Tis the season for reuniting with family; we’re in WV at my parents’ house and we’re expecting 14 people in total! Not a lot of time for reading today, but I’ll be sure to sneak in a little!
For today’s challenge, let’s talk about a “reading menu.” What makes a good menu to you? What are your favorite genres, favorite books? Any tactics authors use that drives you crazy (like cliffhangers!?).
Feel free to answer in the comments or below! I’ve also added a Mr. Linky for those updating on their blogs!
This is the official kick off post for Thankfully Reading! Instead of braving the crowds and shopping this weekend, we’re spending our time curled up with a book!
Feel free to link up your kick-off post below, as well as any update posts you have. Don’t have a blog? Don’t worry! You can keep us updated on your progress in the comments below, on Instagram, Twitter (use #thankfullyreading or make sure you tag me so I can see it!) or Facebook! Haven’t signed up yet to participate? Not to worry! There is still plenty of time!
If you don’t know what to post, here are some ideas. But remember there are no rules; feel free to post as little/as much as you like!
How will/did you celebrate Thanksgiving?
What’s in your TBR pile for the weekend?
How much time do you think you’ll have for reading?
What book are you starting out with?
Are you reading print, ebooks, or audio? Maybe a bit each?
What books will you be talking about during Thanksgiving dinner? Be sure to keep track of any recommendations you receive and share when you have the time. If you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, don’t worry, this is a weekend for everyone!
Pictures and/or vlogs are a great thing to add to your kick-off posts!
Throughout the weekend, feel free to post about your progress or even get some reviews up. Be sure to come back and link up your posts. Then take a break and check out everyone else’s posts. We’re looking forward to seeing how everyone else is celebrating Thankfully Reading Weekend.
Oh and don’t forget that some of your fellow readers will be on Twitter. You can search for Thankfully Reading Weekend tweets and hook up with others by using the hashtag #thankfullyreading.
On Sunday afternoon, we’ll post another link-up for your wrap-up post. Tell us how your Thankfully Reading Weekend went. You could give mini-reviews of your books, tell us how many books and which books you read, number of pages, number of hours, and so on. This is a rule-free, contest-free event, so you can wrap up the weekend however you’d like.
2021, like the year before, has been a bit of a shit-show. Slightly better than last year, but not nearly what I would have hoped it would be. That said, I’m all about traditions and sticking to them, to the best of our ability. What won’t the pandemic prevent us from doing? Reading!
I’m pleased to announce that I will once again be hosting Thankfully Reading Weekend, November 24-28 (Wednesday through Sunday)! I added on an extra day since it seemed many of us were ready to read early!
I’m hoping everyone will be staying home this holiday and avoiding the stores for the kick-off of holiday shopping. What better way to spend that time than reading?
New to Thankfully Reading Weekend? Here are the details:
There are no rules to the weekend, we’re simply hoping to devote a good amount of time to reading, and perhaps meeting some of our reading challenges and goals for the year. We thought it’d be fun if we cheered each other on a bit. If you think you can join in, grab the logo and add your sign up post to the link-up below. If you don’t have a blog, you can sign up the comments or sign up using a link to your Twitter account or Facebook page, or Instagram account!
Want to host a challenge? Email me directly at jennsbookshelf@gmail.com.
We’ll also be checking in on Twitter and Instagram using hashtag #thankfullyreading. Join in for the weekend or for only a single day. No rules, no pressure!
I’ve been absent from this space for the last few weeks. I missed the last few weeks of Murders, Monsters & Mayhem.
It wasn’t due to lack of interest, or laziness, but rather loss.
We lost my sister, Jessica, to melanoma on Friday. It’s been a roller coaster of a few weeks; we only learned the cancer had returned a little over a month ago. Just last week she was able to get her first immunotherapy treatment (melanoma doesn’t respond to chemotherapy or radiation treatment). It was as though time slowed to a crawl, but also simultaneously sped by out of control.
I’m here. I’m healing. I’m reading. Hopefully one day soon I’ll be able to write about it all.
Yay! My favorite fall activity, second only to Halloween itself, is upon us! Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon!
The October read-a-thon is always my favorite. It’s likely because I tend to focus on reading horror and all things spooky! The weather here is cool, perfect “leggings/layers/books” weather!
Here’s my readathon pile so far. Mostly library books; I have a bad habit of requesting and checking out books but never get around to reading them.
My menu, the second most important thing, has also been planned:
Cinnamon rolls for breakfast (tradition!)
My traditional Totino’s pizza rolls has been replaced with WV pepperoni rolls. If you know, you know.
Nuts, cheese & crackers
Apples and peanut butter
Are you joining in on the readathon fun? What books (and menu items!) are on your list!?
