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2020 Fall Flurry of Holidays Challenge -- October Reviews and Discussion
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Karin wrote: "This is OT, but I thought of you today. We were up in Boston, and we walked by a woman sitting and reading a book by Nora Roberts. (not you, but I have no idea if we were near where you work or if you are working remotely, etc--this was near South Station because we walked the Corridor Park as part of our route to get from point A to point B)"I love it! It was not me though. Unfortunately, my job in Boston was pushed back because of COVID so I am crashing with friends until I have a better sense of what is happening.
WHEN I move to the city (positive attitude that I still have a job!), I will be living in Back Bay near Prudential Tower.
Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey - 3 starsIvy Gamble is not magic and she didn't/ wouldn't want it anyhow. Yet her twin sister Tabitha is a powerful mage but they haven't been close since Tabitha left for magical school when they were young. She missed the hard times of their mother dying while Ivy dealt with the tragedy upending her own future and choices. Now Ivy is a Private Investigator and she has been hired to live in the magic school's campus where Tabitha is a teacher to investigate a murder. Ivy goes for the money, the chance to "live" the magical life, to solve a more a complex case and to possibly improve her relationship with her sister.
The set up and concept are interesting and well done but the characters are a bit flat. Ivy has such a huge chip on her shoulder for all things and people magical which gets in the way of anyone's enjoyment. She is constantly judging why everyone else gets magic and not her, why can they do the things she wants magic to do and why they would use magic on such useless ways- wasting the power. It is slightly too bitter and overdone. Yet, I still I was still hooked. I wanted to know all the secrets on the campus and had hope that Ivy would get over herself. Mrs Webb was definitely the best character with Rahul a close second.
Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris 3 starsSookie's cousin Hadley, who at some point was turned into a vampire, has died and she must go to New Orleans to clean out Hadley's apartment. Sookie has also started dating Quinn, a weretiger. We also find out a bit more about why supernatural beings are attracted to Sookie. The main storyline didn't start until about a third of the way through the book and I found the beginning to be slow going. The book brought witches more to the forefront of the action. I am glad Sookie actually didn't sleep with anyone this time around though Eric definitely wasn't in the book enough.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - 5 StarsA haunting, horrifying, and yet touching tale, Mexican Gothic tells the story of Noemí Taboada, a young, vivacious socialite living in 1950s Mexico City. Her life in the city is seemingly carefree, but comes to an abrupt end when a troubling letter from her newlywed cousin, Catalina, makes it sound she is losing her mind. After marrying a dashing Englishman named Virgil Doyle, Catalina moved to the isolated countryside, residing in a decaying manor house known only as High Place. As a favor to her father, Noemí agrees to travel out to High Place and determine what might be wrong with her cousin. Once there, she discovers horrifying secrets beyond anything she can imagine, and soon finds herself in a battle of wits between ghoulish in-laws and supernatural forces, all the while trying to hold onto her own sanity.
Mexican Gothic scratches all my itches. As a horror novel, it is masterfully done, evoking all the classic gothic horror tropes – an English manor, the lonely, desolate countryside, a creeping madness – while setting in a fresh location with a scrappy heroine who refuses to back down in the face of the forces working against her. While many of the horror elements also call to mind Lovecraft, the most sinister undercurrent in the Doyle household is that of white supremacy. Noemí flies in the face of all the Doyles' ingrained beliefs about eugenics, and this twist provides a much-needed salve to all the racism that tends to undergird classics of the genre. In Moreno-Garcia's tale, the "inferior" people who have been exploited by the Doyles matter, and the heroes in the tale are the ones who stand up and challenge this hierarchy, whether it is local townsfolk, Noemí and Catalina, or members of the family itself who can no longer abide by the cruelty.
This book is a pretty quick read and is written in a sometimes spare, sometimes lyrical style that calls to mind the fairy tales it often references. Despite some really disturbing imagery, it's actually quite beautifully written, and provides a hopeful ending for those who stare into the abyss and find it staring back. I would absolutely read more of Moreno-Garcia's work.
Rounded it to four stars because the thing actually made me cry at the end and that was unexpected....
A mysterious magical cat. Rare blackbirds that sing from midnight to 1AM, when pies are made by a guardian (Callow family member) at the Blackbird cafe, and eating those pies will give the diner a message from a deceased loved one that night in a dream. Got it? Two heroines, each with a love interest, and each with loss. Many townspeople with loss. Loss includes, a grandmother, mother, father, brother, husband, father and grandfather. And two wives. Our heroines and a bunch of townspeople find their way to the cafe, to eat, to heal, to dream, to fall in love, to bury old hatchets.
Hands down, my favorite part of the delicious novel, was the interplay of kinds of healing. Anna Kate has unusual magical healing passed down from her grandmother, in terms of the healing remedies, and baking with love. From her father and grandfather she has the legacy of medical school and practice. Both live within her. I really appreciated Anna Kate coming to understand what healing is - as that is the main source of the book. Healing - through pie. The town unilaterally accepts the odd workings and mysticism of the place, and visitors (and readers alike) are certainly hooked in. Really enjoyed it, especially at this season. Combined animals and the mystical world. Couldn't find a poll ballot tag for it though. Not a one...
Anna Dressed in Blood3 1/2 stars
Anna Dressed in Blood is a young adult novel about a boy named Cas who travels around North America "killing" dangerous ghosts. In this book he decides to take on the ghost of Anna Korlov who haunts a Canadian town on the shore of Lake Superior. Anna was a teenage girl who was murdered in the 1950s. Now she haunts her former home and is responsible for the deaths of teenagers who make the mistake of entering the house. When Cas arrives in her town, it is soon apparent that Anna is different than other ghosts he has hunted.
This was a pretty typical example of the genre. In fact, I have recently read The Girl from the Well which has many similarities to this book. If you are expecting a scary book, this is probably not the book for you. There are some gruesome scenes, but overall it is not the story of a haunting, but rather the type where a group of teenagers take on a big bad evil monster. I liked the characters and I liked that the grown ups were not non-existent in the story. I also liked how Cas developed throughout the story from a loner that doesn't need anyone to someone that learns to rely on his friends. Overall it was an entertaining read for the Halloween season and I will probably pick up the second book in this duology in the future.
G'ah. Silly me, I'd picked up Half Spent Was the Night: A Witches' Yuletide for Halloween. Witches... plus I see is had been tagged "Halloween" and "Halloween reads" by 1 person for each. Would have been better for December (especially since I'm not sure I have a Christmasy read!). Luckily, I am also currently reading a Dean Koontz that definitely fits the horror/Halloween theme. ("Half Spent" is on audio.)
Navajo Autumn by R. Allen Chappell - 3 stars - My ReviewPBT Comments: The setting is the New Mexican desert near the Navajo Reservation in October (hence, the name).
I do not read many crime mysteries and picked this one up for a seasonal challenge. It is the first book in the Navajo Nation series. The plot involves the murder of a Bureau of Indian Affairs investigator. The FBI takes over the case from local authorities. Thomas Begay, a Navajo who lives on the nearby reservation, is arrested, but escapes custody. His friend, Charlie Yazzie, a lawyer, believes Thomas is innocent and they work together to figure out what happened.
I particularly enjoyed the author’s vivid descriptions of the reservation, the New Mexican landscape, and the cultural traditions of the Navajo people. I liked the use of contrasting characters. Yazzie as a tribal investigator who wants to put his law degree to use, and Begay distrusts most authorities, especially the legal system. It appears Yazzie is the main character going forward. There are a few plot holes and an abrupt ending, but this book is primarily intended to setup the rest of the series. I enjoyed it more than expected.
