Taylor Fenner's Blog, page 31

Taylor Fenner’s Spooky Season 2023 Week 5 Check-In

Hey Spooky Season Fiends! It’s finally starting to feel like fall here in Wisconsin! Welcome back for our week 5 check-in! If you’re just joining us, Taylor Fenner’s Spooky Season 2023 is a 92-day celebration of all things spooky, cozy, and halloween vibes from August 1-October 31st, hosted by me, Taylor Fenner: author, book blogger, and all around spooky season lover. We have Spooky Season Bookish Bingo all season long and a readathon and Instagram photo challenge coming up in October. Link up on the original post here.

Week Five

This week I finished two of the books on my Spooky Season TBR and went to see a newly released horror movie!

Reading:Just Finished:

This was a fun, short audiobook and it got me all excited for A Haunting in Venice which releases this coming Friday (Did you know September 15th, the release date of A Haunting in Venice was also Agatha Christie’s birthday?!)

I loved this book and couldn’t put it down! It reminded me why Riley Sager is on of my auto-buy authors!

Currently Reading:

Now that I’m done with Hallowe’en Party and The Only One Left I plan to devote more time to Vampires of El Norte and hope to finish it before I go on vacation this coming Wednesday.

Watching:

This week I watched:

Thirteen GhostsCoralineFriday the 13th Part 2 & 3The Nun II The Last Voyage of the Demeter Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 3Creating:

Due to the holiday weekend, my schedule, and fatigue my writing slowed this week and I only wrote 3,900, which is slightly down from last week. I’ve been delving into the past timeline and getting into the mind of my antagonist.

Events:

There are a couple fall/spooky season events coming up that I want to attend, but not until the end of the month. More on those when they get closer.

Tell me all about how you’ve been celebrating Taylor Fenner’s Spooky Season 2023 this week and remember to tag me on socials so I can see your posts and use hashtag: #taylorfennersspookyseason2023

Friday 56: Vampires of El Norte

The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. How to participate: Grab a book, any book. Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay. Find a snippet, short and sweet. Post it, and link up on Freda’s Voice so everyone knows to visit.

This week I’m participating with: Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas!

Blurb:

Vampires and vaqueros face off on the Texas-Mexico border in this supernatural western from the author of The Hacienda.

As the daughter of a rancher in 1840s Mexico, Nena knows a thing or two about monsters—her home has long been threatened by tensions with Anglo settlers from the north. But something more sinister lurks near the ranch at night, something that drains men of their blood and leaves them for dead.

Something that once attacked Nena nine years ago.

Believing Nena dead, Néstor has been on the run from his grief ever since, moving from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero. But no amount of drink can dispel the night terrors of sharp teeth; no woman can erase his childhood sweetheart from his mind.

When the United States invades Mexico in 1846, the two are brought abruptly together on the road to war: Nena as a curandera, a healer striving to prove her worth to her father so that he does not marry her off to a stranger, and Néstor as a member of the auxiliary cavalry of ranchers and vaqueros. But the shock of their reunion—and Nena’s rage at Néstor for seemingly abandoning her long ago—is quickly overshadowed by the appearance of a nightmare made flesh.

And unless Nena and Néstor work through their past and face the future together, neither will survive to see the dawn.

Friday 56 Excerpt:

With a brutal, wet cry, the vampire shucked off the last of its meaty bindings and lurched forward onto all fours. As it rose to its full height, Néstor shoved a bullet and gunpowder into the first pistol, then the second. Bullets found their marks in the vampire’s chest and neck; each blow sent shudders through its body, but still it loomed over them, a full head taller than Néstor. Blood slicked its hairless skull and the metal band around its throat, gleaming in firelight.

What do you think? Would you read this one? This is the book club pick for the Big Bad Booty B*tches Book Club.. and I haven’t made much progress so far because I’ve been in the middle of two other books.

🎧Audiobook Review: Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie

Hallowe’en Party (Hercule Poirot #41) by Agatha ChristieBlurb:

A teenage murder witness is drowned in a tub of apples… At a Hallowe’en party, Joyce—a hostile thirteen-year-old—boasts that she once witnessed a murder. When no-one believes her, she storms off home. But within hours her body is found, still in the house, drowned in an apple-bobbing tub. That night, Hercule Poirot is called in to find the ‘evil presence’. But first he must establish whether he is looking for a murderer or a double-murderer…

My Review:

Hallowe’en Party was on my Spooky Season 2023 TBR and I wanted to listen to the audiobook before the movie adaptation releases on 09/15/2023.

Hercule Poirot is once again called upon to solve a mysterious death after a 13-year-old girl is found drowned in a apple-bobbing tub after a Halloween party. Earlier in the day the girl claimed to have witnessed a murder some years ago — but was she telling the truth?

