Blogtober Day 11: Books I Meant to Read, But Didn't

Has there ever been a book that you meant to read, but you just didn't? Everyone kept telling you to read the book, the premise sounded interesting, and then you just didn't read the book. Maybe you started it, but found you couldn't finish it. Maybe you didn't get a chance to read it because you outgrew the genre. I have quite a few books like that. Today, I'd like to talk about them.

The Divergent Series

Let's start off with an easy one. In a post-Hunger Games world, I feel like plenty of readers were looking for more dystopian YA. Many gravatated towards Divergent by Veronica Roth. It seemed to hit many of the same beats as The Hunger Games while at the same time, not being too similar. Many websites and blogs suggested the series for fans of The Hunger Games. Yet, I wasn't able to get past the first few chapters. It felt like a story I'd read before and nothing stood out to me. I stopped reading and decided maybe I should give myself some time, reading something a little different and try again later. By the time the series was finished, and I considered going back to give the series a second chance, I realized I was over YA dystopia.

The Sun is Also A Star

I wanted to read this book. I still want to read it. I own it, it's on my bookshelf, waiting to be read. Yet, for some reason, every time I finish one book and try to decide on the next thing to read, The Sun is Also A Star gets glossed over. I can't think of an exact reason why I keep choosing other books over it, but hopefully one day, I can cross it off of my TBR list.

The Perks of Being A Wallflower

This is an interesting one. A friend recommended this book to me before the movie was made. She said I'd enjoy it, knowing I was a fan of the genre. Then, the film came out. The film came out, teens on the Internet gravitated towards it and certain aspects of the plot were glossed over or became cringe-worthy. I realized I didn't want to read the book any longer, since I already knew major aspects of the story and didn't want to read a story with those themes.

Me Before You

When I heard this book was going to become a movie, I thought to myself "maybe I should read that." Then, I started seeing trailers for it and I realized the book wasn't about quite what I thought. Or, I guess it would be more accurate to say, assuming the movie was marketed correctly, it didn't have the tone I thought it would. After seeing more trailers, I realized the story just wasn't for me.

The Mortal Instruments series

I'm not the biggest fan of paranormal romance/urban fantasy, but I was willing to give these books a shot when the first one came out. Then, I went through my  "I'm different from other girls, I don't read the dumb books that they read" phase and decided to forego reading them based on that. I completely forgot about the series until ABC Family/Freeform created the television series. I started the first one and couldn't get very far, because the author's writing style wasn't something I liked or could even tolerate. So, I stopped reading before I got too far in. The television series isn't bad, all things considered.

Those are some books I meant to read, but didn't. Are there any books like that in your life?

Blogtober Day 10: Characters with bad luck

Ever notice how often luck comes into play in stories? It's rarely ever commented upon, but in traditional literature, films and television, the protagonist usually has good luck. They reached their destination, or complete their journey relatively unscathed. They usually end up finding a mysterious stranger with all of the answers at the right time, or in the case of TV or film, they find a helpful newspaper or turn in the TV and see a news report related to the exact thing they're after. Some characters have all of the luck.

Others do not and they're on this list. Aside from Halloween, the most superstitions seem to revolve around Friday the 13th. Since this year, October 13th isn't a Friday, I've decided to discuss unlucky characters today instead.




Odysseus from The Odyssey

Odysseus is known for two things. One is that he came up with the idea of the Trojan Horse. The second, and more well-known, achievement of his was that it took him an obscenely long time to return home after the Trojan War. The Trojan War ended and it took him 10 years to get home. The man suffered way more crap than anyone could've or should've been forced to endure. He dealt with cyclopses, giants, witches, siren, and multiple shipwrecks, just to name a few obstacles. Yes, he brought some of that on himself by angering Poseidon,  but he still had to go through way more trials and tribulations than was necessary. I'm pretty sure Odysseus earns the gold medal for "Most Unlucky Protagonist"



Sansa Stark, A Song of Ice and Fire

I could put any of the Starks on this list and it would fit, but I feel like Sansa deserves the title more than the others. From the beginning of A Song of Ice and Fire, it seems like the universe has it out for the Starks, but it seems to hate Sansa the most. Her father is killed, her family is broken apart, she's held captive by her father's killers. The rest of her family is missing, dies or is reported to have died. She's abused by her fiance, before getting cast aside and betrothed to a series of men, each worse than the last. Sansa has to deal with way too much, and all because of a mistake she made as a child and the machinations of others.



