R.L Stine Challenge! Showing 501-550 of 1,612

[Ashley]

I should also be able to pick up Silent Night 2 and 3 for December.

[Melanie]

I'll be in on the Silent Night books. Are you doing all three?

[Alice]

Melanie wrote: "I'll be in on the Silent Night books. Are you doing all three?"

I think Stephanie and I are so far. (2 & 3 are just extras for this December if anyone wants to join in. Not to step on the toes of the group mods or anything. :))

Just a suggestion I thought I would throw out!

[Latasha]

I’m good to start anytime. I already have Silent 2 or 3, and I can get whichever I’m missing for December.

[Ashley]

I have all three Silent Night books ordered, so I will be ready to read them in December.

[Alice]

The Stepsister, chapter one:

Is it any surprise that an R L Stine book starts with the character hating her curly hair and saying she is fat? No, not a surprise at all. Also, she has red hair (view spoiler)[her step sister says "I always hated red hair. (hide spoiler)] I mean, like why even say that?

[I don't count the above as a spoiler, since it is the first chapter, and something R L Stine does in almost all his books!]

[Tyler]

Yea, that stuff isn't a surprise at this point with Stine.

I just read the first chapter so far, man I hate Jessie already. Poor teddy bear.

My hubby is putting a new bookshelf together so that and re-organzing/shelving the books is going to take up a lot of time today. But i've started it :)

[Alice]

I know, I feel the same about Jessie, too. I can't believe she would do that to the poor bear.

It is exciting getting a new bookshelf! I am holding out for some new ones once my husband can help me un-clutter the loft.

Chapter two:
(view spoiler)[What do you know, a character has a tragic backstory.

R L Stine seems to be taking a jab at Stephen King, I am not liking how the stepdad is treating his son and acting like reading is boring/pointless. (hide spoiler)]

[Alice]

Chapter seven:
(view spoiler)[Dead dog... why do the bad guy always go after the pet. This isn't the first R L Stine book where he kills off a poor defenseless animal. *sniff*

I have read this before, but I can't quite remember the twist. Why am I thinking Nancy is the one behind everything and not Jessie? The title "The Stepsister" might be misleading. (hide spoiler)]

[Tyler]

I am so sore from all the bookshelf shenanigans. So I only ended up reading the first chapter and i'm exhausted. But tomorrow I shall spend a lot more time reading this :)

Soreness aside though, new bookshelf is exciting! ^_^

[Latasha]

You gonna have pics up when it’s decorated?

[Tyler]

Latasha wrote: "You gonna have pics up when it’s decorated?"

Not sure what else I could do with it. If I think of something or do something I will though :)

[Latasha]

I’ll start this today.

[Latasha]

Just read the back cover. 🤬 I’m the big sister and my sister always wore my clothes. I HATE that so much. Even know when my niece comes over wearing her mom’s clothes, I hate it so much. So I’m feeling Emily’s aggravation too.

[Latasha]

Bob must think teenage girls just sit & bitch about their body. No dear, we have everyone else telling us enough already. 🙄

[Alice]

Chapter 10:
(view spoiler)[ Oh, no they didn't! First, someone kills the dog and then they put the dog in Emily's backpack? Why isn't her parents doing more? I mean, obviously, the dog was stabbed and killed in the house. There is no denying that. Emily wouldn't kill her own dog... you'd hope. So why haven't the parents questioned the other kids more? They kinda did with the brother, but just let it go. If someone is killing animals... that is a major problem! All the kids should be sent to talk to a psychiatrist and get to the bottom of who killed the poor dog.

Also, Emily took Jessie's diary and had it hid it under her pillow (great hiding spot!) I find it hard to believe that Jessie did not notice it being gone seeing how often Jessie writes in it. It seems Jessie really needs the diary to get out her emotions. It may not have been hidden long, but still...

I still can't remember the twist, but I don't think Jessie is the "bad" guy.
(hide spoiler)]

[Alice]

Chapter 13:
(view spoiler)[I have two theories.
One: Nancy. She is always there right after something bad happened to Emily and it all feels too fake and convenient.
Two: Emily. Is she an unreliable narrator and she is doing everything to herself?

Reasons:
Nancy: Jealous that Emily took her boyfriend. Or she is blaming/punishing her for the death of their father.
Emily: Blaming herself for the death of her father, so she is punishing herself. Survivor's guilt.

Jessie could still be up to something. Even Rich could be to blame.

I guess we shall see! (hide spoiler)]

[Alice]

Chapter 18:
(view spoiler)[ Oh a camping trip, how convenient! And an old graveyard with a fresh open grave? Wow. I totally saw that she would be pushed into the grave. I'm still on the fence if this is all in Emily's head, or if it is Nancy or Jessie, or even Rich. Argh! Nancy just vanished, leaving Emily alone with Jessie. It still seems like "The Stepsister" title could be misleading and the bad guy is Nancy (or Emily herself.) (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 19:
(view spoiler)[I was right! (hide spoiler)]

[Alice]

I finished. I think I am going to give it a 4-star rating. There was mild body shaming, but a lot tamer than R L Stine's other books. My pet peeve of his books, characters going on about being fat, comparing one body to another type of body and acting like curly hair is such a horrible thing. No rape culture stuff, which is in a lot of his books (ugh), so that was a good thing!

Even though I read it as a teen, I could not really remember for sure who the bad guy was and had I never read it at all, I would have been truly stumped until the end. R L Stine is really good at making you believe the bad person could be anyone. I suspected all the siblings, even Emily herself!

[Latasha]

Leigha's Life wrote: "Chapter 13:
I have two theories.

I’m right there with you on your first thirty Leigha. I might finish tonight, I don’t know yet.

[Latasha]

I finished but I’m going to wait til tomorrow to review it. This one wasn’t so bad. I don’t think I have part 2 but if I do I’m going to read it soon.

[Tyler]

Sorry i've been fighting with my computer all day! Did an update from windows 10 and somehow it completely stopped my computer being able to have internet! Finally hubby figured out how to fix it, through trial and error since we didn't know the exact problem. But did a system restore from a few days ago, the 8th, and then I had to uninstall/reinstall chrome for some reason but i'm back.

In that fiasco I got chapters 2 and 3 read. Sorry it's taking me so long! But at least I got internet again and will get back to reading it :)

I feel so bad for Emily, and for Rich. Jessie and the stepdad are both aggravating.

[Alice]

Latasha wrote: "I finished but I’m going to wait til tomorrow to review it. This one wasn’t so bad. I don’t think I have part 2 but if I do I’m going to read it soon."


I'm glad you liked it Latasha!

Sorry about your computer problems, Stephanie. Computer & Internet problems give me anxiety. My only form of being social, my only "world" is through the use of the Internet. I don't know if that is sad. I mean, I have my family and I do get out, but not that often.

The stepdad is annoying and kind of mean to Rich. Actually, both parents were useless. A major thing happened and they just blew it off instead of getting to the bottom of things. Ugh!

[Tyler]

I only get out to go to the Dr's myself so I understand. I feel cut off from the world and being social without the internet. I mean I do have my hubby and the pets, which I love, but still, the internet is basically my life.

[Tyler]

Chapter 7 (view spoiler)[ Poor puppy :( I actually hadn't thought of Nancy, though I was thinking Jessie might not be the one behind the crap after all. Even before Rich was caught shoplifting I was thinking, maybe it's him. Now i'm not sure what to think. Heck i'm even suspicious of Emily. And who is Jolie and what happened to her? O.O (hide spoiler)]

[Latasha]

I do have part 2 and will start that tonight. I'm not sure if I've read it before.

[Tyler]

Chapter 10 (view spoiler)[ Oh no! How can someone kill a poor innocent dog and then stuff the corpse into Emily's backpack? Assuming Emily isn't the one behind it all of course but I don't think she is, though i'm not sure. Not sure of anything at the moment. And the parents are just acting like everything is ok?! Someone murdered the dog! This is serious, they should be trying to figure out who did it. Send them all to a pscychiatrist or something, but they are just shoving it under the rug. Seriously? Whoever could do such a thing is someone to be scared of!

