Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween Books

 Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

It's been ages and ages since I did a Top Ten Tuesday (apparently not since I had a baby...over a year ago). I'm finally getting around to it and I forgot how much I love coming up with lists! This week is Top Ten Books To Read To Get In The Halloween Spirit.  I'm not much of a scary book person, but here are some books that scare my socks off!

For a bit of classic scary:

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Seriously, one of the creepiest books ever.  Plus, there are a few retellings of it now that can give you an update on the creepiness.

The Murder at the Vicerage by Agatha Christie
Just finished listening to the audio of this one - there's a reason Agatha Christie is the queen of mysteries.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
One of the best horror books ever, in my not-very-well-read-in-horror opinion.  And again, there are tons of retellings and spin-offs to enjoy.

The Woman in White by Wilkie CollinsAn excellent classic book with mystery and suspense round every corner. 

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
This book is so weird and creepy, it will definitely get you in the mood for some frightening good times.  Several retellings of this one too, including The Turning by Francine Prose

For some more modern frights:

The Lynburn Legacy series by Sarah Rees Brennan
I swear with each book, the story gets more and more disturbing.

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
This book gave me delicious shivers.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth series by Carrie Ryan
Just looking at these covers gives me the willies!

Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Buttons!  The book made me fear buttons.  That's seriously creepy.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Bod lives in a graveyard, that ought to get you in the mood for some scary fun!

What are your favorite Halloween books? (But not too scary, cause I'm a wimp!)

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

My Bookish Birthday Gift

Just wanted to show this beauty off. Does my husband know me or what? (There might have been some strong hints, but still :)

Love feeding my Tolkien obsession!

Book Review: Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen

Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen
Publisher: Walker Children's
Publication date: February 2014
Pages: 320
Source: E-book from NetGalley
For: Review
Series: Scarlet, Book 2

Summary from goodreads: *Spoilers are inevitable for the first book*

Scarlet’s true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet’s love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood. But Prince John has different plans for Nottingham that revolve around a fateful secret from Scarlet’s past even she isn’t yet aware of. Forced to participate at court alongside her ruthless husband, Scarlet must bide her time and act the part of a noblewoman—a worthy sacrifice if it means helping Robin’s cause and a chance at a future with the man she loves.

Things I Liked:
I enjoyed seeing how Scarlet manages to still be tough and fight back even when injured and in a very restricted position.  I think she's an interesting and unique person, one with many very apparent flaws that I still seem to like.  The story was a little bit thin and slow, but I wanted to know the outcome all the same.  It seemed very much a battle they were unable to win.  The author manages to make the ending both happy and horrifying at the same time.  Win but still lose.

Things I Didn't Like:
I have to admit, I spent much of this book not being interested at all.  It felt like nothing ever happened, Scarlet was doing and saying the same things over and over.  The ending was quite fast and exciting, but pretty much everything before was dull, slow, and very thin on plot as I mentioned above.  It was a drag to read it, even if I liked hearing about Scarlet and the way she could fight back despite her situation.  I'll probably continue to read the series, but with less enthusiasm.

Read-alikes:
The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley (which I still haven't read!  ACH!)

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
some

mrg-factor: X
mostly kissing

v-factor: ->->
some rather brutal scenes

Overall rating: ***

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: June 2011
Pages: 400
Source: I think I bought it :)
For: Fun
Series: Demon's Lexicon, Book 3

Summary from goodreads: *Spoilers are inevitable for the first two books*

The Goblin Market has always been the center of Sin’s world. But now the Market is at war with the magicians, and Sin’s place is in danger. Thrown out of the Market she loves, Sin is thrown together with brothers Nick and Alan—whom she’s always despised.

Alan has been marked by a magician and is being tortured so that the magicians can get to Nick. As Sin watches Alan struggle to protect the demon brother he loves, she begins to see him in a new light—but she and Mae are locked in a fierce rivalry over who will inherit the leadership of the Goblin Market, and a decisive battle with the Aventurine Circle is looming. Mae’s brother, Jamie, is holed up with the magicians, his loyalties in question. And Nick—well, who knows what a demon might do to save his brother? How far will Nick go to save Alan—and what will it cost them all?

Things I Liked:
Glad I finally finished off this series!  It's been patiently waiting on my shelf forever (apparently 3 years).  I should have reread the first two, but let's be honest, it wasn't going to happen.  I was pretty well able to pick up what I needed, and the main characters had really stuck with me.  Mainly, I couldn't quite recall what happened to Mae and Jamie.  It was a pretty interesting conclusion, not entirely what I expected.  I liked hearing from Sin, though I thought she was a little too removed from some of the action for me to completely understand and enjoy the story.  There were some flaws that I was a little bit confused about and details that didn't quite make sense, but I do love Brennan's writing style and her descriptions, not to mention her very interesting characters. 

Things I Didn't Like:
There were a few things that really bothered me during the story.  I was annoyed about what seemed like a super obvious solution to what happened to Alan that no one even mentioned.  I think if it had been addressed as a what if, I might have been ok, but it never came up.  Maybe just me.  Also, what in the world happened in the end?  I think maybe I missed something, but didn't quite follow what happened with the demons in the end.  It seemed like maybe the author kind of couldn't quite figure out how it would work, so fudged it a little bit.  Again, this might just be me.  I did enjoy it, but thought the ending was a little lacking.

