Thursday, January 25, 2024
Cat Thursday - Can I come in?
Saturday, January 20, 2024
Classics Club Spin #36
And the spin landed on #20...Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster
Guess the universe really wants me to read this one (it was my spin selection for spin #33 which I didn't get to). Let's see if I can finish it by March 3rd.
CC Spin #36 - A new year of spins...let us see how well I do.
- Complete Ghost Stories - M.R. James
- Collected Works (short stories) - Algernon Blackwood
- The Witch of Ravensworth - George Brewer
- Murder in the Cathedral - T.S. Eliot
- The Collector - John Fowles
- The Centaur - Algernon Blackwood
- Grendel - John Gardner
- Collected Works (short stories) - Nikolai Gogol
- The House on the Borderland - William Hope Hodgson
- The Human Chord - Algernon Blackwood
- The Devils of Loudun - Aldous Huxley
- The Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux
- In Search of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires - Raymond T. McNally, Radu R. Florescu
- Dead Souls - Nikolai Gogol
- Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
- The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
- Vampires and Vampirism - Montague Summers
- Werewolf - Montague Summers
- Mastering Witchcraft - Paul Huson
- Where Angels Fear to Tread - E.M. Forster
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Cat Thursday - Cats get us
Thursday, January 11, 2024
Cat Thursday: Authors and Cats (125) Gwen Cooper
The second Cat Thursday of each month is Authors and Cats Thursday. Each time I will feature an author, pictured with their/a cat(s), or guest posts by cat loving authors who also (sometimes) write about cats.
Gwen Cooper is the New York Times bestselling author of the memoirs "Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat" and "Homer: The Ninth Life of a Blind Wonder Cat," and the novels "Love Saves the Day" and "Diary of a South Beach Party Girl."
Her latest project is "Curl Up with a Cat Tale," a first-of-its-kind monthly short-story series, featuring an all-new--and all-true!--humorous and heartfelt tale each and every month about life with her world-famous fur family. (See my website, www.gwencooper.com/cat-tales, for more details and a 60% discount!). Her work has been published in nearly two dozen languages.
Gwen lives in Manhattan with her husband, Laurence. She also lives with her two perfect cats--Clayton the Tripod and his litter-mate, Fanny--who aren't impressed with any of it. (Goodreads)
Saturday, January 6, 2024
2024...Reading Challenges, First Book of the Year, and my One Little Word
Another new year! My, but how time flies. Time for a new year of plans and reading. I fell only five books shy of my goal of 50 books last year so I have set this year's goal for 50 again. Hopefully, I will reach it, or perhaps even surpass it. You can read about my 2023 reading year here.
First Book of the Year - They Lurk by Ronald Malfi
If you know me, then you will know that Malfi is one of my favorite horror authors. I'm already over halfway finished with it (I started on January 2) and it is a 'cannot put down' for sure.
Last year, my word was Brave and let me tell you, I had to be just that. I experienced empty nest syndrome in a major way. I know many parents can relate. I had a very hard time and it still hits home even now. I wrote an essay as a kind of catharsis (read it here), but still struggled. I'm a dweller and an overthinker. I tend to grab hold of things I can't change, and mull them over again and again. Therapy helps, but I want to learn to work things through myself too. I decided my word for 2024 is Release. Learning to let go of things I can't change and move on. It will be hard, but I know I can do it.
My main goal for 2024, and for my life in general, is to make writing my top priority. With my boys no longer at home, and no significant other to deal with (😂), I have a lot of time to devote to doing just that (besides working, that is).
The new year for me always comes with a fresh start at reading challenges. This year I'll once again be doing Book Challenge by Erin (which is twice a year), in addition to the four challenges I host.
Book Challenge by Erin 20.0
2024 I Read Horror Year-Round
1000 Books Project 2024: Collins/Dickens
2024 Book to Movie (and TV) Challenge
2024 Read Your Shelf Challenge
First up...the twice a year challenge - Book Challenge by Erin 20.0 (Facebook group)
First round of the year runs Jan - April.
Freebie - The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
Book that was made into a movie - I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
Book by a favorite author (not a reread) - They Lurk by Ronald Malfi
Book originally published over 100 years ago - The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
Book with winter in the title - A Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons
Book of short stories - Out There Screaming - Jordan Peele, Editor
Animal on the cover - Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Picture of a Building (House) - The Lost Village by Camilla Sten
Name of a character in its title - The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Set in your state (Michigan) - Inspection by Josh Malerman
This is a private Facebook group. You can check it out and join here. You can join in at any time during the four months. Second challenge of the year starts July 1st. Categories announced in June.
I host this challenge at my sister (horror) blog, Castle Macabre. This is year four!
I have some ideas on what I'll be reading, but not sure on all of them yet. I'm going for the Chilling level again this year. I didn't quite complete the level last year...only three books shy...so I'm going to try again.
First round of the year runs Jan - April.
Freebie - The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
Book that was made into a movie - I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
Book by a favorite author (not a reread) - They Lurk by Ronald Malfi
Book originally published over 100 years ago - The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
Book with winter in the title - A Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons
Book of short stories - Out There Screaming - Jordan Peele, Editor
Animal on the cover - Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Picture of a Building (House) - The Lost Village by Camilla Sten
Name of a character in its title - The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Set in your state (Michigan) - Inspection by Josh Malerman
This is a private Facebook group. You can check it out and join here. You can join in at any time during the four months. Second challenge of the year starts July 1st. Categories announced in June.
