Review: Two Truths and Lie by April Henry

Two Truths and a LieTwo Truths and a Lie by April Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

One of my reading challenges for this month, June 2023, was to give an author a second chance. After careful thought, I decided to give April Henry my second try.

I’ve only read from Henry once before, her 2019-release The Lonely Dead. I gave it 2-stars and upon completion, really had no desire to read more. It wasn’t a great experience.

Henry writes a lot of books and since The Lonely Dead was released she’s had quite a few that do sound interesting to me. This book is one of them.

I am so glad that I picked this up. It’s not perfect, but it was so quick, fun and easy. I had a great time with it!

In this story we follow Nell, a high school girl who is traveling with her acting troupe to a competition when they get stuck in a blizzard. Seeking shelter from the storm, their troupe coach, and only chaperone, finds an aging motel for them to stay at.

She warns the kids to be good and then she retires to her room. The driving was stressful and she needs rest. How much trouble can they get in anyway?

As the kids settle in and begin to explore the motel, they discover they aren’t the only travelers caught there. Amongst the other guests are a robotics team from another school.

The teens gather together in the common room and decide to play a game to pass the time: two truths and lie. The perfect way to get to know one another.

As the game escalates, it seems their night of harmless fun has turned into something much more sinister, even deadly.

It appears a murderer hides in their midst. Will they all be able to make it through the night alive?

I enjoyed Nell a lot as a main character. Also, I listened to the audiobook and the narration was fantastic. The narrator, Christine Lakin, was Nell to me.

This had a lot of tropes I enjoy. Examples being, the team getting stranded at a creepy motel due to inclement weather; I always love that sort of set-up. The strangers they meet being a little odd and possibly dangerous. The motel having a dark and brutal history and the gaming element.

I felt the whole package was incredibly intriguing.

There were some directions it took with the plot that I wasn’t as crazy about, but I feel like overall, it is an engaging and entertaining YA Thriller.

I walk away a happy girl. I’m so glad that I gave this a shot and had such an enjoyable experience with it. I am going to be comfortable now sifting through Henry’s backlist and picking up more of her work.

This is a perfect example of why you should always give authors another chance. Especially if they have only had one book that didn’t work for you. We all deserve a second chance, don’t we?

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Themed Reading: SciFi September

Hey bookworms! As today is the final day of September, I thought I would update you all on how I did with my SciFi September-themed reading.

As some of you may recall from prior posts, I have decided to try ‘themed’ reading months for a year. The goal is to complete 10 books that fall within the given theme for that month. The first month that I tried this was August, where I focused on reading ARCs and blew away my goal by completing 14 books within that theme.

This month? Not so much.

I actually completed only 7 science fiction books this month. However, steering away focusing on the number, I did get a lot of TBR veterans (books that have been on my ‘to be read’ list for a long time) off of my list, and really, that was kind of the whole point behind themed months.

So, in a way, I have still won.

Without further ado, let’s go through, really quickly, the scifi books that I did complete this month:

