Bloggers Dressed In Blood!

Okay, Midnighters, Bloggers Dressed in Blood starts today!  Kim, Steph, Danielle and I have some great stuff planned for you. One of which is an exciting giveaway that’s going on all month long!

Bloggers Dressed in Blood Challenges:

October 1 – The first challenge is over at Kim's blog On The Wings Of Books! Be sure to check out Bloggers Dressed in Blood - The First Challenge before October 6 to have a chance to win a fabulous prize!
Oct. 2- Steph is reviewing Dark Lord: The Early Years!
Oct. 3- My review for The Neighbors, check it out!
 Oct .4- Kim is reviewing Chain Letter (by my man, Christopher Pike!
Oct. 5- Danielle is reviewing Enclave and Outpost!
Oct. 6- Steph has her feature Looks From Book: Dark Lord up!
Oct. 7- Kim announces winner of her mini-challenge!

October 8 – Hosted at here, at Midnight Book Girl. Check out my mini-challenge: Top Ten Scary Books/Movies!
Oct. 9- Steph reviews Goosebumps Wanted- The Haunted Mask.
Oct. 10- Kim gives her thoughts on Carrie.
Oct. 11- Danielle talks about all things Stephen King.
Oct. 12- My review of Kill You Twice (Gretchen Lowell #5)
 
October 15 – Hosted by Mercurial Musings
October 22 – Hosted by The Fake Steph Dot Com

Throughout the month, be sure to stop by all of our blogs for scary reviews and posts to get you into the Halloween spirit!

Right now, the prize includes several scary books from our personal collections (The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman, and Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr), a dozen bloody fingers, bookmark swag (not pictured), and a bag of candy corn (not pictured), a few old school RL Stine books. As well as Evercrossed, Mercy, In the Arms of Stone Angels, Jane-Emily, and The Amanda Project: Revealed.  
And because Danielle is AWESOME, we now have a Kindle Touch to add to the MOST AMAZING PRIZE PACK EVER!  (is that echoing in your head, because it is in mine!)

 It comes with the case and a charger (which isn't pictured).
We reserve the right to add more prizes.
How can you enter?
Every qualifying post you enter into the linky below will earn you one entry. You have until 11:59pm EST on Tuesday October 30, 2012 to enter your link into the linky. A random winner will be chosen and announced on Wednesday, October 31, 2012. There is no limit to how many times you can enter.
What counts as a qualifying post?
Any post that celebrates scary books AND links back to this event using the Bloggers Dressed In Blood button will qualify. This can include reviews of scary books, author spotlights of your favorite horror writers, lists of the books that scarred you as a child... or anything else you can think of. If you aren't sure e-mail one of us or leave a comment! You can find the code for the button at the bottom of this post or on the side of any of our blogs.
Terms and Conditions
Giveaway ends October 30, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US addresses only. Entrants must be 13 years of age or older and anyone under the age of 18 must have a parent's permission before entering. A random winner will be selected from the linky using random.org and will have 48 hours after notification to respond before a second winner is drawn. The prize is listed above and we reserve the right to substitute comparable items at our discretion. No substitutions at winner's request. The winner will need to provide a valid US mailing address and this information will be used only to send out the prize.


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Salem's Lot Readalong Part Two

Oct. 31st: Chapter 9 thru the End
 Sorry I spaced out on the Twitter parties, October and November are busy months and I also try to take on too much!

1. How do the vampires in 'Salem's Lot measure up to vampire lore you're familiar with?

2. Do you sympathize with Father Callahan's decision to leave 'Salem's Lot?

3. How did you feel about the causes of death for Matt and Jimmy?

4.  Do you think things would have been different if Susan hadn't gone into the Marsten House or if Mark's parents had listened to him?

5. Do you know what other books Father Callahan pops up in?

6. Is the ending a happy one?

7. What are your overall feelings about 'Salem's Lot?

1.  I read a lot of vampire books when I was a kid, especially in high school.  From Anne Rice to L.J. Smith, although I think I first read 'Salem's Lot when I was 19.  I find King's vampires far scarier and truer to legend than most fictional vampires.  Out of them, only Barlow is truly capable of thinking, but even he has his weaknesses.  I honestly think if vampires were real and they could walk in the sun then humankind would be totally screwed.  Daytime is really our only chance against the fanged bastards.

2. It's hard not to feel horrible for Callahan!  He finally got the big faith fight he wanted, but he just couldn't fully embrace his beliefs.  But I would have liked him all the more if he had stayed and dealt with his fall from grace.

