Year 6, week 10: This Is Not a Ghost Story

This week's book:
This Is Not a Ghost Story
By Andrea Portes

This week's blog post is about a book my sister recommended a while ago. My sister is very busy and has a rather long commute, so she listens to audiobooks as well. My dear older sister loves books about ghosts and other similar fantasy/sci-fi such types, which means sometimes our reading doesn't always match up. Well since October is my favorite month and my month long Halloween themed books, I thought I would give this book a try. To be fair when she originally recommended the book I had looked to see if my library had it, and it didn't, but apparently they have it now, so I borrowed it. 

The book is about a fresh graduate who is saving money for her upcoming ivy league college education. Our heroine is set to house sit an old house that is having a remodel while the owners are away for the summer. The young lady has a plethora of anxiety and fears throughout the whole novel. Strange things start happening and she starts to have dreams or hallucinations. 

It's a short novel, only six hours, so if you are looking for a quick, creepy Halloween read, then check it out. That being said, I was disappointed in the ending, just an FYI. 

 

Year 6, week 9: Bad Girls Don't Die

This week's book:
Bad Girls Don't Die
By Katie Alender

I have had this book for over a year and I finally got around to reading it this Halloween season. The book is a young adult novel and I can guarantee I would have absolutely loved this book in high school. As an adult I still think it was a fun read. 

The story is about a set of sisters who bicker, but still love each other a lot. Out of nowhere the younger sister starts to act really creepy, and scary things start happening. There are elements of the story are a little teen angsty, but for the most part this novel is just creepy. There are ghosts and tragic backstories and maybe a possessed doll. 

Apparently this book is the first of the series, but it didn't feel like the ending wasn't so open ended that it ruined the whole story. I hate when scary books or movies leave the end of the story so open ended up that it just ruins the whole point of the tale. 

I have already given the book to my ghost obsessed sister the book, so you know I would recommend this book. 

Year 6, week 8: I Choose Darkness

This week's book:
I Choose Darkness
By Jenny Lawson

This week's blog is an essay instead of an actual book, but it deserves a blog post. I love Jenny Lawson so much. She finds humor at times that could crumble others. I have written about some of Lawson's other books so if you aren't familiar with her work, please check them out because they are amazing. 

Jenny Lawson suffers from a plethora of mental and physical health issues, which has lead to a wicked sense of humor. I was able to meet her via a Zoom chat with a book group I'm in. She is hilarious and everything you would hope she is. 

In this essay, Lawson explains that her house is filled with odd dead animals that have been stuffed and positioned into weird poses and wearing weird clothes. Her office is also filled with creepy dolls and other odd things. This whole essay is about how amazing Halloween is. Lawson's portrait of what being a kid in the 1980's while enjoying the best holiday of the year is so dead on. Everything from the weird plastic costumes (which my mom only did once the year I was born, six days before Halloween and she was too tired to make my sister a costume), or how everyone was terrified of the mythical satanic worshiper that would be roaming the streets filling your candy with razor blades. 

This quick read is just what I needed. I would definitely recommend this great read.

Year 6, week 7: The Haunting of Blackwood House

This week's book:
The Haunting of Blackwood House
By Darcy Coates

A few years ago I discovered Darcy Coates, an author that writes books full of haunted houses and other creepy things. Whenever I read one of her books I always pass them along to my older sister, because she is a big fan of books with ghosts. Normally Coates' books have a few creepy moments that keep you on your toes but they are normally not too gory or disturbing. 

This is the story of a very independent woman in her early twenties who buys her first home, which has a disturbing history. When all these weird things start happening, she refuses to sell the home or move away. 

I'll be honest, it's not my favorite of Coates' novels, but I'm still glad I read it for my month of Halloween themed books, and have already passed the book along to my sister.

Year 6, week 6: Devil in Ohio

This week's book:
Devil in Ohio
By Daria Polatin

So I haven't done this in a while, but I totally bought a book that they have turned into a mini series on Netflix. Years ago, whenever I saw a trailer or film that was based on a book, I would want to read it. So when the hubby and I saw the trailer for this show, I was really interested. There seemed to be a cult and a corn field, what more can you ask for in a scary show? 

Before I had even started the book, I heard some horrible reviews of the show. Apparently the show isn't scary; it's mostly just teenage drama. 

The book is about a girl that is severely abused, and then her therapist brings her home to protect her. My family is full of therapist and social workers, and I just couldn't wrap my mind around a mental health worker bringing their work home with them. Most of the book is from the point of view of the middle daughter of the therapist. The daughter is insanely whiney and unlikeable, when I am assuming we are supposed to relate to her, but I just couldn't stand her. 

The book definitely gives off a Single White Female vibe, and there wasn't much to do with the actual cult. The book doesn't have anything exciting until the last twenty pages, and by then I just wanted the book to be done. 

I definitely wouldn't recommend the book, and I don't even want to check out the show much any more either.