  • The Perfect Wife by J.P. Delaney is an Adult Techno-Thriller that released in August of 2019. I actually received this book as an ARC from Ballantine Books, so a hearty thank you to them for sending it to me. I really enjoyed this one, only slightly let down by the ending and gave it a 3.5-star rating, rounded up to 4-stars for GoodReads.
  • Red Rising (Red Rising Saga #1) by Pierce Brown is an Adult Dystopian set in space. This book was published in 2014 and I listened to the audiobook. I have had this on my TBR for a long time as many, many people adore this series. While it started out really slow, it built up and actually contained some of my very favorite tropes. I ended up giving it a 4.5-star raging, rounded up to 5-stars for GoodReads.
  • Flawed (Flawed #1) by Cecelia Ahern is a YA Dystopian about a society that values Perfection above all other attributes. Anyone not adhering to strict societal standards is deemed Flawed and branded as such, assigning them to second class citizenry. This story follows a Perfect girl, who through committing a crime of empathy, finds herself being branded as Flawed and seeing her entire world change. This book was published in 2017 and has been on my TBR for that long. I really enjoyed this and gave it 4-stars.
  • Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer is a YA SciFi retelling of Cinderella. I found this wildly creative and loved our cyborg main character, Cinder. This book released in 2012 and I can’t believe it has taken me this long to pick it up. Happy to know I do not need to unhaul the rest of the series. I flew through this book and can’t wait to continue on in the Lunar Chronicle world. I gave this a full 5-stars!
  • Contagion by Erin Bowman is a YA SciFi Horror following a rescue mission to a distant planet and, spoiler, it involves zombies. I had so much fun reading this. It was superbly fast-paced and the horror was legit. This is a 2018 release and I have actually owned a copy of it since it was released. The sequel was released earlier this year, and I of course, have already purchased it. I ended up giving this a 4.5-star rating.
  • Alien: Echo by Mira Grant is a YA SciFi Horror set in the world of the Alien movie franchise. I listened to the audiobook for this and while I did enjoy it, I didn’t find it particularly ground-breaking or memorable. The monsters were well done, to be sure, but overall, it was a little underwhelming. This is a new 2019 release but I have been anticipating it since late-2018.  I ended up giving it a 3.5-star rating.
  • Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1) by Sylvain Neuvel is an Adult SciFiction book written in mixed media format following the discovery of a possibly alien giant robot. It was so intriguing full of politics, science and mystery. I absolutely adored it from start to finish and definitely plan to continue on in the series. This released in 2016 and I have had it on my radar for quite a while. So happy to have finally gotten to this as I now consider it a favorite! I gave this, no surprise, a full 5-star rating!

That’s it, folks! All I was able to get to for my SciFi September. I did DNF two books this month. Well, let’s say, reshelved, as I do plan to pick them up again eventually.

The first was Book 2 of the Red Rising Saga, Golden Son. I started listening to the audiobook but due to life circumstances being particularly busy and stressful in September, I found I wasn’t retaining as much of it as I wanted.

The second was Hyperion by Dan Simmons which I picked up to participate in a readalong on Bookstagram called #pilgramagetohyperion. Unfortunately, I just wasn’t that into it and it was super complex. I got to about the 40% point before I turned in the towel on it this morning. Now I am focused on Spooktober. Perhaps I will pick it back up in November.

So, that’s it from me for now. How did your September reading go? Did you get as much completed as you wanted to? What was your favorite book of the month? I want to know! Leave a comment below or contact me through any of my social media links.

Cheers & Happy Reading!

 

September Reading Plans

Coming out of a very successful ‘ARC August’-themed reading month, I have decided to select a different theme for each month for the next year of reading!

My goal for each month is to read 10 books that fit within that theme. I generally read between 12 and 18 books a month, so that seems to be an attainable goal. The reason I am giving myself some wiggle room is because I will always have ARCs, readalongs, readathons, etc., that won’t quite fit in with the assigned theme. 

My theme for this month is:

SCI-FI SEPTEMBER!!!!

Guys, I am so pumped for this. Sci-Fi is arguably my favorite genre and I haven’t been reading enough of it lately. I buy a ton of Sci-Fi books but then never seem to get around to them.

Within this I will be including a whole host of Sci-Fi subgenres, such as: apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic, anything involving alien life, time travel, multi-dimension or multi-universe, steampunk, techno-thriller, military, biohazard or anything related to pandemics, zombie, climate fiction, space colonization, space opera and dystopian. 

I think I can definitely meet my goal of 10-books within this wide range of fascinating Sci-Fi subgenres. I have my eye on quite a few on my shelves that have been sitting around for WAY TOO LONG!

