My October & Halloween TBR

If you look at the sidebar to the right, you'll see that I put a little countdown to Halloween there. That way, we can count the days until Halloween together ^^ Since it'll be my first time celebrating Halloween on this blog with you guys, I thought I would do a few special Halloween posts for you. 

I don't normally do TBRs because I'm usually terrible when it comes to anything resembling required reading! However, since October is basically Halloween month, I thought it would be fun to select a few books to match the theme. 

So today I'm going to show you all the books I plan to read in the month of October. Since for me Halloween is more about spooky fun, whimsy and magic than actual gore and horror, I tried to come up with a book selection that more or less reflect that. If there's anything here you'd like me to review in particular, do let me know and I'll happily review it for you ^^

The Graphic Novels

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

This graphic novel offers a collection of chilling tales spun from darkest and imagination, accompanied by equally dark and beautiful artwork. From what I saw when flipping through this, it seems to be very much on the spooky side and could easily be the scariest book in this TBR. Also, one person who’s read this novel said it was good but that you probably wouldn’t want to read it at night. Needless to say, that got me really interested in the book!

The October Faction by Steve Niles and Damien Worm

I'll just share the blurb the way it's written on Goodreads 'cause it's so well put: The October Faction details the adventures of retired monster-hunter Frederick Allan and his family... which include a thrill-killer, a witch, and a warlock. Because sometimes crazy is the glue that binds a family together. The artwork looks so cool and gritty and the story sounds exactly like the kind of thing you want to be reading in October. Can't wait to delve into this one!

The Short Story Collections

Kissing the Witch by Emma Donoghue
Taking her inspiration from fairy tales, the author presents 13 short stories full of fantasy and whimsy, all of which are narrated by women. This collection sounds very fairy tale-esque and promises the same magical atmosphere I like to associate with Halloween time. 

Nocturnes: Volume 1 by John Connolly

This collection, presented as a dark, daring, utterly haunting anthology of lost lovers and missing children, predatory demons, and vengeful ghosts, is among the books I’m most excited to read this month. I’ve read one other book by this author before, The Book of Lost Things, which ended up becoming one of my favorite books of all time and I had just been waiting for the perfect occasion to grab another of his books. Also, Nocturnes Vol. 2, a second collection of short stories similar to this one, will soon be released and I really want to pick up that one too. If things go well reading-wise, I might even give it a go in October itself.

Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman
This one was actually recommended by Olivia from Olivia's Catastrophe and since I trust her choice in books, I thought I would read it this month. Trigger Warning includes both previously published and newly written short fiction, as well as an original American Gods story and a new Doctor Who story written specifically for this volume to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the series. With its mix of horror, fairy tales, fantasy and science fiction, this collection sounds like the perfect read for October. 

The Novels

Wicked by Gregory Maguire  

Many of you have probably already heard of Wicked, the famous musical about the green-skinned witch taken straight out of the pages of The Wizard of Oz and given a voice and story of her own. This is the book which inspired the musical and tells the story of how a little green-skinned girl named Elphaba grew up to become the Wicked Witch of the West. I’m really excited to be reading this one, especially since only last month I read and fell in love with another of this author’s books, Confessions of an Ugly Step-Sister. Also, with both the book and the musical being so famous, not to mention a movie also being in the works, I figured it was about time I read this one!

The Thirteenth Tale by Diana Setterfied 

I don't know much about this book except that it's supposedly really creepy and equally good. I think they even made a BBC adaptation of it. Margaret is a biographer. One day, she’s contacted with a request to record the life story of a prolific but gravely ill novelist, Vida Winter. While still wondering whether or not to accept the job, Margaret starts to read her father’s copy of one of Miss Winter’s novel, Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation. Initially mesmerized by the book, she becomes confused when she realizes the book only has twelve of the promised thirteen tales. Intrigued by this, she agrees to write Miss Winter’s biography, hoping to uncover along the way the mystery of the missing thirteenth tale.

The Classics

If I still have some spare reading time I will try to read at least one horror classic. I'm not sure which one I'll be actually reading but here are the few that I'm considering as my classic pick. If you've read any of them, let me know which one you think I should read first. 

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by R.L. Stevenson

Dr Jekyll has discovered a chemical that gives him the ability to change into something else, allowing him to unleash his deepest cruelties in the form of his monstrous alter-ego. Transforming himself at will, he roams the streets London as the dreaded Mr Hyde.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Victor Frankenstein, a scientist obsessed with the discovery and artificial creation of life, one day accomplishes the impossible. In his laboratory, he assembles a human being from stolen body parts and manages to give him life. Shocked at his creature’s horrific appearance though, he turns his back on it. The once-innocent creature then turns evil, embarking on a journey of revenge against his creator.

