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
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.
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