I have already started and am currently reading 3 Sci-Fi books: 

  • The Perfect Wife (ARC) by J.P. Delaney. This is an Adult Techno-Thriller with a sentient robot being created essentially to replace a man’s missing wife. I am really enjoying it and actually only have 10% left so may be finishing it tonight!
  • Contagion by Erin Bowman is a YA Sci-Fi Thriller. I am listening to the audiobook for this one and also really enjoying it. It is quite intense. This follows a crew of people sent on a search and rescue mission into deep space when a mining crew puts out an S.O.S. What they find upon their arrival is nothing like what they would have imagined. Let’s just say, this one is quite aptly titled!
  • Hyperion by Dan Simmons is a Hugo-Award winning, complex Adult Sci-Fi novel, written in 1989, that is structured much like Chaucer’s, Canterbury Tales. I am participating in a month-long readalong of this book with some book buddies over on Bookstagram. I just started it this morning and thus far, am confused, but I am sure I will ultimately enjoy the experience.

So, that’s it for now. I just wanted to write this quick update and let y’all know what I was up to. If you have any Sci-Fi recommendations, please feel free to leave them in the comments below or contact me through any of my social media links!

Until next time,

Cheers & Happy Reading!

 

Status Update: The Reading Rush 2019

I don’t think I actually mentioned it here but this week, I have been trying, unsuccessfully, to take part in the 2019 Reading Rush. Formally know as BookTube-A-Thon, this annual readathon is a great way for the whole book community to just come together and really cram in a ton of reading in one week.

This year, for the first time, the creators, Ariel Bissett and Raeleen Lemay, created an incredible website as the home platform for the readathon. You can follow friends, make updates, track your pages read per day, books you have read and earn badges that correspond to the challenges.

I dutifully set up my profile, selecting a book to correspond with each challenge and then, the reading started. Better I should say lack of reading. I actually think I have read less this week than any other week this year because life gets hard sometimes, guys.

I still have today but frankly, I’m not feeling very motivated. I have completed two books, one I started well in advance of the actual readathon, so I didn’t count it as meeting any of the challenges, and the other, did earn me a ‘read a book with a non-human main character badge’. So, there’s that. Plus, Ariel and Raeleen were thoughtful enough to create a ‘participation badge’ — SCORE!

Also, I did read over a 1,000-pages and there is a badge for that as well even though it wasn’t one of the official challenges. I guess my biggest mistake was selecting a 650-page book for the ‘read a book you meant to read last year’ challenge. Lethal White by Robert Galbraith has me beat. I got so close. I have about 130-pages left of it but alas, I will not be finishing it by midnight. Lesson learned.

Are you taking part in The Reading Rush? If so, how did your week go? I want to know! Leave a comment here or reach me through any of my social media platforms! I hope that your RR experience was better than mine!

May the badges always be in your favor.

Cheers & Happy Reading!

Mid-Month Medieval-A-Thon Status Update

Hi book friends! Just like that mid-month is upon us. What better time to update you all on how I am doing with the Medieval-A-Thon? If you don’t know, Medieval-A-Thon is a month-long readathon hosted by Holly over at Holly Hearts Books on YouTube. I will link her announcement video below, click it for all the details, challenges, etc:

Medieval-A-Thon Announcement

Holly reads a ton of Fantasy and is a great channel to go to for recommendations and other news within that genre. She is my go-to when I am looking for new Adult Fantasy recommendations and just when I want a good laugh because she is so freaking funny. I love her videos. Be sure to check out her channel!

Of the 10 specific challenges listed for the readathon, I have thus far completed two:

  1. Read a shiny book to earn the breastplate of your suite of armor: For this I completed, The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell. I haven’t done a review or decided on a star rating for this book yet. It was a lot. There were a lot of character perspectives to follow and time jumps and things got hecka confusing there for a while. I did enjoy it. I thought the characters were great but I am just a bit at a loss as too how much I enjoyed it. Does this ever happen to anyone else? Regardless, the ouroboros-type graphic on this is super shiny in the light of the hardcover version that I read.
  2. Read a book with assassins in it to earn your fighting daggers: I am not 100% sure this is what this weapon is called but it is what it looks like to me from Holly’s graphic. For this I completed Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa, which is the second book in the Shadow of the Fox trilogy. I loved this book, gave it five stars and am on pins-and-needles in anticipation waiting for the final installment. When does book 3 release? 2020!!!!!! No idea how I will wait that long. I did receive an ARC of Soul of the Sword so hoping that I can pull that off for Night of the Dragon. Anyway, back to what we are actually suppose to be talking about, this book has assassins after Yumeko and friends as they try to make their way to the Silent Winds Temple.

