Wrap Up|| October.

Posted on October 31, 2019 by ashley @ socially awkward bookworm

wrapup

Happy Halloween!

Remember last month read I only read one book??? Well…this month I read EIGHT! WHAT?! I had a pretty amazing reading month even though toward the end of the month I got burned out on my Halloweenie TBR and read a few books that weren’t on the list. I am so glad that I made up for that pretty crappy September month of reading, haha. I am going to jump right into the books that I read this month. You can find a full list of these books and the other books I read this year over here. All will be linked to Goodreads below and I will also link to individual blog posts for them if I did a review.

Physically Read Books:
These are the books that I read myself (not audiobooks) throughout the month of October.

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky – 5 out of 5 stars – Review
Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell – 4 out of 5 stars
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker – 4 out of 5 stars
City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab – 4 out of 5 stars

Imaginary Friend was so amazing and I had so much fun reading it. So many feels too! I could not put it down. I flew through Pumpkinheads and Mooncakes in the same day. They are both graphic novels and they were both so good. I loved the illustrations in them both. Perfect for the season. I REALLY liked City of Ghosts so much. I flew through this one in just two days! It was so good and hard to put down. I can’t wait to read the sequel. Hopefully I get my hands on it ASAP!

Inspection by Josh Malerman – 3 out of 5 stars
welcome to ghost town by Gretchen Gomez – 3 out of 5 stars
The Wives by Tarryn Fisher – 4 out of 5 stars – Review to come.
Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid – 4 out of 5 stars.

Inspection was pretty good, but at times it was slow. I wanted to know what was happening so bad, but it felt like it took so long to get there. It was interesting though. I liked the poems in welcome to ghost town and some of them were so powerful. I flew through The Wives in pretty much a day and a half. I could not put it down! I’ll have a review coming soon. Evidence of the Affair was told in all letters, which I loved. It was so hard to put down and because it was only a little over 100 pages, I flew through it. It was SO GOOD! I wish it wasn’t a short story, I wanted more!

ghost

Audiobooks:
These are the books that I listened to the audio versions throughout the month of October.

Dr. Mutter’s Marvels by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz – 3 out of 5 stars

I was looking for something creepy to listen to during the month of October and decided to go with Dr. Mutter’s Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine. I think what made this creepy was the fact that it’s a true story about plastic surgeon Thomas Dent Mutter. It was such a good book and I really enjoyed it. “A mesmerizing biography of the brilliant and eccentric medical innovator who revolutionized American surgery and founded the country’s most famous museum of medical oddities”

ghost

Currently Reading Books:
These are the books that I started to read in the month of October, but didn’t get a chance to finish them yet.

Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland

I was really hoping to get through Beyond the Black Door this month, but that ended up not happening. Because I started to feel burned out from all the Halloween vibe books I was reading, I ended up putting it down to read a few other books that I didn’t include on my Halloweenie TBR. I’m hoping to pick it back up at some point in November, so I can get a review posted for it. So far what I have read is pretty good though.

What books did you read in October? Have you read any of the books that I read? Feel free to link me to you wrap up post, so I can check it out!

ghost

I can’t believe it’s already Halloween! Do you have any fun plans for the day/night? The hubby and I are going to my friend’s Halloween party tonight. Hopefully that ends up being a good time!

I will leave you with a couple pictures I took at Islands of Adventure over the weekend. Since we have annual passes and only live an hour away, we are able to go to Universal whenever we want. We decided to spend a few hours at Islands of Adventure and finally check out Hagrid’s new ride, which was a really amazing rollercoaster! It was so much fun. Left picture is of the rooftops in Hogsmeade and the right picture is part of the new Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure ride. I can’t wait to check out Islands of Adventure again in November and December, because they have a lot of cool holiday events happening. They already started decorating the park with Christmas decorations and I can’t wait to see what Harry Potter World looks like decorated for Christmas!

I hope to catch up with your posts and comments over the weekend. I’ll have a lot of down time this weekend, so it will be the perfect time to catch up with you guys and get some reading done. I am off to go make vampire donuts for my friend’s party tonight!

In case you missed it;
Book Haul|| October.
Five 5-Star Reads Perfect for October.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyhalloween

Book Haul|| October.

Posted on October 30, 2019 by ashley @ socially awkward bookworm

bookhaulyellow

Hey!

I somehow managed to do really good with not buying a ton of books this month, which I am both proud of and kind of sad about because there are so many books that I want to buy. While I didn’t buy a lot of books this month, I did get sent quite a few from a publisher that I am really excited about. You can check out a full list of the books that I own over here. There’s links to different pages on my blog that show my e-books and my physical books. I actually need to update these pages soon, it’s been a couple months. But anyway, onto my haul. Here are the books that I got in October.