Now on to the challenges I'm hosting...
I have some ideas on what I'll be reading, but not sure on all of them yet. I'm going for the Chilling level again this year. I didn't quite complete the level last year...only three books shy...so I'm going to try again.
Here are the prompts and levels...
- Witch, dark, blood, bone, or body in title
- Nature gone wild (when plants or animals attack)
- Creepy character/object (House, doll, child, etc.)
- Holiday horror (Christmas, yule, etc.)
- Short story anthology or collection
Out There Screaming, Jordan Peele, editor - Takes place during Halloween season
- Winter theme, or winter on cover
A Winter Haunting, Dan Simmons - A book that is also a movie
- By BIPOC author
Lone Women, Victor LaValle - Classic horror novel
- Dark Academia novel (here's a list on Goodreads)
Ninth House, Leigh Bardugo - Gothic novel
Chilling: Read 12 Books from all 12 categories
Frightful: Read 2 books from each category for a total of 24 books
Horrifying: Read 3 books from each category for a total of 36 books
Full details and sign up here.
Full details and sign-up here.
The next three challenges are hosted by me at Gather Together and Read, my reading community site.
Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone - January through April
In honor of his birthday on January 8.
We have already started reading. The reading schedule is posted here.
Charles Dickens' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby - June through September
In honor of his friendship with Collins.
My main level...
The Enthusiast: read 1-3 booksAlso, additional levels...
Not Ready to Let Go: read at least one (1) book made into a movie or series in 2023
Living in the Past: read at least one (1) book made into a movie in previous years
The Movie Was Better (What?!): watch the movie(s) for the book(s) you read.
That's it! What is (was) your first book of the year? Do you have One Little Word this year? What are your reading plans? Doing any challenges, or perhaps thinking of joining one (or more) of mine?
Whatever your plans are, I wish you a Happy New Year of peace and prosperity, and great reading of course!
Not Ready to Let Go: read at least one (1) book made into a movie or series in 2023
Living in the Past: read at least one (1) book made into a movie in previous years
The Movie Was Better (What?!): watch the movie(s) for the book(s) you read.
Potential books:
The Watchers, A.M. Shine
Wicked, Gregory Maguire
Uglies, Scott Westerfeld
The Witching Hour, Anne Rice (reread)
The Pale Blue Eye, Louis Bayard
The Cabin at the End of the World, Paul Tremblay
Killers of the Flower Moon, David Grann
Fire & Blood: 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin
Pretend your house is a library: A strategy for actually reading the books you own.
My "holds shelf" (which has grown exponentially since last year)...
My full list of books on my holds shelf will be listed on my 2024 Reading Challenges page located in the blog menu above.
Full details on how this challenge works (you can adapt it to fit your needs too!) and sign up here.
Finally, last year I started sort of an independent project called Backlist Challenge. I'm keeping track on a separate page which you can see up in the blog menu. As always, there are also links in the menu to my long term challenges like the Classics Club, etc.
Whatever your plans are, I wish you a Happy New Year of peace and prosperity, and great reading of course!
Thursday, January 4, 2024
My 2023 year in reading
I did not do too badly. My goal was 50 and I ended up reading 45. All 45 books read are in the graphic.
My top favorite of 2023: Dracul by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker
Runner-Up: Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi
I didn't complete any of my challenges, though I came close on some of them.
8 out of 12 on the TBR challenge
The Maidens, Alex Michaelides (2021) finished March 12
Red Queen, Victoria Aveyard (2015) finished May 4
Dracul, Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker (2018) July 2023
Subhuman, Michael McBride (2005) finished June 15
The Green Man, Kingsley Amis (1969) finished April 2
The Princes in the Tower, Alison Weir (1994) finished February 17
The Last Duel, Eric Jager (2004) finished May 29
8 out of 10 on Book Challenge by Erin 18.0
The Dead Path by Stephen M. Irwin April 29
The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley February 23
Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi April 21
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard May 4
The Green Man by Kingsley Amis April 2
My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones January 15
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides March 12
4 out of 10 on Book Challenge by Erin 19.0
Devil’s Day, Andrew Michael Hurley
Geist, Philippa Ballantine
Dracul, Dacre Stoker & J.D. Barker
9 out of 12 for I Read Horror Year-Round
My Heart is a Chainsaw, Stephen Graham Jones - finished January 15
The Dead Path, Stephen M. Irwin finished April 29
The Fall of the House of Usher October 2023
The Greeen Man, Kingsley Amis - finished April 2
The Vessel, Adam Nevill finished June 29
The Loney, Andrew Michael Hurley - finished February 23
Subhuman, Michael McBride - finished June 15
Black, red, or white cover Black Mouth, Ronald Malfi finished April 21
1 out of 4 for the Main Level of Book to Movie
5 for the Living in the Past level (Book to Movie)
The Last Duel, Eric Jager finished May 29
The House of the Spirits, Isabel Allende October 2023
Beloved, Toni Morrison December 2023
If It Bleeds (Mr Harrigan's Phone), Stephen King November 2023
And I watched one movie and one series for the movie/series level of the challenge: The Last Duel and The Fall of the House of Usher (series)
I did not do great on my Read Your Shelf Challenge, only reading five books from my hold shelf. Hopefully, I will do better this year.
Stay tuned for my 2024 Reading Challenges post!
How did your 2023 reading year go?
Cat Thursday - They cat...we don't know why, and we don't care
I may have shared some of these before, but they never get old.
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