Although these are the only things I have completed thus far, I am currently working on five other books that will complete challenges. Quickly, they are: Roar by Cora Carmack, this is to get my crown by reading a book where a character fights for the throne; Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia for the helmet to my suit of armor for reading a book with a dragon on the cover (there is a small image of a totem dragon head on this cover); rereading The Dark Half by Stephen King for the boots of my suit of armor by reading a book that has yellowed over time (this isn’t technically ‘fantasy’ but it is supernatural horror soooooooo, I’m counting it); Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook by Christina Henry for my cape by reading a book that has red on the dust jacket; and finally, The Wicked King by Holly Black to earn my bow & arrow by reading a book with elves in it (don’t fight me on this, this is what Holly is choosing for this very prompt, she is boss, she is Queen, it’s happening).

In addition to these, I am also hoping to get to Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson this month to get my sword by reading a book with something pointy on the cover, as well as Priest of Lies (War for the Rose Throne #2) by Peter McLean to get my battle axes by reading a book with mercenaries in it.

Yeah, so that’s it. No problem at all, right? We won’t even mention the fact that this is my busiest month of the year at work right now. No, we won’t mention that. I’m so in the weeds right now I have to send my parents emails every once in while just so they know I’m still alive. Just me?

I hope you are all having a wonderfully productive reading month. Even though I have only completed two books so far for this readathon, I actually have already completed 8 books this month and I am confident I can pull through with these titles.

Are you participating in Medieval-A-Thon? How is it going for you so far? Have you read any of the books I am reading? I want to know. Leave me a comment here or contact me through any of my social media links.

Cheers & Happy Reading!

July Challenge: Medieval-A-Thon

July 1st!? What the? I cannot even believe we are finished with half of 2019!! I have completed 93-books so far this year so am confident that I can meet my ‘100-books’ reading goal.

For this month I have selected a brand new readathon to participate in. Medieval-A-Thon is a full month readathon created and hosted by Holly from Holly Hearts Books over on YouTube. If you are a big SFF reader, or even if you are just someone looking to get more into that genre, Holly is a great resource. She posts super funny and fun content and is legit a SFF Queen! The link to her Medieval-A-Thon announcement video is below:

Medieval-A-Thon Announcement

Basically, the goal is to build your nobility ranking by reading a certain number of books and then there are extra prompts to build your medieval wardrobe and weapons cache. The highest ranking is King or Queen with 6 books. This is my goal but I am also hoping to complete all 10 prompts using 10 different books. The 10 prompts, and my tentative book choice, are as follows:

    1. For a ‘crown’ pick a book where the character fights for a throne: Roar by Cora Carmack
    2. For a ‘helmet’ pick a book with a dragon on the cover: Mistress of All Evil by Serena Valentino which is about my personal Queen, Maleficient.
    3. For a ‘breast plate’ read a shiny book: The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell. I am also hoping to participate with the Books with Friends discussion on this on July 27th as this is their group book for the month.
    4. For ‘upper leg armor’ read a thick paperback: Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas.
    5. For ‘boots’ read a book that has yellowed over time: reread of The Dark Half by Stephen King. I have not one yellowed copy but two of this in paperback.
    6. For a ‘cape’ read a book with red on the dust jacket: A Stranger on the Beach by Michelle Campbell has red font on the cover. I know this isn’t SFF but I have an ARC of it so I do need to read it this month!
    7. For a ‘sword’ a book with something pointy on the cover: Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri.
    8. For ‘fighting blades’ read a book with assassins: I am currently reading Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa and there are assassins who try to kill the protagonist and her traveling crew. Even though I technically started it in June, I am going to count it anyway because I will be completing it this month.
    9. For a ‘bow and arrow’ read a book with elves in it: The Wicked King by Holly Black. I wasn’t sure if this would count but I watched Holly’s TBR video and it is what she is reading for this prompt so, she’s the boss, it counts!
    10. For a ‘battle axe’ read a book with mercenaries in it: Priest of Lies (War for the Rose Throne #2) by Peter McLean.

