Frightfall Read-a-Thon October 1-31 2017

[Jane]

#FrightFall Readathon2017 hosted by Michelle

Fall will be here before we know it, then right around the corner is October and you know what that means. It will be time for FrightFall! I'm so excited that we are now doing the whole month of October. What could be better than a month long readathon? Not much, in my humble opinion.

We start at 12:00am central time on October 1st and end at 11:59pm central time on October 31st. (There is now a handy link to a time zone converter in the menu above) I hope you're ready to get your scary on! Guidelines for the readathon can be found HERE or you can access in the tab at the top of the blog. Any information you need about the readathon can be found there. Please do be sure to check the guidelines to make sure you're following along correctly. There are specific rules regarding sign up and wrap up, especially in regards to the giveaway. Also, regarding the giveaway, I'll be again adding a Google form to capture names and email addresses so if you're interested in winning a prize (you still must meet the sign up and wrap up criteria), I will ask you to fill in that form which will be located on the prize page.

Just remember...the one main "rule" of FrightFall is that you must read at least ONE scary book (which can be a thriller, mystery, Gothic novel, or similar for those who are faint of heart). Since we are doing a month long, I hope you will indulge the scary a bit more, but that is entirely up to you. It is all about the reading after all.

Our social media hashtag is #FrightFall and we have our outstanding Facebook group which has become quite the reading community (there is also an access tab in the menu).

[Jane]

Goal Post

I think my goal will be to read around 20 books during the month of Frightfall as I read 23 books in September. I already have a list of at 13 books I need for other October challenges. I have a week with family where I don't think I'll be able to read as much as usual but then there is Dewey's Read-a-Thon where I hope to be able to read for around 12 hours so I hope that will make up for it.

I have 3 horror books on this list. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty which might be my first book of the month.

Carrie by Stephen King and The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson. But both of these depends on the library getting them home for me.

This year we have Friday the thirteenth in October, if one of my two other horror books has arrived from the library I might read it that day.

Update 10/7-17 Both Carrie and The Amityville Horror has arrived from the library so I will read them for sure. I might also add Frankenstein to my reading list.

[Jane]

List of books:


Karma Inc. by Melanie James

Midnight Curse by Melissa F. Olson

Flames Over Norway by Robert Jackson

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

Carrie by Stephen King

The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson

Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs

Raven's Shadow by Patricia Briggs

Neuromancer by William Gibson

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

Sweetness and Light J.A. Whiting

The Goddess of Fried Okra by Jean Brashear

Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik

[Jane]

Update:

Sunday 10/1-17
I started this month with The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty ★★★★
I think I might have seen the movie like at least 20 years ago, if not I must have seen some of the scenes with the girl twisting her head and stuff as I thought I could remember that.
It was better than I expected, not as scary as I had hoped but still good.

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Monday 10/2-17
Today I have been reading Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik.

Tuesday 10/3-17
I finished Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik ★★★★ and though I still find it a bit to political for my liking there is a lot of dragon action and other stuff in it to still make it very good.
I also started Karma Inc. by Melanie James

Wednesday 10/4-17
Finished Karma Inc. by Melanie James ★★★ that just wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be, I gave it three stars but was close to giving it only two.
Also Finished The Fallen Vampire by Beata Blitz ★★★ which was interesting but was clearly a prequel as it is quite short and just introduces what I guess to be the MCs of the series.
Started reading The Goddess of Fried Okra by Jean Brashear

Thursday 10/5-17
Didn't read a lot today. Managed 98 pages of The Goddess of Fried Okra by Jean Brashear

Friday 10/6-17
Finished The Goddess of Fried Okra by Jean Brashear ★★★★ which was a lot better than I expected with a lot of emotion at the end of the book where I cried a lot.

Saturday 10/7-17
Today I have read Poor Little Witch Girl by Robin Roseau ★★★ It was okay but predictable most of the way through.

Sunday 10/8-17
One Tiny Miracle... by Carol Marinelli ★★★★ was a nice cute romance with very serious baggage of loss of both wife and unborn child for the male MC. Four years on and he still hasn't gotten through his loss.
*********************************************

Monday 10/9-17
I wasn't feeling great today but luckily well enough to read. That meant I ended up reading two books and 540 pages in total.
Haunted Spouse by Heather MacAllister ★★★★ I liked it but I'm glad I knew it wasn't paranormal before I started or else it would have been quite a disappointment.
Fool Moon by Jim Butcher 10/9-17 ★★★★★ This is one of my favourite series that I have just started rereading and it was as good as last time.