And Jessie's diary...I don't think one would lie to their own diary...I don't like Jessie particularly but there is a difference between being a bit bitchy or what have you and being a murderer. A huge difference. And assuming Jessie isn't lying to her diary, it's no wonder she'd be having problems. People thinking she killed Jolie when she didn't and everything. I feel sorry for her, as long as i'm not wrong in thinking she's innocent. (hide spoiler)]

TW: Fire

Chapter 13 (view spoiler)[ That was really hard to get through those 2 chapters. I was in a house fire 6 years ago. Lost everything, my home, 3 kittens, everything we owned. I was the only one in it (and asleep at the time, trapped by the time I woke up) but my neighbor (it was during the day, my sleep schedule was messed up again) got a ladder and got my out. I'm physically ok from it, and family and friends helped us get back on our feet. But even though it was 6 years ago that isn't something that can be forgotten. I have PTSD from it. I already had PTSD for other reasons but that made me realize it when it became the worst. I'm better than I was years ago of course but it still can be hard to read, especially when i'm not expecting it. And Emily should have went to the hospital! I may have made it out of the house in the nick of time, thanks to my neighbor (lived in the middle of no where so the firemen couldn't get there in time) but I still had to go to the hospital for the smoke inhalation. I was coughing up soot for awhile. My lips were black. There's no way from the way it was described that her lips weren't black from the smoke, and all the smoke inhalation.

I'm thinking it's Nancy. And Emily confuses me. Emily read Jessie's diary, how can she honestly believe Jessie would lie to her diary? Yes Jessie has lied, about being on the phone at night, about sneaking out, but that could just teen stuff. But who lies to their diary? She actually thinks Jessie killed Jolie? (hide spoiler)]

[Tyler]

I think i'm going to give it around 4 stars too. Just finished. And that ending made me tear up.

[Alice]

I'm so sorry about the trigger warning. I just glossed over that part because it doesn't jump out as a trigger for me. (It is scary, yes, but I've never personally experienced it. You're right that it wasn't treated realistically and she should have seen a doctor.) I added a trigger warning to my review. I can't make promises that I will add it to every book as forgetful as I am, but thanks for pointing it out.

The ending was bittersweet and tear-worthy, but since there is a part 2, we know it isn't over yet!

[Tyler]

Thank you and I understand. I never come across anyone who realizes it can be a trigger for someone who's been in a scary situation like that. I get that it's not a commonly thought of one. I'm sure there are plenty of potential triggers in the world and no one can catch all of them, all we can do is our best. I read knowing full well it can happen, and I will put a book down if I need to. I've gotten better over the years at being able to handle it but it's been a process.

Normally i'll put a book down, get myself together and brace myself, and continue on, just reading such a scene as fast as I reasonably can.

Yeah, I didn't realize that there was a part 2 until Latasha mentioned it. So i'll probably be checking that one out. I read the blurb for it and it seems poor Emily just can't catch a break!

[Alice]

Stephanie wrote:

I have to do that too. Put books down and brace myself before I can read more. Not for one specific trigger, but for some hard-hitting emotional or disturbing stuff, so I guess emotional triggers because I can have a melt-down, which can lead to a bout of depressive funk at the drop of a dime.

Yep, doesn't sound like Emily gets a break. I wonder if her parents continue to be clueless.

[Tyler]

Leigha's Life wrote: "Stephanie wrote:

I have to do that too. Put books down and brace myself before I can read more. Not for one specific trigger, but for some hard-hitting emotional or disturbing stuff, so I guess e..."

I've done that too for hard-hitting emotional stuff. It does take a lot but I can think of 2 books i've had to do that for off the top of my head. Both by Paige Dearth. Mean Little People and Never be Alone.

They are what I call "realistic horror" as they are horrifying...but 100% realistic. Real people, real kids, go through the awful stuff in those books, and she does base it on stuff she's went through. Making them important stories but the hardest books to get through i've ever read. I read Mean Little People over a year ago, nearly a year and half...and just thinking about it makes my chest feel tight and I wanna cry.

I'm always forgetting books, my memory sucks. The fact that it's been so long and I can't forget those stories and they still make me emotional says a lot.

I seem to love those kind of stories though, ones that are heart-wrenching. I love books that make me feel, even if they are also hard to get through. Not sure what that says about me...but it's true.

Yeah, I wonder if her parents continue to be clueless as well.

[Ashley]

I admit I figured out fairly early on what was really going on, but I still enjoyed it.

[Alice]

December starts on Saturday, well, for most of us, time zones and all. So is everyone ready to start the next book(s)? Silent Night 1 (2 & 3 if you want as well.) We can start on Monday to give everyone more time or jump right in on the 1st!

Thoughts?

[Tyler]

I can start Silent Night 1 anytime.

I'll have to be later with Silent Night 2 and 3. I should be able to buy them the 10th, and I have Amazon Prime so I should have them a couple days after that (feel free to read them before I can get to them, i'll just chime in when I can)

[Alice]

Stephanie wrote: "I can start Silent Night 1 anytime.

I'll have to be later with Silent Night 2 and 3. I should be able to buy them the 10th, and I have Amazon Prime so I should have them a couple days after that ..."

If all goes well in the mental health department, I will try and start #1 within the first few days of December and read 2 and 3 after. I've no problem with:

#1 = 1st-9th,
#2 = 10th-18th
#3 = the rest of the month

if we want to try to read them more in sync, but I am fine with whatever, too.

[Tyler]

I should be able to join in then with you :) Fear street books never take that long to read

[Latasha]

I can start this weekend. I think I have all 3 but I’ll have to check.

[Ashley]

I have all three so I'm good to start on the first.

[Melanie]

So weirdly, Amazon has a picture of silent night - 1st one - but with the blurb and listing as silent night 2! I'm getting the 2nd one second hand (it has a totally different cover) but not sure now whether to risk buying the amazon version because I don't actually know which one it is????

[Tyler]

Crap I didn't even realize it was messed up. When I click on the cover though for a preview (on the kindle listing) it says Silent Night 2. Though doing the same for Silent Night 3 it also shows me the first chapter and a tad of chapter 2, Silent Night 2 only shows me the cover page, which says Silent Night 2.

I think when I get paid i'll try the kindle versions. I don't want to get the wrong one in the mail.

Also, everywhere else I look online, Silent Night 2 always has the cover of Silent Night 1.

[Melanie]

Yep. Same here. Maybe the first one's not available on kindle? I don't think Amazon would give two shits if we complained but maybe they'd fix it if Mr Stine himself did? Latasha, uber-mod, what shall we do? :/

[Tyler]

I think it looks like Silent Night 1 is still in print (or maybe newly in print?) from the looks of it, because I checked and I do indeed have the first one, new, that I got from Amazon (just last year). I don't think Silent Night 1 is on kindle..

I don't think Silent Night 2 and 3 are in print (except as used copies), but are on kindle. I wouldn't mind getting a used copy but with the way things appear messed up I don't want to potentially get the wrong one in the mail.

I'm going to try my luck with the kindle versions then of 2 and 3.

[Latasha]

Ok, do u want me to tell u what happens? 😝

[Latasha]

Ok I have Silent night 1&3. I found part 2 on eBay just now & the cover is different from the 2 I have. Did everyone get it sorted out or do u need help still?

[Tyler]

i'm going to have to wait until the 10th to find out but then i'm going to get Silent Night 2 and 3 on kindle from Amazon. From the previews they seem to be correct.

I already have the first one.

[Latasha]

Ok I see what you mean. Sorry ladies. I always check eBay, abe.com. And my library.

[Alice]

I have the 3 in 1 bind up paperback. Maybe you guys can look for that? I got it used at the online half priced bookstore. Amazon may have it, too. When I get home, i can send you the isbn code on my copy if you want.

[Tyler]

I can find it on Amazon, the 3 in 1 bindup, but it's hella expensive. I don't mind reading an ebook, and the previews of the kindle books seem to be right so that works for me :)

[Alice]

Yikes! I didn't know it was that rare! I got mine when it was $1 and shipping from HPB.