Last Week's Shenanigans (26th October - 1st November)...

Thanks to my hectic week last week and the number of days I had off of work, I ended up working six days this week! Ouch! I'm absolutely knackered as a result ad don't really have a huge amount to say about what went on because not a whole lot did. I went on Wednesday (after work) to see the new James Bond film, 'Spectre' with Mat and really enjoyed it. The cast did a great job, familiar and new faces alike and the story was a pretty interesting one (though I still think that Skyfall is the best of the bunch). Also: gorgeous new Bond theme! Great job Sam Smith!

On Saturday it was Halloween but Mat and I don't really like to go out partying so instead we snuggled up in bed to watch 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'. It's seriously the perfect Halloween film in my opinion, with some really catchy songs to boot. We ate plenty of sweets too (as tradition dictates) but didn't do a whole lot other than that because neither of us finished work until very late in the evening. Sunday was my only day off in the week so I caught up on a ton of blog posts and did a few chores meaning I had a surprisingly productive day!

I Read:

Memes:

Top Ten Tuesday: Horror Books I Would Love To Read

I Posted:

The Halloween Book Tag!
October Wrap-Up
Planned Reads For November

Planned Reads For November.

I can't believe how close we are to 2016 now! Only 2 months to go! And Christmas is so close too, which is really exciting to me. I've got some great reads lined up, though a couple of them are quite long so I'm not sure how many of them I'll get round to. Still, they're worthwhile reads that I'm excited about!

Crossover Reads:

1. 'The Historian'; Elizabeth Kostova. I started reading this book a long time ago and for some reason, never finished it. But I simply have to read it now, especially as I've read 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker now. I think I'll appreciate the connection between the two stories a whole lot more this time around. I actually wanted to read this during Halloween month but didn't get round to it. I will this month, though it's a really long rad so hopefully it doesn't end up being my last one.

1. 'Bitter Greens'; Kate Forsyth. I'm actually so excited about this book because I got it for my birthday and it's a Fairy Tale retelling! Even better: it's Historical Fiction! I've heard really great things about this Adult re-imagining of Rapunzel. I can't wait to see if it's actually any good. It's quite a long book but I'm willing to take the time to power through it.
2. 'The Sin Eater's Daughter'; Kate Forsyth. I'm going to give this book another go because I never actually got round to it a couple of months back when I said I would. It's another gift too so I'm very excited. The cover is absolutely beautiful and I've seen it absolutely everywhere since it's release. Fingers crossed it's a good read!
3. 'Red Glove'; Holly Black. I read the first book in this series, 'White Cat' at some point earlier this year after borrowing it from a friend. I really liked it too, so I've borrowed the second one and aim to get round to it this month. I can't wait to see what else happens in this series because book one left me with quite the cliffhanger ending!
4. 'Stealing Phoenix'; Joss Stirling. Another book that I read the first a long time ago: about this time last year in fact. I've already mentioned that I'm desperately trying to get through more of the series that I've started and seeing as I didn't manage any in October, it's time to catch up. Another pretty cover too!
5. 'A Thousand Nights'; E.K. Johnston. I'm actually hyperventilating with excitement about this book. It looks so good! A lot of people have rated this retelling really highly (it's based on One Thousand & One Nights) and I hope that I can get round to it quickly! I'm really thankful to Netgalley for providing the free copy, though having seen what the Hardcover looks like I'm desperate to get hold of a copy of that too, if the story itself is good.
6. 'The Butterfly & The Violin'; Kristy Cambron. I actually stumbled upon this one while scrolling through my Netgalley approvals list and realised (to my embarrassment) that I had forgotten all about it! I'm in a real mood for Historical Fiction this month, so I'm glad I found it again because it looks like a really good read.

October Wrap-Up.

I am actually so pleased with this month's reading progress! There were a couple of moments that I thought I wasn't going to be overly productive this month with my reading, but in a couple of instances I managed to find time to sit down and actually read for a few hours, not just on the Tube to and from work. I managed 6 of my 7 chosen reads for the month and I couldn't be more pleased!

1. 'More Than This'; Patrick Ness. Despite the mild panic attack the first few chapters gave me, I loved this book! Patrick Ness writes amazingly well, merging multiple genres seamlessly and making it look so easy! He maintained a sense of suspense consistently and I audibly reacted at the end of every chapter! I really felt emotionally connected to the characters too, particularly Seth's very sad story. At times the conversation got a little too philosophical and I'm not a fan of the rather ambiguous ending but the pros far outweighed the cons. 4.5/5 Stars.
2. 'Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children'; Ransom Riggs. This felt like a novel of two parts to me and it made rating it rather tricky. The first part was my favourite. I loved the atmosphere, hearing about his Grandfather's stories and pairing them with the photographs. The atmosphere that Riggs built was creepy, particularly when the setting changed to a remote Island near Wales. But in the last third of the book I felt like I was reading a different book! The characters started making decisions that I genuinely felt they shouldn't have done so easily. I gave it a high rating in the end because half of the book impressed me and I want to find out what happens. 3.5/5 Stars.
3. 'The Other Lamb'; Katie Young. There were a lot of things I really enjoyed about this book. The writing for one really got to me because it just flowed so well. It was very poetic too, and hooked me with both beautiful and brutal images. There is a lot of violence and detailed sex in this book, so if you're sensitive to that sot of material I'd stay away. Young had obviously done an absolute ton of research in order to aid writing the Mythology for this book, and it was very intricately pieced together as a result. On the other hand, the characterisation didn't wash at times. Despite being the 'main character', Zach's personality felt very lacklustre and he was pushed off to the side a lot. The plot began to unravel towards the end leaving me with more questions than answers. It's a shame because it had such promise! 3/5 Stars.
4. 'Horns'; Joe Hill. I started reading this book a while back and never got more than a few chapters in because I didn't really understand it. I'm glad I waited until now to revisit it! The plot concept was a really good one, and like nothing I had ever read before. Hill's writing style was absolutely captivating and filled with a lot of symbolism and iconography for me to unpick for deeper meanings (which I loved). The characters were not very relateable however, and I felt like Hill didn't fully know what sort of book he wanted to write so slapped a bit of everything in. 3.5/5 Stars.
5. 'Vengeance Road'; Erin Bowman. I was originally a little frustrated at my own idiocy for getting hold of a copy of this book. My request for a copy on Netgalley was accepted but then I didn't download it in time before it was archived so I ended up buying a Hardcover copy anyway. This turned out to be the best purchase I've made in ages! I LOVED this book! Thanks to growing up on Clint Eastwood films with my Dad, everything about a YA Western screamed awesome! And it certainly was: a kick-ass heroine, swoon-worth romance, gorgeous world-building and a mesmerising plot. What more could you want? 5/5 Stars.
6. 'Mary Hades'; Sarah Dalton. I just about got round to this one for Halloween and it was a very good choice for the time of year. It seems I've read a lot of books where the writing has impressed me this month, and this is one of them. At times it felt a little juvenile and basic, but there's no denying that I was hooked on the story from beginning to end. I also loved the romantic sub-plot for this one, Seth was a wonderful, mysteriously brooding love interest. My favourite kind! Unfortunately the main character was a little too trusting and naive for my liking and the ending was anticlimactic and disappointing. I really want to see if Dalton fixes some of these problems in the next book because this series has a lot of promise! 3/5 Stars.

This month I have read four physical books:

- More Than This

- Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

- Horns

- Vengeance Road

This month I have read two Netgalley/Edelweiss Reads:

- The Other Lamb

- Vengeance Road

Here's my updated Bookish Bingo and Story Sprites cards!

Horror: The Other Lamb; Kate Young.

LGBTQIA: More Than This; Patrick Ness.

Sparkly Cover: Horns; Joe Hill.

Mental Illness: Mary Hades; Sarah Dalton.

Science Fiction: Spinning Starlight; R.C. Lewis.

New To You Author: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children; Ransom Riggs.

On Your Shelf For Over A Year: Life After Life; Kate Atkinson.

Set In Another Country: Etta & Otto & Russell & James; Emma Hooper.

Animal On The Cover: Station Eleven; Emily St. John Mandel.

Mystery: Vengeance Road; Erin Bowman.

Black Cover: Witch Hunter; Virginia Boecker.

A Character Death: More Than This; Patrick Ness.

