Happy Halloween!

It's Halloween and I've been thinking of the scariest books I've read that completely freaked me out, almost making a believer out of me.

Read while spending the summer at my cousin's house in upstate New York, I put on every crucifix I could find, and made my cousin sleep with me for days.  To this day it's stories about the devil that scare me the most.

Scary, mindless vampires by Stephen King.  Need I say more?

The classic that started the change in the vampire mythos, soon to become what I now call Vampire Romeo's, tortured, guilt-ridden, merciful.  I prefer the blood-lusting monsters with the rare one that's managed to hold on to his humanity.

A classic.  Disturbing.  Ghostly.

It's been a while since I've read this, and all I remember is that it scared me and I couldn't put it down!  I just bought it a used book fair this past weekend, so I'm anxious to read it again.

Vengeful ghosts.  Chills will skitter up and down your spine! 

This book really surprised me.  One of the most terrifying, but coolest scenes I've ever read is in this book.  I've tried to reread this book to analyze the scene to find why it frightened me so, but I haven't had the chance.  I think it has to do with loss of control.  And facing a blood-lusting vampire!

Because people are the scariest of all.

What are the scariest books you've read?

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Spooktacular Giveaway, October 24th-31st

I've been super busy with home renovation, and I'm still soldiering my way through Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (finally at the good bits!), but I'm back for the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop!  Join in on all the spooky fun!

The hop is sponsored by I am a reader, not a writer and The Diary of a Bookworm.

This hop is HUGE! I'm number 292 of 427, so get busy readers!  There are lots of books to win!

Enter to win Dearly Departed by Lia Habel! Click the cover to read the beginning.  Awesome!

Good luck, everyone!

Continue visiting all the other Spooktacular Hop links here!

Rafflecopter is a little weird with time calculations, so that's why the contest is running two minutes into November 1st.

Teen Read Week and Crazy Work

Teen Read Week runs from October 16th-22nd.

I'm really excited to find out which books will make the Teen Top Ten list.  25 great books were nominated, and the winners will be announced during Teen Read Week.

I'm behind on my YA reading.  (My reading has a job problem) Of those nominated, I've only read Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, but I've heard great things about all the books listed.  I'd like to read the False Princess by Ellis O'Neal.

How many nominated books have you read?  Which ones would you like to see win?  Are any on your TBR pile?

Work has been crazy, and I'm getting no reading relief from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  I'm only at 60% and I started at the end of August.  But I'll keep soldiering on!

It's That Time of Year...Again

Summer has flown by at light speed; there's a slight chill in the air and frost on the pumpkins.  Okay, I exaggerated about the frost, but you get the idea: the holidays are rapidly approaching.



Christmas Countdown


Christmas is just around the corner, and even though it's the same day every year, I'm always surprised at how it manages to sneak up on me.  This year I'm determined to get the jump on my shopping.  Take a look at these awesome gift ideas for fellow bibliophiles:

Personal Library Kit: This is a super cute idea for the friend that's always lending you books.  I love it!

A great gift idea for library book organization:

Cool bookends for the book nerd in your life:

Bookplates: These personalized bookplates give books a touch of class.  Very nice, old fashioned.  Plenty to choose from.

Isn't this perfect!

Handmade bookmark:

For the Harry Potter fans:

 Keep Calm and Conjure a Patronus

Mischief Managed

I just had a large one of these made for a friend with her favorite quote, "We are wishers of wishes, the dreamers of dreams" a variation of a Willie Wonka quote.

There's so many more wonderful gift ideas.  Not ready to start your shopping?  Why not reward the book lover in you?  :D

Book Beginnings

Story openings are so important that books have been written on beginnings alone. There’s so much pressure on a writer to get it right or their manuscript will end up in the dreaded slush pile.  Once published, the author wants the story read, so a good beginning is essential to prevent busy people like us from putting their book down.

How often does a story opening hijack your life so you have little choice but to keep reading? 

For today’s post I wanted to examine a random book’s beginning (first paragraph only), so I snatched one off the shelf in the dark as I crept out of my bedroom.  Lets see what I’ve got:

“The moment she saw the young man walking down the darkened hall toward her, twirling his walking stick, Finley Jayne knew she’d be unemployed before the sun rose.  Her third dismissal in as many months.”

I like it! I immediately want to know more.  Who is Finley Jayne, and why is she out and about during the night?  Why will she be fired?  What’s up with her that she can’t hold a job?  Who’s the man twirling the walking stick?  Her employer?  The law?  What happens next?

There’s immediate conflict, I know who the main character is and a little bit of the setting.  The walking stick gives me a clue to time period.  A very nice beginning, and beginnings are not all created equal.

The book:  The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross.

Come play with me on this Monday morning.  Choose a random book and share the opening paragraph.  How did it work for you?  Did you want to read more?  Why or why not?

Winner: Daughter of Smoke and Bone & Charm Necklace

The Magical Must Giveaway:  

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

and a necklace with hamsa, evil eye, wishbone and angel feather charms

Adriana of Adri Loves Books

Congratulations, Adri, and happy reading.  I know you'll love this book!  

A giant hug to Faye from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers who made this giveaway possible.  

I wish I could magically place this book into every entrants hands, but alas, there's not an APP for that, and I am so unOprah-like.  Thank you all for participating.