November and December 2024 Wrap Up

Just a few days late. Sorry about that.

The end of the year kind of sneaked up on me. I got sick for several days at the beginning of December and then Gabriel (and Kevin and I) got parainfluenza which caused croup. We ended up taking Gabriel to urgent care one evening and they admitted him to the PICU. They released us the next night, but about two nights later (around midnight) we ended up taking him to the ER and being admitted to the general pediatric unit for about a day. A couple of days later was Gabriel's first birthday and the day we were leaving for Connecticut. But we ended up canceling our flights out to take Gabriel to the ER again for more breathing treatments. We did get to go to Connecticut but we left on Christmas. And then I got sick again for a couple days on the way back. Anyway, it has been super hectic and I think I just need a break.

Being a parent is still hard and time-consuming. Gabriel is moving and playing and eating real food, which is great. But it is still difficult to keep up with everything else in life. He is such a cutie though and it is fun to watch him learn and grow.

Work is kind of terrible right now. I was passed up for a promotion again in favor of someone much less experienced who takes on much less work and extra tasks, but who is liked by the supervisor. But a couple of people have left which has very much improved things in my department overall.

We will be moving soon to a larger apartment, which is very exciting! We will have two bedrooms (instead of no bedrooms) and two bathrooms, full size washer and dryer, much more space and more storage/closet space. I hate packing and moving, but I cannot wait!

I want to do quick book reviews and then I will talk about my sort of New Years goals from last year. I will do my best to get up a New Year post to talk about goals for this coming year.

Dreadful Company and Grave Importance

by Vivian Shaw 

Narrator: Suzannah Hampton

Re-reads

4 stars out of 5 stars

 

A Curse for True Love by

Stephanie Garber

Narrators: Dan Bittner and Rebecca Soler

Synopsis/Thoughts: This is the last book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy. I didn't remember the previous book as well as I maybe should have, but it was fine. Evangeline enters the story with her memory gone, married to a prince, and trying to figure out what has happened to her. Her husband, Apollo, is doing his best to keep her from remembering anything. And Jacks, the Prince of Hearts and Fate is hiding from Apollo and his men but staying close enough to Evangeline to help and protect her, even if she doesn't know him anymore. I enjoyed these books. After the Caraval series, I really wanted books about Jacks and it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but I am still happy with it.

3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

When I Was Your Age by

Kenan Thompson

Narrator: Kenan Thompson 

Synopsis/Thoughts: Kenan Thompson talks about his rise to fame and the various jobs he has worked and making it in the world of comedy, but also having a normal life. Parts of this book were a little disorganized, from my perspective, but I did like it overall. And I am a sucker for memoirs read by the author.

3 stars out of 5 stars

 

Bits and Pieces by

Whoopi Goldberg

Narrator: Whoopi Goldberg

Synopsis/Thoughts: Whoopi Goldberg focuses on her growing up and rise to fame but through the lens of her relationships with her mother and brother, to whom she was very close. I really enjoyed this book. It was a great read and occasionally very funny. I don't know a whole lot about her, but it was interesting learning some and hearing about her mother and brother. And again, read by the author which I love.

4 stars out of 5 stars 

Divine Might by

Natalie Haynes

Narrator: Natalie Haynes

Synopsis/Thoughts: This book was all about different goddesses in Greek mythology. And read by the author to boot. It probably will come as no surprise that I really enjoyed this book. I know I have read at least one other book by her and liked it. I would like to read more. Definitely recommend if you like Greek mythology.

4 stars out of 5 stars 

 

Wolfsong by

TJ Klune

Narrator: Kirt Graves

Synopsis/Thoughts: Ox's father abandoned him and his mother when he was 12, but taught Ox to believe that he wasn't worth much and that no one would like him before he took off. Despite that, Ox manages to gather people around him who become family. Including the family that moves in next door who have a bunch of their own secrets that change Ox's whole life. This book was, first off, longer than I was expecting. I think I liked it overall. I liked how Ox developed and really liked his relationship with Gordo. I was interested in a lot of the characters individually as well, like Kelly, Elizabeth, and Robbie I haven't decided if I will continue the series or not. I think I would like to, but I have been bad at investing in series these days.