Through investigating unsolved murders, disappearances, and scandals in the village, Hercule Poirot will get to the bottom of what was seen — and who would want to shut-up a thirteen-year-old girl forever because of it.

I though Hugh Fraser made a great narrator and easily breezed through this one in a couple days. It had a somewhat big cast of characters, though some were more fleshed out than others. I suspected a few things along the way but still enjoyed how things were wrapped up at the end.

Overall, I enjoyed this book but the movie looks a tad bit more interesting and exciting. It’s a great read for the spooky season though and I definitely recommend it.

My Rating:

4 of 5 Knives!

(This Book Stabbed My Heart)

Can’t Wait Wednesday: In These Hallowed Halls

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released.

In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia Anthology

Thriller/Dark Academia/Adult/Anthology

eBook, Hardcover, 368 Pages

September 12, 2023 by Titan Books

Blurb:

ENROLLMENT BEGINS NOW

A beguiling, sinister collection of 12 dark academia short stories from masters of the genre, including Olivie Blake, M.L. Rio, Susie Yang and more!

In these stories, dear student, retribution visits a lothario lecturer; the sinister truth is revealed about a missing professor; a forsaken lover uses a séance for revenge; an obsession blooms about a possible illicit affair; two graduates exhume the secrets of a reclusive scholar; horrors are uncovered in an obscure academic department; five hopeful initiates must complete a murderous task and much more!

Featuring brand-new stories from:
Olivie Blake
M.L. Rio
David Bell
Susie Yang
Layne Fargo
J.T. Ellison
James Tate Hill
Kelly Andrew
Phoebe Wynne
Kate Weinberg
Helen Grant
Tori Bovalino

Definition of dark academia in English:
dark academia
1. An internet subculture concerned with higher education, the arts, and literature, or an idealised version thereof with a focus on the pursuit of knowledge and an exploration of death.
2. A set of aesthetic principles. Scholarly with a gothic edge – tweed blazers, vintage cardigans, scuffed loafers, a worn leather satchel full of brooding poetry. Enthusiasts are usually found in museums and darkened libraries.

Why I Want to Read This Book:

I love the Dark Academia trope/subgenre and J.T. Ellison, who is one of my auto-buy authors being part of this makes it even better, though I’m excited for all of the stories.

Will you be checking this one out? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros: The Only One Left

First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros is a weekly meme hosted by Socrates Book Reviews where you share the first paragraph of one of the books that you are currently reading. Each week bloggers will choose a book or books of the week (which will be one of the books that you are currently reading) and that book will take part in this book blog meme.

This week I’m participating with: The Only One Left by Riley Sager!

First Chapter, First Paragraph:

We’re at the typewriter again, Lenora in her wheelchair and me standing beside her as I place her left hand atop the keys. A fresh page sits in the carriage, replacing the one from last night. Now faceup on the desk, it serves as a partial transcript of our conversation.

Blurb:

Bestselling author Riley Sager returns with a deliciously twisty and addictive Gothic chiller about a young caregiver assigned to work for a woman accused of a Lizzie Borden-like massacre decades earlier.

At seventeen, Lenora Hope hung her sister with a rope

1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred.

Stabbed her father with a knife

Took her mother’s happy life

It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night.

In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer – I want to tell you everything.

“It wasn’t me,” Lenora said

But she’s the only one not dead

As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth – and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought.

What do you think? Would you keep reading? I’m about halfway through this one and I can’t put it down!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 4 September 2023

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Hey Bookdragons! I’m in the middle of a bunch of books right now…

Last Week I Read/Currently Reading:Always Mine by Laura Pavlov

Currently at: 41%

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

I started this one while waiting to start my book club pick and I’m loving it!

Currently on Page: 160 of 383

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

Book Club Pick. The first few pages were kind of boring and I felt like I had to fight to keep my attention on every single word – and some are in Spanish and I don’t know what they mean. Hoping it gets better in the next chapter.

Currently at: 4%

Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie

I just started this one last night and I like the narrator on the audiobook and the story so far!

Currently at: 5%

Next Read:

TBD after I finish a few of these!

What are you reading this week? Have you started any fall reads?

The Sunday Post: Change of Plans, Fire Museum, and Septemberween

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

Change of Plans, Fire Museum, and Septemberween

Hey Bookdragons! Happy September! I hope you’ve had a good weekend and are enjoying the long weekend if you have one.

