Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween freebie — Ten horror books on my TBR list (2025 edition)

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Happy Halloween!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is a Halloween freebie! For my Halloween post, I’m going to focus on horror novels on my to-read list. (I’ve done this topic a few times in the past several years, and given the state of my TBR list, it’s time to do it again.)

About half of these are holdovers from last year’s Halloween TBR… giving you some idea of how behind I am when I comes to keeping up with my reading plans! Of the books on my list, most have been around a while, and a couple are upcoming new releases:

  1. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
  2. Needful Things by Stephen King
  3. Dread Nation by Justine Ireland
  4. Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong
  5. A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
  6. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
  7. A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson
  8. Dead Weight by Hildur Knutsdottir
  9. The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry
  10. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon

Have you read any of these (or for the upcoming new releases, do you plan to read them)? Which ones look best to you?

What’s on your Halloween TTT this week? Share your link, please, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

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Halloween posts for Tuesday!

Lately, I’ve been bouncing back and forth for my Tuesday posts, alternating between the Top Ten Tuesday and Top Five Tuesday memes, depending on their topics for the week. This week, both are Halloween themed… so I’m doing them both!!

First up… it’s Top Ten Tuesday:

halloweentop10

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is a Halloween freebie! For my Halloween post, I’m going to focus on horror novels on my to-read list (updated for 2024). I’ve done this topic a few times in the past several years, and given the state of my TBR list, it’s time to do it again.

Noted with shame: Some of these books were on my Halloween horror TBR list last year! So, you know, I’m not exactly great at following through…

Still, here are a bunch I really do want to get to… including a few upcoming 2025 new books.

  1. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
  2. Dread Nation by Justine Ireland
  3. The Changeling by Victor Lavalle
  4. Diavola by Jennifer Thorne
  5. Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong
  6. The Return by Rachel Harrison
  7. Cutting Teeth by Chandler Baker
  8. Overgrowth by Mira Grant (upcoming 2025 new release)
  9. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix (upcoming 2025 new release)
  10. My Ex, the Antichrist by Craig DiLouie (upcoming 2025 new release)

Are any of these on your TBR too? Which ones look best to you? And if you’ve read any, let me know what you thought!

Next, let’s take a look at this week’s Top 5 Tuesday:

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Meeghan Reads — check out the next batch of upcoming topics here.

This week’s topic is Top 5 books to recommend for Halloween, and the prompt is: It’s trick or treat time — are you going to tell us your best scary books or cutesy Halloween tales?

My picks are mainly ghost stories, plus a funny/clever fantasy that I reread every October!

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  1. The Uninvited by Cat Winters (review)
  2. The Veil by Rachel Harrison (review)
  3. Thornhill by Pam Smy (review)
  4. I’ll be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong (review)
  5. A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny (review) — I’m reading this one again right now! Such a fun annual tradition.

What books do you recommend for Halloween? I love a good ghost story — do you have any favorites? Save

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In case it’s not obvious, I’ll probably be spending my Halloween with my nose in a book! Wishing you all a happy Halloween, whatever you’ll be doing!Save

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Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween freebie — Ten horror books on my TBR list (2023 edition)

halloweentop10

Happy Halloween!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is a Halloween freebie! For my Halloween post, I’m going to focus on horror novels on my to-read list. (I’ve done this topic a few times in the past several years, and given the state of my TBR list, it’s time to do it again.) Some of these books have been around a while, and some are upcoming new releases:

  1. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
  2. Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison
  3. How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
  4. Dread Nation by Justine Ireland
  5. What Feasts At Night by T. Kingfisher
  6. Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong
  7. The Changeling by Victor Lavalle
  8. The House that Horror Built by Christina Henry
  9. How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive by Craig DiLouie
  10. A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

Have you read any of these (or for the upcoming new releases, do you plan to read them)? Which ones look best to you?

What’s on your Halloween TTT this week? Share your link, please, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween freebie — Ten horror books on my TBR list (2021 edition)

halloweentop10

Happy Halloween!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is a Halloween freebie! I didn’t have enough time to really brainstorm a topic, so I thought I’d just update a theme I did a few years ago — horror novels on my to-read list that I really do need to get around to reading! Some of these are upcoming new releases, and some are books that have been around a while:

Have you read any of these? Which one should I read first?

What’s on your Halloween TTT this week? Share your link, please, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Ten (OK, actually eleven) Witchy Books for Halloween!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is a Halloween Freebie. I’m keeping it simple and featuring books about witches — mostly books I’ve read, plus three from my TBR list that I’m really looking forward to.