3 stars out of 5 stars 

 

Keep Moving by

Dick Van Dyke

Narrator: Dick Van Dyke

Synopsis/Thoughts: I went on a memoir kick. Another one, read by the author. Dick Van Dyke talks about himself later in life and what it is like growing old. He is still so remarkably with-it and active at the age when he wrote this book, it is actually really interesting to hear about. Maybe it could inspire me to do better for myself as I get older.

3 stars out of 5 stars 

Beyond the Wand by

Tom Felton

Narrator: Tom Felton

Synopsis/Thoughts:Yet another memoir read by the author. This focuses on Tom Felton's life leading up to, during, and shortly after the filming of the Harry Potter movies. There was a lot about him that I didn't know, but he tells it in a way that is very honest and human. I admire him and am glad that I read this one.

4 stars out of 5 stars 

 

You're a Mean One Matthew Prince

by Timothy Janovsky

Narrator: Mark Sanderlin

Synopsis/Thoughts: Matthew Prince is a spoiled rich kid who, in a bid for his parents' attention, buys an island and ends up banned to the small town his mother grew up in to spend the holidays with his grandparents. And with the annoying guy who is staying with his grandparents. As predicted, he starts to have a change of heart. This was very predictable, but also a sweet, easy read.

2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Landline by

Rainbow Rowell

Narrator: Rebecca Lowman

Re-read

5 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

A Christmas Carol

by Charles Dickens

Narrator: Tim Curry
 Re-read

4 stars out of 5 stars

 

A Universe of Wishes

Editor: Dhonielle Clayton

Various Authors

Synopsis/Thoughts: This is an anthology of diverse stories. I really liked some of the stories and definitely liked some more than others. But I think there is something for everyone. And diversity in authors and characters is always welcome!

4 stars out of 5 stars

Winterwood by

Shea Ernshaw

Synopsis/Thoughts: Nora comes from a long line of witches but seems to have no special power herself, though she longs for it. On the heels of her grandmother's death, a snow storm takes out the power, phone lines, and roads to her family cabin as well as the surrounding area which includes a camp for troubled boys. While walking through the dark (maybe evil?) woods, she encounters a boy from the camp who should be dead. Oliver's memories aren't clear anymore and he is keeping secrets from Nora, but the dark woods and perpetual storm will drag everything out eventually. There were a few different layers to this book. I loved Nora and her family and their spell book. The way people interacted with Oliver was so strange that it kept me engaged as well. Overall it was a good read.

3 stars out of 5 stars 

 

Spectacular by

Stephanie Garber

Synopsis/Thoughts: Short story that is Caraval 3.5. The Great Holiday is coming and Donatella is distraught. She has been feeling unsure of Legend's feelings for her and is determined to come up with the best Great Holiday gift for him. Her search leads her on a rather strange adventure. This was a fun story story. It has been a while since I read the Caraval series so all the details weren't as clear, but it was cute and enjoyable.

3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars 

10 Things That Never Happened

by Alexis Hall

Narrator: Will M. Watt

Re-read

4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars 

Favorite book read in November/December: Am I allowed to say Landline?

Least favorite book read in November/December: You're a Mean One Matthew Prince

I managed to pass my reading goal of 75 books for the year. I read 83 books.

One of my goals at the start of the year was to get back into journaling, which I have actually been keeping up with pretty well. I found a way to get my journal set up that helps keep me more engaged. I hope to do a blog post one day, but we see how that goes anymore.

I wanted to read more of my backlogged Owlcrate books this year, and I did OK with that. For the normal subscription books I read 17 in 2024. I read more if you count the sequels and special editions that Owlcrate did separate from the normal subscription. I didn't really track those but I am going to try to do so moving forward.

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?