This week I made the ultimate decision to cancel my trip to Savannah. The hurricane earlier in the week and the promise that more storms are likely to keep coming ultimately changed my mind about going. And, if I’m completely honest – and this is no offense to any Savannahians reading this – but I just wasn’t as excited about going there as I have been going to Charleston the past two times. What can I say, that city holds my heart. So what am I doing with my vacation time next week instead? I debated Portland, Maine but I’m going to table that until next fall as I couldn’t find a flight back at a not ungodly hour of the morning and would like more time to plan on that one. So… I’m driving up to Marquette, Michigan for a few days. It’s been about 7 years since I was last there and it’s one of the most relaxing places I’ve been to so I’m excited.

Last weekend I left you telling you I was heading up to the Peshtigo Fire Museum for writing research. It was a gorgeous day for a drive and though I would have liked a little more focused on the fire at the museum, the cemetery was a gold mine for the kind of personal stories I was looking for and I’ve written a lot since I came back, about 4,212 words this past week.

Finally, who else is feeling the fall vibe since September started? I know it doesn’t feel like it, especially as we sore into the upper 90s for the next 3-4 days here in Wisconsin but everywhere I look on like it’s just such a fall mood. I love it! Though I’ve been in fall/spooky season mode since August 1st.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 28 August 2023

First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros: Vampires of El Norte

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Water Themed Books

Can’t Wait Wednesday: A Fragile Enchantment

Friday 56: The Only One Left

Taylor Fenner’s Spooky Season 2023 Week 4 Check-In

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 4 September 2023

First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros: The Only One Left

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books That Defied My Expectations

Can’t Wait Wednesday: In These Hallowed Halls

Friday 56: Vampires of El Norte

Taylor Fenner’s Spooky Season 2023 Week 5 Check-In

Kickstarter Reward:

I received my Kickstarter reward for The Storm and the Fury by Sarah M. Cradit and it is such a beautiful edition!!!

2023 Fraterfest Readathon Sign-Up

Taylor Fenner’s Spooky Season 2023 Week 4 Check-In

Hey Spooky Season Fiends! We’re finally in the “ber” months! Welcome back for our week 4 check-in! If you’re just joining us, Taylor Fenner’s Spooky Season 2023 is a 92-day celebration of all things spooky, cozy, and halloween vibes from August 1-October 31st, hosted by me, Taylor Fenner: author, book blogger, and all around spooky season lover. We have Spooky Season Bookish Bingo all season long and a readathon and Instagram photo challenge coming up in October. Link up on the original post here.

Week Four

This week I caught up on some horror movie watching and started 2 books on my Fall/Spooky Season TBR, one for book club and the other just for fun.

Reading:Book Club Pick:

I’m just a few pages into this one but I love the writing style! Trying to decide if I want to keep flip-flopping between this and my other current read or finish that one first.

Just for Fun:

I’m almost 100 pages into this one and after a couple Riley Sager books that I didn’t like, I’m definitely getting into this one!

Watching:

This week I watched:

Halloween 2 & 3

Jeepers Creepers

Sorority Row

The Witch

The Fog

I’m also still watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and True Blood.

Creating:

I wrote 4,212 words this week in It Rose From the Ashes after my visit to the Peshtigo Fire Museum. I’m a little past the halfway point for my total word count goal but I still have so much story to tell!

Tell me all about how you’ve been celebrating Taylor Fenner’s Spooky Season 2023 and remember to tag me on socials so I can see your posts and use hashtag: #taylorfennersspookyseason2023

The Friday 56: The Only One Left

The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. How to participate: Grab a book, any book. Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay. Find a snippet, short and sweet. Post it, and link up on Freda’s Voice so everyone knows to visit.

This week I’m participating with The Only One Left by Riley Sager

Blurb:

Bestselling author Riley Sager returns with a deliciously twisty and addictive Gothic chiller about a young caregiver assigned to work for a woman accused of a Lizzie Borden-like massacre decades earlier.

At seventeen, Lenora Hope hung her sister with a rope

1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred.

Stabbed her father with a knife

Took her mother’s happy life

It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night.

In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer – I want to tell you everything.

“It wasn’t me,” Lenora said

But she’s the only one not dead

As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth – and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought.

Friday 56 Excerpt:

“Never show fear, Kit-Kat,” he whispered. “They can tell if you’re scared-and that’s when they sting.”

What do you think? Would you read this one? I’m trying to find time to start it!

Can’t Wait Wednesday: A Fragile Enchantment

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released.

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

YA Historical Fantasy, Standalone

eBook, Hardcover, 384 Pages

January 23, 2024 by Wednesday Books

Blurb:

In this romantic fantasy of manners from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft, a magical dressmaker commissioned for a royal wedding finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her undeniable chemistry with the groom.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her. Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland.

But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more—until an anonymous gossip columnist starts buzzing about their chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover the royal family’s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep, but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.

Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.

Why I Want to Read This Book:

This book is giving me major Bridgerton meets Fantasy vibes and I’m here for it! Plus the cover is really pretty!

Will you be checking this one out? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?