Books I Bought:

30A1D514-8A52-41C0-90E8-B9B347A3F512

Mooncakes by Suzanna Walker
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York by Kim Smith

I bought Mooncakes, because I thought it would be a perfect read for October and it was! I’ve also been trying to get into more graphic novels. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is a children’s book, but I had to have it because it’s my favorite Christmas movie. I can’t wait to read it in December and then watch the movie.

ghost

Books from Publishers:

Lucky Caller by Emma Mills (January)
Finding Mr. Better-Than-You by Shani Petroff (January)
Little Universes by Heather Demetrios (April)

In the Shadow of the Sun by Em Castellan (February)
The Silence of Bones by June Hur (April)
Defy the Sun by Jessika Fleck (Sequel – March)
Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang (Graphic Novel – March)

I received a box of Winter ARCs from Fierce Reads, which I was so stoked for! I am excited to read them all, but I am especially excited for Emma Mills’ new book (Lucky Caller), Shani Petroff’s new book (Finding Mr. Better-Than-You), and Little Universes. I put the release months of these books next to the title.

FF7F49BC-9FEA-4896-9D61-2E595E8D49A1

ghost

E-Books:

Mine by Courtney Cole
Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Flintstones Vol. 1 by Mark Russell
The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd Jones
Scream All Night by Derek Milman
welcome to ghost town by Gretchen Gomez

I took it pretty easy on the e-books this month. I think I’ve been getting a lot pickier when buying e-books, because the majority of them I buy when they are on sale and then forget all about them. So easy to forget them when you don’t see them after buying, lol. I actually got the volume one graphic novel of The Flintstones for free. Amazon gave me a free graphic novel credit, so I decided to just choose that. I liked The Flintstones TV show growing up, so why not? Haha. I really liked Derek Milman’s book Swipe Right for Murder, so I decided to get Scream All Night when I seen it on sale.

What new books did you get in October? Have you read any of the ones that I got? Feel free to link me to your haul post, so I can check it out!

I will hopefully have my October wrap up posted at some point tomorrow. I am hoping to finish one more book before I get it up.

In case you missed it;
WWW Wednesday #65.
Five 5-Star Reads Perfect for October.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyhalloween

WWW Wednesday #65.

Posted on October 23, 2019 by ashley @ socially awkward bookworm

wwwwednesdayflower

WWW Wednesday is a weekly MEME hosted by Taking on a World of Words. Simply answer the following questions. 🙂

The three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

*All books linked to Goodreads below.

Hey!

It’s been a little over a month since my last WWW post, so I decided to make one today. I haven’t really been blogging so much this month, but I have been reading! October has been a better month than I had last month, that’s for sure. Since it’s almost the end of the month, which means my monthly wrap up will be coming soon, I won’t list every single book I read since my last update so I can save it for that post haha. Here is what I’ve been reading this past week though and what I will hopefully be reading next.

Currently Reading:

Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland
Dr. Mutter’s Marvels by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz

I actually just started Beyond the Black Door today, so I am only about ten pages into it. It seems interesting though and I’m really excited about it. It’s almost 400 pages, so I don’t know if I’ll actually have it finished before the end of October but I am really hoping. I am listening to the audiobook of Dr. Mutter’s Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine. That full title is a mouthful, haha. I’m about 70% into it and it’s actually pretty interesting.

Recently Finished:

Inspection by Josh Malerman

I just finished Inspection today and while I did like it, it didn’t blow me away. It was still really good, but it was a slow burn at times. I wanted to know what was happening so bad and it felt like it took so long to get there. It was still pretty interesting though and I’m glad I read it.

Reading Next:

I’m actually not entirely sure what I will read next, because I don’t think that I will be done with my current read by the end of the month. I do have a Halloween TBR that you can check out linked at the end of this post. I have some books listed there that I would read next *if* I get Beyond the Black Door finished. I started to create a November TBR, which consists of 3 or 4 ARCs so maybe one of those.

What are you currently reading? Recently finished? Reading next? Have you read any of these books? Feel free to link me to your posts, so I can check them out!

October wrap up and October book haul will be coming soon as I mentioned earlier. I’m glad I actually been reading more this month. I was so disappointed that I didn’t read as much last month. I will end this post with a few pictures that I took at a little pumpkin patch. My friend, her nephew, my hubby, and I went Pokemon Hunting for community day and stumbled upon a little pumpkin patch at a church. It was so random and I was so stoked about it. We were walking around the lake catching Pokemon and I see all these pumpkins from afar and I’m like “OMGGGGG” haha.

