A Baby Ruined My Readathon

So, my brother had a baby. I was supposed to be doing the readathon but instead I drove to Kansas and helped them finish setting up before they induced labor last night. I was there through the whole thing, and for those of you who don't know; birth is petrifying and kinda gross. But despite the horrors, I now have an adorable nephew.

But as another negative result I've fallen behind all over the internet. I had every intention of keeping up with everything, but plans fall through. I just got swept up with everything happening here. I'm not really sorry about it. As much as I love the online book community, family still takes priority. And even though I'm sad I haven't gotten to read and its been ridiculously stressful, holding my nephew made it all worth it.

He also looks a little bit like an alien.

I'll get back to the internet soon, I promise. But until then, it's probably good for me to spend some time in the real world. I hear it's good for me.

Thanks for being patient and until next time, have a great life!

#72HourReadathon

Hey guys! So Sam, from Samantha's Books and I will be hosting a readathon starting at midnight on the 27 of October and ending at midnight on the 30th. I'm really excited to be a part of this and can't wait to see how many books I can get through in 3 days. I go over more of the details in a video that should be up in a couple of hours, and I'll post the link once its there.

I hope you'll all join us! Here's a link to the goodreads page:
Readathon Page

Mary: The Summoning by: Hillary Monahan

Okay guys, this book was freaking creepy. It's about a group of four friends who summon Bloody Mary who in turn starts to haunt our main female, Shauna. Even though it's based off of an urban legend I'm sure we're all familiar with it still managed to feel like a new story. The mythology behind Mary was a version I haven't heard before and petrified me.

I love urban legends, horror movies, and all things creepy so this book was right up my alley. I ended up giving it 4/5 stars over on goodreads for several reasons. I loved the characters, the group of girls reminded me so much of my group of friends from high school that I almost called them to make sure they were okay. I liked that the friendships weren't perfect but were filled with loyalty. And when (SPOILER ALERT) Anna gets killed I cried a bit. Though, I do cry at books all the time...

I also loved the writing, it got to the point but still painted a clear picture and was full of detail. It had me completely hooked. I started the book this afternoon and despite a small trip to the bookshop  I couldn't put it down.

The main reason I loved this book is that it legitimately managed to creep me out. I have to go wash my face but I'm petrified that Mary will be there when I look up. Bloody Mary has always been a story that gets under my skin. I have no idea why but it's the only one that really does freak me out. But it is Halloween month, so some scary was in order. And Hillary Monahan did such an amazing job at getting the scare across. Her style of writing is perfect for a horror novel, the fast pace makes everything feel so intense. It was the horror work I've been longing for. That being said, I'm definitely going to go read a more mellow book next.

So, if you're looking for that perfect, Halloween, scare the crap out of yourself read, this book is for you. Now if you'll all excuse me, I have to go cover my mirrors and other shiny surfaces.

Have a good life.

New Video On IvAnReads

Hey guys! So earlier today I discovered that one of my new books had been mutilated. In an attempt to cope with the trauma and blind rage that followed I made a video rampaging about it. Here's a link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f66lA2ufaAc&feature=youtu.be

My Brain is a Snail This Month

Guys, I'm not sure what's wrong with me. Even though I think I'm out of my slump, my reading has been super slow. I normally finish a book in about two days, but this is day four on a relatively fast moving book and I'm starting to get a bit annoyed with my nonexistent attention span. I just want to read all of the books but as soon as I start I get antsy. It needs to stop or I may snap. This could be it guys, the thing that drives me over the edge. Who knows?

Have a good life.

Hyperbole and a Half by: Allie Brosh

                                          Summary:

Allie Brosh started a blog back in 2009 called Hyperbole and a Half and after a ton of success on the internet decided, along with other people, that she should make a book. The book has a lot of the amazing stories from her blog and a handful of new ones to go with them. Brosh takes us through awkward situations from her past using humor and sarcasm.

My Thoughts:

I first fell in love with Hyperbole and a Half my junior year of high school after my friend Sam showed it to me while we avoided doing work in Newspaper. I've been meaning to pick up this book since it came out but either couldn't find it or got distracted by other books in the shop. Going in I definitely had high expectations for the book, and they were not only met but surpassed. I loved everything about it. The stories she chose from her blog were some of my favorites and the new ones were just as funny. But one thing I loved is that even though she approached certain topics in the book, like depression, with humor she didn't make a joke out of it. Her bit on depression was really well done, and the way she described it humanized it in a way I think will help people understand the disorder. 

This book is without a doubt a 5/5 stars for me, I'm so happy to have finally gotten my hands on it. 

Review: Unnatural Creatures- stories selected by: Neil Gaiman

Summary:

Unnatural Creatures is a collection of short stories all about different kinds of creatures you would never find in the Natural History Museum. It's full of brilliant pieces about monsters and myths from some amazing authors like Neil Gaiman, Diana Wynne Jones, E. Nesbit, and several others.

My Thoughts:

I loved this book. I gave it a 5/5 stars over on goodreads. I thought the stories in it were absolutely brilliant. They were all so well written, and creative that it blows my mind a little bit. I credit this book with pulling me out of my reading slump because it was just really fun to read. I love monsters and the monsters in this book, while familiar, were still really unique and I love the way the authors made them their own. None of it felt old or worn out even though a lot of the creatures are popular, like werewolves. 

It was a perfect pick for this time of year. If you like Grimm; you'll love this collection. It's definitely worth checking out.

Till next time, have a good life!