3.  Of all the characters that I wanted to survive (other than Mark), Matt was at the top of the list.  I really liked his character, and while I'm sad he died, I'm so grateful it wasn't at the hands of Barlow and definitely not at the hands of Susan's cray-cray mom.  It also sucks that Jimmy (who I really warmed up to) died after having survived the bite from Marjorie- but again, at least he wasn't turned.  Also, in The Stand, King has a whole section of deaths that happened in the aftermath of the plague, just stupid, run of the mill deaths, so I appreciated that they weren't taken out in the obvious way.

4. I do, I think they would have been much stronger with Susan with them.  I was really mad at her for going to the house alone, but maybe she had to be there for Mark.  However, he's one awesome kid, so I think he would have been okay on his own.  I don't get Susan and her inability to believe.  I'm a fairly practical person, but if enough people I trusted told me that my town was overrun by vampires, I'd believe them enough to stay away from haunted vampire house!  I do think it was in keeping with her character, but I wanted to smack her.

5. I do know the other books, because I've read almost everything King has written.  The other books that he appears in are: The Wolves of the Calla, Song for Susannah and The Dark Tower.  Also, according to Wikipedia, King originally had it planned for Callahan to kill himself.  I rather like his slinking out of town over that though.

6. Happy in that Ben and Mark are still standing and, I think, capable of destroying 'Salem's Lot for good. And for a horror novel, two left standing isn't so bad.  But all the loss the two have to suffer first is heart breaking, so no, it's not really a happy ending.

7. I still love it, is still gives me the creeps.  Perhaps because I really liked Needful Things and have re-read it several times, I can't help but feel the books are very familiar.  I'm still not sure why Barlow benefits by turning the town into a nest of vampires, because they pretty much destroy their food supply, but I love the theme of small towns with dark underbellies.  Living in a small town during my high school years, I can see how easy it would be for someone or something to come in and take over and isolate the town.  Some people feel that King is unfair to small towns, portraying them in a negative light, but I think he writes about them with affection- yes, every small town has busy bodies and drunks and it's fair share of dark hearts, but you also have the Matt's and the Mark's and the Susan's. 

 Remember, in November we'll be reading Misery here and Cycle of the Werewolf over at Midnyte Reader! Check in the next few days for the posts for those readalongs!

Hurricane Stories

I'm hoping that everyone is okay this morning!  Richmond, VA did not get hit that hard by the wind and rain, but I know that some off you did.  Come share your Hurricane Sandy stories, and let us know you're okay!

Sundays In Bed With... NaNoWriMo

Welcome to my Sundays In Bed With... Meme! The meme that dares to ask, what book has been in your bed this morning?  Come share what book you've spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today!


Today I'm in bed with my own novel!  November is National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo) and tonight is the kick off party.  I'm accepting the challenge to write 50,000 words of a novel this next month.  I have a brand new idea, a magical realism YA book, so here's the craptastic cover I made:

Now I just need to figure out character's names, motivations, and all that rest. ;)  You can find me on the NaNo site under the user name of Rigby9091 if you want to friend me!

What book are you in bed with today?  How many of you are participating in NaNoWriMo? 

Link up below:

What Scares You?

So for my Saturday feature for Bloggers Dressed In Blood, I thought we'd discuss things that scare the bookworm out of us!  So, here's some things that scare me:

1. Right now, Frankenstorm or Hurricane Sandy, although honestly I'm not sure they're the same thing-either way, I'm scared!.  I live in Virginia and as some of you know, my mother lives with us.  She's on oxygen 24/7 so while we do have back up oxygen, I'm still worried about the prospect of being without power for more than a day.  Fortunately we have a large family, so I'm hoping that if we do lose power, some of our relatives won't. Plus, I have to go grocery shopping today, and that scares me, because I know it's going to be a crazy nightmare!  Also, I don't want Halloween to be ruined.  Sandy, you are scaring the crap out of me!

2. Mirrors, late at night and in unlit rooms.  This may seem silly, but mirrors scare me at night.  Because I start thinking of the Bloody Mary legend, and then I worry that even thinking her name will bring her.  I am a rational adult, I don't even really believe in ghosts!  But still, mirrors at night freak my shiz out.

3. Bees.  I am not deathly allergic, and I know it doesn't even hurt that bad to be stung, but if you want to see me in a real panic, just have one of those bad boys buzz past my head.

4. Dying before a certain book comes out.  Of course, the longer I live the more the book changes- it used to be the Harry Potter series, and right now it's the conclusion of the Odd Thomas series.  And the George R.R. Martin books.  And any Stephen King novels about to come out, Christopher Pike books, etc.  I am the same way about movies.  While I have no doubt God has a pretty amazing library, I'm not so sure he'll carry the latest Tarantino movies.