Fantasy/myth, with some horror. I found parts of it scary (more for the dogs than the people)Fifteen Dogs
This is a fascinating and creative book about 15 dogs that were given human intelligence as part of a bet between the gods Hermes and Apollo. Like people, some dogs seemed to have more than others. I loved parts of the book, and disliked others. One of the dogs creates poetry, and each poem has the name of one of the dogs embedded in it. Some were hard for me to find, even when I read them out loud. There are a few conceptual issues that I had trouble with, especially regarding language. At the beginning they are somehow able to communicate well when making decisions, so I was confused by the need for a "new" language. The author chose to focus on specific dogs in depth, whereas I would have liked more variety. This book really spurred my imagination into other dog stories I would have pursued. There are a few times that I wanted to stop reading, but I pushed on. I might adjust my rating later as I think more about the book.
Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese - 5 starsFall Flurry Note: I'm trying to read more indigenous authors in October and November for both Indigenous Peoples Day/ Columbus Day and Thanksgiving.
Wagmese tells the coming of age story of Saul indian Horse. It is short but stunning. Saul grows up with his family in northern Ontario. It isn't great but he has family who loves him, especially his grandmother who tells him the stories of his family and teaches them the ways of their people when visiting the land. The biggest danger is the white government stealing the children of the family to send to schools and assimilate. Loss comes to Saul and he ends up in the dreaded Indian School alone. It is awful or more than imagined but he finds solace in hockey, the ice and the game. Hockey gives him more opportunities but he is still haunted by his early life trying to find his way back to the way of his people and mend the holes left by the Indian School.
The writing is beautiful and Wagamese tells the story of Saul so well with empathy and emotion. He ties in the tales of Ojibway and finds strength in the community. He takes a hard look at racism and prejudice and how it affects a person but also the horrors of those schools. I look forward to reading more of Wgamese's stories in the future.
Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
4 STARS
I revisit these essays in print about once a year, usually at Christmas for the Santaland Diaries, if nothing else. This year I decided to tap it early, and in audio. Glad I did! Not only was the excellent reading by the author himself, with occasional help from his sister Amy, but there were more than one essay touching on Autumn, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. I actually really paid attention to those this time.
And of course the Halloween ones make it totally perfect for October Flurries!
I like snarky satire, the kind that borders on poor taste, even mean, definitely politically incorrect. Not sure what that says about me, other than black Irish humor runs strongly in my genes. While I find it so funny, I know many who would find the sharp, dark humor here offensive and tasteless. So be warned: this may not be for you.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling5 stars
This has always been my least favorite in the series and thus I often skip it in reread. I don't know just what doesn't appeal to me...Moaning Myrtle?
How Ginny is used? The whole Tom Riddle story? Not sure. However, when I decided to listen to the series in audio again, I knew I needed to include it.
So glad I did. I had forgotten enough bits and pieces that it felt quite fresh. And Gilderoy Lockhart often made me laugh out load. How could I not enjoy the magicked car, the de-gnoming, the mandrakes, and seeing Slytherin common room?
Once again Jim Dale brings these to rich life, and dusting with his own special pixy dust.
Oh, really? I loved Moaning Myrtle .. probably because it gave me an excuse to scare the jebebees out of Natalie when she was young.😅
Joanne wrote: "Oh, really? I loved Moaning Myrtle .. probably because it gave me an excuse to scare the jebebees out of Natalie when she was young.😅"
Whiners irritate me. BUT, seeing her on stage in a Cursed Child, she was awesome!
Phantoms / Dean Koontz4 stars
When Jenny, a doctor, arrives in her small town of about 500 people with her much younger sister Lisa, to whom Jenny is now guardian, the place is still like nothing she’s ever experienced. When they arrive at home, they find her housekeeper on the kitchen floor, dead. The phone is not working, so they head next door to use the neighbour’s phone to call the police, but the neighbours are no where to be found. And no working phone. Jenny and Lisa investigate a bit further to find people either missing or dead.
I really liked this one. A bit creepy to be reading by myself after dark, but isn’t that what horror is for!? The author has a note at the end about the writing of the book, which was also interesting.