Male MC: Horns; Joe Hill.

Photograph On The Cover: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children; Ransom Riggs.

A Halloween Read: Mary Hades; Sarah Dalton.

Set In The Southern USA: Vengeance Road; Erin Bowman.

Supernatural Race In Modern Times: The Other Lamb; Katie Young.

Book Review: Mary Hades; Sarah Dalton.

I won this book absolutely ages ago in a Giveaway, and I'm ashamed to say I'm only reading it now. Still, it's the perfect read for Halloween because it mixes scares with fun! I'm so glad I got to finish it today and tell you guys all about it! Also this fits onto the Monthly Motif challenge too!

SOURCE: Giveaway Win
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Mary Hades
AUTHOR: Sarah Dalton
SERIES: Mary Hades (#1)
PUBLISHER: Createspace
PAGES: 286
GENRE: Young Adult, Horror, Romance, Mystery

RATING: 3/5 Stars

Blurb:
Not many seventeen year old girls have a best friend who’s a ghost, but then Mary Hades isn’t your average teenager. 

Scarred physically and mentally from a fire, her parents decide a holiday to an idyllic village in North Yorkshire will help her recover. Nestled in the middle of five moors, Mary expects to have a boring week stuck in a caravan with her parents. Little does she know, evil lurks in the campsite… 

Seth Lockwood—a local fairground worker with a dark secret—might be the key to uncovering the murky history that has blighted Nettleby. But Mary is drawn to him in a way that has her questioning her judgement. 

Helped by her dead best friend and a quirky gay Goth couple, Mary must stop the unusual deaths occurring in Nettleby. But can she prevent her heart from being broken?

What I Liked:

• I really liked the plot concept for this one, it felt like something I hadn't seen before. Most people know that I don't read many Murder Mystery books because I find that I have to be in the right mood for them. It turns out I was for this one, especially when the detective of the story has a ghostly sidekick helping her out. Dalton's writing was impressive too (though a little basic and juvenile at times). It had some really quotable moments that I enjoyed reading a lot, and certainly had me hooked! Overall I found myself feeling a little creeped out while reading, but mostly having fun!
• The romance in this book was really enjoyable. Seth was brooding, mysterious and attractive with dark secrets just waiting to be discovered. I really adore love interests like that, so I was sold pretty much instantly. In such a shot book, there was a pretty big dose of insta-love but I'm willing to let that go because I really shipped these two!

What I Disliked:

• I had mixed feelings on the characters and it was largely to do with the fact that there wasn't enough book space to develop them more fully. Mary herself was a likeable enough heroine, but she was far too trusting and came across as a little naive. She was certainly happy to share her secrets with basically everyone she met, so I couldn't really understand why she hadn't done the same with her parents who she knew she could actually trust. Lacey, her recently deceased best friend, I found a little irritating. Dalton was trying to highlight that since dying, Lacey was frightened and bitter. Instead it came across as moody and possessive. I wish I had been able to know Lacey before she died and grow attached to her character, perhaps the story could have focused more on the horrible doctor we met briefly at the beginning? Or even some flashbacks?
• I felt like the ending let me down a little. The ghost that Mary and Lacey were trying to find was built up to be so powerful and terrifying that I expected a huge showdown to finish with. Instead, the story sort of fizzled out and felt very anti-climactic. Not only that, but I was not very happy with the way that the romance ended at all and it left me with a pretty sour feeling.

Overall Conclusion:

The overall tone of this book was hugely enjoyable and I really loved the premise. The plot was, for the most part, well thought-out. The romance sub-plot (which wouldn't normally interest me a whole bunch) really got to me despite being a bit cliché, and the cast was diverse with a lot of personality which I like to read in YA. There were a few flaws: characters still felt underdeveloped, a disappointing ending, and the back-story could have used a lot more detail (I would in fact like to read a whole book detailing Mary's stay on the Magdalena ward to put things into perspective). I do want to read more of this series however, because I feel like these issues can be fixed in later books and I think the series as a whole has a lot of potential!

The Halloween Book Tag!

Hooray! It's Halloween! That means it's time for a bit of spooky fun! I didn't have much time to come up with a post of my own, so I thought for today I'd do this fairly simple tag I've seen a few other Bloggers doing: The Halloween Book Tag.Without further ado...here goes!

1) Favourite Horror book?

Oooh this is a tough first question! I'm going to go with the first book I ever read for this Blog: 'A Tale Of Raw Head & Bloody Bones' - Jack Wolf. 

This book really stands out in my mind as being something special, most notably because it reminds me so much of Victorian Gothic novels, which I adore. It covers Mental Illness in an age where it wasn't fully understood, gives the Main Character a Jekyll & Hyde like personality making you route for and be repulsed by him, has a great romance sub-plot and draws from British Folklore which also really intrigued me. I just loved the battle between superstition and science that it portrayed and Wolf is a masterful writer!


2) Scariest moment in a book you've read?

This has to be from a recent read of mine: 'More Than This' - Patrick Ness.

This choice may surprise a fair few people, as the book itself is not particularly scary. However I've chosen it because while reading the first chapter (in which a young boy droning is vividly described) I actually ended up having a panic attack on the London Underground. I'm Aquaphobic, meaning I'm frightened of being in the water, and particularly the idea that I might drown...hence the strong reaction! This is quite a personal choice and I'm sure that other people who have answered these questions will think of better ones that everyone can agree on.

3) Would you or have you ever dressed up as a Book Character for Halloween?

I'm afraid to say for Halloween: no. I have in the past dressed up as various characters, and I distinctly recall posing as Moaning Myrtle from Harry Potter for a Sixth Form Rag Week dress-up day. I would love to dress up as a book character for Halloween at some point though! I think my choice would have to be Karou from 'The Daughter Of Smoke & Bone' series because I think she looks really cool!

4) What do you think your favourite character would dress up a for Halloween?

This is tricky because I have a fair few characters from books and some interesting ideas for all of them I'll choose two: Tyrion Lannister from the 'A Song Of Ice & Fire' series and Hermione Granger from the 'Harry Potter' series. Tyrion would straight up go as a Demon Monkey to be ironic because that, much to his utter disbelief, is how people seem to view him. Hermione I think would make an awesome cat because she has actually half turned into one before (thanks to a Polyjuice potion mix-up) and she adores her own pet cat Crookshanks so much!

5) What is your favourite kind of Horror?

Definitely the Supernatural kind! I'm not a huge fan of Psychological thrillers, I find them pretty predictable. I like haunted houses, schools, asylums, forests, the lot! I've always found that the Paranormal scares me far more than anything else, particularly ghosts.

6) If books were as cheap as candy, which would you give out to trick or treaters?

I'm too big a fan of Fairy Tales not to choose them with an opportunity like this. It's difficult to choose one of course...but if I had to it would probably be 'Cinder' - Marissa Meyer.

I always feel that people who don't like to read just haven't read the right story yet. Perhaps they should go back to story-telling roots (Folklore and Fairy Tales) to really get them back into reading (or even further their love of it). 'Cinder' certainly managed to reawaken my love for the classic 'Cinderella' with a fresh new Sci-Fi spin, and Sci-Fi is certainly a popular genre that people can't seem to get enough of these days. I think a lot of people would love this book and want to read more!

7) Halloween to-read list?

Well I'll just quickly list the spooky reads I've chosen for October as a whole. 'Mary Hades' by Sarah Dalton is the one I'm actually reading on Halloween this month, but the others were also there in honour of the spookiest day if the year!

'Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children' - Ransom Riggs
'The Other Lamb' - Katie Young
'Horns' - Joe Hill
'Mary Hades' - Sarah Dalton

8) Recommend some Halloween reads!

Okay, I guess I have a few to choose from...

'Dracula' - Bram Stoker
'Cuckoo Song' - Frances Hardinge
'The Woman In Black' - Susan Hill

And that marks the end of this fun little tag! I hope you guys enjoyed reading my answers as much as I liked writing them.

Book Review: Vengeance Road; Erin Bowman.

I've been complaining recently that I can never find time to read books for long stretches of time, continually reading just a chapter or two at a time. But for this book? I made time. As soon as I got home this evening, I scoffed dinner so that I could just sit and read for the rest of the evening. Boy am I glad I did, because it's the best read I've had in a while and I can't wait to tell you all my thoughts. Also: I originally got a free copy from Netgalley but I took my eye off the ball and didn't download it before it was archived, so ended up ordering the Hardcover. I'm quite glad that I did now because the cover is also really pretty! Right: enough rambling!

SOURCE: Bought (Originally Netgalley...)
TYPE: Hardcover

TITLE: Vengeance Road
AUTHOR: Erin Bowman
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: HMH Books For Young Readers
PAGES: 336
GENRE: Young Adult, Western, Historical Fiction, Adventure

RATING: 5/5 Stars

Blurb:

Revenge is worth its weight in gold.

When her father is murdered for a journal revealing the location of a hidden gold mine, eighteen-year-old Kate Thompson disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers—and justice. What she finds are untrustworthy strangers, endless dust and heat, and a surprising band of allies, among them a young Apache girl and a pair of stubborn brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, a startling truth becomes clear: some men will stop at nothing to get their hands on gold, and Kate’s quest for revenge may prove fatal.

What I Liked:

• My instant answer to this title is 'everything!' but of course I'll have to be more specific than that. I'll start with how impressed I was with Bowman's writing: not just because it sucked me in, but also because it was such a masterful handling of the genre. It took all of my favourite elements of the Classic Westerns that I know and love, and somehow managed to make them feel fresh and exciting. I also thought that combining a YA audience with the gritty, brutal reality of the Wild West would be difficult but Bowman balanced everything with ease. Her descriptive work was outstanding and I audibly reacted a lot while reading. This kind of writing is not easy, yet she made it look like it was. Bravo!
• The world-building impressed me. The research that has gone into this book is clear, and I was very interested to read Bowman's notes at the back of the book on her inspiration for the plot and how much of it was based on a true story. The accents that were not overbearing, the added use of Western slang and Mexican words, and even the knowledge of Apache lore really aided in developing the plot into something spectacular. Everyone knows that I prize world-building above anything else, so let me just be clear, you may all consider me thoroughly dazzled.
• Not only did the plot shine, but the characters too! Kate was a wonderful heroine who contained ever personality trait I love in main characters. She was feisty, intelligent and could handle herself in a world where men ruled and women faded into the background. She just oozed personality, as did the characters that surrounded her. The Colton brothers were both charming in their own way, but I loved how different they were. Liluye was a wonderful, calming, late addition to the story who managed to bring so much in a short space of time. Equally, Waylan Rose made for a great villain. He actually frightened me and reminded me of some of the great gang leaders I've watched in the past in Clint Eastwood films with my Dad.

What I Disliked:

• I think the only thing that really struck me as something I didn't really feel was necessary was the big plot twist towards the end, in a showdown with Rose. I won't say what it is as I fear I will spoil the story for those that still haven't read it, but it felt a little too random for my liking and I don't think it was needed. That being said, it wasn't a terrible addition to the story and I think I dislike the fact that the book has ended and it's not the first in a series more. I want to see all those wonderful characters again!

Overall Conclusion:

I think I've pretty much covered everything I wanted to in the 'What I Liked' section. This book filled me with so much adoration and I was mesmerised from start to finish. I used to watch a lot of Westerns with my Dad when I was younger, and despite not being a fan of Action as a whole, loved them! While reading this, I was reminded of those films because it contained so many recognisable elements: shoot-outs, poker, piano playing in the saloons, angry mobs, notorious gangs and most of all the hunt for gold! I would seriously recommend this book to just about anyone. I want to see more YA Western in the world!

Top Ten Tuesday (Freebie): My picks for 'Horror Books I Would Love To Read'.

I would say I'm a pretty diverse reader when it comes to genres, but there' something about Horror that really makes me smile. Especially when it's Halloween time! I'm pretty hard to please with this genre because I like to feel scared when reading horror. I'm pretty convinced I'll find a pretty good list of ten that I'm excited about!

1) 'Slasher Girls & Monster Boys'; April Genevieve Tucholke et al.

I don't really read a whole lot of books with short stories, but Horror is my favourite genre for this type of fiction. This book is a short stories collection that I've been desperately eyeing up for a little while for that very reason! Not only that, but it has a very impressive Author list, including authors I've adored such as April Genevieve Tucholke and Leigh Bardugo, and authors I want to sample such as Kendare Blake, Jay Kristoff and Marie Lu. This is sure to be a great read!

2) 'The Lie Tree'; Frances Hardinge.

I've read 'Cuckoo Song' by this lovely lady and not only really enjoyed it, but also found myself pretty creeped out by the concept. As soon as I saw this book popping up in Goodreads, it went straight on the TBR because I want to read more of Hardinge's work! I have to say I'm pretty intrigued by the story. A lot of people have labelled it as chilling rather than really scary but that's okay! Sometimes those are just as good!


3) 'The Small Hand: A Ghost Story'; Susan Hill.

Susan Hill! The mistress of terrifying atmospheres! I read 'The Woman In Black' such a long time ago (as well as watching the play and movie) and it's a story that has stuck with me since. I'm so desperate to get into another book by the same lady that gave me nightmares for weeks on end when I was halfway through Grammar School. 'The Small Hand' is a small book, but I still have high hopes because so was 'The Woman In Black'.


4) 'Horowitz Horror'; Anthony Horowitz.

My desire to read this book comes from the fact that I actually read it's sequel, 'More Horowitz Horror' first. Of course, being a collection of short stories that actually doesn't really matter...but I'm still keen to read the first lot. 'More Horowitz Horror' was one of my favourite teen reads and I remember being up late at night scaring myself silly with some of the stories. It would be fun to do that again, Horowitz is a great writer!

5) 'Bird Box'; Josh Malerman.

I added this to my TBR a long time ago when it came up as a Goodreads Giveaway prize. The cover looks intensely creepy, and the synopsis really intrigued me too. After a bit of research, I've seen some of the fantastic reviews this book has received and now I desperately want to read it! When it comes to horror, I'm a fan of supernatural elements rather than chainsaw-wielding murderers, and so 'The Problem' has certainly piqued my curiousity.

6) 'Anna Dressed In Blood'; Kendare Blake.

Yeah, yeah. I know. I still haven't read this book. Not long after I started this book, I began to see it popping up everywhere and I desperately wanted to get it! The cover is beautiful and of course, a good old-fashioned ghost story is my favourite kind of horror read! It's part of a duology too, and this has grabbed my attention even more. I've read the blurb which has sent my mind racing and all that's left to do is read the book itself! Soon please?

7) 'A Monster Calls'; Patrick Ness.

So many things about this book excite me. First off: Patrick Ness! I finally got round to reading and adoring his work just last month, and now I'm desperate to read something else of his. This book looks so chilling and I want to know what Ness will do with such an intriguing plot idea. Secondly: YA Horror! I have a soft spot for YA it's true, and just like my last pick on this list, the idea of YA Horror really excites me. Finally: Siobhan Dowd! After a bit of digging I found that Dowd actually came up with the idea and Ness has written it in her honour. I really enjoyed 'A Swift Pure Cry', a really gorgeous book by the same lady. Dowd sold it to me.

8) 'The Girl From The Well'; Rin Chupeco.

Like 'Bird Box', I put this book on my TBR a very long time ago and haven't got to it since. I plan to at some point of course because of the huge number of parallels drawn between this film and Asian Horror films such as 'The Ring' (Ringu) or 'The Grudge' (Ju-on). I've always been a big fan of Japanese culture and I particularly love their folklore and supernatural tales so I think this would be an excellent book for me to read!

9) 'A Madness So Discreet'; Mindy McGinnis.

I have seen this book everywhere and was immediately transfixed by the gorgeous, slightly disturbing cover! The title was really intriguing too. Some people may describe this more as a Murder Mystery but I think it looks like there's enough darkness and creep factor for it to be shuffled into the Horror genre too. McGinnis also wrote 'Not A Drop To Drink', another book that I quite want to read. This one looks more up my street though!


10) 'The Passage'; Justin Cronin.

This gives off some great post-apocalyptic zombie-ish vibes and I love the idea of it. The size of it (700+ pages) looks absolutely terrifying but I want to start reading longer books because I don't manage to get through many of them and I bet they're really good and worth the long reading time. Reading the synopsis for this also made me think of 'Station Eleven' for some strange reason, which was a book I really loved! I hopefully will get to read this beast of a book at some point soon!