suggestions on how to survive an encounter with one-from recognizing verbal warning signs to physical confrontational resistance. Exhaustively researched with transcripts of interviews with killers, and featuring up-to-date information on the apprehension and conviction of the Green River Killer and the Beltway Snipers, Vronsky's one-of-a-kind book covers every conceivable aspect of an endlessly riveting true-crime phenomenon.
The biggest mistake in trying to figure out why these people are this way is that we try to analyze them through our own standard behavior. They don’t think the way you or I think. We’re not sure why—but the point is they don’t.
I don't read very much nonfiction—not for fun anyway. Lol. This is probably the second nonfiction book I’ve read of my own volition. Lol. But I really liked it! I find serial killers very fascinating... and by that I mean the psychology behind why they do what they do 😅 When I was in nursing school, psychology was probably my favorite section to study! I just find it so intriguing! So yeah, I really liked this book and learning about the methods behind the madness, if you will. Lol.
Monday, October 22, 2018
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #136: Still Haven't Caught Up
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date and Unleashing Reads.
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Sunday Post #180: Scarywood!!
Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!
Saturday, October 20, 2018
Literary Nails: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White
I'm back with another book-inspired nail art design! This one I decided on very last minute because it's a book that was released just recently. It's also very Halloween-y...
Friday, October 19, 2018
Review: The Thrill Club (Fear Street #24) by R.L. Stine
Title: The Thrill Club
Series: Fear Street #24
Author: R.L. Stine
Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller
Publication date: May 1994
Published by: Archway Paperback
Source: Purchased paperback
Add it to your Goodreads shelf
Buy it: Amazon | Thrift Books
Synopsis:
Talia Blanton could scare you to death.
She writes horror stories—stories that often give her friends starring roles.
Everyone loves Talia’s terrifying tales—until they start to come true. One by one, Talia’s friends become Talia’s victims.
Is Talia making her stories come true? Or is someone trying to turn Talia’s real life into a horror story?
They're dying to join.
I liked the idea of stories becoming reality and the characters dying the way they did in said stories. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much all I liked about this book. It’s even more unfortunate because this is one of the first Fear Street books I ever read... EVER! This was probably the first or second Fear Street book I read back when I was in middle school, so I had high hopes for it. Things did not go well (for me).
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Review: Lucky Day (I Hunt Killers #0.2) by Barry Lyga
Title: Lucky Day
Series: I Hunt Killers #0.2
Novellas in this series: Down Time (#0.1)
Author: Barry Lyga
Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller
Publication date: April 2014
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased ebook
Add it to your Goodreads shelf
Buy it: Amazon
Synopsis:
This is the story of the small town sheriff who captured one of the world's most ruthless and cunning murderers.
It all started with Dead Girl #1 and Dead Girl #2, the first killings in the sleepy town of Lobo's Nod in decades. Two murders: just a coincidence, or something more sinister? One thing's for sure -- it was definitely inconvenient in a year when Sheriff G. William Tanner, a mourning widower, had to run for reelection.
With a trail gone cold, it's only luck that links the murders to the most notorious serial killer in memory. And in a town like Lobo's Nod, the killer must be someone Tanner already knows...
This is the story of the small town sheriff who captured one of the world's most ruthless and cunning murderers.
It was very interesting seeing how Billy Dent was finally captured after so many murders. There was a certain detail that propelled things forward and the sheriff completely missed it! I kept asking myself how he didn’t see that in the first place, but of course, I gotta cut him some slack since we knew what we were looking for.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
My Favorite Horror Narrations!
I listen to A LOT of podcasts on my commute to and from work. Some of them are horror narrations which mostly consist of Creepypastas. Below I have gathered some of my absolute favorites! And because they are narrations, you can also read the stories instead!
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Review: Down Time (I Hunt Killers #0.1) by Barry Lyga
Title: Down Time
Series: I Hunt Killers #0.1
Author: Barry Lyga
Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller
Publication date: August 2018
Published by: Hachette
Source: Purchased ebook
Add it to your Goodreads shelf
Buy it: Amazon
Synopsis:
Billy Dent is the world's most notorious serial killer, but even killers need to go on vacation sometimes. When a mysterious death occurs in the hotel where Billy is staying, his "job" seems to call. Will his vacation truly be down time for him after all?
In this prequel novella to the I Hunt Killers trilogy, bestselling author Barry Lyga crafts a creepy, intricately plotted mystery.
This was my first introduction to the world of I Hunt Killers and I absolutely loved it! It was SO good! So our serial killer Billy Dent goes off on vacation when suddenly he's got a murder on his hands. Funnily enough, it was one he didn't commit.