5. Scary movies.  This may come as a surprise to most of you, because I love horror.  And I do, I love it.  But watching horror movies, especially by myself, scares me.  I have been known to hit the mute button while watching, or fast forwarding during the really tense "search of the attic, basement, insane asylum, etc", just to get the "gotcha" moment over with, but I only do this when I'm watching by myself.  And unfortunately fast forwarding through Netflix is a pain in the rear, so mostly I just hit mute.

What scares you?   

If you want, blog a post about it, which would qualify you for our awesome Bloggers Dressed in Blood giveaway- just add you link below!  Check out this post to see what you can win (it's pretty epic and not the least scary... well, except for the books!).

Halloween Night Review

Halloween Night
by R.L. Stine
Genre: YA Horror
Format: Paperback
Midnight Minute: Three high school girls take their school writing project to the extreme!
From Goodreads:

Brenda hates her cousin Halley. And Brenda isn't the only one. Because Halley keeps stealing other people's boyfriends. So Brenda and her friends decide to plan the perfect murder. Something to go along with Brenda's perfect Halloween party.
Not that they're really going to kill anybody. It's just a joke.
Right?
Ha. Ha.

Midnight Thoughts:

~ I read this during Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon, and it was the perfect length to start my day off!  I think in April I'm just going to read old school YA books!
~ Major over usage of the word "wistfully".  Brenda spoke, thought and sat wistfully.  And it was catching, several other characters were quite wistful at times too.
~ Uh, Brenda's parents!  They frustrated me too.  I get that Brenda was a bit whiny, but their refusal to even listen to her complaints was infuriating.  I did find that realistic though, adults often ignore teens and their problems (especially female teens), dismissing them as histrionics.  I'm 35 years old, but when I'm around my mom sometimes I might as well be 16 again.
~ I loved, loved that the English teacher's assignment was to have them write a murder mystery story.  Where was this teacher when I was in high school?
~ Brenda is a bit too quick to make up with Ted.  She should have left him cold. 
~ There are some gross out moments involving dead birds and bloody, maggoty meat.  For those of you with weak stomachs, take note.  Also take note that this did not stop me from stuffing my face with Kim's brownies while I read it. 
~ The ending made me laugh out loud.  I won't spoil it for you, but I will tell you that I am now Team Double Foam Padding!

Timeless Characters:

~ Brenda- our heroine. She's a bit whiny and naive, but she does have a wicked sense of humor.
~Traci- B's friend.  Her boyfriend Noah is also "stolen" by Halley.
~Dina- she makes up the terrible trio.  Described as "bean stalk" which I guess was harsh in the 80's. 
~Halley- Brenda's cousin, has to move in with her aunt and uncle because her parents are divorcing.  I found the reasoning a bit lame, but I guess Stine wasn't going to make the kill shot on Halley's parents.  Pike would have killed them off though.  Just saying...
~Ted- The Worst Boyfriend Ever.  Seriously, wth do any of the girls see in him?
There's also a little brother and various high school friends, but that's the main peeps.

Midnight Moment:

This is going to be spoilerish. So this is your warning.  But you should read it because it's kind of funny:

The midnight moment for me came when Brenda CHOKED Halley in their driveway (don't worry, she fails in her choking, because this is R.L. Stine and not Pike).  I don't know what troubled me more, that she was stupid enough to do this in front of her parents and other witnesses or that her parents to take her to a mental hospital immediately afterward! Seriously, your kid tries to choke her cousin, that's not something that can be addressed with getting sent to bed without supper.  Still allowing your daughter to have a Halloween party a few weeks later further shows that Brenda's parents are MORONS.

Stop The Clock:

Halloween Night is a fun read from my old YA horror youth.  The characters aren't particularly fleshed out, but Stine has a sense of humor.  I don't know that his books ever really scared me, even way back when, but I devoured the Fear Street novels in 6th and 7th grade.  Totally worth re-visiting this book during the month of October!



R.L. Stine— Website |http://rlstine.com/

Halloween Night gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

I read and reviewed this book for our event Bloggers Dressed in Blood!  There's still time to participate, there aren't that many entries yet, and the main prize is Amazing! Check it out here!

Top Ten Tuesday: Get in the Halloween Spirit!

 Top Ten Books to Get into the Halloween Spirit

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Since I'm doing something similar at the end of the month, I thought I'd break this into two parts featuring some different books.

Kid's Books to Get You Into the Halloween Spirit 

1. Bunnicula by Deborah Howe and James Howe- I still love re-reading these books!

2. Scary Godmother: Omnibus by Jill Thomspon- I read this last year, the graphics are gorgeous and it's even been turned into a Halloween special!

3. A Taste For Red by Lewis Harris- This book was so much fun, I bought it and read it for one of my first October Readathons!

4. Oddkins: A Fable by Dean Koontz- I'm actually just reading this now, but loving it so far!

5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling- Deathday Party!

 

Audio Books to Get You Into the Halloween Spirit 

*I've personally listened to all of these to get in the mood of Halloween

1. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova- love this audio, it's spooky and it's read by some great narrators!

2. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake- re-listening to this one for book club this upcoming weekend!

3.  It by Stephen King- Steven Weber brings one of my all time favorite King books to life, it's long but worth.

4. Nice Girls Don't Date Men (Jane Jameson #2) by Molly Harper- Just finished this, and it was fun and funny.  As much as I like horror, I love to laugh too!

5. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness- Another long audio, but so good and like The Historian, it mixes vampires with history (and throws in witches and demons!). 

Sundays In Bed With... Pies and Prejudice

Welcome to my Sundays In Bed With... Meme! The meme that dares to ask, what book has been in your bed this morning?  Come share what book you've spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

Here's the book I'm spending some time with today:

 Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams

It's a cozy mystery with a bit of magic, which I'm digging.  I'm a fan of magical realism, I even have the shirt (no, I don't, but I would buy one if I ever found one).

So what book are you, or wish you could, spending time reading today?  Link up below, and if you can, take a picture of the book in your bed!  Can't wait to see what ya'll are reading!

'Salem's Lot Readalong Discussion Part 1

Sorry this is up so late folks, but I've been busy the last couple of days- October is my busy month!  So now that we're half way through 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King, I thought we'd take a moment to answer some questions.  Here we go!

 Oct. 18th:  Chapters 1-8 Discussion. 
Also, let me know below in comments if ya'll are up for a Twitter discussion tonight! 

1 .Why did King put the end of the story in the prologue?  Does it make a difference knowing that Ben and Mark survive?

2. Who is your favorite character so far?

3.  Do you think Ben really saw the ghost of Marsten when he was a kid?

4.  Do you think it's a coincidence that Ben shows up in town the same time as Barlow and Straker?

5. Consider the town or city you live in.  Do you think a similar vampire infestation could begin where you live?

6. What do you think will happen in the second half of the book (if this is your first time reading 'Salem's Lot)?

7. What moment has scared you the most?

My answers:

1 .Why did King put the end of the story in the prologue?  Does it make a difference knowing that Ben and Mark survive?
 In some ways I like it, I know no matter how bad things get, Ben and Mark survive it.  At the same time, as the story unfolds and I meet the rest of 'Salem's Lot, I can't help but be sad at their fate. Overall though, I do like the way it started.  Otherwise I think this could be too intense of a read.

2. Who is your favorite character so far?
I've always liked Mark, but this time around I'm really enjoying Matt the English teacher.  I kind of flip flop with Ben- what I like most about him tends to be the people he attracts to him.

3.  Do you think Ben really saw the ghost of Marsten when he was a kid?
You know, I think if you had asked me back when I first read this story I would have said no.  Now?  Yes, I think he did.  I think he needed to.  Partly, because I just finished a re-read of It, and the way that Ben, Mark, Matt, Susan, Jimmy and Father Callahan are being drawn together feels a bit like the Loser's Club connecting. I think Ben's ability to believe Matt's story is critical to the story.

4.  Do you think it's a coincidence that Ben shows up in town the same time as Barlow and Straker?
No!  If Barlow and Straker represent evil, then Ben and his friends represent good.  Maybe it's not always Mother Abigail speaking to you in your dreams (The Stand), and maybe God's not speaking from a burning bush, but I think the force of good drew Ben back to the Lot.  But then... you have to wonder if that same force took out his wife in order to get him in the right state to come home... and this kind of theological thinking is making my headache so I shall stop.

5. Consider the town or city you live in.  Do you think a similar vampire infestation could begin where you live?
I guess it could happen anywhere, but the city I live in is rather large and spread out.  Could it have happened in the smaller Pennsylvania town I lived in during high school?  Yes, I think so.  Especially during the winter months, when the snow can really cut the town off from the rest of the world.  Phew, it's a good think I escaped!

6. What do you think will happen in the second half of the book (if this is your first time reading 'Salem's Lot)?
I've already read it, although it's been years since the last time, so I know a bit of what's coming even though the details are a bit shaky. Also, I've already kept reading so I know what happens in the next few chapters! ;)

7. What moment has scared you the most?
Without a doubt, the moment when Matt goes upstairs to the guest bedroom.  The tension, the bravery, everything about that moment had my heart beating furiously!  I loved that he had Susan continue to talk downstairs (I must remember to use that ploy someday, also I should practice carrying on a one-way conversation because let's face it, I'd be far less likely to be the one checking on that strange noise upstairs). 