Pumpkinheads - Rainbow Rowell4 1/2 stars
Josiah and Deja have worked at the pumpkin patch together in the Succotash Shack for 4 years - all through high school. They have become best friends during the pumpkin patch season every year. This Halloween is there last night at the pumpkin patch since they are seniors and will be going off to college before the next season. Deja has heard Josiah gush over his crush, the girl at the fudge shop, for four years and has decided that this is the night he will actually talk to her. Her mission is to help Josiah find the fudge girl so he can finally ask her out while eating as many of the pumpkin patch snacks as she can along the way.
This was the perfect read for October. It was a very sweet story and I loved tagging along with Deja and Josiah on their last night in the pumpkin patch. I wish that there was such a cool pumpkin patch near me and that COVID wasn't around stopping me from getting out and enjoying fall festivals. After reading the book, I felt like I really got to know the main characters. The illustrations were great, they really brought the craziness of the pumpkin patch alive. I definitely recommend this fun read to anyone looking for something that captures the spirit of fall and Halloween.
An Apple for the Creature, edited by Charlaine Harris, 3.5-4 starsI like short story collections, especially when they're centered around a theme. This book has a back-to-school theme, but all the stories involve supernatural stories/characters, so it's perfect for Halloween too. On a 1-10 scale of scariness, these stories are in the 2-6 range, which is good for me. I found several authors to look for in the future, including Ilona Andrew and Nancy Holder. My favorite stories include Playing Possum, Low School, Magic Tests, and VSI (Vampire Scene Investigations). Thomas Sniegoski's story is one of the dog tales, and Rhys Bowen's high school story (Low School) comes pretty close to my version of hell.
Mistress of All Evil by Serena Valentino, 3 starsI enjoyed a short story I read about the Dark Fairy last summer, and I liked the first book I read by this author, so I thought I'd try this book about the dark fairy from Sleeping Beauty. I didn't like the last book in this series but reviews suggested this one would be better, and it was. She was born as a fairy, but was abandoned by her mother and rejected by other fairies when she was very young. She was cared for, and educated by a powerful fairy/witch who tried to set her on a better path. This story is about their relationship, and about the real reason that she wanted to put Aurora to sleep. This series has a recurring arc involving the Odd Sisters and their interference or support of other witches. They were less dominant in this story, which was fine by me.
Magic Lessons, by Alice Hoffman, 4.5 stars, 2nd Prequel to Practical MagicWhen Maria was a baby, she was left in a field (near Salem Massachusetts), wrapped in a lovely blue blanket, sewn with blue thread (for protection). She was watched over by a crow, who stayed to protect the baby for the rest of its life. The baby was discovered by Hannah Owens, a kind women who practiced the Nameless Art. Hannah loved Maria, gave her her name, and recognized her powers. “Remember one thing,” Hannah told Maria. “Always love someone who will love you back.” If the name Maria Owens is familiar to you, you know that she did not choose the right man, and in her despair she spoke a curse that would discourage generations of Owens women from falling in love. I enjoyed this book as much as Practical Magic, and more than The Rules of Magic. The author took a step back in time with each book. This is where it all began. (Unless she decides to tell the story of Maria's biological grandmother.)
This rich saga takes place in multiple settings including the Caribbean Islands (where Maria was sold into servitude), New York City, and Salem Massachusetts. The lessons of the Nameless Art are interweaved throughout the story, using plants, herbs, string, and other practical items that can have medicinal or magical properties. One of her popular concoctions is called "courage tea." It is mentioned many times in the book. I listened to the audio, which was wonderful, but it was hard to go back to find the first time it was mentioned. If there are any recipes in the book, can someone let me know? I would like the recipe for her teas, especially for the versatile courage tea.
This is by far my favorite of the books I read for October Flurries.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill, 4 stars.Every year, the leaders (the protectorate) of a village tell the people that they must sacrifice the youngest baby to an evil witch or terrible things will happen. Xan, a kind witch, saves the abandoned babies and gives them to deserving families in other villages. One year, she accidentally feeds a baby moonlight which will give her magical powers. She decides to keep this baby Luna, and brings her home to live with a very tiny dragon, and a wise old Swamp Monster.
Only one young man in the village (a trainee in the Protectorate) continually questions the practice. They don't like being questioned (why not, you might ask?) and he is let go. 12-13 years later, his own baby is selected to be sacrificed, leading him to seek out the witch to negotiate with her or kill her. This coincides with shifting powers, and many interesting characters converge on a collision course. This is creative story, though the first 12 years of the story felt like actual years at times.
I like stories that reveal that the real monsters are the so-called leaders who control their people through fear.
Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews- 4 starsThe fourth Innkeeper Chronicles is a slight departure from the rest of the series. Instead Dina and her amazing inn being the central focus of the books, it follows Dina's sister Maude who was more fully introduced in the last book. The book flashes back to parts of book 3 where Maude meets and starts to like Arland despite her promises to herself that she was done with vampires. She and her daughter Helen join Arland when he is called home to host a wedding by two competitive vampire clans, not exactly as a fiance but definitely a person of interest. With an enemy wedding party, adapting to a new vampire clan and meeting the potential in-laws family, there is a plenty of action and fun and Maude is able to shine when given the chance.
I was slightly hesitant on this book since it wasn't Dina or her inn but Maude's adventures were thoroughly enjoyable. It could get a bit heavy on the details of vampire warfare but was such a great mix of action with a bit of romance and family relationships. Also Helen is the absolute best. I really hope there is another book in the series especially with that ending.
Intergalactic vampires are definitely my cup of tea. :)
The Luthier's Apprentice - Mayra Calvani - 3 starsWhen Emma learns that her violin teacher has disappeared from his locked study, she gets her friend Annika to help her try to find clues. A visit to the study brings her in contact with another student Corey also trying to solve the disappearance. Several events happen involving their families and Emma begins experiencing psychic phenomena. There is an alternate world and a sorceress using magic for immortality. The climax occurs on Halloween at midnight.
This was a pretty simplistic plot in the YA fantasy genre. Don't think I'll look for the next volume.
The Witches by Roald Dahl – 4 Stars Roald Dahl was one of my favourite authors as a child, and he doesn’t seem to have lost any of his magic when re-visiting the books as an adult. Reading this took me back to when I saw this in a theatre when I would have been about 8, and I remember how scary I found it then. I don’t remember the humour that I discovered reading it this time round, but it was a fun reading experience about a young boy and his grandmother who are fighting against witches.
Golden: A Retelling of Rapunzel by Cameron Dokey – 3 Stars Golden is a retelling of the tale of Rapunzel, but with a twist – Rapunzel’s mother makes a deal with a witch before Rapunzel’s birth, that if she could not love her unborn child just as she was born, the child would be handed over to the witch. When Rapunzel was born bald and with no prospect of ever-growing hair, her mother sent her away to the witch. I really liked Rapunzel’s character, how strong and intelligent she was, and how she treated the people she came across. I also liked how in this story, Rapunzel’s stepmother (the witch) is actually a nice person and seems to care for Rapunzel.
Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley4 stars
**Audible**
Read by Dan Stevens from Downton Abbey
Growing up, Frankenstein was almost synonymous with Halloween. Later I found out that he was Frankenstein's monster and not actually named Frankenstein. Regardless, friends were the monster for Halloween, we had decorations with his likeness and I knew of the movies that existed.
This book is not what I was expecting it to be. I was expecting to read about that stormy night that the monster came to life when lightning struck. He then terrorized the town wreaking havoc.
I did not expect the tale of a monster who desperately wanted to be loved. Who took revenge on his creator because his creator would not create him the family he felt that he was due. It is such a tragic and sad tale. I definitely wouldn't necessarily call it a horror story but I guess it is in a way.
I sometimes enjoy a tragedy and this one seems to have gotten me out of part of my reading slump. At least I'm listening to audiobooks again!!
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
I don't care for ghost stories. I never have. This was creepy, chilling, an impossible read in its 165 pages. The plot is not as important than its atmosphere. In fact, I think I don not want to think much more about this chilling, haunting read. I'd rather just state out how its connected to various current challenges - which is the reason I picked it up.
The book was published in 1983, although it looks like rather recently, or soon to be coming, there is a screen adaptation. From the cover, one sees the half face of a lightly bearded Daniel Radcliffe. He is older, not the Harry Potter or even Equus of our shared youths. There is also a dog featured in the book, which gives our title character some level of comfort. But the dog, Spider, is not integral enough to the story to merit the animals tag, that is current to this month. But if I waited two days to post it in next month's tag, books to screen, which isn't really in the spirit of the challenge anyway, I would lose out on its status as a true ghost story, for October Fall Flurries. So there you have it. Neither counted as animals or books to screen, but checked in as 1983 and ghosts. On this you can rely. Glad it was quick and done. I feel if I write the review straightaway, there is a chance I can now put it out of my mind, and catch some sleep, and have it be truly gone.
Who Stole Halloween by Martha Freeman
I'm not even adding this to my "books read" list, or trying to get the point for it's third time re-read. Just throwing it into October Fall Flurries.
Who Stole Halloween, well as my ten year old says, I have really milked this book for more than its worth. Every October in the fifth grade, its mystery month, and the kids have had to do pretty much the same assignment. My son Jaden read it in 2013, Shain in 2015, and now Cameron in 2020. Today, we just finished the book report, in the form of a puzzle, and now the 8 pieces are in a ziploc bag, attached to all the pages of the book report. Graphic organizers, outlines, notes, and the template practice sheet.
But the story? Really silly, let me tell you. First of all, Halloween is a cat, and the cat has gone missing. You guessed it, right at Halloween time. Or a few weeks before, to allot time for the story to unfold. Soon, five cats are missing/stolen. There is a concurrent ghost story from 1879, where it is rumored that Mr. Harvey was killed by his very own cat, and this appears to make the town quite worried that there is a connection between that old story, and the missing cats. By the end of the tale, young detectives Alex and Yasmeen, manage to solve both mysteries, the mystery of the stolen cats, and the historical ghost story, all on Halloween night. They use Alex's cat Luau as bait, and the trail leads to the ultimate finale. Its cute, its sweet, its pointless, and my ten year old has learned to love the phrase "suspension of disbelief."
This was the third and last go around for me, with Who Stole Halloween. It now goes to the little free Library, to make is path wherever it should land. Thank you for serving us well all these years. For being the first real 5th grade book report, and for giving us some Halloween fun.
The Once and Future WitchesAlix E. Harrow - 4 starsThe Once and Future Witches is an entertaining fantasy perfect for the season. Alix E. Harrow presents us with a story about three sisters, Agnes, Bella and Juniper who all have certain powers and all need help and they find it in New Salem.
Harrow weaves in fairy tales to tie in with witchy themes in a way that is intriguing to the reader. This is a novel that is enjoyable and suitably light for the times we are in.
Come Tumbling Down 5 starsThe 5th book in The Wayward Children Series.
Had no idea this book would fit here when I started it. Ha! A Horse that is only a skeleton, a vampire, a mad scientist and lightening...sounds halloweenie to me! 🤡🤠👹
So happy to re-unite with Jack and go back to the Moors in this episode. This doorway, although the spookiest, is my favorite. That in itself is strange as I normally hate anything spooky/scary
McGuire is just a great writer, these slim books are always packed with a great tale and characters you can care about.
A fun short read for the Halloween season.
Hollow Kingdom 3.5 starsThis book is a wild variation on a zombie apocalypse. The focus is on the animals that are left in the world and how they deal with the changes and new challenges. It's clever, adventurous, original and often funny. It's also very crude. The main character is a domesticated crow (named Shit Turd, or S.T.) who lived with a guy named Jim, and his dog Dennis, until Jim got sick. I didn't read the blurb about the book before I started listening to the audio. I was a little overwhelmed by the craziness, crude language, and loud voice of the narrator (he's a crow after all). I set it aside for a while and tried again. It's not for everyone, but it's fun fantasy romp for Halloween. The audio was entertaining once I got used to the style of narration.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 3.5 stars. I'm on a quest to finish the half-read books I started early this year (except the ones hated). My reading this year has been more mood-related than usual, and for some reason the writing in this book irritated me a great deal. I don't mind it now though. I've read more YA/middle grades books since then, so maybe my expectations (standards? lol) are lower now.
This really is a wonderful story, and I enjoyed reading it. I still love the movie more, if for no other reason than the music. That's an unfair comparison. There are some other notable changes in movie, such as changing the silver shoes to the Ruby Slippers. I also missed the dream sequence linking her yellow brick road pals to people in Dorothy's Kansas life.
Hi all! I will be closing out this thread (shelving, awarding participation points, and locking the thread) on Tuesday, so be sure to get any lingering reviews posted by then for full credit!
Kiss Of Surrender – Sandra Hill – 1**
Book two in the Deadly Angels series featuring the Sigurdsson brothers – Vampire angels (a/k/a vangels). This is bad on so many levels. The plot is tortured with several loose threads. Many of the situations make no sense at all. Unlike the first book in the series, I didn’t even find much to laugh about.
My full review HERE
The Witches by Roald Dahl - 5 starsI loved all Roald Dahl books when I was young, he and Astrid Lindgren as well as the Narnia world were among my favorites. And my absolute favorite book by Dahl was The Witches.
And I am glad to say that the book still lives up! It has fun twists, creepy (stereotypical) witches, and the illustrations were great. It most certainly still have that magical glow over it. Great book! I am keeping my younger self rating for this one, so 5 stars it is.
Scary space monsters!
The War of the Worlds – H G Wells – 4****
Classic science-fiction horror. I knew the basic premise going in and had heard snippets of the famous radio broadcast by Orson Welles, but had never read the original. The first-person narrative lends a sense of urgency and immediacy to the narrative. The reader feels completely immersed in the story. Wells includes significant tension; while there are a few moments of respite, I found it a very anxiety-producing read.
My full review HERE
Celebrating Oct 12: Indigenous Peoples' Day
Walk Two Moons – Sharon Creech – 5*****
I was completely drawn into the book from the beginning, as I learned that Sal was forced to move from her beloved Kentucky farm some 300 miles north to a town where there wasn’t even a tree in her yard. I liked the multi-generational aspect of the novel, as well as the story-within-a-story way Creech revealed what had happened. As Sal told the story of Phoebe and the lunatic, she was peeling back the layers of her own story, and finding ways to process her loss. Though I cried at the ending, I was left with a feeling hope. A marvelous book.
My full review HERE
Mother Knows BestThis is the 5th? book in the Villains series. Each book is usually split between the story of a particular villains, and the overarching story involving the Odd Sisters (3 sister witches). This story focuses on the Rapunzel story and the villain is Mother Gothel. Her story is more compelling than the the last one and almost has a sad beauty to it. Her family was ripped apart, and like many of the villains, she is very lonely. She thinks she knows best, but she spirals out of control. As usual, the Odd Sisters make things worse when they could have done something nice for a change. I didn't really know the Rapunzel story as well as the stories in the other books, so it's hard to see the balance of the story.
I have recorded and shelved the October reads. You can see the spreadsheet at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/....
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Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
Mother Knows Best (other topics)Walk Two Moons (other topics)
The War of the Worlds (other topics)
The Witches (other topics)
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Roald Dahl (other topics)Seanan McGuire (other topics)
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4 stars
I would not be mad if Alice Hoffman continued to regularly write about the Owens family for the rest of her career.
Magic Less..."
This is OT, but I thought of you today. We were up in Boston, and we walked by a woman sitting and reading a book by Nora Roberts. (not you, but I have no idea if we were near where you work or if you are working remotely, etc--this was near South Station because we walked the Corridor Park as part of our route to get from point A to point B)