Winston, Nineteen Eighty-four

Winston lives in a dystopia, and he seems to be aware of it. Yet, despite his family all disappearing, having thoughts counter to what the Party tells him is true, and living in an actual dystopia, he's surprisingly optimistic. He believes one day, the Party and Big Brother will be overthrown and something better will replace it. And in return for hoping there will be a better world, Winston is tortured, forced to betray his lover and then released, knowing soon, the Party will kill him.



Primrose Everdeen, The Hunger Games

I know Katniss seems like a more likely choice, but hear me out. Prim's name gets called at the Reaping, and Katniss volunteers. Some would say that makes Prim lucky, but now she needs to worry about her sister possibly dying in her place. Then, her sister becomes a symbol for the revolution, leading to an attack on, and the destruction of, District 12 which means Prim is forced out of the only home she's ever known. Thrust into the rebellion without much of a choice, Prim becomes a nurse and while helping the injured during the final assault on the Capitol, she's killed in an explosion. Katniss had some bad luck, but she played more of an active part in her fate than Prim did.



The Baudelaire Children, A Series of Unfortunate Events

Violet, Klaus and Sunny go from one terrible situation to another, chased all the while by Count Olaf, in the series. Their parents die in a fire, they are sent to live with Olaf, but even after they get away from him, he continues to pursue them. From one bad living situation to another, these kids can't seem to catch a break.



Arthur Dent, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Arthur Dent just wanted to prevent his house from getting bulldozed. Instead, the entire planet Earth gets destroyed, leaving him as one of the last humans in the universe. He then spends several years flying around the universe, never fully understanding what's going on or why his planet was destroyed. Other characters I mention had bad luck, but they didn't lose their whole planet in the process. 

Blogtober Day 9: Favorite Vampires

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There are a lot of vampires in fiction. This is mostly because of vampires, or vampire-like beings, having a noticeable presence in folklore. Some are demons that are completely terrifying. Others sparkle in the sunlight and seem to wander around high schools. Some are made of felt and teach children to count. Others sell cereal. My point is, we've made and remade the vampire more times than I could count. Yet, with so many vampire characters, and so many different types of vampires in fiction, everyone has to have a favorite. I'm going to talk about a few of mine since we're getting close to Halloween and vampires fit into the spirit of the season.

Count von Count, Seasame Street

I'm starting off with the first vampire character I, and many others, ever see. Count von Count, the friendly vampire resident of Seasame Street. Yes, he's a Muppet who teaches children to count, but given his general appearance and the fact he's a parody of Bela Lugosi's Count Dracula I'm counting him (pun intended). The Count loves counting and he'll always have a special place in my heart for that. Also, I'm a math nerd, so me liking Count von Count really isn't shocking.

Spike, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel

Spike was a great character on Buffy. Angel was as well, but sometimes he was a little too broody and that annoyed me. He wasn't explicitly a "I want to kill you" type of vampire, but he also wasn't like vampires in Twilight, The Vampire Diaries or True Blood who just wanted to fit in or be normal. There was no desire to pretend to be human, or more disturbingly, hide as a high school student. He was a token bad boy, but also not completelt evil. Spike was cool and added something to vampire mythos that was missing, a sense of humor.

Count Dracula, Dracula

I can't reasonably talk about my favorite vampires without mentioning Dracula. While vampires had been part of folklore for centuries, Bram Stoker's novel was what brought them into prominence. He's the archetype vampire that later characters were based off of, with a number of his strengths and weaknesses being used in later characters. There is a reason why when most people hear "vampire" they picture someone who looks like Dracula, and not Robert Pattinson. Dracula is a classic vampire. He defined the genre. Without Dracula, we might not have Buffy, True Blood or the dozens of other vampire characters or stories that we do,

These are my three favorite vampires, what are yours?

