I'm so hyped about this Halloween Bingo!
A big thanks to Obsidian Black Death and Moonlight Murder for putting so much work into putting this activity together. The Bingo card is so, so pretty that even if I hadn't already been considering joining the fun, I would jump on board.
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| (Bingo Card links back to original Bingo Card reveal posted by Moonlight Murder.) |
As far as books are concerned, I don't typically read a lot of scary stories or horror, so I will definitely be stepping outside of my comfort zone for the next couple months... maybe. But as it is, the books I've browsed and chosen for a lot of these categories sound very interesting.
I'm kind of in a reading slump at the moment, so I think this Bingo activity is exactly what I need for my reading life right now.
I've kind of filled some of the squares with books I'm considering, after doing a few days worth of research and googling. With some vacation time coming up in October, I'm really hoping I'll be able to get through these twenty-five books as well as the four books I need to read for my 2016 Reading Assignment Challenge. Some of these books are going to work for both though, so I think I'm good.
Below is a list of some of the books I'm considering, but everything is always subject to change.
Read by Candlelight or Flashlight
-- A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn (library, hardcover)
This category felt almost like a freebie, since it's like an action square or something like that. At the very least, if we DO need to choose a book that would fit into another square, this one is a mystery, so I think I'm covered. Also, it's on my Reading Assignment list, so--two birds, one stone.
-- Un Lun Dun by China Mieville (owned, paperback)
Also a book on my Reading Assignment list, as well as a book on my physical shelf that has been sitting for some time.
Witches
-- Dark Witch by Nora Roberts (library, hardcover)
Speaks for itself--'witch' in the title--and I imagine some supernatural elements to the story itself. I might be taking some liberties, since I'm sure this book (as well as the rest of the trilogy) are far from spooky Halloween stuff.
Genre: Horror
-- The Devil's Footprints by Amanda Stevens (owned, paperback)
This one is a stand-alone tagged as 'horror' on Goodreads, so I'm going to go by that.
I have read Amanda Stevens' The Graveyard Queen series', the first three books, and they were pretty excellent, even if not as scary as they had the potential to be. But the atmosphere of her settings are beautifully done. So if anyone still needs a book for the 'Grave or Graveyard' or 'Genre: Mystery' squares, I would recommend the books in this series.
Black Cat
-- Voodoo or Die by Stephanie Bond (Scribd)
This book is on my Reading Assignment list. The cover has a black cat on it, even if the black cat looks awkwardly photo-shopped on next to an equally awkwardly photo-shopped Voodoo doll.
Exhibit A:
Diverse Authors Can Be Spooky Fun!
-- The Ghost Bride by Yangze Choo (library, hardcover)
I've been looking for an opportunity to read this book. My BFF in real life and I have thought about buddy reading it, but that was at least two years ago. What better time than now to dive in?
Ghost Stories and Haunted Houses
-- Ghost Story by Jeff Brackett (owned, Kindle) ???
This is still a tentative selection and may be subject to change.
Young Adult Horror
-- Coraline by Neil Gaiman (library, hardcover)
Let's just say, after going over my choices, I became very determined to read Coraline for this square. But if it doesn't really fit, someone let me know. I know that the lines between young adult, middle grade, and childrens can be bit murky. But after establishing from others that Coraline is considered horror, I sort of jumped on it.
Scary Women (Authors)
-- The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (library, hardcover)
I wanted to use this book for the "ghost stories and haunted houses" square as well, so this is a tentative selection. Now that I'm more aware of the many other possibilities for 'scary women authors' I might swap out for something else, and insert this one somewhere else.
Reads With (Booklikes) Friends
-- Ammie, Come Home by Barbara Michaels (bought, Kindle)
Let's just say, I am so totally pumped to start reading this book and am counting down the days! Buddy Read with Murder by Death and others (click the link to check out the details and join if interested).
Grave or Graveyard
-- The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (owned, Audible)
Another one by Gaiman. Kind of a gimme for 'graveyard', no?