So many pumpkins in all shapes, colors, and sizes. I was in pumpkin heaven. We (well mostly me, haha) looking at all the pumpkins. They practically had to drag me away. 😛

In case you missed it;
Five 5-Star Reads Perfect for October.
Mini Review|| Imaginary Friend.
Halloweenie TBR.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyhalloween

Five 5-Star Reads Perfect for October.

Posted on October 11, 2019 by ashley @ socially awkward bookworm

sociallyawkwardbookwormorange

Hey!

I love reading scary, creepy, spooky books in October. I thought it would be fun to share five books that I gave five stars to that are perfect for the Halloween/spooky season.

IMAGINARYFRIEND

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

My thoughts: Imaginary Friend was INSANE, but so good! It was crazy and it kept me on the edge of my seat on every 700+ page! It was weird and it was creepy. It had all the feels too. You can check out my mini review linked at the end of this post.

Goodreads Description: Christopher is seven years old. Christopher is the new kid in town. Christopher has an imaginary friend. Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, Christopher, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with Christopher at her side. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It’s as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out. At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six awful days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a tree house in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same again. Soon Kate and Christopher find themselves in the fight of their lives, caught in the middle of a war playing out between good and evil, with their small town as the battleground.

notevenbones

Not Even Bones by Rebecca Schaeffer

My thoughts: Not Even Bones was so dark and creepy. I was sucked in right from the beginning. It was also so fast-paced which was perfect. I still need to read the sequel!

Goodreads Description: Nita doesn’t murder supernatural beings and sell their body parts on the internet—her mother does that. Nita just dissects the bodies after they’ve been “acquired.” But when her mom brings home a live specimen, Nita decides she wants out — dissecting living people is a step too far. But when she tries to save her mother’s victim, she ends up sold on the black market in his place — because Nita herself is a supernatural being. Now Nita is on the other side of the bars, and there is no line she won’t cross to escape and make sure no one can ever capture her again. Nita did a good deed, and it cost her everything. Now she’s going to do a lot of bad deeds to get it all back.

thehollowgirl

The Hollow Girl by Hillary Monahan

My thoughts: The Hollow Girl is a dark emotional journey with a strong family bond. It was so good and I loved every minute of it. There are some pretty gory things mentioned as well, perfect for the season.

Goodreads Description: Five boys attacked her. Now they must repay her with their blood and flesh. Bethan is the apprentice to a green healer named Drina in a clan of Welsh Romanies. Her life is happy and ordered and modest, as required by Roma custom, except for one thing: Silas, the son of the chieftain, has been secretly harassing her. One night, Silas and his friends brutally assault Bethan and a half-Roma friend, Martyn. As empty and hopeless as she feels from the attack, she asks Drina to bring Martyn back from death’s door. “There is always a price for this kind of magic,” Drina warns. The way to save him is gruesome. Bethan must collect grisly pieces to fuel the spell: an ear, some hair, an eye, a nose, and fingers. She gives the boys who assaulted her a chance to come forward and apologize. And when they don’t, she knows exactly where to collect her ingredients to save Martyn.

wehavealwayslivedinthecastle

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

My thoughts: I read We Have Always Lived in the Castle back in 2014 and I remember loving it so much. It was such a strange and depressing story, but it was so good. I really want to reread it soon and watch the Netflix movie.

Goodreads Description: My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am eighteen years old, and I live with my sister Constance. I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length, but I have had to be content with what I had. I dislike washing myself, and dogs, and noise, I like my sister Constance, and Richard Plantagenet, and Amanita phalloides, the death-cap mushroom. Everyone else in my family is dead…

psycho

Psycho by Robert Bloch

My thoughts: Psycho is one of my favorite books of all-time since I read it back in 2014. It’s so creepy and terrifying, but so so good. I actually listened to the audiobook last month and I had a lot of fun rereading it. I really want to finish watching the TV Bates Motel that was created based off this book. I don’t know why I stopped!

Goodreads Description: Norman Bates loves his Mother. She has been dead for the past twenty years, or so people think. Norman knows better though. He has lived with Mother ever since leaving the hospital in the old house up on the hill above the Bates motel. One night Norman spies on a beautiful woman that checks into the hotel as she undresses. Norman can’t help but spy on her. Mother is there though. She is there to protect Norman from his filthy thoughts. She is there to protect him with her butcher knife.

What are some books that you think are perfect to read this time of the year? Have you read any of the ones that I loved?