Moon Basin has been haunted since 16 miners were killed. Residents of the town were forced to move away, the fires from the mines burning below made Moon Basin uninhabitable. Their new town, New Basin, likes to refute the reputation of a haunted town, yet it can't survive without the tourists that swarm to investigate it.
Clem & Nina have been best friends since they met at Clem's father's funeral. Nothing has torn them apart, even when Clem admitted she liked girls. Their close friendship may soon be tested, however. Nina is talking about going away to college, while Clem doesn't even consider it as an option.
Their close-knit circle of friends includes Lisey, who has an uncanny ability to communicate with crows, and Piper, the new girl in town. Piper's father is an engineer who has been called in to inspect the mine for safety. He's fascinated with the mine and permits them to join him on one of his treks.
The town officials remain ignorant when residents begin to experience nightmares and voices that no one else can hear. The girls soon realize they are the only ones who can and will help, even if it means descending into the mines alone.
The spook factor is high with this one! Abandoned town, deadly mines, mysterious happenings. All of these have my spooky senses tingling!
Ames has crafted a truly terrifying setting. Haunted mines that have defied the investigations of numerous paranormal investigators. Oh, and speaking of paranormal investigators…the found footage will send chills down your spine. The imagery used to describe the mines and what lies beneath is enough to keep you awake at night.
This is more than just another horror story, however. It’s a heart-warming exploration of friendship, of sacrifice, and of self-discovery. Undoubtable one of my favorite reads of the year.
Dare Chase has signed on as a volunteer to help restore the Arrington Estate in New Hope, VA. The site just happens to be the location for her paranormal investigation podcast, Attachments. Though she's skeptical about the paranormal; there's always a logical explanation to any rumors of haunting. Joined by her service dot to alert her when her blood sugar is low, Dare is ready for a change of scenery.
Dare is drawn to the estate following the mysterious drowning of Atheleen Bell in 1992. By day, she helps the estate owner's daughter, Quinn Reyes, and a local girl, Holly, to sort through the items remaining in the estate to repair it for restoration. By night, the three embark what Dare assumes is an investigation into a decades-old murder. What they discover instead is a history of drownings, the first in 1871. Something is lurking in the lake, something that has a hold that reaches far beyond the lake itself.
What a creepy fun read! I devoured this one in just a few hours.
I especially appreciated the character Marsh created in Dare. A young girl, just getting over a break-up with her boyfriend. She just happens to have Type 1 diabetes, but she’s able to have a normal life with the aid of her insulin pump and service dog. Her disease doesn’t hold her back. She’s at a remarkable time in her life, still discovering quite a bit about herself and the vast future of endless possibilities. Kudos to Marsh for providing that representation!
The story that Marsh has crafted is so expertly paced. The chilling reveals are timed perfectly; the slow build creates the perfect amount of tension, adding to the chill-factor of this book. Everything about the setting Marsh has created lends to the perfect horror story; small town, mysterious deaths, creepy setting. This read checked all the boxes I needed! I’d love a little more backstory, but also I’m not quite ready to be rid of Dare in my life! I’d love a prequel and/or sequel!
All in all, a perfect read for Halloween (or, if you are like me, any time of year)! Highly recommended.
My most recent review featured a book focused on the Bloody Mary urban legend. I’ve always been fascinated with urban legends. They tell us a lot about the local culture and what is going on in our society at the time of their inception.
Is their a local urban legend, or maybe even a scary haunting or ghost story in your neck of the woods? I’d love to hear about it! Write a post and link it below, or share your sory in the comments!
A group of friends are hanging out together when one gets the idea to play "Bloody Mary" using the mirror in her grandmother's bedroom. The legend goes that Mary will show you your future; either you'll see the image of your one true love, or you will see an image that will mark your death. Steph sees the face of a girl she doesn't recognized. Grace sees her crush, who just happens to be in the room. Elena sees her longtime crush, and Cal sees a terrifying image, but claims to have seen nothing at all.
Five years later, now in high school, four friends are no longer close. Elena got her crush, but she can't seem to lose this feeling she gets when she passes the mirror. It's almost as if it is calling to her. Cal sketches the terrifying images that haunt him, scenes that ultimately play out before his eyes. Grace is a bit of an outcast. Steph and Elena butt heads on the school's volleyball team. Steph still can't figure out who the girl is she saw in the mirror, until a new girl starts at their school. Her name? Mary.
I’m a sucker for urban legends. I recall playing this very game at slumber parties when I was younger, and scaring myself so much I was afraid to look in that mirror even during the day!
While Sarles’ take on the Bloody Mary legend is a bit different than the original, it didn’t take anything away from the chill factor. I thought the origin story of the mirror and it’s history was well-crafted. Overall, this is a fun homage to an urban legend man of us grew up playing. The chill factor is minor, so I think this is quite appropriate for young fans of horror.