Blogtober Day 8: The Scariest Book I've Ever Read

Halloween is the time of year when everyone thinks the most about fear and horror. It's when most horror movies are released in theaters. We watch scary movies, we read scary stories and inevitably, Halloween season is when we start comparing horror stories. I've never had a conversation about the scariest book I've ever read, or the scariest movie I've ever seen that hasn't taken place in the fall. Halloween is on everyone's mind, and with it comes thoughts about fear and horror.

In keeping with the season, today I'm going to discuss the scariest book I've ever read. That honor goes to a not-so-little book by Stephen King called IT. Some of you might've heard of it, there's this murderous clown named Pennywise and there were two movies made about the book in the last few years. I know IT being the scariest book I've ever read probably isn't surprising. Many people rate it pretty high on the scare-scale. However, unlike most horror novels, IT stuck with me for a while. 

Since the novel is 1,000 pages long, it wasn't something I could read in a single sitting. This meant that it took me several days to read it in its entirety. As a result, there were some nights, while reading it, where I had difficulty sleeping. Even after I finished the book, it still took me a few days to return to my normal sleep schedule. Some of this is probably because I read IT a little younger than I should have, being around 14 when I picked it up. King doesn't hold back on the gore and the violence, and given his literary skills, the picture he paints is vivid. The rest of why the book effected me so much has to do with the premise itself. IT can take any form in order to become what you fear the most. For obvious reasons, thinking about a monster that could appear looking like the thing I'm most afraid of, is troubling and makes it difficult to sleep.

IT is an excellent book. I'd recommend it to any horror fan that hasn't read it, if any exist. However, it's also the scariest story I've ever read.

What is the scariest book you've ever read?

Blogtober Day 7: Anomaly

(Disclaimer: I did receive the novel for free in exchange for an honest review. )

Anomaly is a 2019 self-published novel by Jessica Gilliland. It is a paranormal thriller. I decided to give the novel a chance since the description reminded me of X-Men, more particularly the second X-men movie that was released in the early 2000s. The synopsis of the book is as follows:

“Liv is a powerful telekinetic, but she keeps her head down, and her powers in check. If she doesn’t, the government is going to execute her. Deemed a threat to society by the governments Anomaly Control Team, Live was kidnapped from a facility for supernaturally gifted children and has been under surveillance for five years. When a group of renegades led by her first love, Jason, break Liv free from government control, she gets a taste of freedom. Jason takes Live to Hawthorn House, a secret facility that vows to educate and protect those with supernatural abilities. Liv and Jason fall back into their interrupted romance, but life at Hawthorn isn’t as perfect as she’d hoped. While at Hawthorn, Liv’s powers and loyalties are tested. Her struggle to find herself and build a new life is only made harder by her insecurities and her suspicions that Hawthorn isn’t what it seems.”

I found this book to be enjoyable. The pacing is excellent, there’s an appropriate building of tension as the plot moves along and the reader nears the climax of the story. There’s a good mix of showing and telling of information about different characters, what’s going on and what the motivations of the different characters are. There’s an underlying sense of dread, vital for thrillers, as Liv becomes more at home at Hawthorn and starts to become the powerful young woman she used to be before she was taken.

Let’s discuss the characters for a moment. There are a handful of characters that need to be mentioned. Liv, our main character, Jason, her first love, Lexa, her friend from before she was taken by the ACT, and Dr. Stone, the woman who runs Hawthorn House. Liv was, unsurprisingly, my favorite character, not just because she was the protagonist. For most of the story, she was the one that was easiest to relate to, as she seemed to be the only character reacting in an understandable way to what was happening. The reason none of the others react in a way that makes sense is revealed during the climax, but let’s just say its because some big things are being hidden from Liv. Not only is Liv smart, and resourceful, she’s also strong-willed, something I appreciate in my protagonists. Being strong-willed matters as the story progresses and no one else seems bothered by things that are out of place at Hawthorn. Jason and Lexa are both well-written and the fact that they are both clearly conflicted is something that’s telegraphed early on but done in a way that doesn’t reveal anything too important to the plot until the right time.