The Zombie Stories of H.P. Lovecraft 

Lovecraft was the pioneer of the horror genre, coming up with unique monsters and stories which would later become the legends and tropes of horror. This newly published collection offers some of his zombie stories to a modern audience. Having read neither a Lovecraft nor a zombie story before, I thought it would be a nice little addition to my Halloween TBR.

So that's it for my October/Halloween TBR. What book will you be reading this Halloween? Let me know in the comments ^^

Pumpkin Pie anyone?

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Dream on, Amber: Spotlight + Giveaway

Dream On, Amber

By Emma Shevah

October 6, 2015; Hardcover ISBN 9781492622505

Find it on Goodreads here 

Title: Dream On, Amber

Author: Emma Shevah

Release Date: October 6, 2015

Publishers: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Praise for Dream On, Amber:

“By turns playful and poignant, in both style and substance, this coming-of-age novel will hook readers from the first page to the last.”—School Library Journal, STARRED review

“Amber’s effervescent and opinionated narration captivates from the start, making it easy to root for her as she strives to conquer the “beast” of her worries and thrive at home and at school.”—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

“Shevah tenderly captures the void of growing up without a father yet manages to create a feisty, funny heroine… A gutsy girl in a laugh-out-loud book that navigates tough issues with finesse.” –Kirkus, STARRED review

“[This] novel is a charmer...While its humor and illustrations lend it Wimpy Kid appeal, its emotional depth makes it stand out from the pack. Molto bene!”- Booklist, STARRED review

Summary:

My name is Ambra Alessandra Leola Kimiko Miyamoto. But call me Amber. I have no idea why my parents gave me all those hideous names but they must have wanted to ruin my life, and you know what? They did an amazing job.

As a half-Japanese, half-Italian girl with a ridiculous name, Amber’s not feeling molto bene (very good) about making friends at her new school.

But the hardest thing about being Amber is that a part of her is missing. Her dad.  He left when she was little and he isn’t coming back. Not for her first day of middle school and not for her little sister’s birthday. So Amber will have to dream up a way for the Miyamoto sisters to make it on their own.

Buy Links:

Amazon- http://ow.ly/RX7L9

Barnes&Noble- http://ow.ly/RX7VK

Books A Million- http://ow.ly/RX9Ra

iBooks- http://ow.ly/S3wH6

!ndigo- http://ow.ly/S3wQz

Indiebound- http://ow.ly/S3wYp

About the Author:

Emma Shevah is half-Irish and half-Thai born and raised in London. She has lived in Australia, Japan, India (her first child was born in the Himalayas) and Jerusalem before moving back to the UK. Emma has busked as a fire-juggler, been a restaurant manager, a copy writer, an English teacher, and is now a blogger and author.

Social Networking Links:

Website

Twitter

Excerpt from Dream On, Amber

Bella came in wearing her matching pink nightdress, pink dressing gown, and pink slippers with Hello Kitty all over them. I just don’t get why people like Hello Kitty. I know it’s Japanese and supposed to be kawaii (cute) and everything, so maybe I should like it, but it’s just a picture of a cartoon cat’s head. I mean, seriously, what’s the big deal?

Bella’s hands were behind her back like she was hiding something. She looked much happier than she did when we got home from the party. She moved her arms to the front and handed me a sealed envelope.

“What’s this?” I asked, putting my sharpener down.

“Can you mail it for me tomorrow?”

I looked at the front of the envelope. There was nothing written on it.

“But it’s blank, Bella.”

“Yuuup.”

“Who’s it for?”

“None of your beeswax, Mrs. Nosy Pants.”

“Um…okay. So you…you want me to put it in the mailbox?”

“Yes, Amber. Duuuh. That’s what mailing means.”

“But how is the mailman going to know who to give it to if it has no name on it?”

“Oh,” she said, frowning.

She lay down on her belly on the floor and with her red crayon from the dollar store (well, she wasn’t borrowing any of mine), she wrote on the front of the envelope: “TO MY DAD.”

I looked at her.

“Bella—”

“Shush,” she said. “Just mail it for me.”

“But there’s no address on it—”

“The mailman will know where he lives. He knows where everyone lives.”

“He won’t know where Dad lives. Nobody knows where Dad lives. Not even Mum.”

“Didn’t I say ‘shush’? I’m sure I said ‘shush.’ Just mail it for me. Pleeease, Amber.”

I sighed. What was I supposed to tell her? She was too little. She didn’t get it. So I took it and put it on my desk, just to make her happy.

I know I shouldn’t have done it and it’s probably against the law and everything but when she went out of my room, I opened it.

It said:

Dier Dad,

My nam is Bella and Im your dorta. My bithday party is on Sunday 16 Speptmbr and I rely want you too come. And I neid you to play with me in the park and posh me on the swing. Please come home

love, Bella

P.S. Please buy me a perpel Swatch wach and Sparkle Girl Julerry Makar for my bithday.

I didn’t know what to do. Obviously, I wasn’t going to mail it without an address on it. So instead, I put it in my secret place. If you pull the bottom drawer of my dresser all the way out, there’s a space under it on the floor where I put my most sacred things. I had a coin that I found in Hyde Park that I’m sure is Roman or Viking and one day I’m going to sell it and get mega rich. I had a few other cool things in there too. Some of them are embarrassing, like key-rings I made out of lanyard strings when I was, like, seven and valentine cards my mum sent me. Stuff you can’t exactly throw out but really don’t want anyone to see. The letter wasn’t one of my sacred things but where else was I going to put it?

I also had a picture of my dad holding me when I was a baby that I sneaked out of Nonna’s album. Obviously, we have a whole bunch of photos of him in that album, but I wanted one for myself. One of him with me. Just to prove to myself that he did actually exist and hold me once, and he even looked proud. I don’t look at that photo much because it makes me angry. I know it doesn’t make sense to keep it, but there you go. Not everything makes sense. If it did, he would never have left in the first place.

There was another knock on my door, so I quickly closed the drawer.

“Hang on… Okay, you can come in now.”

Bella stuck her head in.

“When do you think he’ll get it?” she asked.

“Well, they have to find him first. It’s not easy, you know. It takes teams of detectives months to find missing people.”

She walked in to my room and said, “Oh,” and did that thing where she points her toes inward and puts one foot over the other, like her toes are hugging.

“Do you think he’ll get it before my birthday?”

“I don’t know, Bella. I don’t think so. But if by some weird miracle he did get it before then, I’m sure he’d come to your party.”

Bella unhugged her toes and put her hands on her hips. “Amber?”

“Mmm?”

“How do you know I want Dad to come to my party?”

Oops.

“Well, it’s kind of obvious, Bella. You did ask if he’d get it before your birthday.”

“Oh,” she said, frowning. “Hmm. Well, okay.” And she skipped back to her room.

The letter wasn’t my biggest problem at that point. I was so worried about starting my new school in the morning that I couldn’t get to sleep for ages. When you can’t sleep, your mind starts going a bit doolally. Well, mine does anyway. I start thinking all kinds of crazy things. And eventually the problem with Bella and her letter worked its way into my churning brain.

It was kind of mean and everything but there were times I really wished Bella wasn’t my sister. But knowing there was a huge hole where our dad was supposed to be wasn’t much fun either. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that maybe, just maybe, I could do something about it. I could save Bella from years of torture with one quick solution. 

It seemed straightforward enough.

I decided to pretend to be my dad and write back to her, you know, to make her feel better.

And that was it.

Paff!

The most ingenious idea I’ve ever had lit up my mind like a firework.

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September Wrap-Up (18 Books!)

October is almost here and it's time for another monthly wrap-up! I'm really excited for October. Between lots of exciting upcoming book releases and the festivities of Halloween, it's going to be a great month. And speaking of Halloween, I'll be soon posting about my reading plans and Halloween ideas for the month of October, so keep an eye out for that :)

And now, without further delay, let's get started!

The Comics/Graphic Novels

Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham - 5 stars 

This volume was my favorite since March of the Wooden Soldiers. It was published between volumes 7 and 8 of the series and is set centuries before the current storyline. In the beginning of this volume, we follow Snow's story as she's dispatched as an ambassador to negotiate with the sultan who rules over the Arabian fables. The sultan, outraged that Fabletown would send a woman for this mission, refuses to let Snow leave and decides to have her beheaded. To keep this dreaded fate at bay, Snow tricks the sultan by telling him a new story every night. This is a volume that could be enjoyed even by someone who's never read Fables before and I highly recommend it.

Ms Marvel Vol.1 by Brian Reed - 3 stars

Carol Danvers became the superheroine known as Ms Marvel when she was caught in a flash of alien light. So long she was working with other superhero teams, she seemed to be doing fine but since she's decided to go solo, she's come to realize that this superhero gig was a lot harder than she'd realized. This is her story as she struggles to be not a good, not a better, but the best of the best of superheroes. Sometimes she's clueless. Sometimes she screws up. But for the most part, she gets the job done. This first volume does little more than set the stage for her later adventures but I'll be definitely reading more of Ms Marvel's stories. Also note that this is the original Ms Marvel series, published before the reboot staring Kamala Khan.

The X-Men Vol. 1 (Issues 1-10) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby - 4 stars

I've decided to undertake an ambitious and somewhat crazy project: To read ALL of the X-Men comics, starting with the oldest. I'll probably not be able to cover every single comic ever written but for now, I'm really having fun reading the earliest adventures of the X-Men. The first issues are so cheesy they're hilarious. And the art! Well, let's just say there's A LOT of bright colors. Not to mention all the angst of the budding love between Jean and Scott. These stories are still a blast to read though and I'll definitely be reading more of these comics. 