Tuesday 10/10-17
After all my reading yesterday I didn't get much reading done. Just over halfway in Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Wednesday 10/11-17
Finished Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley ★★★★ I found it interesting and actually felt quite sorry for the monster.
Started reading Thirty-Two Going on Spinster by Becky Monson

Thursday 10/12-17
Okay I finished reading Thirty-Two Going on Spinster by Becky Monson ★★ but why is it that I find all these supposed humorous chick lit books quite boring? I really don't know but I didn't even smile in it.

Friday 10/13-17
Another book read and finished though Goodreads doesn't seem to want to add it to my read list. I wonder if that has something to do with it being Friday the 13th.
Flames Over Norway by Robert Jackson ★★★ quite interesting and it was fun to recognise place name both in Scotland, Norway and Denmark.

Saturday 10/14-17
Finished two books today as I'm trying to get as many hours in for my Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon Pre-Readathon Readathon as possible. The challenge is to read 24 hours by Friday. As I'm going to spend time with family over the next week I'm not sure I'll make it but I will try to get as many hours as possible in tomorrow.
Sweetness and Light J.A. Whiting ★★★★ this series is still cosy and nice. Heart of Ice by K.M. Shea ★★★★ was better than I expected, I liked that two kids in the story was called Gerta and Kai which of course is from the Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. Though the girl is Gerda in the original story.

Sunday 10/15-17
I'm hoping to finish 3 books today around 700 pages.
Super Starrella by Aurora Springer ★★★ Nice Young Adult fantasy, I might read the next in the series.
Finished Carrie by Stephen King ★★★★★ I have actually never read this before and it was very gripping and I was more scared by the bullying than what Carrie did.
So only two books read but that's all I had time for.

*********************************************
Monday 10/16-17
Had to wait in the airport and then a 3 hour flight which helped me to finish two short books.
Keeping Secrets: A fun romantic comedy mystery series with paranormal forces at play by Zanna Mackenzie ★★★ This was an okay paranormal cosy book.
Deathly Quiet by Elizabeth A Reeves ★★★★ I like a lot of books by Elizabeth A Reeves and this was no exception. It is not easy to be the assistant of Death and in love with him at the same time. This was both sad and fun.

Tuesday 10/17-17
Not a lot of time to read but managed to finish The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking ★★ There was nothing new in this book and a bit too much "Danes are special" in it.

Wednesday 10/18-17
Again not a lot of reading time but I managed to finish Playing With Vampires by Kendra Ashe ★★★ which is an interesting paranormal series with a MC who is a fallen angel trying to redeem herself.

Thursday 10/19-17
Today I manged to read both in the morning and the afternoon which I was very pleased about.
Her Long Walk Home by Linda Barrett ★★★★ which was a contemporary romance, it had quite a few sad moments but it was a HEA ending. The Luck of Rainbow Gold by Eryn Scott ★★★ cute hopeless MC and a cosy book.

Friday 10/20-17
My last day on holiday and I managed to read 1 short book during our afternoon siesta Magic & Murder by Annabel Chase ★★★★ a fun short cosy book about a woman who discovers she is a witch and has to get used to living in a paranormal town with her daughter.

Saturday 10/21-17
Dewey's Read-a-Thon started at 2pm in my timezone but I got a late start as I didn't get home til nearly 4pm. It ended up being a very long day as I had to get up at 4am to travel home from holiday and by the time I got to bed it was after midnight.
I decided I needed to start with a short light book so I read I Dream of Twila: A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short by Amanda M. Lee ★★★★ I still enjoy her books but only one at a time or the snarkyness gets a bit too much.
Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs ★★★★★ I had been looking forward to this as I really enjoy the Mercy Thompson series and it didn't disappoint. Patricia Briggs writes just my kind of fantasy.

Sunday 10/22-17
I made sure I set an alarm so I would get as much reading in as possible during Dewey's.
Magic & Mystery by Annabel Chase ★★★★ the continuation of my Friday book and I liked it. The MC isn't very diplomatic and that is quite refreshing, also her 10 year old daughter is a delight.
The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson ★★★ My last horror book of the month. I didn't think too much of it. A horror for the family certainly but the demon / poltergeist stuff just isn't very scary.
Running into Love by Aurora Rose Reynolds ★★★ I finished my day with a light romance which was an okay, cute novel.