Not including Liv, the most important character, I feel, is Dr. Stone. Stone is a figure who, from her first mention, the reader know to be wary of. None of what she does seems genuine, and given Liv’s history with her before the government found her, I doubt any reader would assume she was anything other than an antagonist. It’s Liv’s distrust of Stone, given their history, which drives the plot forward. Liv’s not willing to relax, not willing to trust any of the staff at Hawthorn, simply because of Stone’s past experiments on her.

Something I enjoyed most about this story is the climax itself. After pages of building tension, foreshadowing and introducing details that may or may not be red herrings, Liv finally sees the truth of what Hawthorn House is. I think what I enjoyed most about it was that I was close when I tried to guess what the “big reveal” was, but I wasn’t completely right. The real secret of Hawthorn, and Dr. Stone, was in the same vein of what I thought, but it wasn’t completely correct. The revelation is related to my assumption, which meant the story was somewhat predictable, but there was enough room for me to be pleasantly surprised by the outcome. Since this is the first book in a series, the ending is ambiguous which I enjoyed in this case.

While for the most part, I enjoyed the book, I do have a few negatives I should mention. One is the length. The book is about 150 pages, which is not very long for a novel. Gilliand’s writing somewhat makes the book feel longer, with more plot packed in, but I feel like it needed to be a little bit longer for the climax and ending to feel completely satisfying. My other complaint would be regarding Liv’s reaction when she finally learns what’s going on. Up until that point, I related to her, I thought she was making good decisions and reacting to things in a normal way. Following the big reveal, however, I can’t say I like her characterization. Rather than stay, and fight, or make what’s happening stop, she leaves. She yells at a few people, asking them what’s wrong with them, roughs a few people up, but doesn’t really do much to stop Stone. I wish she’d done more than just storm off.

Anomaly is a good book. I found it entertaining, I was intrigued by it. I’ll most likely pick up the next book in the series to see where the story goes. A few things of note: the author has another published book, this one from 2012, also called Anomaly and part of a series called The New Haven Project. While the novels are similar, based on the synopses of both, the main characters are different and I haven’t read the 2012 version.

Rating: 3.7 stars

Blogtober Day 6: Favorite Reading Snacks

I love food. Almost as much as I love books, although I do need food slightly more than books. I could live without books, but would I want to? Absolutely not. It makes sense then, that I've given a lot of though to reading snacks. After all, I'm great at multitasking. Not every food is fit to be a reading snack, though. As much as I love spaghetti, eating it while reading wouldn't end well (and I'd never forgive myself if I got tomato sauce on my precious books).

So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite reading snacks.



1)Popcorn

Sometimes when you're reading, you need something salty. Popcorn naturally comes bite-sized, which is good, even though I tend to eat way more than I meant to. At least popcorn's slightly more healthy that the next thing on this list.



2)Chips (preferably sour cream and onion)

Potato chips, like popcorn, are great for when you want something salty while reading. Unless you eat Doritos, or particularly greasy brand of chips, there's no risk of damaging the pages with your finger prints.



3)Grapes

Grapes, blueberries, raspberries, pretty much any fruit that doesn't need to be cut up or picked apart is great for reading in my opinion.



4) Coffee/tea/hot chocolate

I'm putting all of these in the same category, because which drink I choose depends on my mood. Nothing sounds better to me than curling up with a nice book and a hot beverage.



5) Chocolate

Is there any time that chocolate wouldn't be a good snack? I rest my case. For reading, it's nice to indulge in something sweet while also getting lost in a good story.

6) Fruit Snacks

This is more of a convenience thing than anything else, but I'm including it. Fruit snacks are great because you can just grab a package (or two) and go somewhere to read. There's no prep work involved, and depending on the brand, you have a variety of flavors.

Blogtober Day 5: Top 5 Disney Villains

I feel like Disney villains kind of run the gamut. They stretch all the way from villains that are pure evil, just for the sake of being evil and they love it, to misunderstood figures who aren't necessary good, but when looked at through a certain lens, viewers might not call them evil.
I love Disney villains. So many different types of villains, so many stories to be told. Here are my top five Disney villains and why I enjoy their villainy so much. I decided this list based on how much I enjoy the villain, not necessarily how evil they are.



5) Yzma

I won't lie, a large part of the reason why I like Yzma, and The Emperor's New Groove in general so much, is because of Kronk. His dynamic with Yzma elevates the story and makes it much more enjoyable. On her own though, I do love Yzma. She's one of the few memorable female Disney villains who's motive isn't about finding/keeping the handsome prince to herself. She's got personality and knows exactly what she wants. Also, the whole "I'll turn Kuzco into a flea" scene cracks me up every time.


4) Scar

If I had to guess what movie I've seen the most times, it would probably be The Lion King. My sister used to make us watch it all of the time when we were kids, not that I complained. I love Scar for his theatricality. The Shakespearean-ness (I don't know if that's a word, but I'm going to pretend it is) of his actions and his plans made me love this film as a child and I love it even more as an adult (except for the scene where Mufasa dies, which is much more traumatic than I remember)


3) Maleficent

Yes, Sleeping Beauty is a very old Disney movie. It also has one of the best, pure evil characters ever (before Disney decided to give Maleficent her own movie and turned her into a misunderstood figure). While the film Maleficent has its own merits, I prefer the cartoon version. Why does she curse Aurora? Because she wasn't invited to a party. It was a petty reason, and sometimes, you need that in a villain.


2) Jafar

Jafar is a great villain because he's pretty much unshakeable. He knows what his goal is, he knows what he wants and at no point in Aladdin does he consider changing his mind. Not only that, but the lengths he's willing to go to in order to get what he wants, the throne of Agrabah, take him pretty far. Not many villains are willing to take risks like that to achieve their endgame.


1) Hades

Even though Hercules isn't my favorite Disney film, it has my favorite villain. Why is Hades my favorite? One word: sass. I like villains with sass and attitude. Hades is clearly a villain, but he's also a genuinely funny character. I enjoy that, even if the rest of the film doesn't live up to the same standard.

Those are my top 5 Disney villains, which Disney villain is your favorite?

Blogtober Day 4: Cosy Places to Read

I think a lot about good places to read. While it's possible to read almost anywhere, there's a definite distinction that makes somewhere a good place to read and what doesn't. I've decided there are a few characteristics that makes somewhere a good places to read.

First of all, ambiance. I don't know about you, but I prefer reading in places where there's a good atmosphere. I can read on the Metro, but I prefer not to because of how loud and distracting it can be. I like quiet places that are out of the way. There aren't a ton of people, but I'm also not the only person there. This is why, when I was in college, one of my favorite places to go to read was the library, cliche I know. The library was quiet, they had some comfy chairs and for the most part, people left you alone.

Second, comfort. Where would you rather sit when you read? In a big comfy chair, possibly with a blanket thrown over you for good measure, or in a hard plastic chair where you can't lean back on relax? I'd take the first option, any day. Since I love curling up with a good book, I prefer big, overstuffed chairs that practically beg to be sat in. This is definitely why lying in bed is one of my favorite places to read. Nothing says comfort like lying in bed and getting lost in a book.

Third, lighting. This one might be part of ambiance, but I've decided to make it its own category. Obviously, reading in the dark is very difficult, but what makes somewhere a good place to read depends a lot on the lighting situation. I prefer natural lighting to artificial lights. I'd rather sit by the window, where I can get plenty of natural light to read by, than deal with too many overhead fluorescent lights. I'm prone to headaches pretty easily, so the more natural light, the better. Plus, natural light just feels cozier.

For all of the reasons I've described above, I've decided my favorite place to read, by far, and the coziest, is in a big overstuffed chair, in front of a fireplace. I curl up there with my latest read and a glass of something warm, maybe coffee, maybe hot chocolate, and get lost in the tale the author has to offer.

That's my ideal place to read. What's yours?

Blogtober Day 3: Favorite Autumn Films

Unsurprisingly, reading is not the only hobby I have. It's one of my favorites, but I also enjoy a good movie every now and then. Someday, I'm going to write an in-depth post about my thoughts on good vs. bad adaptations of novels into films.

Today however, I've decided to talk about some films I watch every fall, or almost every fall. Most of these are Halloween movies, but others put me in a generic fall mood. They aren't explicitly related to Halloween, but watching them puts me in a "must be autumn, let's go watch the leaves change" state of mind.



Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

I could put the entire film series on this list, but of all eight movies, it's the first one that gives me that fall feeling the most. I don't really know why, but Sorcerer's Stone always strikes me as the most Halloween-y. This is probably because the first film, like the first novel, focuses more on the world itself than the overarching story about Harry defeating Voldemort. We get to see fall at Hogwarts and Halloween and other aspects that got overlooked or brushed over in later films.



The Nightmare Before Christmas

I feel like this one, and the next one, aren't much of a shock. This movie is weird and wonderful and I love it. Halloween isn't Halloween if I haven't watched it.



Hocus Pocus

Like The Nightmare Before Christmas, I feel like this one is pretty self-explanatory. I've loved this movie ever since I was a kid and I watch it every year.

      

The Addams Family and Addams Family Values

I just love both of these films so much. The kookiness of the Addamses always makes me laugh and I love the dynamic between all of the family members. And yes, I am totally going to see the new film when it comes out.



Fantastic Mr. Fox

While the story itself isn't explicitly about fall or Halloween, the color palette used is heavy on oranges and yellows, giving it a fall feel. It's a film with a very charming and endearing story. It might look like a strange choice at first, but I'd recommend it to everyone.



Practical Magic

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as sister witches living in a small, close-minded town and dealing with a curse that prevents them from ever finding love? That's enough to get me on board. I love this movie so much.

Those are some of my favorite fall movies to watch, what are yours?

Blogtober Day 2: October Releases

Like any month, October has a lot of new books coming out. I've decided to share three that I'm very excited about. I know three books isn't a lot, but I tend to hear about books through word-of-mouth after their release, so I'm a little surprised I know of any books that are awaiting release. There's also the fact that so many books come out each month that there's no way I could keep up with them all. Still, I found a list of books coming out in October, and to avoid having a list that's too long, I selected the three that intrigue me the most and I'm going to try and get my hands on.




Rebel by Marie Lu. Genre: YA Sci-Fi. Release Date: October 1st

Eden Wing has been living in his brother’s shadow for years. Even though he’s a top student at his academy in Ross City, Antarctica, and a brilliant inventor, most people know him only as Daniel Wing’s little brother.

A decade ago, Daniel was known as Day, the boy from the streets who led a revolution that saved the Republic of America. But Day is no longer the same young man who was once a national hero. These days he’d rather hide out from the world and leave his past behind. All that matters to him now is keeping Eden safe—even if that also means giving up June, the great love of Daniel’s life.

As the two brothers struggle to accept who they’ve each become since their time in the Republic, a new danger creeps into the distance that’s grown between them. Eden soon finds himself drawn so far into Ross City’s dark side, even his legendary brother can’t save him. At least not on his own

Salvaged by Madeline Roux. Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller. Release Date: October 15th

Rosalyn Devar is on the run from her famous family, the bioengineering job she's come to hate, and her messed-up life. She's run all the way to outer space, where she's taken a position as a "space janitor," cleaning up ill-fated research expeditions. But no matter how far she goes, Rosalyn can't escape herself. After too many mistakes on the job, she's given one last chance: take care of salvaging the Brigantine, a research vessel that has gone dark, with all crew aboard thought dead.