Possess Review

From Goodreads

Possess
by Gretchen McNeil
Genre: YA
Format: Kindle E-Book
Midnight Minute: A darkly humored YA novel meets The Exorcist.
From Goodreads:

 Rule #1: Do not show fear.
Rule #2: Do not show pity.
Rule #3: Do not engage.
Rule #4: Do not let your guard down.
Rule #5: They lie.

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.

Midnight Thoughts:

~When writing a book about the Catholic Church, exorcisms and the ability to speak to demons, you have to tread carefully between being offensive to Catholics and coming off as preachy on religion.  Somehow, with both humor and awesome characters, McNeil not only balances on that tightrope, she practically dances across it. 
~Bridget is friends with all boys and it's not a big deal.  The boys are all very different from each other, but Hector was by far my favorite, and here's why:

Hector avoided confrontation like it was a herpes flare-up.

Me too, Hector, me too.
~Matt is totally a teen age dream, and like his dad, he's a Good Guy.  Which I have to say is a wonderful change from the dark, tormented bad boys that plucky heroines usually banter with before completely giving up all their own kick ass qualities to angst over whether or not the bad boy loves them.
~Two gripes: one the dig that Bridget makes at Coldplay, but I will forgive it because there is both a reference to Buffy and Teen Beat in the book.
~Second gripe: Peter kind of goes off the tracks with his crazy behavior.  Bridget had a lot to deal with, true, but it was clear something was really wrong with her friend.
~One of these days, I wish the Hubs would take me on a date to a mental hospital (you know, without checking me in).  I know that Matt and Bridget's "date" might seem unconventional, but that's the magic of it.
~As funny as this book is, it's also creepy.  The cover alone freaked me out, so that's why I bought it for my Kindle.  I don't think I'd want that cover staring at me from my bookshelf...
~McNeil uses the word whackadoo to describe Father Santos.  I both love and have been called this name.
~Mrs. Pickleman's Tiny Princess Doll Shoppe- warning, it will give you nightmares! Also, almost 30% of the lines I highlighted on my Kindle come from the time spent inside the doll shop.  So yes, creepy, but also hilarious.
~This is a stand alone book.  I could totally take more of Bridget, but it's also nice to have a paranormal YA book that doesn't stretch out over 70 books.

Timeless Characters:

Bridget Lui- our snarky heroine.  Unlike a billion other YA heroines, Bridget is half Chinese-half Irish, all smart ass.  I loved her!
Monsignor  Renault- Bridget's  mentor in all things exorcism, only he calls it "banishment".
Father Santos- A warrior priest who (in my mind) looks like a young Philip Seymor Hoffman.  Kind of bumbling, yet suspicious at the same time.
Hector- Bridget's best friend, who is both overweight and homosexual.  He had a lot going on, would have liked to have seen more of him, because what I saw I loved.
Peter Kim- Also B's friends, only he's obsessed with her in a very unhealthy and obvious way.
Brad-  Another friend, he's a bit cooler than the rest of the group, and he's a jock.  Hector has major crush on him.
Matt Quinn- childhood friend, hottie and recent ex-boyfriend of  Mean Girl Alexa.  He wants to play white knight to Bridget's damsel in distress, but Bridget is pretty good at taking care of herself.
Alexa- she's a Mean Girl and is not happy when Matt starts hanging out with Bridget.
Sammy- Bridget's adorable little brother.

There's also some parents, a mental patient and a ghost cat, but you'll have to read the book yourself to find out.

Midnight Moment:

The best part was in the doll shop, surrounded by creepy, possessed dolls.  It's also where Bridget first gets an inkling of the bigger picture.

Stop The Clock:

Possess is a perfect October read!!  I may have only read two books so far by Gretchen McNeil, which may be because that is the number of books she has thus far published, but I am officially a fan for life.  The book is scary enough for those that love thrills, and humorous enough for those of you who don't like to be scared- just read with the lights on!

From the author's blog

Gretchen McNeil—  Blog |Seanchai

Possess gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

How has this not been made into a movie yet?!

 And don't forget that I'm co-hosting Bloggers Dressed in Blood all this month, stop by and participate and you could win a whole slew of creepy books and a Kindle Touch!  Check it out!

Winner of Ten Giveaway!

The winner of my Bloggers Dressed in Blood Mini-Challenge is:

Markella of It's A Hardcover Life!

She'll be receiving a copy of Ten by Gretchen McNeil!

Please check out the ongoing month-long giveaway here!

One lucky blogger will win a bunch of cool books AND a Kindle Touch!

