It's Monday 10/31! What Are You Reading?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

I just love Halloween - it's one of our favorite holidays! Our sons are now 18 and 22 and living at college, so my husband and I really miss the days of trick-or-treating with them (all four of us usually dressed up in costume - often in a common theme!) This 2015 Saturday Snapshot shows some highlights of our best family costumes - more impressive when you realize I can't sew at all! Our sons still love to get dressed up for Halloween and both went to parties this weekend. During the week, they came over for dinner one night, and we all carved jack-o-lanterns together - we love that they still want to carve pumpkins with us & we had a lot of fun!

So, besides Halloween, it is also Monday! We've been enjoying reading for the season this past week:

• I got about halfway through my book group book, Nathaniel's Nutmeg: The True and Incredible Adventures of the Spice Trader Who Changed the Course of History by Giles Milton before we met on Wednesday. It's a nonfiction book about the spice trade in the 1500's and 1600's. It was OK but not great. I learned a lot and it was interesting, but it wasn't particularly well-written. I prefer narrative nonfiction, and this read more like a textbook, reminding me why I disliked high school history classes! It did spark a good discussion, but I set it aside after the meeting and didn't finish it (a rarity for me).
• I was excited to get back to my spooky seasonal reading for the RIP XI Challenge! After my book group meeting, I dove into a YA novel, The Drowning, by one of my favorite YA authors, Rachel Ward. I LOVED her Num8ers trilogy. This was just what I wanted! It's creepy, dark, and even involves ghosts - perfect for this week! I just finished it last night and really enjoyed it.
• For my spooky fix last week while I was still working on Nathanial's Nutmeg, I began reading a slim paperback of Edgar Allen Poe short stories, Tales of Mystery. To give you an idea of how old this falling-apart paperback is, my husband bought it for 10 cents in a used bookstore in his hometown...and it's original price, new, was 50 cents. I'm currently reading The Fall of the House of Usher - Poe is perfect reading for Halloween day!
• I am still listening to another creepy book on audio, Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman, an adult novel about teen good girl, Hannah, who becomes friends with the wild and dangerous Lacey, and the havoc they wreak in their town together. It's very good so far - chilling and suspenseful.
• My husband, Ken, is still reading Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King. Last year, we inherited my dad's collection of Stephen King and Dean Koontz books, but the first book in this series was missing. So, Ken bought a copy on our vacation last month and is enjoying reading this novel that my dad liked so much. We both miss him a lot, and reading his favorite books helps us feel close to him.
• Jamie, 22, is still reading book 3 in the Scott Lynch series Gentleman Bastards, The Republic of Thieves, which he bought this summer. He loves this series (so does my husband) and says it is about con men in Medieval times.

Last week's blog posts:

Movie Monday: The Girl on the Train, an excellent adaptation of a complex & suspenseful novel!

Fiction Review: A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick, a dark story of love & revenge

Teen/YA Review: The Hunt by Meghan Shepherd, an action-packed & suspenseful sci fi novel

Saturday Snapshot: Assateague Island - Kayaking & Wild Horses

What are you and your family reading this week?    

What Are You Reading Monday is 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/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers. 

Our Finished Jack-o-lanterns!