But the Brigantine's crew are very much alive--if not entirely human. Now Rosalyn is trapped on board, alone with a crew infected by a mysterious parasitic alien. The captain, Edison Aries, seems to still maintain some control over himself and the crew, but he won't be able to keep fighting much longer. Rosalyn and Edison must find a way to stop the parasite's onslaught...or it may take over the entire human race.



A Kingdom for a Stage by Heidi Heilig. Genre: YA Fantasy. Release date: October 8th

Jetta is a wanted criminal. The army wants her for treason against the crown, for the sabotage of Hell’s Court temple, and for the murder of General Legarde. They also want her for the power in her blood—the magic that captures wandering spirits to give life to puppets, to rocks, to paper . . . to weapons. They’re willing to trade the elixir that treats Jetta’s madness for the use of her blood. The rebels want her, too, to help them reclaim their country. Jetta may be the one who can tip the scales in this war.

But Jetta fears using her power will make her too much like Le Trepas, the terrifying and tyrannical necromancer who once held all Chakrana under his thumb—and who is Jetta’s biological father. She’s already raised her brother from the dead, after all. And scared off Leo, the only person who saw her as she truly is. With Le Trepas at large and a clash between the army and the rebels becoming inevitable, Jetta will have to decide if saving her country is worth sacrificing her soul.



Those are my top 3 October book releases, what are yours?

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Blogtober Day 1: Spooky TBR

Happy Blogtober Everyone!

October is (unsurprisingly) when I read the most scary stories. Even in years when I choose not to read horror novels specifically, it's still the month when I read more stories about ghosts and witches and goblins. It's unsurprising, then, that my TBR for this month consists mostly of horror stories and other Halloween-y type books. I also tend to read a lot more anthologies in October for some reason, so there are a few books on this list that are collections of short stories.



A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan. The description on Amazon is as follows:

"Brittany, 1821. After Grand-mère Ursule gives her life to save her family, their magic seems to die with her.

Even so, the Orchires fight to keep the old ways alive, practicing half-remembered spells and arcane rites in hopes of a revival. And when their youngest daughter comes of age, magic flows anew.

The lineage continues, though new generations struggle not only to master their power, but also to keep it hidden.

But when World War II looms on the horizon, magic is needed more urgently than ever - not for simple potions or visions, but to change the entire course of history."

The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2018 Edition edited by Paula Guran

This is an anthology of, as the name says, dark fantasy and horror. The 2019 edition won't be released until November, so I've been saving the 2018 one for this year. I like short scary stories, partly because of my love for Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark from when I was a kid and partly because I sometimes find fully length horror novels a little boring.

Nightmare Escapade: A Horror Anthology by Waylon Piercy

At some point, everyone fears the dark, and the things that lurk within it! 
In these eight stories, people are forced to confront their personal horrors, and no one emerges unscathed. 
The little boy who is convinced that something sinister stalks him...
The weary soldier who runs afoul of a terrifying stranger...
The man whose vacation is disturbed in a most unwelcome fashion.... 
The former cop who finds himself caught up in the search for a missing child...
The young woman who finds herself trapped in a dark cellar following a tornado...
These people, and others, each embark on their own dark journeys within these pages. Join them, won't you? 



The Scarred God by Neil Beynon

Anya longs to follow in the fabled footsteps of her warrior grandmother. But when the forces of the corrupt Scarred God raid her village, she fears she doesn’t have the stomach to wield the cold steel. Captured, her only path of escape is to commit an unthinkable act of bloodshed…

Guilt-ridden over her first kill, Anya vows to rescue those still held for sacrificial slaughter. But before she can set the captives free, she must survive a bewitched forest by tying her fate to its shadowy guardian. To defeat the Scarred God, the unlikely pair seek a rival deity whose twisted motives could lead to the realm’s liberation… or its doom.

Can Anya unleash her inner hero before the vengeful gods destroy the world she loves?


I'm not sure if the last one really fits with the theme of the others, but the premise does intrigue me and I'm hoping to read it sometime this month.

Those are my TBRs for October. What are yours?