Readathon Update: The End is Nigh!

Hour 20 something and beyond:
Katie went home awhile ago, Kim and Steph have crashed, so it's just me and you!  So of course, I am now wide awake!

Finished:
Halloween Night by R.L. Stine
Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories by Zach Whedon
The Innocents by Lili Peloquin

Currently reading:
The Walking Dead Vol.2 Miles Behind Us by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn.

Hour 20 Mini-Challenge Show Off by Dead Book Darling Reviews (have to love the name, right?)


This is a recent add to my library.  I got a ARC of the Raven Boys at BEA, but Maggie Stiefvater came to a local book store and not only signed this, but she drew a doodle too!  The Hubs got it for me as part of our 10th Anniversary:

Mini Challenge Hour 19: Book Sentences

Hope everyone's having a wonderful Readathon so far!  Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out my challenge.  Here's what you need to do:

Book Sentence Challenge

Take a look at the books you have laying around, and using 3 or more books, use just the titles to create a sentence!  Take a picture of the books and upload it to your blog or Twitter account (or really anything that I can see). Here's some examples of book sentences::

The Good Fairies of New York Loop Garden Spells Into the Dark

When She Was Bad, Scarlett Burned Whitethorn Woods

What you can win: This challenge is open Internationally!  For those in the US you can win a $15.00 Amazon gift card, if the winner is outside of the US they may choose a book from the Book Depository (although you must live in a country where the Book Depository will ship to!) of value up to $14.99.

You must take a picture of the books, ebooks do not count (sorry, I love them too, I own both a Kindle and a Nook, but for this challenge, you need to take a picture of physical books).  You may not add words to the sentences.

This challenge will be open for 3 hours.  Once the winner is picked, it will be announced on here and on the Readathon site. Please leave your name, link and email address in the comments below, winner will be picked at random!

Readathon Midway Update

I am loving the new Dewey's Readathon pictures!  How's everyone doing?  I did take a wee nap a few hours ago, since I have to stay up late and host the mini-challenge for Hour 19 (which is 2 am my time).  So far I've only finished 1 book, but I am halfway through book 2.  I still have all the graphic novels to read too!  But I will save those for the later hours.

I have not done any mini-challenges except the first one, but only because I really am trying to read this time.  I've done a bit of cheering, and I'm about to do more.  

Soooo much food has been eaten!  And I'm having a blast with Kim, Katie and Steph.  

Update Hour 18.5

Books Read:
Halloween Night by R.L. Stine
Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories by Zach Whedon

Currently Reading:
The Innocents by Lili Peloquin

Dewey's Readathon- Let's Get It On!

It's time to start!  I'm not quite sure how often I will be updating, but I'll probably use this post for several hours. Starting challenge:

Hour 1

Introductory Questionnaire

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
Virginia!  Hanging out with three of my friends, Kim from On The Wings of Books, Steph from The Fake Steph and Katie from KT's Reading Rainbow.

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Seed by Ania Ahlborn and all the graphic novels!

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Kim's oreo brownies!!!

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
I like big books, and I cannot lie!
I love Halloween and fall, so October's Readathon is my favorite one of all!

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?
This is my 7th Readathon!  The major difference this time around I'm doing readathon with 3 of my friends (who are also book bloggers), and I probably won't do as many mini challenges as I've done previously.  I'm also cheering and hosting the Book Sentence Challenge at Hour 19, so come on back then!

UPDATE #1

Books Finished:
Halloween Night by R.L. Stine (182 pages)

Currently Reading:
The Innocents by  Lili Peloquin

Kill You Twice (Gretchen Lowell #5)

Kill You Twice (Gretchen Lowell #5)
by Chelsea Cain
Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio
Midnight Minute: Detective Archie Sheridan has to tangle once more with serial killer Gretchen Lowell as he hunts for a new foe who may be connected to Gretchen's mysterious past.
From Goodreads:

Nothing makes Portland detective Archie Sheridan happier than knowing that Gretchen Lowell—the serial killer whose stunning beauty is belied by the gruesome murders she’s committed—is locked away in a psych ward. Archie can finally heal from the near-fatal physical and emotional wounds she’s inflicted on him and start moving on with his life.

To this end, Archie throws himself into the latest case to come across his desk: A cyclist has discovered a corpse in Mount Tabor Park on the eastern side of Portland. The man was gagged, skinned, and found hanging by his wrists from a tree. It’s the work of a killer bold and clever enough to torture his victim for hours on a sunny summer morning in a big public park and yet leave no trace.

And then Archie gets a message he can’t ignore—Gretchen claims to have inside knowledge about this grisly murder. Archie finally agrees to visit Gretchen, because he can’t risk losing his only lead in the case. At least, that’s what he tells himself . . . but the ties between Archie and Gretchen have always been stronger, deeper, and more complex than he’s willing to admit, even to himself. What game is she playing this time? And even more frightening, what long-hidden secrets from Gretchen’s past have been dredged up that someone would kill to protect?

At once terrifying and magnetic, “Beauty Killer” Gretchen Lowell returns with a vengeance in Kill You Twice, Chelsea Cain’s latest razor-sharp psychological thriller.

Midnight Thoughts:

~This is my 5th time around with Archie and Gretchen, but for me it was on par with the first two books, which were my favorite in the series.  Actually, this may be my very favorite.
~Cain had me on edge from the get go- the opening death, the blonde that Archie views moving into his building had my suspicions up immediatly, the midnight calls from little Patrick- which had me on edge that he'd be pulled into Archie's current troubles.
~This book had so many twists and turns that I got dizzy- which may have been a bit dangerous since I listened to the audio whilst driving... But like Archie, it's what I've come to expect when dealing with Gretchen Lowell.
~ It took me a bit to get into, because it's been a long time since I've read the previous four books, but it hardly mattered. It just made me want to re-read the entire series.
~Although I think the series belongs to Archie most of all, it is the women who are the driving force, and I love that!
~I like Leo even more in this book than I did before, which proved to be troubling. 
~The ending was so fraught with action that I literally had my mouth hanging open.  My stomach was in knots and I was yelling at the audio.  Since I was in my car I'm sure I looked like a lunatic... well, more than I usually do. 
~From the beginning I have loved Susan and Archie's relationship, even when it confuses me, and this book deepened that love and that confusion.  I can't wait to see what book six will bring!
~Thoughts on the audio- I liked it, but I didn't love it.  The narrator had Archie speak soooo slow and low and while I think she did an amazing job of portraying how Gretchen sounded while all drugged up, it was definitely creepy.   I would listen to further books read by the narrator, so at the end of the day the pluses outweigh the negatives.

Timeless Characters:

Archie Sheridan- long suffering detective.  He's got Gretchen, Susan, and me obsessed with him.  He's kind of like a dark hero, suffering mixed with toughness, masculine yet capable of great tenderness.  Archie is smart, but tends to get in trouble when he tries to protect those he cares about.

Gretchen Lowell- Pretty much the female version of Hannibal Lector, possibly more dangerous.  Beautiful and deadly, the changes in her since being put in a mental hospital are almost enough to make you feel sorry for her.  Almost.  Even with enough drugs in her system to calm a rabid elephant, she's still a dangerous foe.

Susan- oh, Susan.  She's contrary, she's tough, she's bull-headed and single-minded, impetuous and crazy.  I love her.  I long to deep condition her hair.  The orange color is not working for me.

Pearl- juvenile delinquent who once tasered Archie, she's back in a big way in book five.   I was prepared to dislike her, but by the time she and Susan end up trapped in a bathroom, I was rooting for the feisty girl.

There are other characters, Archie's loyal friend, Henry and his love, Claire.  It's hard not to be scared for Henry, or really anyone connected to Archie. Susan's boyfriend Leo, new victims and Susan's mom, Bliss.  It's a tribute to Cain's writing that she can make me like Bliss. There's also new girl, Rachel.  I instantly disliked her, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued by her.
 

Midnight Moment:

Wow, I don't even know if I can pick just one moment.  As previously mentioned, the bathroom scene with Susan and Pearl was like a horror movie.  It had me terrified, but the ending shocked me so, was so far beyond what I could have come up with that I just want to thank Cain and beg her to donate her brain to science.

Stop The Clock:

I love thrillers, especially series.  I've read a lot of great thrillers, but what makes this one stand out is the both the characters- seriously, Gretchen Lowell is brilliant psychopath!- and the plot twists.  I've enjoyed the other books in the past, and I knew how tricky the characters could be, but there was so much I didn't foresee, yet never felt contrived.  I can't recommend this series enough if you like thrillers!

Chelsea Cain — Website |http://www.chelseacain.com/
Book in the Gretchen Lowell series:
Heartsick
Sweetheart
Evil At Heart
The Night Season
Kill You Twice

Kill You Twice gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

**Disclaimer: I own this audio book**

Have you read any good scary/spooky/thrillerish books this month?  Then you qualify for our amazing Bloggers Dressed in Blood giveaway!  Check out the details here.  The main winner gets a whole bunch of great books and, wait for it, wait for it... wait a little longer, a Kindle Touch!!  Simply review a scary read or write a post and add to our linky below! 

Readathon Book Piles! Bring it!

 Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon is this Saturday!  I am so excited!!  I tell this story every readathon, but I would not be a book blogger if it weren't for Dewey's event, I'm just sad that I didn't start blogging until after Dewey had passed away.  I am so glad that I am a part of her legacy though.  This will be my 7th time participating in Dewey's Readathon!  This time around I get to do Readathon with 3 other book bloggers!  Kim from On The Wings Of Books is hosting at her house, Steph from The Fake Steph will be joining us for our 2nd official Readathon (unofficially our 3rd) and our friend and newbie book blogger, Katie from KT's Reading Rainbow will be doing her first ever Readathon!!

I'll be cheerleading again, which is always a blast!  Please though, I beg you, turn off CAPTCHA and comment approval, at least for 24 hours!  If you aren't sure what I'm talking about by CAPTCHA (word verification), just leave me a link to your blog and I'll tell you if you have it on your blog or not. ;)  Trust me, it'll attract a lot more comments and cheers if you make it easy for everyone to stop by!

And now for my favorite part or pre-Readathon prep: Building the pile o'books!!  This may surprise some of you that expected me to say that my favorite part of Readathon was the snack prep, and I am by no means underestimating my love of binging during Readathon (really, Kim, perhaps building a vomitorium would mean more brownies and Coke, and less healthy shiz?), but it is the piles of books that bring this chick to the yard.  Ohh...milkshakes...

Here's my Pile O'Books:

Top to Bottom:

Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams

Halloween Night by R.L. Stine

The Innocents by Lili Peloquin

The Forrest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Seed by Ania Ahlhorn

Soulless Vol. 1 (manga) by Gail Carriger

Dollhouse: Epitaphs (graphic novel) by Joss Whedon

Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories by Joss Whedon and Co.

The Walking Dead Vol. 2 Miles Behind Us by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard

A Game of Thrones: A Graphic Novel Vol. 1 by George R.R. Martin

and LOTS of books on my Kindle

also I'll probably have an audio book or two to listen to while I cheer.

Lots of graphic novels this time around, but I personally get discouraged if I can't check off a book from my pile early on.  That's what works for me. 

So what books are on your Readathon Pile?  Add your post to the linky below, and be sure to check out what everyone is reading this Saturday!

Bloggers Dressed in Blood Mini Challenge!

Check out our Bloggers Dressed in Blood main post for details for our amazing main giveaway!  But now for my mini-challenge:

Top Ten Books/Movies that Scare You

Just let me know the top ten book or movie, or combination, that scared you.  Leave you answer in the comments below, or a link to your answer on your blog! Winner will be picked by a random number generator, on Sunday, October 14th.  You have until midnight of the 13th to participate.

The winner will receive a copy of Ten by Gretchen McNeil ( a perfect October read!).  This challenge will be open to everyone.  You must be 13 years of age or older to qualify! 

From Goodreads

And their doom comes swiftly.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

Cover Characteristics (1)

I saw this meme and had to do it!  It's called Cover Characteristic and it's hosted by Sugar and Snark.

Each week we will post a characteristic and choose 5 of our favorite cover’s with that characteristic. If you want to join in and share your 5 favorite covers with the weeks particular characteristic, then just make a post, grab the meme picture (or make your own) and leave your URL in Linky (so we can visit).

This weeks theme is School Lockers!

I dug a bit into my own YA past for these (and beyond!, because technically I was a teen in the 90's and I read most of these in the 80's).

Five Covers featuring School Lockers:

The Cat Ate My Gymsuit
by Paula Danziger

So much love for this book, because I was a fat kid too.  And I swear, hardly anyone else was fat in the 1980s!

Have a Heart, Cupid Delaney
by Ellen Leroe


I loved, loved, loved this book.  Still do.  I've re-read it a million times.
True story.

Broken Hearts
by R.L. Stine



 I can't tell you how much fun 7th grade was for me, because that's when I discovered the Fear Street novels.

Cheerleaders #2 Getting Even
by Christopher Pike

Yes, that Christopher Pike.  ;)
I used to read everything by my favorite authors, and I tracked this book down like it was a nazi war criminal- I had to use my high school's inter-library loan system.  And then I had to give the book back!  I think I actually bought my own copy off ebay or Paperback Swap, but although it's written by Pike it's part of a series and his signature style and characters just aren't there.  Still, it's a Pike book!

How Do You Lose Those Ninth Grade Blues?
by Barthe DeClements

I loved this series (Elsie used to be fat in Nothing's Fair in Fifth Grade) when I was a tween!  And I may be remembering this wrong, but I think the last book, Seventeen and In-Between, actually mentioned sex.  But I could be wrong, since YA in the 80's steered pretty clear of that topic.