Happy Day After Thankgiving! How did everyone do yesterday? Full stomachs, plenty of reading time…sounds like bliss to me! I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to a day of reading!
For today’s challenge, I invite you to write about the book you are most thankful for this year. Is it a book written by one of your favorite authors or one you just happened to come upon? Tell us about it! Include a link to your post below (or if you don’t have a blog, tell us about the book in the comments.
We’re in Ohio visiting family today so not much reading will happen, at least early on!
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! Why yes, I do realize it’s only Wednesday but I figure many of us have a long weekend ahead so why not make an extra long weekend of it!?
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 throughout the world.
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.
Up for a fun challenge over Thankfully Reading Weekend? Deb over at Readerbuzz is hosting a BINGO challenge! Win a $25 gift card!
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, I’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.
Wow!! How is it November already!? Thanksgiving is just right around the corner.
I’m pleased to announce that I will once again be hosting Thankfully Reading Weekend, November 27-December 1st! Yes, that’s a really long weekend, but I figure people have time off for the holidays and, therefore, time to read! Want to avoid the crowds & shopping on Black Friday? Plan on spending a nice, quiet holiday at home? Join us!
Just what is this Thankfully Reading Weekend I speak of? 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 button 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!
Pardon my slightly belated wrap-up post! Yesterday was a busy day at Casa Lawrence (grocery shopping, Trunk or Treating, etc) so I didn’t have a spare minute to write this wrap-up post!
While I did still read over a thousand pages (1023 to be exact) it was certainly challenging to get as much reading in as a I wanted. The water company was doing repair work on water lines just outside our house (leaving us without water for about 6 hours), but this gave us the excuse to visit the library to pick up a few more books (and use their facilities)!
John’s return flight was scheduled to arrive around 3. Unfortunately, his first connection was delayed, requiring him to switch to a later flight, which was in turn delayed. His flight was supposed to get a little after four but didn’t ultimately arrive until nearly 7 PM. I finished another book and started and completed another after we got home, but the taxing day left me rather exhausted, so I went to bed around 11:30 PM.
Books completed:
The Haunted by Danielle Vega The Toll by Cherie Priest Small Spaces by Catherine Arden Dead Voices by Catherine Arden
Of these, my favorite was undoubtedly The Toll. The Haunted was a perfect starting off book, and Arden’s titles were great books to end on!
Today is the day!! I’m ready! I have my book and coffee in hand and ready to read!
I’m doing things a little different this year! I’ll be doing updates on Instagram and all of those lovely posts will post to Instagram, Twitter, and the gallery of Instagram posts below! Here’s hoping this cuts down on the time it takes to update! You won’t see any new posts, but the gallery below will update!
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!
I have a pretty insane TBR pile (photo to come later)! I don’t plan on reading all of these, but I like to have options:
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby
In the Hall with the Knife by Diana Peterfreund
How to Survive a Horror Movie by Seth Grahame-Smith
The Haunted by Danielle Vega
Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
Dead Voices by Katherine Arden
His Hideous Heart edited by Dahlia Adler
Institute by Stephen King
The Toll by Cherie Priest
Out of Salem by Hal Schrieve
Curious Toys by Elizabeth Hand
Missing Person by Sarah Lotz
Our menu, the second most important thing, has also been planned:
Cheese and fruit tray
Totinos Pizzas (tradition!)
Cinnamon rolls (tradition!)
Trail Mix
Apples and peanut butter
In interesting twist to my reading plans: the water department has been doing repair work in our neighborhood for some time. We just got notice they are replacing water valves; we’ll be without water service from 9 AM to 3 PM! This should be interesting! John returns from visiting his parents tomorrow afternoon, too, so I’ll have a bit of a break in my reading for a little while at least!
Are you joining in on the readathon fun? What books (and menu items!) are on your list!?