Morning Glories Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 by Nick Spencer - 4 stars each

This is one of the weirdest graphic novels I've ever read and I absolutely love it. Six brilliant young people, each with their fair share of dark secrets, arrive at a prestigious prep school, Morning Glories Academy, seemingly to get an exclusive education. As soon as the new students arrive though, they realize they're trapped in the academy, unable to either contact their family or leave. And then, the madness begins. I really can't say much, simply because I'm still way too mystified myself to really explain what's actually going on. Just read it, you'll love it! 

The Children Books

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket - 4 stars

This is the first book in the Series of Unfortunate Events. The day their house burnt to the ground, Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire not only lost their parents but also found themselves homeless. Sent away to live with a distant relative, the horrible Count Olaf, the children find themselves in the midst of a dark plan to rob them of their inheritance. This book was a joy to read and I'm very eager to read the next books in the series. 

Dream On Amber by Emma Shevah - 3 stars
Amber is half-Japanese and half-Italian. Along with having to deal with the first days of middle school and a father who's been absent from her life since forever, Amber is trying to fit in. She wants to meet people she can feel at home with. People who will understand her. The story follows her as she makes her way through middle school and start coming in terms with the problems in her life. I thought this book was just okay. A nice but somewhat underwhelming story. 

Famous Five 1-3 by Enid Blyton - 4 stars each
This series follow the adventures of siblings Anne, Dick and Julian and their cousin George, as they uncover secrets and find hidden passages and treasures, accompanied by their loyal dog Timmy. A fun series full of mystery and delightful descriptions of food that could give George R.R. Martin a run for his money.  

The Witches by Roald Dahl - 4 stars

The book follows the adventures of a young boy and his grandma as they encounter evil, child-hating witches. As with all the Dahl books I've read so far, this was a fun and nicely crafted story that you'd enjoy just as well at 10 as you would at 20. 

The Historical Fiction Books

Confessions of an ugly step-sister by Gregory Maguire - 5 stars

As you can guess from the title, this is a retelling of Cinderella. There is no actual magic though and it is instead written as a historical novel set in 17th century Holland. The story is told from the point of view of one of Cinderella's 'ugly step-sisters'. I enjoyed this book so damn much. I had no idea what to expect before reading it but it blew me away. I'll definitely be reading more of this author's books, my next one most probably being Wicked. 

Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee - 3 stars

This is the recently published first draft of To Kill A Mockingbird. I didn't hate it but I didn't enjoy it either. I just wish it had never been published. Read my full review here.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - 4 stars

Narrated by Death, this book follows the story of Liesel Meminger, a young girl living in Germany during WWII. The writing was very different from what I usually read. Very poetic and descriptive. I'd totally recommend it. I'd also suggest you watch the movie since I really enjoyed that as well.

The Classic(s)

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson - 4 stars
I finally got around to reading this children's classic and loved it. True, sometimes the marine jargon was a little tricky, especially since I don't really read lots of books about pirates and sea adventures, but overall it was a really fun read. 

Fiction Books

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki - 4 stars
This is the dual story of a woman who one day finds the diary of a young Japanese girl washed up ashore on the beach, and the girl who's narrating the diary. It was a unique and beautiful story and I'd definitely recommend it. Check out my review of this book for a more detailed description of the story. Read my full review here.

Love by Angela Carter - 3 stars
Annabel, a mentally imbalanced girl, lives with her husband and her brother-in-law in a little flat. Together, these three people lead a very hermetic life, needful of each other in different ways that make their relationships to each other both complex and stifling. I love Angela Carter's writing and while I do acknowledge that in its own way this is a beautiful story, I just couldn't bring myself to give it a higher rating. I guess it just wasn't for me. I'll definitely be reading more of Angela Carter's books though.

This Month's Favorite

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter - 5 stars
Those of you who've been following my blog for a while now probably remember that a few months ago, I had another Angela Carter book, The Magic Toyshop, as my favorite book of the month. I guess it's safe to say that I have a new name to add to my favorite authors list. The Bloody Chamber is a collection of fairy tale retellings, all with a dark spin. This collection definitely has a Gothic atmosphere to it, and it's not only because of the subject, but also due to Carter's melodious narrative voice. Some stories I liked more than others but overall, I loved the whole collection. After finishing it, I had to wait a little while before gathering my thoughts about it. I might have given it 4 stars had I rated it there and then. After a while though, as I thought about the book, I realized that I had utterly fallen in love with it without even noticing and couldn't give it anything less than 5 stars. I can't wait to reread this collection.

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Have A Great...

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