Read-alikes:
It's a pretty unique series, I think

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
a number of them

mrg-factor: XX 
mainly sensuality

v-factor: ->->
ah, those demons (and magicians, and everyone else too)

Overall rating: ***

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Evertrue by Brodi Ashton

Evertrue by Brodi Ashton
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Publication date: January 2014
Pages: 368
Source: E-book from Library
For: Fun
Series: Everneath, Book 3

Summary from goodreads: *Spoilers are inevitable for the first two books*

Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself... which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die.

Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible. Even Cole, who they expected to fight them at every turn, has become an unlikely ally — but how long can it last? Nikki needs to feed on Cole to survive, Cole needs Nikki to gain the throne in the Everneath, Jack needs Nikki because she is everything to him — and together, they must travel back to the Underworld to undo Nikki’s fate and make her mortal once more. But Cole isn’t the only one with plans for Nikki: the Queen has not forgotten Nikki’s treachery, and she wants her destroyed for good. Will Nikki be forced to spend eternity in the Underworld, or does she have what it takes to bring down the Everneath once and for all?

Things I Liked:
I enjoyed reading the conclusion to this series.  I like what Ashton has done with the Persephone myth and how she's created her own mythology in the Everneath.  I found this book had plenty of surprises and twists just as the other two did.  I spent much of the second book being annoyed and feeling like it was a time waste, only to have a new perspective at the end.  This one not so much.  I do remember thinking we don't see enough of Nikki's family and what happens with them.  I was intrigued by Cole throughout, though I'm still not sure what to make of him.

Things I Didn't Like:
This one was more interesting than the second book, but I found some of the brooding and worrying made for slow reading.  There were definitely lulls and highlights in the book, so it had some pacing issues for me.  Otherwise, it felt like a nice easy read.

Read-alikes:
Some other Persephone retellings:
Abandon by Meg Cabot
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman
 
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a very few

mrg-factor: X
mostly intense emotional things rather than "scenes"

v-factor: ->
some fighting

Overall rating: *** 

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan

Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication date: September 2013
Pages: 384
Source: E-book from Library
For: Fun!
Series: Lynburn Legacy, Book 2

Summary from goodreads: *Spoilers are inevitable for the first book*

On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.

But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?

Things I Liked:
Ah, still love this story.  I love Kami especially and her interactions with other characters.  She is so real and also just so funny.  It makes the book so much more fun to read when you can laugh every few pages despite dire things happening to characters.  The plot itself was pretty good, but secondary for me to the characters.  And the writing is fabulous.  Can't get enough of those descriptions!

Things I Didn't Like:
I didn't care much for the plot or the villains and their villainy.  I felt pretty meh about what was happening to the town.  But, as I said, this is about characters for me.

Read-alikes:
Has a Gothic feel, kind of like Daphne Du Maurier books

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
some, a few f-bombs

mrg-factor: none
though they all have the feels

v-factor: ->->
mostly just terrifying stuff, but some fighting

Overall rating: ****

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Vortex by S.J. Kincaid

Vortex by S.J. Kincaid
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Publication date: July 2013
Pages: 400
Source: E-book from Library
For: Fun
Series: Insignia, Book 2

Summary from goodreads: *Spoilers are inevitable for the first book*

The impossible was just the beginning. Now in their second year as superhuman government weapons-in-training at the Pentagonal Spire, Tom Raines and his friends are mid-level cadets in the elite combat corps known as the Intrasolar Forces. But as training intensifies and a moment arrives that could make or break his entire career, Tom’s loyalties are again put to the test.

Encouraged to betray his ideals and friendships for the sake of his country, Tom is convinced there must be another way. And the more aware he becomes of the corruption surrounding him, the more determined he becomes to fight it, even if he sabotages his own future in the process.

Drawn into a power struggle more dramatic than he has ever faced before, Tom stays a hyperintelligent step ahead of everyone, like the exceptional gamer he is—or so he believes. But when he learns that he and his friends have unwittingly made the most grievous error imaginable, Tom must find a way to outwit an enemy so nefarious that victory seems hopeless. Will his idealism and bravado cost him everything—and everyone that matters to him?

Things I Liked:
I still love the concept and enjoy seeing what new crazy sci-fi tech will pop up next.  Plus, the story is full of action and adventure and crazy twists and turns.  It's been a while since I read this one too, so the details are vague to me now, but I remember being sufficiently surprised by many things that happened.  It's a big book, but it kept me reading to the end. 

Things I Didn't Like:
I think it kind of suffered from middle book syndrome.  Not a whole lot actually happened, though there was a lot of running around and trying to make decisions.  Menacing things and people appear, but it didn't seem to move forward plot-wise.  Anyway, I'm invested enough to keep reading the next book.

Read-alikes:
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Epic by Connor Kostick
Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
some

mrg-factor: none


v-factor: ->->->
some intense stuff at times

Overall rating: ****

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage