Book Talk

Happy Halloween!: Some Favorite Spooky Reads from 2019

Happy Halloween Y’all! I hope everyone has the plans to look forward to tonight. Whether that’s getting dressed up and going out or shutting your porch light off to watch a spooky movie.

We’re going to a Halloween party tonight and my family is dressing up as pirates this year!

I wanted to write a special little post about what spooky reads I’ve enjoyed this year, and a few from some of my Bookstagram friends. Spooky is a very broad term for this post. Anything that has fall vibes, freaked someone out, had a creepy moment or two, maybe some witches? It all goes! I wanted to give some options for all to add to your TBR! My only rule was that you had to read it in 2019, whether or not it came out then doesn’t matter!

These responses were from my friends on Instagram. I’ve included a link to their Insta’s and a little blurb about why the enjoyed this read. I’ll include my thoughts if I’ve read them!


littlelindsreadsThe Whisper Man by Alex North

“If you leave a door half open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken. If you play outside alone, soon you won’t be going home. If you window’s left unlatched, you’ll hear him tapping at the glass. If you’re lonely, sad, and blue, the Whisper Man will come for you.”

Lindsay says: Just this quote alone from The Whisper Man gives me the chills! This book has just the right amount of spookiness to have you on edge while you are reading it. The alternating points of view keep the story interesting as you try to solve the case of the disappearing children. Fans of Law and Order will love this book!


bookish_tayThe Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

Taylor says: I loved The Wicked Deep because it was so creepy and enjoyable. Even though parts were predictable, I was sucked into the story. Rooting for the boys, rooting for the witches at times, rooting for Penny. It was a perfect read for this time of year!

Cait says: I’ve read this one too! I definitely loved the creepy vibes it gave off. The story of the Swan sisters and the witchy vibes. Perfect for October. Find my full review here.


caro.libraryHouse of Salt & Sorrows by Erin A. Craig, Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin, and The Whisper Man by Alex North

Caroline says:

House of Salt & Sorrows: Is there anything better than a spooky fairy tale retelling? This atmospheric retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses is equal parts dark fantasy, mystery, and Gothic horror. It’s creepy and magical, and it kept me guessing until the end.

Serpent & Dove: This book has the best cast of characters! It’s a great witchy story, but also hilarious and heartfelt.

The Whisper Man: One of the best thrillers I’ve read this year! It was so well done with great pacing, a ghost story feel, and some downright chilling moments!

Cait says: I’ve read the first two of her suggestions. House of Salt & Sorrows was a buddy I read I actually did with Caroline! It was great and this book is DEFINITELY creepy. It’s a dark take on the Twelve Dancing Princesses. Full review here!

Serpent & Dove. ONE OF MY FAVS OF 2019. I usually don’t love books with witches. THIS IS THE BEST EXCEPTION. Seriously. Read it. Full review here!

This second section will include books I’ve enjoyed from this year (some might overlap).

Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

Probably the best thriller I read this year. It had the creepy factor and a lot of unknowns. Some twists were easy to see, but others left me shocked.


Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

OH MY GOODNESS. I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. Really. Top 10 from this year. Without a doubt. I’m going to link my review again because you must get this on your TBR ASAP.


The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett

This one is all about Dracula! No actual vampires, but a lot of spooky vibes as the MCs run across Romania. See my full review here!


Stalking Jack the Ripper Series by Kerri Maniscalco

I’m waiting on a library hold for the very last book, but this are perfect for a good spooky time. There’s murder, romance, mystery, a great mix of YA historical fiction goodness. And of course, there’s Thomas Cresswell.

I hope you enjoyed this post and maybe found a new book or two to consider for your TBR. Have you read any of these? What was one of your favorite spooky reads this year? Lets talk in the comments!

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Book Talk

Bookish Discussion: How I Read 10+ Books A Month

For the past few months whenever I have posted my monthly wrap-ups I get a few comments and DMs (through Instagram) asking and exclaiming about how many books I read a month. I honestly don’t realize how many books I get through until the end of the month. I *try* to not let numbers be the forefront of the reason I read. I see people read more than I do so I always think I’m somewhere in the middle.

Thinking about all of this had me pondering a post about some tips and tricks that help me reach higher monthly totals.

