Week in Review #7

 

The Week in Review is where I combine Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post and It's Monday! What are you reading?  If you have never joined in on these meme's you can check them out by clicking on the meme and it will take you to the host blog.

The week started out a bit gloomy with it being cold and rainy and it's ended with cold and rain and well still raining, blah. We actually really did need the rain but it just makes it so cold this time of year. Since it was rainy I didn't do much with my down time but read cuddled up with a blanket!

I lead a very boring life if you can't tell as I never have anything to talk about. :)

Have a great week and happy reading!

What you might have missed on my blog

- The Twig Man Review 

- Monster Club Review

-The Stars Did Wander Darkling Review

- Faithless Review

Books I have added

 

• A Sinister Revenge - Just look at that cover!!! I love this series (though the last book disappointed me a tad bit as it didn't make it to my top favorite books like all the others in this series) Im still excited to get this one in hopes that the author fixed what I didn't like and put things back to right!

Books read last week

 

Splitting what I read into sections because I did a reading project and well it looks like I read a ton but I think the longest audiobook in my R.L. Stine reading was 4 hours and so at 2x speed these books only took a few days to listen too. I really had fun reading R.L. Stine. :)

• 5 Goosebump books - I read 1-5 and they were fun, I did like some more than others.
• 2 Nightmare Room books - I had never heard of these! Read books 1&2 and found these were kind of like a level above Goosebumps but still sort of like them just a little bit longer.
• 1 Fear Street relaunch book - Couldn't get my hands on an audiobook of the original Fear Street so read a relaunch and even though it's for teens I didn't find it real scare and think older middle graders could enjoy them.

• Murder on the Poet's Walk - I enjoyed this one and this keeps me caught up on the series!
• Red Rover - Freaking creepy dog! I liked it.
• Faithless - This was okay but I am a bit hit or miss with this series.
• The Stars Did Wander Darkling - This was a let down, I wasn't a huge fan. :(

Currently reading

 

• Reckoning - I love this spooky middle grade series, it's probably one of the creepiest series I have ever read for middle grade. This is book three and the newest one and I am hoping to get it done by the end of October but not sure if that will happen.
• Pretty Dead Queens - This is an eARC that I started and just leasurely reading on and enjoying so far.
• Vacancy - This was a recommendation from one of my subscribers on YouTube so wanted to get it in and should finish it today as it was only a 4 hour audiobook.
• Midnight Bayou - Just read this and only read a chapter.

What might be up next

 Okay so I did something adventureous and let a friend on my discord pick my tbr for November and she is determined to make me a Nora Roberts lover! LOL So expect lots of Nora Roberts reading to be happening along with a few Cozies she picked out. This could either be a lot of fun or scary but anyway it's #NoraNovember! :)

How was your week? What did you get?

Two Bloggers One Series ~ Review of Faithless by Karin Slaughter

 

We are back with another book in the Grant Count series by Karin Slaughter. It's been kind of an up and down ride with this series. After you check out what I have to say go over to Barb's blog @ Booker T's Farm for her thoughts.

Title: Faithless by Karin Slaughter

Rating: 3 stars

The victim was buried alive in the Georgia woods–then killed in a horrifying fashion. When Sara Linton and Jeffrey Tolliver stumble upon the body, both become consumed with finding out who killed the pretty young woman. For them, a harrowing journey begins, one that will test their own turbulent relationship and draw dozens of life into the case.

For as Jeffrey and Sara move further down a trail of shocking surprises and hidden passions, neither is prepared for the most stunning discovery of all: the identity of a killer who is more evil and dangerous than anyone could have guessed.

It's been an interesting ride with this series as I really enjoyed the first two but wasn't a huge fan of the third one and I actually DNFed the fourth one and well this one was just sort of okay. I am a bit happy there is only one left!

In this one we have a horrible killing of a woman in burried alive in a box and the way she was killed was just awful. It leads Jeffery to her family who is a bit different and have a certain way of doing things and are not real big on talking to the police.