There was only one way to solve the problem, Billy realized. Without intending to, he chuckled at the very thought. He was going to have to solve this murder.
Monday, October 15, 2018
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #135: Trying To Take Control Of My TBR List (Yeah, Good Luck With That...)
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date and Unleashing Reads.
Spooktacular Giveaway Hop!
I hope you guys are having a fantastic month! This is certainly my favorite time of year! So, to celebrate, I am giving away an ARC of a fantasy book that came out at the beginning of the month, plus the first 2 books in a trilogy about reapers!! There will be TWO winners!
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Sunday Post #179: Rewatching Spooky Movies
Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Literary Nails: Croak by Gina Damico
Today I bring you some book-inspired nail art I've been wanting to do for, like, a million years! Well, actually, ever since the chrome nail powder craze first started. Lol. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, it's fine. You'll see 😉 lol.
Anyway, this nail art was inspired by...
Friday, October 12, 2018
Review: Wrong Number 2 (Fear Street #27) by R.L. Stine
Title: Wrong Number 2
Series: Wrong Number #2 | Fear Street #27
Previous book in this duology: The Wrong Number
Author: R.L. Stine
Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller
Publication date: January 1995
Published by: Archway Paperback
Source: Purchased paperback
Add it to your Goodreads shelf
Buy it: Amazon | Thrift Books
Synopsis:
Don’t answer that phone!
“You’re not safe anywhere. I’ll get my revenge!”
Can it really be Mr. Farberson on the line? He has to still be locked up after trying to kill Jade and Deena last year. Maybe the calls are just someone’s idea of a sick joke. But who else could possibly know the things the caller knows?
Then they realize that someone is nearby, watching them, close enough to know their every move. Someone who desperately wants revenge. Someone who wants to reach out... and kill them.
Call waiting... to kill!
Last time Deena, Jade, and Chuck made some prank phone calls... some that got them in trouble. But now they’re the ones getting the calls... threatening ones.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Review: The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R.L. Stine
Title: The Wrong Number
Series: Wrong Number #1 | Fear Street #5
Author: R.L. Stine
Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller
Publication date: March 1990
Published by: Archway Paperback
Source: Purchased paperback
Add it to your Goodreads shelf
Buy it: Amazon | Thrift Books
Synopsis:
It begins as an innocent prank, when Deena Martinson and her best friend Jade Smith make sexy phone calls to the boys from school. But Deena's half-brother Chuck catches them in the act and threatens to tell their parents, unless the girls let him in on the fun. Chuck begins making random calls, threatening anyone who answers. It's dangerous and exciting. They're even enjoying the publicity, and the uproar they've caused. Until Chuck calls a number on Fear Street.
To his horror, Chuck realizes he has called THE WRONG NUMBER. The jokes are over when murder is on the line. The murderer knows who they are and where they live — and they have nowhere to call for help.
It began as a prank... and ended in murder!
It all starts because Chuck doesn’t believe in Fear Street’s curse, even after Deena and Jade warn him that a lot of bad stuff has happened there. He makes a prank phone call to someone on who lives on Fear Street, but it’s more than he bargained for when they overhear a goddamn murder happen! Now they’re all caught up in this mess with the murderer threatening them. Thanks a lot, Chuck.
Lol
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Bookish Discussion: My Favorite Horror Books
In honor of Spooky Season, I have gathered a list of some of my favorite horror books I have read over the years! They're mostly YA, obviously, since that's pretty much all I read. Lol.
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Review: Halloween Frost (Mythos Academy #1.5) by Jennifer Estep
Title: Halloween Frost
Series: Mythos Academy #1.5
Previous book in this series: Touch of Frost
Author: Jennifer Estep
Genre: YA, urban fantasy, Greek mythology, Norse mythology
Publication date: October 2016
Published by: Jennifer Estep
Source: Purchased ebook
Add it to your Goodreads shelf
Buy it: Amazon
Synopsis:
It’s Halloween at Mythos Academy, and Gwen Frost and her friends are ready to have a little fun. But when a mythological monster shows up, the night turns out to be more trick than treat.
Halloween Frost takes place in between the events of Touch of Frost, book #1, and Kiss of Frost, book #2, in the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series. The short story is about 6,500 words.
It’s been so long since I was last in the Mythos Academy world, and oh man did I miss it! I just love this world to pieces! And this short story takes place during Halloween! Double win!
Monday, October 8, 2018
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #134: All the Spooky Stuff!
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date and Unleashing Reads.
Sunday, October 7, 2018
Sunday Post #178: Bookish Nail Art Incoming!
Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Literary Nails: The Book of Shadows from Charmed!
We're getting a little witchy in today's bookish nail art which was inspired by an actual (fictional) book! The Book of Shadows from the TV show Charmed!
Is that cheating, since these posts are dedicated to nail art inspired by, well, books I read? No, not really 😉 I mean, there are Charmed books (novelizations I believe is the term. Lol). I've read one and I have another that I haven't read yet.
Anyway, I LOVE Charmed! It's one of my favorite TV shows and I re-watch it ALL the time! And if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it! Especially for this time of year, and especially if you're not into horror. There's a lot of magic and girl power and it's just so much fun!
Friday, October 5, 2018
Review: The Fear Street Saga (Collector's Edition) by R.L. Stine
Title: The Fear Street Saga
Series: The Fear Street Saga | Fear Street Collector's Edition
Books in this omnibus: The Betrayal (#1) | The Secret (#2) | The Burning (#3)
Author: R.L. Stine
Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller, historical
Publication date: November 1996
Published by: Archway Paperback
Source: Purchased paperback
Add it to your Goodreads shelf
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository | Thrift Books
Synopsis:
Fear Street is cursed.
It’s been that way for hundreds of years. Unspeakable horrors haunt those who’ve walked on its terrifying path. And it all started with one family—the Fears.
Go back to how it all began and discover the dark family secrets buried underneath years of terror, from who sentenced an innocent woman to burn at the stake, to why the Fear mansion caught on fire, and how forbidden love, a bloody feud, and dark magic unleashed the curse that has lasted for far too long.
And how Fear Street became the evil place it is today.
This series is told as if Nora Goode is writing it—we get three stories in each book with some interludes from Nora as she tells the story of the Fears and the Goodes. This is literally what I remember from reading this series way back in the day: just Nora sitting at a desk writing by candlelight. Ah, the nostalgia.
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Review: Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman
Title: Full Tilt
Author: Neal Shusterman
Genre: YA, horror
Publication date: June 2003
Published by: Simon & Schuster
Source: Purchased paperback
Add it to your Goodreads shelf
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository | Book Outlet | Thrift Books
Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Blake and his younger brother, Quinn, are exact opposites. Blake is the responsible member of the family. He constantly has to keep an eye on the fearless Quinn, whose thrill-seeking sometimes goes too far. But the stakes get higher when Blake has to chase Quinn into a bizarre phantom carnival that traps its customers forever.
In order to escape, Blake must survive seven deadly rides by dawn, each of which represents a deep, personal fear -- from a carousel of stampeding animals to a hall of mirrors that changes people into their deformed reflections. Blake ultimately has to face up to a horrible secret from his own past to save himself and his brother -- that is, if the carnival doesn't claim their souls first!
Blake follows his thrill-seeking younger brother to a creepy, phantom-like amusement park. A park that is more than meets the eye.
This was the exact opposite of some drugged-out experience. We still had our senses. Our minds were sharp and clear. It was the rest of the world that had gone crazy.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Bookish Discussion: Horror Books I Still Need to Read
Spooky Season is upon us and I could not be more happy! This is my favorite time of year, and me loving horror and all, I thought I'd talk about some horror books that are on my TBR list. And hey, I might just knock some of these off the list this month 😉
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Review: Funhouse by Diane Hoh
Title: Funhouse
Series: Point Horror
Author: Diane Hoh
Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller
Publication date: 1990
Published by: Scholastic
Source: Library book
Add it to your Goodreads shelf
Buy it: Amazon | Thrift Books
Synopsis:
When The Devil's Elbow roller coaster goes off its track and several teenagers are hurt, everyone thinks it was just an accident. So no one listens when Tess says she saw someone tampering with the track. — But one person knows it's true. That person is playing a deadly game—and is going to make sure Tess doesn't stand in the way. Tess soon finds she's being terrorized, with threatening notes, menacing phone calls, slashed tires and nasty pranks. When another "accident" occurs in the Funhouse, Tess is sure that she was the intended victim. Who is committing all these horrifying acts? And why?
Tess is just beginning to realize that the Funhouse can scare you... to death.
Tess is spending an afternoon down at the boardwalk hanging at the amusement park with her friends. This is something she does regularly, but this time Tess witnesses an awful roller coaster crash. Tess then sees a figure sneakily running away from the scene after the fact, making Tess think this “accident” might not have been so accidental after all. Especially after she starts receiving threats and being stalked by someone. And not even her friends are safe as more “accidents” happen. But the thing is, Tess thinks the culprit might be one of said friends. Could it really be one of them? Could one of her friends actually be after her?
Monday, October 1, 2018
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #133: Nothing's Changed
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date and Unleashing Reads.