But first, I will acknowledge I’m a medium-fast reader. This alone helps on it’s own and is not what I’m addressing here. Everyone reads at their own pace and there is nothing wrong with that. I also am blessed to be able to stay home with my child. This definitely influences how much I can read.

Always a book in my hand.

Books have become a bit of a comfort item for me. I never like to not have one around because I never know when there might be a chance to read. Purchasing a book sleeve was the best idea because I throw my book in there and can be on the go. I read in lines, waiting for appointments, sitting in the car, etc.

I am hooked on audiobooks.

They’re not for everyone, but if you haven’t given them a chance I would highly recommend them! Maybe try listening to an already favorite book of yours and see if you enjoy hearing stories over reading them.

I am sitting here now listening to The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson). I listen to audio books in the car, while working out, doing chores, writing blog posts, playing with my toddler, anything.

Paying attention to the time I spend on social media and watching TV.

I set a timer on my phone that wont allow me to access Instagram once I’ve spent a certain amount of time on there. BEST DECISION. Another great choice? You can pause notifications from Insta which helps me not pull it up constantly. If I’m not getting a notification, I don’t feel as compelled to scroll.

I don’t have a Twitter account and I don’t really use my Facebook account (I don’t even have the app). Social media can be a big deterrent from picking up a book instead. Lowering the amount I spend on here helps me mentally, but also, I’m able to pick up books more.

Since I have a child I am very aware how much we keep the TV on. We usually don’t even turn it on until the afternoon. I’m able to play audio books or read to them rather than us sitting on the couch watching TV.

Kindle (digital) books are my friend.

I used to NEVER read digital books. Not until I started reading Netgalley’s from time to time. But, I’ve realized that with children I can’t always have a book out. It’s grabbed from my hands, pages ripped, things thrown on it (or the book thrown itself). It drove me crazy, so I got my digital library app and WOW. It’s amazing.

I am devouring digital books like they’re candy. It’s so easy to read because the book is attached to you (we all know our phones are with us pretty much always).

I take what I can get.

Have a few minutes before I leave? Read a few pages.

Toddler playing quietly on their own? Read a few pages.

Quick errand to the store? Listen to a few pages.

There’s a lot more chances to read during the day than you might notice. Over the course of the day I can sometimes get 50+ pages read. By the time the family is asleep and I’m reading on my own I’ve already read a chunk of my book.

I hope you found this helpful, but please take from it what you want! These are purely what I do to help me read more.

What helps you read more? Do you ever feel like you aren’t reading enough? Lets talk in the comments!

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Book Talk

Bookish Discussion: The Lowest Rated Books On My Goodreads

Scrolling through the pages I follow I saw that Ally Writes Things had posted about the lowest rated books (on Goodreads) and what she rated them.

Y’all. THIS WAS A BRILLIANT IDEA.

So here I am, definitely doing this. Let’s go. This will be a handful of the lowest rated books based off of Goodreads and then what I ended up rating them. I hope to do one with the highest rated books from my GR as well, future post alert!

Things I’d Rather Do Than Die by Christine Hurley Deriso

Goodreads Rating: 3.25 || My Rating: 2.50

You can actually find my review for this here. Though please pardon the baby blog formatting as it was one of the first Netgalley reviews I ever did. I could not believe this book at all. It tried way too hard to create drama and purpose, but not. Just no.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith (original story from Jane Austen)

Goodreads Rating: 3.29 || My Rating: 4.00

I can’t help it, I thought this book was fun. I even loved the movie (and that never happens!). It’s quirky, ridiculous, but that’s the whole point if you ask me.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Goodreads Rating: 3.39 || My Rating: 2.00

Granted, I read this in high school so it probably deserves a re-read to get a new rating, but I have NO DESIRE to do this.

The Dysasters (The Dysasters #1) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Goodreads Rating: 3.41 || My Rating: 2.00

If you want to see a rant filled review: click here! My first physical ARC was unfortunately…an absolute dud. Really, a dud. *sigh*

Beowulf by Unknown (Seamus Heaney — Translator)

Goodreads Rating: 3.43 || My Rating: 3.00

This was another read in high school. I remember thinking it was fine overall. Interesting enough.