There are also more things going with Lena that is a whole thing all on it's own. She works with the Sheriff and even that has been an interesting arrangement that is hard to explain and must be read, but she is a totally messed up character and hard to picture as a cop.  She is a very unlikable character and there are even times when you think she can redeem herself and then she does something stupid all over again. 

Also more things going on with Sarah and Jeffery and I swear it seems like just when I think I will start to like them being together one of them does something stupid which makes for a not so great read. 

I wasn't a huge fan of the storyline in this one but it was interesting to find out who the killer was even though I was kind of sure I knew where it was headed. I was a little bummed about what happened to a character at the end and then the thing that Lena does at the end I am just not sure I am on board with and really want something to happen to her character.

Anyway, not real sure I am going to like where this series is headed with the ending but I will be glad to finish it up with the last book and be done. 

Have any of you read this series? What are your thoughts?

eARC of The Stars Did Wander Darkling by Colin Meloy

 I got his from Netgalley for a fair and honest review.

Title: The Stars Did  Wander Darkling

Author: Colin Meloy

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Rating: 2.5 stars

Maybe Archie Coomes has been watching too many horror movies.

All of a sudden, the most ordinary things have taken on a sinister edge: a penny on a doormat. A man in a brown suit under a streetlamp. The persistent sound of an ax chopping in the middle of the night.

He keeps telling himself that this is Seaham, a sleepy seaside town where nothing ever happens. Or at least nothing did, until his dad’s construction company opened up the cliff beneath the old—some say cursed—Langdon place.

Soon, though, he and his friends can’t deny it: more and more of the adults in town are acting strangely. An ancient, long-buried evil has been unleashed upon the community, and it’s up to the kids to stop it before it’s too late. . . .

This sounded like an interesting one and I liked that it was set in the 1980's but it just fell a bit flat for me. 

It's about something strange and evil being unleashed after Archie's father and the construction company he works for starts digging in this one spot opening up something long burried. 

Strange things begin to happen to those who live in the town of Seaham and Archie and his friends are the only ones who have noticed something wrong happening. This is mostly due to Archie's friend Oliver who seems to have some weird visions that nobody believes in till it gets to strange to deny. 

So now these kids have to try and figure out what to do to save the town. 

I loved the friend group in this book, they were all a bit different but still worked being friends. I just don't think I was a huge fan of the writing style and it felt a little bit more YA than MG to me especially with how things went down at the end. 

Also it says in the blurb that Archie is a huge horror fan but I really didn't get that vibe from him, I know that he had seen a few movies and loved hanging out in the horror section at the video store but that doesn't really make you a huge fan. I don't know this book was just not what I thought it would be I guess.

I do think that that I would suggest this one be for older middle grade readers maybe or younger teens. 

eARC Review of Monster Club by Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel

 I received this book from Netgalley for a fair and honest review.

Title: Monster Club

Authors: Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel

Publisher: HarperCollins

Rating: 3.5 stars

Like almost everything in eleven-year-old Eric “Doodles” King’s life, King’s Wonderland—the amusement park his great-great grandfather founded—was seriously damaged when a hurricane hit his beloved Coney Island neighborhood. Now hungry property developers are circling the wreckage of the once-awesome King’s Wonderland, and Eric’s family is falling apart from the threat of losing it all.

If it weren’t for Monster Club—the epic roleplaying game that Eric and his friends created—Eric’s life would be pretty terrible. Drawing his favorite monster battling with his best friends’ creations is the one thing that still gets Eric excited. So when his friends start to think of Monster Club as a kid’s game and get more interested in other things, Eric just can’t deal. But then Eric happens across a long-lost vial of magic ink that brings their monster drawings to life, and suddenly, Monster Club isn’t just for fun anymore.

The monsters Eric and his friends created are wreaking havoc across Coney, and it’s on the Monster Club to save their city, the amusement park, and maybe, just maybe, Eric’s family, too. 