As we are all aware, I am a hella mood reader, so there is a very strong chance that none of these books will actually get read. Either way, I am reading something and I am going to make every single book fit one of these prompts.

I think this readathon sounds so fun. I hope it is uber-successful so that Holly will host it again next year. If you are interested in learning more about any of the books I have on my tentative TBR, just click the cover photo above!

What about you? Are you participating in Medieval-A-Thon? If not, are you participating in any reading challenges in July? If so, what? I want to know. Leave me a comment below or contact me through any of my social media links.

Cheers & Happy Reading~

Buzzwordathon Round 4 TBR

Beginning tomorrow, June 12th, I am going to be participating in the 4th round of BooksandLala’s Buzzwordathon. This is a readathon where the host, Kayla, selects a ‘buzzword’ based on trends she is noticing in book titles. Watch her announcement video here for more details:

Buzzwordathon Round 4 Annoucement

The Buzzword for this round is ‘You’ which is definitely showing up in a lot of titles as of late. I actually have three ARCs (advanced readers copy) that I can fit into this. The titles can have ‘you’ in any form, for example, your, you’re, yours, etc. The readathon ends on June 18th.

Without further ado, let’s get into the books I am hoping to get to during the week. If you wish to know more about any of these titles, simply click on the cover below for more information:

Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West — This YA Contemporary was recommended to me by a friend on Goodreads who knew that I liked books that contained mixed media elements such as podcasts, newspaper articles and journal entries. This is a story following a girl who ends up becoming the host of a high school podcast. Kasie West is a beloved YA Contemporary Romance author. I have never read any of her books and looking forward to giving this one a shot. I will be listening to this in audiobook format.

Call It What Your Want by Brigid Kemmerer — This is a YA Contemporary that releases on June 25th. I actually requested a copy of this ARC directly from the publisher, Bloomsbury YA, as Brigid Kemmerer is one of my favorite authors. This story follows two teens, Maegan and Rob, who are both going through a lot when they get paired together for a calculus project. I am sure a friendship or romance of some sort will develop between them as they try to help each other with their problems. Kemmerer’s writing is beautiful and she examines difficult topics with such care. Rob’s father in this is a white collar criminal so I am also interested to see how that plays out.

If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kahn — I received this ARC through a Goodreads giveaway from the publisher, Swoon Reads. I was so happy to hear I would be getting an advanced copy of this but as with life, I didn’t actually get to it before release day. This came out on June 4th so you can pick it up now! This YA Contemporary follows Winnie, a high schooler who works at her Grandmother’s Southern diner. She has big dreams but needs money in order to make them happen. Her solution is to compete in a cooking competition for prize money. This just sounds like a fun summer read and I am really looking forward to picking this one up!

While You Sleep by Stephanie Merritt — This chilling psychological thriller follows Zoe Adams, who fresh from America, moves into the McBride house on a remote Scottish island. The house has a mysterious and disturbing past and it doesn’t take long before Zoe begins to suspect something is seriously wrong there. This has the hints of a ‘things that go bump in the night’ kind of story and I am so down for that. I received an ARC copy of this from the publisher, Pegasus Books, but unfortunately, again, did not get to it before its March 8, 2019, release date. I am most excited for the location of this one and am hoping for a super spooky atmospheric tale.

Those are the four I would really like to get to. If in some totally bizarre string of events, I am able to finish all four of these and still have time remaining, I do have a few alternates picked out.

Are you participating in Buzzwordathon? What are you planning to read for it, if you are? Have you read any of these books? What were your thoughts? I want to know! Let me know in the comments here or reach out to me through any of my social media links.

Cheers & Happy Reading!

Contemporary-A-Thon TBR

Hi all! It is time for another round of Contemporary-A-Thon hosted by a great group of gals over on BookTube. I will link all of their announcement videos at the end of this post, if you would like to check them out and hopefully join us in the fun!

There are 7 challenges in this round and you can double up on challenges so you don’t necessarily have to complete 7 books. Although, honestly, that would be great and I do have B-plan books in addition to the ones listed below. I am going to put the books I am currently reading on hold for the duration of the Readathon and read exclusively the books on this TBR.

The dates of the Readathon are from Monday, February 11th, running through Sunday, February 17th. Without further ado, let’s get into the challenges and thus my TBR for next week:

  1. Read your most recently acquired ContemporaryFor this challenge I am going to be reading Fat Angie: Rebel Girl Revolution by E.E. Charlton-Trujillo. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Candlewick Press, so a big thank you to them. This sounds like a hard-hitting story following Angie as she struggles to live beyond the negativity of her surroundings. This book also involves an RV road trip. I am definitely down for that!
  2. Read a book with blurple (blue or purple) on the cover – For this, see above, because I am counting Fat Angie for this challenge as well!
  3. Read a diverse ContemporaryFor this I am planning to read Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann. This story follows, Alice, a black asexual girl, as she works her way through a surprising summer friendship. This book also features one of my favorite book covers of 2018. It’s gorgeous. I had this on my TBR last year for Pride Month but never ended up getting to it. I am really looking forward to this one!
  4. Read a dark or taboo Contemporary – Someone grab the tissues because for this challenge I am planning to read Adam Silvera’s, They Both Die At The End. This futuristic YA-Contemporary imagines a world where a company, Death-Cast, lets people know the day they are going to die. When Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio get their Death-Cast calls they both decide to seek a new friend for their ‘death day’. Using the app, Last Friend, they find each other and set out on one last adventure. I know this book is going to crush me but it has been sitting on my shelves for way to long and I need to get it read. My eyes fill up with tears just thinking about it.
  5. Read a Contemporary you meant to read in 2018 but didn’t get to – For this challenge I am going to double-up and count either Let’s Talk About Love or They Both Die at the End. Both of those books made it onto monthly TBRs last year but never ended up being read. Let me tell you, they are excited for the opportunity!
  6. Read a Contemporary in a non-traditional format – For this I am going to listen to the audiobook of Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch. I just read Love & Gelato by Welch last month and absolutely adored the humor and the topics of family and love that it touched upon. I am really looking forward to this one as it is set in Ireland, which if you know me, you know I am pretty much obsessed with.
  7. Read a Contemporary with a picture on the spine – Again for this one, I get to double up. The hardcover edition of Love & Luck, which I do own, has a completely adorable little shamrock on the side with leaves configured of heart images. It’s pretty much the cutest thing ever and I thought of it right away when they announced this challenge!

Alright you guys, that is it! That wraps up my Contemporary-A-Thon February 2019 TBR. Are you participating in Contemporary-A-Thon? If so, are any of these books on your TBR? What books are you including to go with what challenges? I really want to know. Leave a comment below or contact me through any of my social media links.

Also, guys, don’t forget to watch the BookTube Announcement videos linked below! Give the videos a like and be sure to subscribe. These four are seriously some of my favorite BookTubers ever. They are constantly uploading new, fun content and I don’t think you will be disappointed!

