READING LISTS: Halloween Picks (If you don’t like a fright)

Halloween is the day when all the ghouls come out to play. I know, I know, but for some of us who couldn’t say ‘boo’ to a ghost, it means dodging all the horror films that your friends want to watch during a movie marathon and miserably failing. If horror films scare you like they scare me, than you’ve probably had to sit for two hours staring at your lap and occasionally peeked at the screen to see if it was over.

I’m not a complete monster, I do give sweets to trick-o-treaters, but my preferred film on Halloween is The Rocky Horror Picture Show and if I’m going to read, I lean towards the Gothic rather than the scary. Halloween is also puts me in a fantasy mood too, so I love delving into a magical story at the end of October.

So if you don’t revel in fright night, here are some books that will keep you entertained and your heart rate (mostly) steady.

REVIEW: Fever by Deon Meyer

What would you do if 98% of the world’s population were wiped out by a deadly virus? It’s a question thirteen-year old Nico Storm and his father Willem are forced to answer in the wake of ‘the fever’. They have lived alone for years, collecting supplies when they can, but always alert because the devastation left behind has pushed many to the brink of desperation. The things that had held the civilised world together- electricity, money, debts, jobs, criminal justice- have gone and the survivors of ‘the fever’ have a choice to make; to rebuild the world they knew or let the new world order take control.

READING LISTS: Books That Have Sentimental Value

If you’re anything like me then you probably have an unhealthy attachment to most books. You can’t bear to get rid of them, even though their piled up under your bed, in your cupboard, one literary Jenga game waiting to tumble down and knock you senseless. You would probably still love them even then. But, like with most of the objects we collect, there are certain books that mean something more to me. It might be to do with the writing, the way a book makes me feel, or it might be because it was a gift, or I read it at a certain time. So, what with the dreaded move which involved a look of book lifting and rearranging, I thought now would be the perfect time to revisit some of the books that have a special meaning to me. 

Top Ten Tuesday- 24th October 2017

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they post a different topic that one of their bloggers answers, and they invite others to join in, by posting their answers as a comment of by creating their own blog post.

This week’s topic is Top Ten Unique Book Titles. There are certainly an unusual book titles out there! Some draw you in, others might put you off. I’ve decided to choose ten unique titles of books I want to read/have read.

BOOKISH FINDS: Surprise Mail

There’s nothing better than a bookish surprise, and I had one just before I left Liverpool. My last ever parcel in that house (I’m trying not to be overly emotional about these things, but I got a bit teary when I realised I’d done my last ever clothes wash in the house, don’t ask), but it definitely put a smile on my face after what was a excited but sad week.

My lovely friend sent me my birthday present and it was every book-lovers dream. She got me Ali Smith’s Autumn, which I have been wanting to read for a while, particularly when the Waterstones autumn displays have been trying to tempt me into buying it. It’s like she read my mind. Not only that she got me some lovely little bookish pins and a Moomin calendar. If anyone knows me, they will know how much I love the Moomins (Exhibit A, the soft toy in this picture). I haven’t set out to collect Moomins, but now that I have some pyjamas, cups, a decanter, a make-up bag and a soft toy, I think it’s hard for me to deny that I have a slight obsession.

They were the perfect presents.

REVIEW: Bitter Eden by Tatamkhulu Afrika

Bitter Eden is different to most books set during WWI or WWII that I have read. Of those books, the majority were set in Europe, mostly France and often from the perspective of a young British soldier. While these stories were poignant and offered an insight into parts of history the textbooks don’t feature, Bitter Eden felt like a new side to the story. Explicitly describing the experiences in a prisoner of war camp, Afrika’s novel explores the effects long-term imprisonment has on a person. Social dynamics and close relationships develop under this unique set of circumstances.

WWW Wednesday- 18th October 2017

WWW is hosted by Taking on a World of Words. Each Wednesday book enthusiasts share their reads by answering three questions:

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

It’s been a lovely relaxing week at home, and it’s meant I finally got round to doing some serious reading, amongst the other hectic packing and organising activities. I’ve finished a book that took me a while to get through because I had so much stuff to do recently and I’m hoping I can manage to squeeze in another read before I start my internship next week.

TOP TEN TUESDAY – 17th October 2017

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they post a different topic that one of their bloggers answers, and they invite others to join in, by posting their answers as a comment of by creating their own blog post.

I didn’t get to do last week’s Top Ten Tuesday, and I was a bit stuck on this week’s topic, so I decided to cheat a little and use last week’s instead. So, I’m looking at Books with Autumn covers. I’m going to look through all the books that I want to read that have lovely fiery reds and warm oranges, that make me thing they are perfect Autumn covers.

Down The TBR Hole #11

I moved all my books home this week from my sister’s house, because I’m moving again on the weekend to start my internship. There are a lot of books I still haven’t read in those boxes and it made me realise how many books there are I still want to read! So having a look at the books I still haven’t bought and want to read seemed like a good idea this week!

Lia at Lost In A Story started this weekly post to trim down the Goodreads to-read list.

The rules are simple:

• Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
• Read the synopses of the books
• Decide: keep it or should it go?

REVIEW: Exquisite by Sarah Stovell

The relationship between mentor and protégé is often a complex one, founded at least in part on mutual respect and admiration for the other’s work, but it can quickly sour when personal feelings become intertwined. In Sarah Stovell’s Exquisite, successful author Bo Luxton sees the potential in young writer Alice Dark, and recommends her for a full scholarship at a writing retreat. When the two meet they are drawn to each other, and find their fascination with each other goes deeper than the writing itself.