Spookathon 2017

Halloween is around the corner my friends!  

Therefore, a read-a-thon is in order and this one is hosted on booktube by the lovely BooksandLala.  Click here for the original challenge video.

Duration:  October 16th - October 22nd 2017
Challenges: See below along with what I will be reading

I've read this book before, actually a few times, but
it's time to read it again for this challenge!

The first book in the Shadow House Trilogy. How
can a book with the word "shadow" in the title
not be spooky?  

I don't know about you all, but I HATED the
basement as a kid.  I would always walk back up the stairs
sideways so I could see if anyone was following me.

I know this isn't a traditionally scary book, but people have something implanted in your brain?  Yeah, no thanks.
Also my copy is much more orange so it counts.

Second book in the Shadow House Trilogy.  The main
characters are trapped in the spooky estate named
"Shadow House"


What spooky books do you plan to read?!

Halloween Read-A-Thon

Hosted by Wonderless Reviews

I never do read-a-thons because it usually means I end up reading less than I normally would.  HOWEVER, I LOVE Halloween and I love scary books and movies and such!  So I'm doing this one!

Runs 10/10 thru Halloween!

Title:  The Hollow People
Author:  Brian Keaney
Summary:

On the island of Tarnagar is an asylum where you can be locked up for dreaming. Dante works in the kitchen and Bea is the privileged daughter of doctors. When their worlds collide, they are forced to confront the extraordinary evil lurking behind Dr Sigmundus, the ruler of their nation.

Title:  A Monster Calls
Author:  Patrick Ness
Summary:

The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming…

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

Title:  I'm Not Scared
Author:  Niccolo Ammaniti
Summary:

A sweltering heat wave hits a tiny village in Southern Italy, sending the adults to seek shelter, while their children bicycle freely throughout the countryside, playing games and getting into trouble. On a dare, nine-year-old Michele Amitrano enters an old, abandoned farmhouse, where he stumbles upon a secret so terrible that he can’t tell anybody. As the truth emerges, Michele learns that the horror in the creepy old house is closer to home than he ever imagined.

Title:  A Taste for Monsters
Author:  Matthew J. Kirby
Summary:

IT’S LONDON 1888, and Jack the Ripper is terrorizing the people of the city. Evelyn, a young woman disfigured by her dangerous work in a matchstick factory, who has nowhere to go, does not know what to make of her new position as a maid to the Elephant Man in the London Hospital. Evelyn wants to be locked away from the world, like he is, shut in from the filth and dangers of the streets. But in Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, she finds a gentle kindred who does not recoil from her and who understands her pain. When the murders begin, however, Joseph and Evelyn are haunted nightly by the ghosts of the Ripper’s dead, setting Evelyn on a path to facing her fears and uncovering humanity’s worst nightmares.

Title:  Baby Doll
Author:  Hollie Overton
Summary:

Held captive for eight years, Lily has grown from a teenager to an adult in a small basement prison. Her daughter Sky has been a captive her whole life. But one day their captor leaves the deadbolt unlocked.

This is what happens next...

...to her twin sister, to her mother, to her daughter...and to her captor.

Title:  The Funhouse
Author:  Dean Koontz
Summary:

Once there was a girl who ran away and joined a traveling carnival. She married a man she grew to hate—and gave birth to a child she could never love. A child so monstrous that she killed it with her own hands…Twenty-five years later, Ellen Harper has a new life, a new husband, and two normal children—Joey loves monster movies, and Amy is about to graduate from high school. But their mother drowns her secret guilt in alcohol and prayer. The time has come for Amy and Joey to pay for her sins…

Because Amy is pregnant.

And the carnival is coming back to town.

Happy Halloween! - Scary Movie Love

Happy Halloween!

In honor of this awesome holiday I'm deviating from my traditional book posts and giving you a list of my favorite Halloween/Horror movies!  And I LOVE horror movies so this shall be fun.  I really tried to limit the list to 10 or 15, but clearly that didn't work.  And the only reason The Conjuring isn't on this list is because I haven't seen it yet.

Top 20 Best/Favorite Halloween and Horror Movies

1.  The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

• I can't even express how much I love this movie, truly.  I have the entire score memorized and have multiple figurines around my room/house.

2.  The Awakening (2011)

• This was truly fascinating for a supernatural horror movie.  It was more suspenseful than scary, but it was truly intricate and amazing.

3.  Chernobyl Diaries (2012)

• I have always been fascinated with Chernobyl in general, so seeing this movie wasn't even an option for me.  I loved how authentic  it was, but I was a bit put off by the ending because I just felt unsatisfied after all the scares.  Scariest part:  that damn bear racing through the apartment.

4.  Grave Encounters (2011)

• Holy crap!  I love found-footage supernatural horror, but this movie takes it to a new level.  It combines all my loves of horror movies:  quick scares, long build-ups, asylums, supernatural elements, and likable characters.