The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman

Goodreads Rating: 3.45 || My Rating: 3.00

Tried my best to enjoy this because I thought the story was amazing, but unfortunately the way this was portrayed I couldn’t get into the story. I hardly remember it now because I scanned so much of it.

Evenfall (Shadowfire #1) by Gaja J. Kos & Boris Kos

Goodreads Rating: 3.51 || My Rating: 4.00

This was my version of a tale of two books. The first half almost had me DNF but then somehow the second half was astounding enough for me to think highly of it. I’m actually excited for the second book! (AND ALSO SHOUT-OUT TO THIS GORGEOUS COVER Y’ALL)

Have you read any of these? Did you love them more than their average rating? Lets talk in the comments!

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Book Talk

Bookish Things: Library Book Haul

I haven’t been to the library in a few months because I received so many gift cards for books for my birthday and Christmas that I didn’t need to go (my family gets me).

Now, sadly those cards are winding down and I decided that I wanted to grab some books from the library that I wasn’t quite sure about buying.

This took so long in deciding though because my library is currently 25 minutes away. They’re remodeling the one that is only FIVE minutes away for a few more months. And with a wiggly toddler it was an adventure to get out there. This boot I’m still stuck in made it even more comical trying to manage her and all the books I wanted.

Nobody should let me into a library unsupervised. I had requested five books, but upon perusing the shelves I picked up three more. I have no regrets. I will finish all of them in three weeks!…I hope.

Night of Cake & Puppets by Laini Taylor and Jim Di Bartolo (Illustrator)

Why I wanted to read it: It wasn’t a book I was originally going to grab, but I saw and figured why not? I actually already read it and enjoyed it. The novella was absolutely adorable.

Synopsis:

In this stand-alone companion to the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone series comes the story of Mik and Zuzana’s fantastical first date—as a gorgeously illustrated gift edition with bonus content included.

Petite though she may be, Zuzana is not known for timidity. Her best friend, Karou, calls her “rabid fairy,” her “voodoo eyes” are said to freeze blood, and even her older brother fears her wrath. But when it comes to the simple matter of talking to Mik, or “Violin Boy,” her courage deserts her. Now, enough is enough. Zuzana is determined to make the first move, and she has a fistful of magic and a plan. It’s a wonderfully elaborate treasure hunt of a plan that will take Mik all over Prague on a cold winter’s night before leading him to the treasure: herself! Violin Boy is not going to know what hit him.

New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor brings to life a night only hinted at in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy—the magical first date of fan-favorites Zuzana and Mik. Originally published as an ebook, this new print edition will include breathtaking black and white illustrations, plus bonus content in a gorgeous package perfect for new and current fans of the series.

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Why I wanted to read it: Purely, #bookstagrammademedoit, it sounded like the perfect enemies to lovers trope though, so I’m not mad I borrowed it!

Synopsis:

Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. Hate. And they have no problem displaying their feelings through a series of ritualistic passive aggressive maneuvers as they sit across from each other, executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company. Lucy can’t understand Joshua’s joyless, uptight, meticulous approach to his job. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy’s overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and Pollyanna attitude.

Now up for the same promotion, their battle of wills has come to a head and Lucy refuses to back down when their latest game could cost her her dream job…But the tension between Lucy and Joshua has also reached its boiling point, and Lucy is discovering that maybe she doesn’t hate Joshua. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.

Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy #1) by Danielle L. Jensen

Why I wanted to read it: I had this on my TBR years ago, took it off, then added it back after hearing about Dark Shores. I’m really interested to see what Jensen’s books are like!

Synopsis:

For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the mountain. When Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she realises that the trolls are relying on her to break the curse.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind: escape. But the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time…

But the more time she spends with the trolls, the more she understands their plight. There is a rebellion brewing. And she just might be the one the trolls were looking for…

The Falconer (The Falconer #1) by Elizabeth May

Why I wanted to read it: Purely fae. I’ve heard some mixed things, but this is what’s great about a library! No guilt if I end up not loving it.

Synopsis:

One girl’s nightmare is this girl’s faery tale

She’s a stunner.
Edinburgh, 1844. Eighteen-year-old Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, has everything a girl could dream of: brains, charm, wealth, a title—and drop-dead beauty.

She’s a liar.
But Aileana only looks the part of an aristocratic young lady. she’s leading a double life: She has a rare ability to sense the sìthíchean—the faery race obsessed with slaughtering humans—and, with the aid of a mysterious mentor, has spent the year since her mother died learning how to kill them.

She’s a murderer.
Now Aileana is dedicated to slaying the fae before they take innocent lives. With her knack for inventing ingenious tools and weapons—from flying machines to detonators to lightning pistols—ruthless Aileana has one goal: Destroy the faery who destroyed her mother.

She’s a Falconer.
The last in a line of female warriors born with a gift for hunting and killing the fae, Aileana is the sole hope of preventing a powerful faery population from massacring all of humanity. Suddenly, her quest is a lot more complicated. She still longs to avenge her mother’s murder—but she’ll have to save the world first.

The first volume of a trilogy from an exciting new voice in young adult fantasy, this electrifying thriller combines romance and action, steampunk technology and Scottish lore in a deliciously addictive read.

Age of Myth (The Legends of the First Empire #1) by Michael J. Sullivan

Why I wanted to read it: A bookstagram friend recommended this to me after I mentioned how much I enjoyed Warbreaker. Since it was available at the library I went ahead and grabbed it!

Synopsis:

Age of Myth inaugurates another six-book series set in Elan.

Since time immemorial, humans have worshipped the gods they call Fhrey, truly a race apart: invincible in battle, masters of magic, and seemingly immortal. But when a god falls to a human blade, the balance of power between humans and those they thought were gods changes forever.

Now only a few stand between humankind and annihilation: Raithe, reluctant to embrace his destiny as the God Killer; Suri, a young seer burdened by signs of impending doom; and Persephone, who must overcome personal tragedy to lead her people. The Age of Myth is over. The time of rebellion has begun.

The Traitor’s Kiss (The Traitor’s Circle #1) by Erin Beaty

Why I want to read it: This book vaguely seemed like The Winner’s Curse (one of my all time fav series), so I’m going to find out!

Synopsis:

An obstinate girl who will not be married. A soldier desperate to prove himself. A kingdom on the brink of war.

With a sharp tongue and an unruly temper, Sage Fowler is not what they’d call a lady―which is perfectly fine with her. Deemed unfit for marriage, Sage is apprenticed to a matchmaker and tasked with wrangling other young ladies to be married off for political alliances. She spies on the girls―and on the soldiers escorting them.

As the girls’ military escort senses a political uprising, Sage is recruited by a handsome soldier to infiltrate the enemy ranks. The more she discovers as a spy, the less certain she becomes about whom to trust―and Sage becomes caught in a dangerous balancing act that will determine the fate of her kingdom. 

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

Why I want to read it: I saw this on a few Bookstagram’s and became really curious. It also sounds totally trippy which is up my alley.

Synopsis:

In an isolated college town in the hills of Southern California, a freshman girl stumbles into her dorm room, falls asleep—and doesn’t wake up. She sleeps through the morning, into the evening. Her roommate, Mei, cannot rouse her. Neither can the paramedics who carry her away, nor the perplexed doctors at the hospital. Then a second girl falls asleep, and then another, and panic takes hold of the college and spreads to the town. As the number of cases multiplies, classes are canceled, and stores begin to run out of supplies. A quarantine is established. The National Guard is summoned. 

Mei, an outsider in the cliquish hierarchy of dorm life, finds herself thrust together with an eccentric, idealistic classmate. Two visiting professors try to protect their newborn baby as the once-quiet streets descend into chaos. A father succumbs to the illness, leaving his daughters to fend for themselves. And at the hospital, a new life grows within a college girl, unbeknownst to her—even as she sleeps. A psychiatrist, summoned from Los Angeles, attempts to make sense of the illness as it spreads through the town. Those infected are displaying unusual levels of brain activity, more than has ever been recorded. They are dreaming heightened dreams—but of what? 

Storm Siren (Storm Siren #1) by Mary Weber

Why I want to read it: I know NOTHING about this book, and I’m kinda excited about it. I simply saw the book and grabbed it. Reminded me of Roar by Cora Carmack.

Synopsis:

In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for?

Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win.

Have you read any of these? Which do you think I should get to first? Let’s talk in the comments!

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