  1. The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow — a 2020 favorite! (review)
  2. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
  3. Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs — part of the ongoing Mercy Thompson series, but this one has some very bad witches in it! (review)
  4. The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry — despite the title, this book has much more to do with witches than ghosts. Loved it. (review)
  5. A Witch in Time by Constance Sayers — another 2020 favorite (review)
  6. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare — not actual witches, but about witch hunts in the Colonial era. I think every kid who grew up in Connecticut (like me!) read this book at some point. (review)
  7. Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor (review)
  8. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
  9. Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian — new release coming in April 2021
  10. The Factory Witches of Lowell by C. S. Malerich — coming in November 2020, and I think it sounds amazing.
  11. The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson — haven’t read yet, but I intend to!

Yes, that actually makes eleven books. I realized I had an extra, but couldn’t decide which one to drop!

What are your favorite witchy books?

I’d love to hear about your Halloween topic, so please share your TTT link!

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Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween freebie — Ten horror books on my TBR list

halloweentop10

Happy Halloween!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is a Halloween freebie! For past Halloween freebies, I’ve done lists about witches and lists about ghosts, as well as some really icky, gross horror novels. This time, I thought I’d keep it simple and just list a bunch of horror novels on my to-read list that I really do need to get around to reading! (Too late to read them in time for this Halloween, but there’s always next year!)

To top ten to-read horror books are:

 

  1. We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix
  2. Needful Things by Stephen King
  3. A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
  4. Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig
  5. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
  6. We Are Where the Nightmares Go by C. Robert Cargill
  7. Full Throttle and Strange Weather by Joe Hill (okay, those are two separate books, but since they’re both story collections by Joe Hill, I’m counting them as one!)
  8. Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
  9. The Hunger by Alma Katsu
  10. The Terror by Dan Simmons

Have you read any of these? Which one should I read first?

So what’s on your Halloween TTT this week? Share your link, please, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

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Do you host a book blog meme? Do you participate in a meme that you really, really love? I host a Book Blog Meme Directory, and I’m always looking for new additions! If you know of a great meme to include — or if you host one yourself — please drop me a note on my Contact page and I’ll be sure to add your info.

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The Monday Check-In ~ 10/28/2019

cooltext1850356879 My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life. 

On the down side, I was home sick most of this past week. Nothing major, just a nasty cold that left me feeling wrung out for days and days and days.

Of course, the bright side is that I read. A lot! Being home all day does have its perks.

 

 

 

 

 

What did I read during the last week?

So many books! Here’s what I read:

  • The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones (review)
  • Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman (review)
  • The Beautiful Cassandra by Jane Austen (review)
  • Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren (review)
  • One of Us by Craig DiLouie (review)
  • Broken Strings by Eric Walters and Kathy Kacer (review)
  • Today We Go Home by Kelli Estes (review)
  • Bloodlust and Bonnets by Emily McGovern (fun graphic novel – not reviewed)

Pop Culture:

I watched all 8 episodes of the new Paul Rudd series Living With Yourself on Netflix. (The episodes are only 30 minutes each, so it was a quick and easy binge.) It’s funny and quirky, well-done, silly, and with some interesting messages and concepts underneath the surface comedy. Definitely recommended!

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week. My credit card thanks me.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw: Just getting started — but good and spooky so far!

Now playing via audiobook:

Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy: Because I was sick for so many days, with no long walks or driving back and forth to work, I did very little audiobook listening, so not much progress to report on this book. Looking forward to getting back into it!

Ongoing reads:

  • A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny: I keep falling behind! The book has 31 chapters, nicely labeled by the date in October, and my goal was to read one chapter per day for the whole month. Oops. Still, I haven’t quite missed the target entirely — I’m going to try to catch up and finish by Halloween!
  • A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows by Diana Gabaldon: This is a terrific novella set in the Outlander world, and while I’ve read it at least twice already, I’m enjoying reading it more slowly with my book group, discussing two sections per week.
  • The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: On impulse, I started yet another book via Serial Reader! As if I don’t already have enough to read… If I stick to the serial delivery schedule, I’ll finish by late November.

So many books, so little time…

boy1seria

The Monday Check-In ~ 10/21/2019

cooltext1850356879 My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life. 

It’s been a quiet week chez moi, which is nice for a change! Just working, hanging out at home, reading… and hey, I did a new jigsaw puzzle! The theme is the Women’s March, and I loved it:

Want a better view? You can find it on Amazon, here.

What did I read during the last week?

The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy: My book group’s pick for October. My thoughts are here.

Ivory Apples by Lisa Goldstein: Sisters, magic, and a reclusive author! My review is here.

A Very Distant Shore by Jenny Colgan: At 160 pages, this is a sweet, light read, very enjoyable. It’s a nice little treat for fans of this author.

In audiobooks:

I just finished Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line over the weekend. What fun! And it doesn’t hurt a bit that Kristen Bell narrates the audiobook. My review is here.

Fresh Catch:

I bought myself a present!

SOOOOOO pretty.

And I confess, I got myself a couple of graphic novels while I was at it:

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Bones Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones: Just starting, but I really like it so far!

Now playing via audiobook:

Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy: Now that I’ve finished the entire Anne of Green Gables series, I thought I’d check out this related release from 2018.

Ongoing reads:

Argh. I’ve fallen behind. My goal was to read one chapter of A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny each day for the month of October, but then I left my book at home while I was traveling and haven’t gotten back into it. I have a week and a half to catch up!

And in book group news:

We’re reading the Outlander-related novella A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows — it’s such a good one! I’ve read it before, but it’s really great to read and discuss it with the group.

So many books, so little time…

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The Monday Check-In ~ 10/14/2019

cooltext1850356879 My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life. 

Another travel week! This time, I had a few days off work for the Jewish holidays, so I took advantage of the time to fly east and visit my father in his nursing home.

Added bonus: It’s autumn in New England! The leaves have just started turning, so I didn’t quite get the full effect — but it’s still glorious!

And, I got to catch up with a bunch of other friends and relatives, so even though it was a short trip, I was able to pack a lot of great experiences into it.

(Plus reading. Always reading.)

What did I read during the last week?

Ghoster by Jason Arnopp: Thriller with a supernatural twist. My review is here.

Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas: I picked up this 90s-era YA novel because its author is Rob Thomas, creator of Veronica Mars. Strictly a 3-star, run-of-the-mill coming of age story; definitely a little dated.

Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery: The 8th and final book in the Anne of Green Gables series. It was wonderful! Rilla is set during World War I, so is much more serious and sad than the other books. A lovely finish to a beautiful series — once I’m back home and settled, I’ll write up some thoughts on the series as a whole.

In audiobooks:

I finished listening to the Amazon’s Forward series of short stories. All were terrific!

Pop Culture

Still with my Veronica Mars obsession… this week, I started watching the hilarious web series Play It Again, Dick. Didn’t have time to finish before leaving on my trip, but still – so much fun.

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week. Amazing.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

I’m flipping back and forth between two books at the moment:

  • A Very Distant Shore by Jenny Colgan: A short novel by an author I can always count on for sweet, light storytelling.
  • The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy: My book group’s pick for October. I missed the last couple of book group books, so I’m really determined to keep up this month!
Now playing via audiobook:

Yes, indeed… even more Veronica Mars! I’m listening to the first VMars novel – which is especially delightful with Kristen Bell as the narrator.

Ongoing reads:

Whee! I’m reading A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny, one chapter per day for the whole month. I forgot to pack my paperback when I left on my trip, so I’ll have about six days to catch up on once I get home… but in a way, reading a bunch of days in a row sounds like even more of a good time.

And in book group news:

We’ve just started the Outlander-related novella A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows — it’s such a good one! I’ve read it before, but it’s really great to read and discuss it with the group.

So many books, so little time…

boy1

The Monday Check-In ~ 10/7/2019

cooltext1850356879 My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life. 

In the ongoing saga of my hand, I’m now wearing this little shield/brace on my thumb, probably for just a couple of weeks. And I started physical therapy too, slowly trying to get my opposable thumb movements back. Yay for getting better!

 

 

 

 

 

 

What did I read during the last week?

The Thorn and the Blossom by Theodora Goss: Such a gorgeous book! My review is here.

The Institute by Stephen King: After a few false starts, I finally dug back into this book and finished it. Good and creepy! My review is here.

In audiobooks:

The Matchmaker’s List by Sonya Lalli: Oh, I had problems with this book. My review is here.

Also in audio — I’m listening my way through Amazon’s Forward series of short stories. So far, I’ve listened to these three:

Quick reaction:

  • Summer Frost: Emotional and chilling story set in the world of AI. Very easy to get caught up in this story!
  • You Have Arrived At Your Destination: About a couple considering a tech firm’s services to produce a designer baby. I’m not sure I really got it in the end.
  • Randomize: So much fun! All about a couple using quantum computing to scam a Las Vegas casino. Fast and enjoyable.

Pop Culture

Back to my Veronica Mars obsession! This week, I watched the 2014 movie. Love, love, love. (Or should I say, LoVe. If you watch the show, you get it.)

And, I finished season 2 of Fleabag. I’m ready for some more binge suggestions!

Fresh Catch:

My amazing daughter sent me this awesome present:

Also…

The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman arrived. I’d almost forgotten this was coming! I need to re-read La Belle Sauvage before I start this one…

Debbie Harry made an appearance in SF this past week, and while I missed the event, someone was kind enough to snag a copy of her book for me!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas: When I heard that the Veronica Mars creator had written YA novels in the 90s, I just had to try one.

Now playing via audiobook:

Continuing onward with the Forward stories — the remaining three are:

Ongoing reads:

Whee! I’m reading A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny, one chapter per day for the whole month. Apparently, this is a thing I’ve been missing out on all these years. Check out more info here. Fun so far!

And in book group news:

Our next group read, starting this week, is the novella A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows, reading two sections per week. I’ve read this story before (a couple of times) — but it’s a good one! I’m happy to be sharing the experience with the group this time around.

So many books, so little time…

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