Yikes, how'd we get to the last week of October already?? This is my favorite month - I don't want it to end! And I have really been enjoying my spooky October reading, too. I finally felt back to my normal baseline last week so jumped back into a more normal routine - more writing and able to take walks again and get out to see friends. What a thrill! Of course, I am exhausted this morning from a busy weekend, but it was a good one.
Here's what we've been reading this past week:
- Last night, I finished The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann (one of my favorite authors!), a middle-grade dystopian fantasy about a world that favors usefulness where any child with a creative or artistic ability is labeled Unwanted and sent for Elimination, but there is a secret magical world focused on the arts. It was very good and I can't wait to read the next book in the series! This was another book for my R.I.P. X Challenge, hosted by The Estella Society.
- I am still listening to the spooky classic Dracula by Bram Stoker, a free download from SYNC this summer. It is SO good! Surprisingly suspenseful and perfectly creepy - just right for the season.
- My husband, Ken, finished The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. This is one of our son's favorite books and is being made into a movie AND a TV show! Ken loved it and is looking forward to book 2 (which I'm sure our son has here somewhere).
- Now, Ken is reading Make Me, the latest Lee Child novel that I gave him for his birthday. This is his favorite author so he is enjoying it, though it is set in Oklahoma, his home state, so he's annoyed by inaccuracies in the setting! Don't you hate that?
- Jamie, 21, is reading The Bone Palace by Amanda Downum, Book 2 in The Necromancer Chronicles series. He is following in his mom's footsteps and chose something creepy for the end of October - that's my boy!
Movie Monday: Redwood Highway, a warm, thoughtful film about family & aging
TV Tuesday: Blindspot, a compelling new thriller with a unique premise
Middle-grade Review: Doll Bones, a creepy ghost story & wonderful tale of friendship
Fiction Review: The Martian, a suspenseful sci fi thriller& now a new movie
Saturday Snapshot - we are finally seeing some fall colors here in Delaware
As you can see, I have added weekly reviews of TV shows and movies to my blog recently, so if like me, you also enjoy TV and movies as well as books, check out all of my media reviews!
What are you and your family reading this week?
What Are You Reading Monday has a new host! It is now being hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen version hosted by Unleashing Readers.
Listening to Dracula sounds like a lot of fun. I'm glad you had such a great week. This is my favorite time of year as well. Have a great week Sue.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pat! It has been fun listening to Dracula!
DeleteSo glad you liked The Unwanteds. I loved it too when I read it, but I haven't gotten many students to read it yet. I will have to try to book talk it again.
ReplyDeleteHappy reading this week! :)
Just tell them it is like Harry Potter, about a magical school!
DeleteI can't believe we're almost into November!! I really want to give audiobooks a go - my partner is really into them, he likes listening to them on the train to work, but I've yet to take the plunge - I need to correct that!
ReplyDeleteYes, Jane! Give them a try. Listening to audios while walking, driving, cooking, etc. allows me to get through so many more books! There are just too many good books out there :)
DeleteI'm reading a historical, British mystery where a former whore, now a madam, is recruited by the government to help out in a case. I really like the tone and the bluntness the author uses. My husband doesn't really read books. He reads a lot of articles online besides his schoolbooks. My tween went to the library last Friday and has already gone through seven Sew Zoey books. My youngest is making her way through Dear Dumb Diary books at the moment.
ReplyDeleteOooh...the book you're reading sounds really intriguing. Love that your kids are enjoying their series!
DeleteI downloaded Dracula and didn't get to it. I am so glad to hear it is good. I will be sure to listen to it now! I learned that my library has audiobooks, so I got a bit lost in their audiobook world. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's very good, Ricki - better than I expected. I haven't tried my library's downloadable audio collection yet - I could see how you could get engrossed in that!
DeleteLove that you bought copies of The Martian for all your male relatives. I loved the audio version and the movie.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE giving books to people as gifts, Kathryn! We are hoping to see the movie sometime this week.
DeleteThanks for reminding me that I downloaded Dracula too. I really should listen to it someday. Come see what I have been reading here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's so good! Even better than I expected.
DeleteI usually avoid books that are creepy--I still get nightmares! I did enjoy Doll Bones, though. I even read a creepy book for October--Here Lies Linc, set in a graveyard with a character determined to uncover the truth behind the curse on a local gravestone.
ReplyDeleteI usually go for mild creepiness/spookiness rather than horror or stuff like that, Kay :) Here Lies Linc sounds good!
DeleteI listened to Dracula a couple of years ago and enjoyed it. Looking forward to Make Me as I love Jack Reacher.
ReplyDeleteHe's loving it so far, Nise, and Dracula is excellent!
DeleteI had a crew of students who were into The Unwanteds for a while. I think I need to book talk it to get new readers hooked. I listened to The Martian last summer and my son is reading it now. I could not finish Doll Bones! I made three attempts but it terrified me.
ReplyDeleteI really loved the friendship depicted in Doll Bones and the kids' pretend game - that reminded me SO much of my own sons when they were little.
DeleteI should listen to Dracula...I've tried to read it, but never got far.
ReplyDeleteI think the audio has been really gripping - there is extra foreshadowing since Dracula is such a part of our culture now that we know some of the book's secrets!
DeleteThe Unwanteds sounds exactly like my kind of novel - will have to look for that one. Loved Dracula - I've re-read it a couple of times, I believe, since I was in the university.
ReplyDelete