Eric's life sort of revolves around a game him and his friend Yoo Hoo made up when they were a few years younger and they have been playing it awhile and added some players. It's all about drawing your own monsters and having battles kind of in a D&D fashion with a few other games thrown in. They eventually added some friends and players. 

Now those friend are starting to feel they are a bit to old to be playing such games and this hits Eric hard especially since his family is going through a rough patch because of King's Wonderland being hit bad by a hurricane and it's his fathers legacy and he is deterimed to bring it back while Eric's mother sees no hope and they constantly fight. 

When Eric gets in a bit fight with his friends and gets detention his mother takes all his art supplies away as punishment but Eric finds some ink that could have some magical qualities that are interesting at first but then turn horrible.

This was a decent story about a friend group and growing up, but for a book that was called Monster Club I was expecting a bit more monster. It took probably halfway or more before the fun monster stuff happened and then not long for that to get out of control and pick up the pace of the book, so to me the beginning just lagged a bit. Oh and way to much fart type jokes. 

I also kept thinking in the back of my mind that I had read something similiar to this and I had it was called Monsters Unleashed so it's not a very original monster drawings come to life story. Overall though I thought it was a decent enough read and think young readers would enjoy it. 

eARC Review of The Twig Man by Sana Rasoul

 I received this book from Netgalley for a fair and honest review.

Title: The Twig Man

Author: Sana Rasoul

Publisher: Hashtag Press

Rating: 3 stars

Beware the Twig Man, the Twig Man's hex. Beware the Twig Man, or you'll be NEXT! It's been a year since nearly-twelve-year-old Ari’s older sister, Lana, ran away. Except Ari knows what really happened. She was taken by the Twig Man, the creepy monster that's haunted the woods for one hundred years. No one else will listen, so it's down to Ari to save his sister. But he had better hurry, as Ari finds himself next on The Twig Man's list...

This was an interesting story about a Ari whose sister went missing about a year ago and his parents and everyone else thinks that she ran away. Ari doesn't think that is what happened but nobody will listen to him. His parents are very strict with him because of what happened with his sister and he is tired of it and wants to find out what happened to his sister. 

One days he accidently kicks his ball into the woods a place he isn't suppose to go but does anyway which starts a series of creepy things to happen. There is a story about the Twig Man a creature in the woods that takes people and he is sure that is what happened to his sister and while in the woods he meets a boy who is also looking in to the Twig Man and they both try do figure things before it's to late for Ari. 

I thought this story was just okay, it was a quick read and flowed fine but at times it just wasn't really that gripping or interesting. I didn't find it to be that creepy but I can see that some children who might not  be big into spooky books being a bit more creeped out than kids who like to read spooky books. 

 The most interesting part of this was the lore surrounding the Twig Man because it was taken from a myth surrounding the petrefied forrest, which I did look up to see if there was such a thing! :) 

Week in Review #6

 

The Week in Review is where I combine Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post and It's Monday! What are you reading?  If you have never joined in on these meme's you can check them out by clicking on the meme and it will take you to the host blog.

The weather is on something because earlier in the week it was super freaking, record breaking freezing with a low of 20! Then the next couple days the highs was back up in the 70s and 80s...lol.

I just can't believe that October only has one week left! I have really been having fun just having an easy fun tbr of reading spooky middle grade books instead of adult horror. :) I have read a LOT too because they are a lot shorter.

What you might have missed on my blog

Review of The Girl in White by Lindsay Currie

Books I have added

 

• The Gentleman of Holly Street - I like historicals and that cover just called to me. :)
• Four Parties and a Funeral - I am not a huge fan of this series but I still enjoy it and like the author.
• Welcome to Feral - This looks like a cute graphic novel.

Books read last week

 

I got a ton done this week but just remember they are middle grade books (all but one) and so they read quicker and I listened to most on audiobook.

• Garlic and the Witch - A Cute Graphic novel. I did enjoy book one more but it was still cute and a very autumnal read. It was 160 pages.
• Monster Club - Not a very original book but still entertaining. 352 pages.
• The Twig Man - This one was good, a few slow spots. 192 pages.
• Something Wicked - This finishes up a trilogy and was good. 6 hour audiobook at 1.75x.
• Closed for the Season - This book was kind of slow. Heard good things about the author so maybe I just got the dud. 182 pages.
• No Parm No Foul - This was just okay. I just am not a huge fan of the MC. 8 hr audiobook at 2x.
• No Place For Monsters - This was fun! I followed along with the ebook so I could see the fun illustrations but the audiobook had fun special effects to give a spooky feel! 4 hours on audibook at 1.75x
• Ravenfall - This was a fun fantasy type middle grade and start to a new series. 7 hrs on audiobook at 2x.
• How to Seize a Dragon's Jewel - This is a really fun series! Only two more books to go and I am kind of bummed. Great on audiobook! 6 hrs at 1.75x.
• Valentina Salazar is NOT a Monster Hunter - This was an okay read. 8 hrs on audiobook at 2x.
• Camp Murderface - This was a fun spooky camp story! 8 hrs on audio at 2x.

Currently reading

 

• Faithless - Just started this one and it's 15 hours on audibook so about 2 1/2 hours into it. So far it's okay.
• Murder on the Poet's Walk - I am almost finished with this one so will probably finish it up today.
• Night Gardener - Just starting this one so only about a chapter into it.
• Red Rover - I am about 24% into this one and Rover is a freaky dog!
• Blood of the Witch - I am about halfway through this one and it's fun.

What might be up next

 

• The Stars Did Wander Darkling - Middle Grade eARC.

How was your week? What did you get?

eARC review of The Girl in White by Lindsay Currie

 

I recieved this book from Netgalley for an honest and fair review!

Title: The Girl in White 

Author: Lindsay Currie

Publisher: Sourcebook Kids

Rating: 4 stars

For fans of Small Spaces and the Goosebumps series by R.L Stine comes a chilling story about a twelve-year old girl who must face down the most notorious ghost in her haunted East coast town to stop a centuries-old curse that threatens to destroy everything.

Mallory hasn't quite adapted to life in her new town of Eastport yet. Maybe it's because everyone is obsessed with keeping the town's reputation as the most cursed town in the US.

And thanks to the nightmares she's had since arriving, Mallory hardly sleeps. Combined with the unsettling sensation of being watched, she's quickly becoming convinced there's more to her town. Something darker.

When Mallory has a terrifying encounter with the same old woman from her dreams, she knows she has to do something—but what? With Eastport gearing up to celebrate the anniversary of their first recorded legend Mallory is forced to investigate the one legend she's always secretly been afraid of . . . Sweet Molly.

I am a fan of this author so I was fairly sure this book would not disappoint and I was correct! This book has a perfect blind of spooky and atmospheric elements to be a fun spooky middle grade!

Mallory is not a fan of the town of Eastport her parents moved her too. She hates that it's pretty much Halloween all the time. The town lives on it's curses and lore as that is how it makes it's money. Mallory's friend Emmie who has lived there all her life is probably the only one there who tries to prove the stories aren't true and that is pretty much why they make good friends. 

Mallory has been having really creepy dreams since she has been in town but things start ramping up the closer they get to the towns big celibration. Something spooky happens and she ends up finding out that someone else is having bad dreams too, her neighbor Joshua. 

So Mallory and her friends have to work to figure out why her and Joshua are having bad dreams of an old lady and why she keeps coming after them in some frightening not dream ways. 

This was a lot of fun, super creepy and atmostpheric. I really had some fun spooky ghost moments and I really liked the characters in the story and how they worked to try and figure things out. 

I think this book could creepy out some adults who don't do spooky well, so do make sure than your young readers can handle getting really creepy out at times. (Like a scary ghost lady coming out of the shower spooky)

Highly recommend this to young readers who love to be scared!