Genre: Mystery
-- In Deep Voodoo by Stephanie Bond (Scribd)
Okay. I am probably taking lots of liberties with the books on my list, but I'm not that into horror or really scary stuff. But this book is both on my Reading Assignment list, and the first book in the two-book series--the second book being Voodoo or Die of which I've already listed above for the 'Black Cat' square. So I chose to insert it here as my 'mystery' choice.
It's tagged as a cozy mystery, anyway.
Free Space
-- Beg for Mercy by Jamie Alden (owned, paperback)
Free Space book is a freebie, right? :P But this book can also be a mystery. And to be honest, the cover gives me a semi-creepy vibe... Also, Reading Assignment list...
Gothic
-- We Have Always Lived In the Castle by Shirley Jackson (library, hardcover)
Another Shirley Jackson. Very interested. Could be used for another square if necessary.
Creepy Crawlies
-- The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle (owned, Audible)
To be honest, creepy crawlies freak me out more than anything else on this Bingo card. I didn't really have a pick for this square, and was giving up hope until the final selection listed was brought to my attention in the comments section of a Halloween Bingo related post (Thanks Murder by Death and Tannat!). Because I browsed a lot of the recommendations being listed around Booklikes and only one had initially caught my attention--it being of unavailable status to me made me a little saddened, actually...
But now I'm all stoked for Bingo, filling in the last square I needed!
"Fall" into a good book
I typed in the word "fall" into Goodreads' search engine and came up with too many books for my own good. I narrowed down to two in particular that I am considering for this square. Meanwhile, I added about six more books to my TBR during this activity.
-- Falling by Christopher Pike -- This is a crime thriller that also has a 'horror' tag on it, so I'm curious.
-- The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe -- No explanations needed.
Locked Room Mystery
-- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (owned, paperback)
Another book that's been on my TBR and physical shelf since forever.
It was a dark and stormy night
-- The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (owned, Audible)
Set in New England
-- Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (library, hardcover)
This book takes place in Massachusetts, according to the summary. Please let me know if it doesn't actually work for this square, though I double checked with Google in case my geography knowledge is sketchy. Mass. is part of New England. Otherwise, if anyone else has other suggestions, let me know!
Full Moon
-- The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen (library)
Full moon on the cover illustration; 'moon' in the title. Cute sounding Chick Lit with a bit of magic and supernatural elements. I'm game!
Vampires vs Werewolves
-- Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop (library, hardcover)
I went ahead and checked out this book from the library hoping I could insert it into the Bingo card somehow (before the card was revealed). I really liked the first book, Written in Red, so I'm looking forward to reading this one.
Supernatural
-- Someone in the House by Barbara Michaels (library)
This one is a tentative selection since supernatural is such a broad category and I could potentially find some other book I'm interested in that will fit. But after browsing a good portion of books by Barbara Michaels I'm kind of interested in more of her books.
Classic Horror
-- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (owned, hardcover collection)
Two years ago, I told myself that I would finally read this Borders' Classics, leather bound collection of "Three Classics of Horror" I bought when I was still in college. I started with Frankenstein. I read Dracula last year, though technically I listened to the audio book with full-cast narration. This year, it was going to be Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Pumpkin
-- Scared Stiff by Annelise Ryan -- This is the second book of the Mattie Winston Mysteries, a cozy with a main character as a coroner. I'm very interested! There is a pumpkin on the cover illustration. I'm going to try to read the first book soon so I can get to this book since I'm kind of anal about reading series in order.
-- Foul Play at the Fair by Shelley Freydont -- This is a back-up for this category, the first book in the Celebration Bay series, for just in case I don't get around to the first Annelise Ryan book in time.
Set on Halloween
-- The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury (library)
This looks to be a short story set during Halloween.
This looks to be a short story set during Halloween.
Again, a few of these books might get swapped out, if only because I am half mood reader, half planner. For sure, I will be covering a lot of new-to-me authors, as well as stepping slightly outside of my comfort zone. I will admit that I specifically tried to steer clear of truly 'horror' type books and might have found some loopholes for other squares.
I didn't think I'd be able to cover every square on this card at first, but now I'm super determined to get through all these books, just on principle alone, having spent so much time searching for good book choices.
And also, the majority of the books I've listed, I'm extremely interested in reading.
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