5.  Grave Encounters 2 (2012)

• I can't decide if this is better than the first one or not, but they definitely stepped up the scare factor of things jumping out of rooms and dragging people away.

6.  Halloweentown (1998)

• Who didn't love this as a kid?  It's adorable!

7.  The Inkeepers (2011)

• I was surprised by how much I liked this movie, but once again it was a supernatural horror so I was all but required to watch it.  It's slow suspense, the best.

8.  Dark House (2009)

• Mystery!!  And with an actual Halloween element.

9.  An American Haunting (2005)

• Don't normally like the historical, but this was just so very well made.  Not to mention how hot the school teacher is, seriously.

10.  Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

• My favorite out of the whole saga.  I think I like it the most because of the subtle things I didn't catch until I watch it more than once, like the pool cleaner being constantly removed.

11.  Mama (2013)

• I think I liked the idea of this more than I actually liked the movie itself.

12.  Fragile (2005)

• Oh my god the ghost is the scariest ghost I've ever seen.  And I love scary movies with children and hospitals (yeah, I'm creepy like that).

13.  The Amityville Horror (2005)

• It's a classic, end of story.

14.  The Amityville Haunting (2011)

• Again, found-footage!  Didn't love the dad's craziness, but hey, the rest of it was pretty awesome.

15.  1408 (2007)

• If I was the main character I would have lost my mind completely, and in about 10 minutes flat.

16.  Sinister (2012)

• Creepy children!!

17.  The Pact (2012)

• Really not that great of a movie until the final scenes.  But then the scary creepy factors came to light.

18.  Fingerprints (2006)

• Traditionally scary so it's a must-see

19.  Orphan (2009)

• That "child" is deranged.  Completely certifiable.  SHE BROKE HER OWN ARM! Ugh, so good.

20.  Dream House (2011)

• Just saw this recently.  I think it was more sad than scary, but it definitely messed with your mind.

Bonus one:

21. Scary Move (saga)

• If you've never seen any of these you need to go watch them now.  Seriously.  Right this second.  They're hilarious.  Scary Movie 4 is my favorite.

So what are your favorite/least favorite Halloween/horror movies?

Have a Scary Day!

  

Top Ten Tuesday [5]

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week, in the honor of Halloween, I bring you (from books and movies):

Top Ten Freakiest Characters

1. The Clown from It by Stephen King

• Okay, seriously, who isn't freaked out by clowns?  Because if you're not then you're either lying or have never seen this movie/read this book.  The clown is beyond freaky and deserves to be on this list

2. Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

This woman was too pink, too perfect, and too smiley.  Those are things you definitely have to watch out for.  I mean, personally I think she was creepier than snake-faced Voldemort.  I would rather be stuck in a locked room with him.

3. The Governor from The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman

• I admit I haven't read about him in the books yet, but I did see him in the series and he is bat-shit crazy.  Like, comepletely off his rocker.  The "live" heads in tanks and his little pet walker girl?  Yeah, crazy.

4. President Coin from Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins

• She's more controlling and manipulative than President Snow, no competition.  End of story.

5. Ray from When Jeff Comes Home by Catherine Atkins

I'm sure most of you haven't heard of this book, but if you have then congratulations  you like to read rare and disturbing books.  Ray is the man that abducts Jeff as a teenager and rapes him repeatedly for a long period of time before just letting him go home.  There is definitely Stockholm Syndrome present here.

6. Edward Cullen from Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

• For all of those who want me dead for this one, think about it.  He's over 100 years old, stalked a teenager when she was sleeping and sparkles in the sun.  Come on people!  That's freaky, and he should be locked up, not living happily ever after.

7. Hannah Baker from Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

• I love this book, but she kills herself and leaves cassette takes to travel to the people who "made her do it"?  What kind of person does such a thing?  Apparently Hannah, the girl who we're supposed to feel bad for.

8. Nell Sweetzer from The Last Exorcism Part II (movie)

• I know she's possessed, but the way she just walked out of the house at the end after killing everyone?  Yeah, she's right up there with Katie from Paranormal Activity.

9. V from V for Vendetta (movie)

Let me start with a disclaimer:  I LOVE V for Vendetta, and I love V himself.  But he is nuts.  Certifiably insane, no question, especially after what he did to Evey with his experimental hostage situation to make her "stronger."





10. Annie Wilkes from Misery by Stephen King

• Finally, the reason why a popular author should be a little afraid of their fan-base.  The woman who locks you in a house to continue a book series with an outcome she likes.  And let's not forget the hammer to the ankles.  For that scene in the movie I nearly puked.  It was so disgusting.  Thinking about it while writing this list, she reminds me of a slightly crazier Dolores Umbridge.