Julie @ Pages and Pens

Chelsea @ chelseadolling reads

Natasha @ myreadingisodd

Melanie @ meltotheany

Cheers y’all & Happy Reading~

Spookathon TBR

Hi Geeks & Ghouls! I hope you are all having a wonderful October and getting all your spooky, eerie Halloweenie vibes in; I know I am! Today I wanted to go over my TBR for Spookathon. For those of you who do not know what Spookathon is, it is 1-week readathon, hosted by Kayla @Booksandlala, as well as Peter from @Peterlikesbooks and Shannon @Bookerly – you can find all of their channels on BookTube (aka YouTube), so go check them out! The dates for this year are October 15th to October 21st, there are five challenges and one group book. Click the link to the right to see Kayla’s announcement video >>> Spookathon Announcement >>> Without further ado, let’s get into the challenges, and hence, my overly ambitious TBR:

  1. Read a Thriller: For this I am choosing, Baby Teeth, by Zoje Stage. This is an Adult Thriller that was released in July and I believe it revolves around a woman who thinks her young daughter is possessed. Who doesn’t love a story with a creepy kid in it, am I right? I really don’t want to know too much about this going in but I have heard some pretty good feedback on it. I have the hardcover of this which is 304 pages.
  2. Read a Book with Purple on the Cover: For this I am going to use the group book which is, Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft, edited by Jessica Spotswood and Tess Sharpe. This is a new YA anthology that includes stories from 15 different YA authors where the heroines are witchy in some way. It is diverse and involves a number of different sub-genres like historical fiction, scifi, contemporary, etc. This sounds really fun but it’s a chunker. I have the hardcover of this and it comes in at a whopping 405 pages.
  3. Read a Book Not Set in Our Time Period: For this I am finally getting to a book that has been on my ‘to be read’ list since 2016 and that is, Stalking Jack the Ripper, by Kerri Maniscalco. This is the first book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. There are currently three books out in the series and I have all three so really would like to start this. This is a historical fiction YA story that follows a girl named, Audrey, who wants to study forensic medicine and I guess is apparently going to try to solve the Jack the Ripper case? I don’t know if that last bit is true or not but makes sense based on the title, I would say. I love forensic science and the Jack the Ripper case is one that I have had interest in for a number of years so this seems like it would be right up my alley. This is part of the James Patterson Imprint and will be my first book to read of their releases. I have the hardcover of this as well which comes in at 326 pages.
  4. Read a Book with a Spooky Word in the Title: For this I have chosen, The Wicked Deep, by Shea Ernshaw. I bought this book when it was released in March and have been specifically saving it for this month. This is about a small town called, Sparrow, that is cursed since two centuries before they hanged three sisters for witchcraft. Apparently every summer these sisters return and lure boys of the town into the local harbor where they ultimately drown. You would think these parents would keep their boys locked up in summer but anyway, regardless of absentee parenting, I am really excited to FINALLY be getting to this. This gives me strong Hocus Pocus vibes and I live for that! I have the hardcover version for this book, which also happens to be my favorite book cover of the year, and it comes in at 308 pages.
  5. Read a Book with Pictures: For this I decided to go with a graphic novel because I should be able to read it in one sitting and I have a lot of pages to get through already. The graphic novel I chose is, Locke & Key, Volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodrigues. I love the artwork in this. I have had it for a while and I think October is the perfect time to get to it. This takes place in the fictional town of Lovecraft, Massachusetts and involves a haunted mansion of some sort which I am all about. This one is 168 pages long.

So, that is it! That is my official Spookathon TBR. Will I actually get to and finish all of these books in a week? Probably not but I am always up for a challenge. Also, I am a major mood reader so the books on this may ultimately get swapped out. I am hoping I can find at least one of these on audiobook, that would certainly help, as I always listen to audiobooks when walking my dog (which I do a lot) and commuting. My current page count for this would be 1,511 pages for the week, so 215 pages a day approximately. That’s heavy. I probably read on average 100-150 pages a day so this would be a big, big push. We’ll see!

Leave me a comment below if you are planning to participate in Spookathon. What is on your TBR for the month? Have you read any of these books, do you want to read any of these books? I want to know! You can comment here or contact me through any of my ‘contact me’ links to the right!

Cheers & Happy Reading!