Angela Toussaint hasn't returned to her Grandmother Maria's house since the tragic July 4th party that shattered her world. The Good House sits empty but for those that maintain the upkeep. With the possibility of it being sold, Angela must return and put closure on the events of the past. Unbeknownst to her, the secrets of the Good House go back farther than she could have imagined. Something within wishes destruction on her family line and to inflict death and destruction in the small town. As the only remaining Toussaint, it is up to Angela to put an end this curse forever.
This is actually my second experience with this title. I devoured it years ago in my quest to read more from minority horror authors. Yet one day on Twitter, I was struggling to find my next audio book. I crave a good haunted house tale! So when Tananarive herself responded to my tweet, reminding me that The Good House is an excellent audio, I accepted the challenge knowing full well I was going to love it. Reading a haunted house tale is one thing, but having it read aloud to you is a completely different level of chilling! I am intentionally vague in my descriptions of the storyline, for it is one that the reader must experience, and uncover, on their own!
The story Due has crafted in this haunted house tale has all the elements of a haunted house tale that I adore, but she’s also intertwined the themes of racial identity and family ties that really add to the overall package. The Toussaints are an African American family living smack dab in the middle of a white community, so the racial tension has existed in various degrees for generations. She seamlessly weaves past and present timelines, sustaining the book’s momentum throughout. Never was there a time that the pacing slowed, for every aspect of this read compelled me to listen more. I found myself driving the longer way home, or sitting in my truck parked in front of my house, unable to tear myself away.
As I mentioned, I listened to the audio of this title. The narrator, Robin Miles, is a favorite of mine. Her narration of The Good House was the first horror novel she’d ever narrated. Her experience put her on the path to narrate horror, science fiction, and fantasy. She’s an award winning narrator, her voice and cadence putting the perfect edge on his listening experience!
I continue to follow Due’s work since reading this over a decade ago. One of her most recent roles is executive producer of Shudder’s groundbreaking documentary Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror! If you haven’t sampled her work yet (either via the documentary or her works of fiction) I highly encourage you to do so!
Horror fans!! Tor Books new horror imprint, Nightfire, has released an exclusive audio project in conjunction with Google Play Books called Come Join Us By the Fire! It’s made up of 35 tales from the huge talent that makes up the horror genre today, as well as a mix of other genre authors. What I love most about it is that it’s not only spotlighting the big names, but also new voices I hadn’t yet discovered!
I’m listening now and I’m obsessed; perfect timing, too for this weekend’s readathon! Download them now and come back and share your favorites!
Molly Southbourne is still alive. She thinks she's uncovered a way to stop the cycle of the mollys, her identical clones that form when she bleeds. All of the rules she has been forced to live by have been broken. The only connection to her previous life is the phone number tattooed on her arm. Calling that number provides her with safety, an escape. Or does it?
In fleeing her home, Molly meets Tamara, a young woman who suffers from the same affliction as Molly. Unlike mollys, however, tamaras are able to co-exist in a healthy and safe relationship with their prime. Unlike the existence Molly is used to, she must confront the horrific history that gave her this ability, and to put an end it, forever.
Just when I thought I got a grasp on the world Thompson has crafted, everything is once again upended. The source of Molly’s ailment is revealed and it’s certainly a complex one! Uncovered, too, are the vast side-effects and symptoms of this…condition…and they exist beyond Molly’s own being.
This sequel definitely had more of a horror meets sci-fi feel to it. There are some pretty horrific scenes involving one of the secondary characters. It’s all done in good taste, however, and only graphic to suit the storyline and not just to be graphic.
The effects of this second book definitely have more of a lasting and lingering effect on me. It really delves deep into the concept of identity, of nature versus nurture, and much more. Molly’s character continues on her quest for survival, but it far exceeds the challenges that were presented in the previous title. Now that I know more about her, I found myself rooting even more for her success and safety, for the answers to the questions she’d been searching for all her life.
All in all, a magnificent follow up to a truly tremendous little book that packs a big punch. Highly, highly recommended.