*********************************************

Monday 10/23-17
No reading today which is quite normal for me after a Dewey's Read-a-Thon weekend.

Tuesday 10/24-17
Still no reading :-)

Wednesday 10/25-17
I finally pulled my self together to read a short book Doom and Broom by Annabel Chase 10/25-17 ★★★★ Another fun cosy witch in train book.

Thursday 10/26-17
And today another short book The Bradshaw Mystery by John Waddington-Feather ★★★ An okay short mystery.

Friday 10/27-17
Finished Winter in Ireland by Pamela M. Kelley ★★★ A nice cosy romance. Started reading Date Night on Union Station by E.M. Foner

Saturay 10/28-17
Finished Date Night on Union Station by E.M. Foner ★★★ I'm not completely sure what I thought of this but it was entertaining in it's own way.
Also finishe Pumpkintown Perils Volume 1: Terrible Trolls, Naughty Gnomes, & Homicidal Humans by Aubrey Law ★★ I liked it was paranormal with both speaking trees, trolls gnomes and witches. But within around a week there is 2 murders and 2 attempted murders that all get solved fairly easy. Not continuing that series.

Sunday 10/29-17
Today I finished 2 books. Both quite good. Courting the Countess by Anne Stenhouse ★★★★ An interesting historical romance. I'm not always very fond of historical but this one I enjoyed
Ice Blue by Emma Jameson ★★★★ A good crime, mystery where I will definitely read the next one.
Also started Magic & Mischief by Annabel Chase

Monday 10/30-17
Finished Magic & Mischief by Annabel Chase ★★★★ I'm really enjoying this light, paranormal, cosy mystery series.
Love in the Lakes by Anna Pagram ★★★ An okay romance with a few twists and turns that was quite interesting.

Tuesday 10/31-17
Last book of the month. Raven's Shadow by Patricia Briggs ★★★★★ I really, really like Patricia Briggs. This book is a very different setting than the Mercy Thompson books but they are great fantasy. She continues to be one of my very favourite authors.

[Jane]

Sunday 10/1-17

# of Pages Read today: 364
# of Pages Read for Month: 364
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
Total # of Books Read: 1

[Jane]

Monday 10/2-17

# of Pages Read today: 360
# of Pages Read for Month: 724
Book Reading now: Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik
Books Finished Today: 0
Total # of Books Read: 1

[Jane]

Tuesday 10/3-17

# of Pages Read today: 184
# of Pages Read for Month: 908
Book Reading now: Karma Inc. by Melanie James (140/310)
Books Finished Today:
Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik
Total # of Books Read: 2

[Jane]

Wednesday 10/4-17

# of Pages Read today: 343
# of Pages Read for Month: 1251
Book Reading now: The Goddess of Fried Okra by Jean Brashear (23/242)
Books Finished Today:
Karma Inc. by Melanie James
The Fallen Vampire by Beata Blitz
Total # of Books Read: 4

[Jane]

Thursday 10/5-17

# of Pages Read today: 98
# of Pages Read for Month: 1349
Book Reading now: The Goddess of Fried Okra by Jean Brashear (121/242)
Books Finished Today: 0
Total # of Books Read: 4

[Jane]

Friday 10/6-17

# of Pages Read today: 121
# of Pages Read for Month: 1470
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
The Goddess of Fried Okra by Jean Brashear
Total # of Books Read: 5

[Jane]

Saturday 10/7-17

# of Pages Read today: 246
# of Pages Read for Month: 1716
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
Poor Little Witch Girl by Robin Roseau
Total # of Books Read: 6

[Jane]

Sunday 10/8-17

# of Pages Read today: 191
# of Pages Read for Month: 1907
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
One Tiny Miracle... by Carol Marinelli
Total # of Books Read: 7

[Jane]

October 1-8 update.

WOW, even for me this is a lot of reading, 1907 pages in 8 days!

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty 10/1-17 ★★★★

Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik 10/3-17 ★★★★

Karma Inc. by Melanie James 10/4-17 ★★★

The Fallen Vampire by Beata Blitz 10/4-17 ★★★

The Goddess of Fried Okra by Jean Brashear 10/6-17 ★★★

Poor Little Witch Girl by Robin Roseau 10/7-17 ★★★

One Tiny Miracle... by Carol Marinelli 10/8-17 ★★★★

[Jane]

Monday 10/9-17

# of Pages Read today: 540
# of Pages Read for Month: 2447
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
Haunted Spouse by Heather MacAllister
Fool Moon by Jim Butcher
Total # of Books Read: 9

[Jane]

Tuesday 10/10-17

# of Pages Read today: 123
# of Pages Read for Month: 2570
Book Reading now: Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (123/227)
Books Finished Today:
Total # of Books Read: 9

[Jane]

Wednesday 10/4-17

# of Pages Read today: 139
# of Pages Read for Month: 2709
Book Reading now: Thirty-Two Going on Spinster by Becky Monson (35 / 349)
Books Finished Today:
Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Total # of Books Read: 10

[Jane]

Thursday 10/12-17

# of Pages Read today: 314
# of Pages Read for Month: 3023
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
Thirty-Two Going on Spinster by Becky Monson
Total # of Books Read: 11

[Jane]

Friday 10/13-17

# of Pages Read today: 152
# of Pages Read for Month: 3175
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
Flames Over Norway by Robert Jackson
Total # of Books Read: 12

[Jane]

Saturday 10/14-17

# of Pages Read today: 436
# of Pages Read for Month: 3638
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
Sweetness and Light J.A. Whiting
Heart of Ice by K.M. Shea
Total # of Books Read: 14

[Jane]

Sunday 10/15-17

# of Pages Read today: 472
# of Pages Read for Month: 4110
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
Super Starrella by Aurora Springer
Carrie by Stephen King
Total # of Books Read: 16

[Jane]

October 9-15 update.

Okay I thought I read a lot last week but this week I read 2203 pages which was even more. Included in this was both Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and Carrie by Stephen King

Haunted Spouse by Heather MacAllister 10/9-17 ★★★★

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher 10/9-17 ★★★★★

Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 10/11-17 ★★★★

Thirty-Two Going on Spinster by Becky Monson 10/12-17 ★★

Flames Over Norway by Robert Jackson 10/13-17 ★★★

Sweetness and Light J.A. Whiting 10/14-17 ★★★★

Heart of Ice by K.M. Shea 10/14-17 ★★★★

Super Starrella by Aurora Springer 10/15-17 ★★★

Carrie by Stephen King 10/15-17 ★★★★★

[Jane]

Halfway update.

Okay this first half of the month has been an incredible reading time for me. I have read a total of 16 books and 4110 pages.

There has been some great books. The one that surprised me the most was actually Carrie by Stephen King which was a lot better than I expected.

[Jane]

Monday 10/16-17

# of Pages Read today: 395
# of Pages Read for Month: 4505
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
Keeping Secrets: A fun romantic comedy mystery series with paranormal forces at play by Zanna Mackenzie
Deathly Quiet by Elizabeth A Reeves
Total # of Books Read: 18

[Jane]

Tuesday 10/17-17

# of Pages Read today: 240
# of Pages Read for Month: 4745
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking
Total # of Books Read: 19

[Jane]

Wednesday 10/18-17

# of Pages Read today: 196
# of Pages Read for Month: 4941
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
Playing With Vampires by Kendra Ashe
Total # of Books Read: 20

[Jane]

Thursday 10/19-17

# of Pages Read today: 463
# of Pages Read for Month: 5404
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
Her Long Walk Home by Linda Barrett
The Luck of Rainbow Gold by Eryn Scott
Total # of Books Read: 22

[Jane]

Friday 10/20-17

# of Pages Read today: 192
# of Pages Read for Month: 5596
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
Magic & Murder by Annabel Chase
Total # of Books Read: 23

[Jane]

Saturday 10/21-17

# of Pages Read today: 403
# of Pages Read for Month: 5999
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
I Dream of Twila: A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short by Amanda M. Lee
Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs
Total # of Books Read: 25

[Jane]

Sunday 10/22-17

# of Pages Read today: 656
# of Pages Read for Month: 6655
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
Magic & Mystery by Annabel Chase
The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson
Running into Love by Aurora Rose Reynolds
Total # of Books Read: 28

[Jane]

October 16-22 update.

As I was away on holiday this week with my inlaws I didn't expect to read much during the week. But with a late start every morning and a siesta in the afternoon I managed to read at least 1 short book every day.

And the the weekend has been Dewey's Read-a-Thon where I always read quite a few books.

I have read a total of 2454 pages this week. 12 books.

Keeping Secrets: A fun romantic comedy mystery series with paranormal forces at play by Zanna Mackenzie 10/16-17 ★★★

Deathly Quiet by Elizabeth A Reeves 10/16-17 ★★★★

The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking 10/17-17 ★★

Playing With Vampires by Kendra Ashe 10/18-17 ★★★

Her Long Walk Home by Linda Barrett 10/19-17 ★★★★

The Luck of Rainbow Gold by Eryn Scott 10/19-17 ★★★

Magic & Murder by Annabel Chase 10/20-17 ★★★★

I Dream of Twila: A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short by Amanda M. Lee 10/21-17 ★★★★

Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs 10/21-17 ★★★★★

Magic & Mystery by Annabel Chase 10/22-17 ★★★★

The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson 10/22-17 ★★★

Running into Love by Aurora Rose Reynolds 10/22-17 ★★★

[Jane]

Monday 10/23-17

# of Pages Read today: 0
# of Pages Read for Month: 6655
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today: 0
Total # of Books Read: 28

[Jane]

Tuesday 10/24-17

# of Pages Read today: 0
# of Pages Read for Month: 6655
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today: 0
Total # of Books Read: 28

[Jane]

Wednesday 10/25-17

# of Pages Read today: 199
# of Pages Read for Month: 6854
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
Doom and Broom by Annabel Chase
Total # of Books Read: 29

[Jane]

Thursday 10/26-17

# of Pages Read today: 165
# of Pages Read for Month: 7019
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
The Bradshaw Mystery by John Waddington-Feather
Total # of Books Read: 30

[Jane]

Friday 10/27-17

# of Pages Read today: 186
# of Pages Read for Month: 7205
Book Reading now:
Date Night on Union Station by E.M. Foner
Books Finished Today:
Winter in Ireland by Pamela M. Kelley
Total # of Books Read: 31

[Jane]

Saturday 10/28-17

# of Pages Read today: 422
# of Pages Read for Month: 7627
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
Date Night on Union Station by E.M. Foner
Pumpkintown Perils Volume 1: Terrible Trolls, Naughty Gnomes, & Homicidal Humans by Aubrey Law
Total # of Books Read: 33

[Jane]

Sunday 10/29-17

# of Pages Read today: 516
# of Pages Read for Month: 8143
Book Reading now:
Magic & Mischief by Annabel Chase
Books Finished Today:
Courting the Countess by Anne Stenhouse
Ice Blue by Emma Jameson
Total # of Books Read: 35

[Jane]

Monday 10/30-17

# of Pages Read today: 328
# of Pages Read for Month: 8471
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
Magic & Mischief by Annabel Chase
Love in the Lakes by Anna Pagram
Total # of Books Read: 37

[Jane]

Tuesday 10/31-17

# of Pages Read today: 334
# of Pages Read for Month: 8805
Book Reading now:
Books Finished Today:
Raven's Shadow by Patricia Briggs
Total # of Books Read: 38

[Jane]

October 23-31 update.

My week started slow as it quite often does after a Dewey's RaT so I didn't read at all Monday and Tuesday.

But through the last 7 days of this challenge I still managed to read 2150 pages.

Doom and Broom by Annabel Chase 10/25-17 ★★★★

The Bradshaw Mystery by John Waddington-Feather 10/26-17 ★★★

Winter in Ireland by Pamela M. Kelley 10/27-17 ★★★

Date Night on Union Station by E.M. Foner 10/28-17 ★★★

Pumpkintown Perils Volume 1: Terrible Trolls, Naughty Gnomes, & Homicidal Humans by Aubrey Law 10/28-17 ★★

Courting the Countess by Anne Stenhouse 10/29-17 ★★★★

Ice Blue by Emma Jameson 10/29-17 ★★★★

Magic & Mischief by Annabel Chase 10/30-17 ★★★★

Love in the Lakes by Anna Pagram 10/30-17 ★★★

Raven's Shadow by Patricia Briggs 10/31-17 ★★★★★

[Jane]

Final Update


I have read so much this month, there are a lot of books less than 200 page but it still adds up to quite a number in the end.
I have read 38 books which is a total of 8805 pages

That is more than any other month this year!

I have read 4 books that were Horror but also a bunch of paranormal witchy books.

As always I have enjoyed FrightFall Readathon. Thank you Michelle for hosting.

[Michelle]

Wow! You did get a ton of reading in. Excellent! Thanks for joining us. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)