I will hopefully catch up with all your posts and comments at some point this weekend. I haven’t really had the time to during the week this week.

In case you missed it;
Mini Review|| Imaginary Friend.
Halloweenie TBR.
Book Haul|| September.

I hope you have a great day and weekend!

ashleyhalloween

Mini Review|| Imaginary Friend.

Posted on October 7, 2019 by ashley @ socially awkward bookworm

IMAGINARYFRIEND

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
5 out of 5 stars

“We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us.”

I received an ARC of Imaginary Friend from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was published on October 1st.

I am not entirely sure how to start this review or how great this review will end up being, because I have no idea what I even read. I say that in the best way possible though, because Imaginary Friend was INSANE, but so good! It was crazy and it kept me on the edge of my seat on every 700+ page! It was weird and it was creepy. I had dreams about this book multiple times throughout reading it. I had no idea what was happening or what the outcome would be and it drove me crazy, haha. I was trying to figure out what was going to happen next and I just couldn’t. I was constantly surprised and hit with so many feels. I shed a lot of tears while reading this story as well as every other feeling you can imagine. The love between Christopher and his mom was everything. I don’t want to say a whole lot, because I don’t want to spoil even the smallest thing. I would highly recommend picking up Imaginary Friend. I know I will be thinking about this book for a really long time.

“A nightmare is nothing but a dream gone sick.”

In case you missed it;
Halloweenie TBR.
Book Haul|| September.
Wrap Up|| September.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyhalloween

Halloweenie TBR.

Posted on October 1, 2019 by ashley @ socially awkward bookworm

halloweentbr2

BOOOOOO!

Happy October! It’s my favorite month of the year! I love all things Halloween, Fall, and Spooky. So much that I named one of my cats October. 😛 Here she is:

098E227C-C4D9-4925-B44B-B2ABA2372121

When I found her I knew that had to be her name, because she makes me think of Halloween with her orange and black coloring. She also has some pretty amazing green eyes and they definitely give off a spooky vibe.

ghost

Anyway, I always make this big Halloween themed TBR every year whether I get around to reading them or not; it’s fun to create them! I think last year I read 5 out of the 10 books that I chose, because I had some ARCs that I had to read at the time so I had to share some of my time with them as well. 😛 I do have some ARCs I need to read, but luckily a couple of them fit into my Halloweenie TBR. I don’t know if I will get to all or most of these books, but here is what my TBR looks like this year!

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab
Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell
Inspection by Josh Malerman
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky (ARC)
Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland (ARC)
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

These first six books are books that I definitely want to try to read in October. Two of them are ARCs and I’m excited that they fit into the Halloween/spooky vibe for my TBR. I am currently reading Imaginary Friend now. I wanted to get a head start on it by picking it up at the end of September, because it’s 700+ pages and I wanted to make sure I read it so I can do my review and also have plenty of time to try to fit in these other books throughout the month. I’m halfway through it now and it’s so good! The author of Inspection wrote Bird Box, so I am stoked to read his new book. I’ve been seeing Mooncakes around and it looked perfect for the season, it doesn’t get released until later this month but I have my copy on pre-order. Super stoked for Pumpkinheads!

The Suffering by Rin Chupeco
The Outcast Hours by Mahvesh Murad +more
We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix
Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand
The Asylum Novellas by Madeleine Roux
Escape from Asylum by Madeleine Roux

These six books are books that I hope to read if I have time after reading the others. I am really excited about finally reading the Asylum novellas (if I get to them). I read the main books in the series and really liked them, but just never read the novella books for some reason. I read Girl from the Well last year (I think or could be year before) and really enjoyed it, so hopefully I will finally pick up the sequel! The others sound perfect for this month as well.

ghost

It would be amazing if I got through all twelve books, but we shall see because there are a few Halloween movies that I love to watch in October as well. I need to share my time between spooky reads and my favorite Halloween movies. So what are the movies, you say?

Halloweentown
Hocus Pocus
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Beetlejuice

I make it a point to watch these four movies every single October. I don’t think there has been a year where I have missed watching any of them since I was a kid! I am so excited to watch them all again this year. 😛

Have you read any of the books on my October TBR? What do you plan to read in October? Do you have any favorite Halloween/spooky movies that you liked to watch during October? Let me know and feel free to link me to your TBR posts if you have one!

ghost

I went through some of your posts yesterday and hope to read & comment more of them in the next day or two. I will also reply to comments soon too. September was a crazy month, but hopefully October will be a lot better. 🙂

In case you missed it;
Book Haul|| September.
Wrap Up|| September.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyhalloween