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Halloween Read-a-thon?


frankie

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I was wondering if anyone's up for a Halloween read-a-thon this weekend :) I had been looking forward to the usual BCF read-a-thon this weekend but then I realized it's not until next week, and then I thought maybe we could do a read-a-thon this weekend (those of us who are interested and have the time) and incorporate the Halloween theme into it?

 

Of course you can read anything you want, but timetable-wise the read-a-thon could take place this weekend: Friday 31.10. - Sunday 2.11. And of course if you wish, you could read suitable books, according to the Halloween holiday :) 

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Hurrah! :D It's great to have company :) 

 

Do you think you will have a hard time finding your spooky books? Have you hidden them well behind the others? To keep them at bay? :D 

 

 

Anyone who's thinking about participating: which books do you have lined up? Which spooky books are you thinking about giving a go? 

 

I'm going to try and finish my current read, and then I'm not sure what to go for. Maybe I should look out for all my spooky books, too, and also line up the ones that I've borrowed from the library. 

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Ooooh, more company, great! :smile2: 

 

Gently spooky books, hm.... How about short stories? How about Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror? Although there are actually some really scary stories in there, so maybe it's not the best recommendation.. 

 

I'm also thinking about Little Hands Clapping by Dan Rhodes but I haven't actually read it myself yet :rolleyes: I think poppyshake has read it, maybe she'd know if it's the sort of thing you could go for. 

 

I'll keep my thinking cap on! 

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Thanks, I'll have a look at both of those, but I was just going through my wish list and realised I've still got a few Brenda & Effie books by Paul Magrs I could read … they're sort of comic horror mysteries, and fantastic fun reads, but would definitely suit a Hallowe'en read!!!! I think I've just talked myself into it and I'm off to download them now ... :doowapstart:

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No worries, I'm happy to hear you found something suitable to read! :) I took a look at the first title in the series on Amazon and it sounds awfully interesting... :blush:

 

Edit: The title Never the Bride sounded very familiar, too, and I wondered if I might've heard of the book before, but thought nah, probably not. I checked my own wishlist to make sure, and yep, the book is on there and my notes say that it was your review or recommendation that made me add the book to the list :lol: 

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Anything murder mystery would be fine ... anything Agatha-ish :) I love Uncle Montague's tales ... I think you'd be fine with them Claire but not sure about Little Hand's Clapping ... I absolutely loved it but I think it's quite gruesome .. in a darkly comic way. 

 

I don't do spooky books either but I've had a rummage  :blush2: and those I've earmarked are:

The Wimbledon Poisoner by Nigel Williams (I know this is satire)

The Panopticon by Jenny Fagan (psychologically frightening probably)

The Birds by Daphne du Maurier  :hide: 

.. The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury which I've downloaded to my Kindle on Steve's recommendation .. I just hope I'll be man enough to get through it  :D 

 

Anything about magic would suit too. Have you read The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud Claire? (it must be at least a week since I last recommended it to someone :D) .. actually I believe it's called The Bartimaeus Sequence now .. because he has added to it  :D Anyway, if you haven't I really must bring the first one with me when we next meet up .. for you to try. Perhaps it will make up for Idiopathy  :blush2:  :D 

 

Have you worked out yet which books you'll be choosing from frankie? Excellent idea btw  :hug:I'll probably have a big bag of trick or treat sweets to dig into .. bought for the neighbourhood children .. in theory  :witch:

 

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No worries, I'm happy to hear you found something suitable to read! :) I took a look at the first title in the series on Amazon and it sounds awfully interesting... :blush:

 

Edit: The title Never the Bride sounded very familiar, too, and I wondered if I might've heard of the book before, but thought nah, probably not. I checked my own wishlist to make sure, and yep, the book is on there and my notes say that it was your review or recommendation that made me add the book to the list :lol:

The first one is good, but it's a bit disjointed as it feels like a couple of long short stories sort of linked to make a single book, but the second and third books are brilliant! :D  I'm definitely joining in the Hallowe-en Read-A-Thon now!!!! :catpump:  

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I think we were both posting at the same time, Kay … I wasn't ignoring you, I promise!

I remember reading your review of Little Hands Clapping and thinking it might be too much for me, but I might try it one day. :lurker:
 
I also remember seeing The Wimbledon Poisoner by Nigel Williams in a bookshop years ago, and thinking I might try it, and every time I see a copy I still think the same!  Never quite got round to it thought :blush:
 
I haven't read the Jonathan Stroud books, so I'll take you up on that offer :D

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Ah .. that's okay .. I figured that .. you are definitely not the ignoring type Claire   :hug: (though .. I would have sympathy all things considered  :D )

 

I will put The Amulet of Samarkand on the pile to bring to you and The Wimbledon Poisoner (unless it's utter rubbish :D)

Dan Rhodes is an acquired taste .. he teeters on the edge of good taste sometimes  :blush2: If it wasn't for his humour .. which is just the sort I like .. I couldn't cope with him.

 

This is going to be a very exciting weekend  :smile:  :vamp:

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Anything murder mystery would be fine ... anything Agatha-ish

Oh yes, Agatha Christie would be good, too! Actually I think one of her books is Halloween related? At least I have a feeling there was a pumpkin... No, maybe it was one of those apple picking contests. You know, apples in a bucket of water, and kids having to fish them out with their mouths, without using hands. No, wait, I've just checked my goodreads account and yes, it's all related, because the title's Hallowe'en Party :D 

 

I don't do spooky books either but I've had a rummage  and those I've earmarked are:

The Wimbledon Poisoner by Nigel Williams (I know this is satire)

The Panopticon by Jenny Fagan (psychologically frightening probably)

The Birds by Daphne du Maurier 

.. The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury which I've downloaded to my Kindle on Steve's recommendation .. I just hope I'll be man enough to get through it  

 I think that list is enough for a weekend's reading :D Which one do you think you'll go for first?

 

Anything about magic would suit too. Have you read The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud Claire? (it must be at least a week since I last recommended it to someone) .. actually I believe it's called The Bartimaeus Sequence now .. because he has added to it. Anyway, if you haven't I really must bring the first one with me when we next meet up .. for you to try. Perhaps it will make up for Idiopathy

 

Oh yes I saw Claire's post re: Idiopathy :giggle2: It made me laugh because I actually have the book borrowed from the library! And I actually started reading it some night ago, and I liked it, but it was a bit too brilliantly written for me at the moment. It's one of those books you need to be in the right mood for. But I thought it had a great deal of potential. There was a certain paragraph which made me laugh. Oh yes, this one: 

 

 

 

"

'What a lovely purse,' said some removed cousin or other, clearly aware that any accessory Katherine's mother produced in public had to elicit at least one compliment or else find itself summarily relegated to one of the sacks of abandoned acquisitions that she deposited with alarming regularity at the local charity shop. It struck Katherine that if the relatives had only shown a similar sense of duty when it came to the men in her mother's life, her mother might be living in quite different circumstances.

"

 

 

 

:lol: Brilliant! 

 

But I'm going off-topic... 

 

 

Have you worked out yet which books you'll be choosing from frankie? Excellent idea btw. I'll probably have a big bag of trick or treat sweets to dig into .. bought for the neighbourhood children .. in theory 

 

Thanks! :) I was really annoyed when I realized the usual read-a-thon isn't this weekend, and thought I'd just have my own read-a-thon, but then I realized it's the Halloween weekend and thought maybe others might be up for it, especially now that we have this subsection for it! :) 

 

I'm not sure about my reads yet, but the suitable ones that I've borrowed from the library are:

 

This House Is Haunted by John Boyne 

Dolly by Susan Hill 

Splinter by Sebastian Fitzek 

Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill 

Skellig by David Almond

World War Z by Max Brooks 

 

The first two are the ones that I picked up especially for the Halloween weekend :) 

 

The first one is good, but it's a bit disjointed as it feels like a couple of long short stories sort of linked to make a single book, but the second and third books are brilliant!

 

I already checked the library if it has any copies and was pleasantly surprised to see that they do! But damn!! For some reason I couldn't place a reservation for it. And I have no idea why! It doesn't say that it's a new book and therefore can't be borrowed or anything. And it's not in any of the Espoo libraries, so I'd have to travel to another city to get it. 

 

I'm definitely joining in the Hallowe-en Read-A-Thon now!!!!

 

 

Wohoo! I'm getting well excited, too  :devcat:

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Dan Rhodes is an acquired taste .. he teeters on the edge of good taste sometimes  :blush2: If it wasn't for his humour .. which is just the sort I like .. I couldn't cope with him.

 

This is going off-topic again but do you think Claire would enjoy Gold? Do you have a copy of that to lend her if she's interested? We need to spread the love for Gold :D

 

 

This is going to be a very exciting weekend  :smile:  :vamp:

Indeed!  :woohoo:  :devcat:

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This is going off-topic again but do you think Claire would enjoy Gold? Do you have a copy of that to lend her if she's interested? We need to spread the love for Gold :D

Everyone would love Gold surely? I do have a copy for sure .. I thought Claire had read it though .. not sure  :confused:

Indeed!  :woohoo:  :devcat:

:D   :witch:  :ghost:  :exc:  :rolol:   :yahoo:

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Oh and if you wish, do take pictures of your books and treats and edibles and decorations, even, it would be fun to see in what kind of spooky surroundings we're all spending the weekend! :)

Yes .. definitely  :smile: This is right up my alley :D

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Anything about magic would suit too. Have you read The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud Claire? (it must be at least a week since I last recommended it to someone :D) .. actually I believe it's called The Bartimaeus Sequence now .. because he has added to it  :D 

As much as I loved the original trilogy, I found The Ring of Solomon (the latest addition) excellent, as it had a more grown up feel to it. Claire, they're all only £1.99 on the kindle at the moment :)

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Everyone would love Gold surely? I do have a copy for sure .. I thought Claire had read it though .. not sure  :confused:

 

Oh, maybe she has read the book, yes! That didn't cross my mind :D I guess it's just that I would think that whoever will read the book will love it and make it known on here :blush: And so far I think I've only come across you and tunn300! 

 

 

Yes .. definitely  :smile: This is right up my alley :D

 

I wonder how you will incorporate toast in this scheme... And spots! :lol: Oh I wish my apartment was more horrorful. The only horrorful (horrible) thing at the moment is that I can see from my balcony some other person's balcony and they've decorated it with BLUE Christmas lights. Personally, I don't know anything more non-Christmassy than BLUE Christmas lights :D And it looks so odd, because it's so dark! The trees have shed their leaves and there's no snow and it's just grim. BLUE Christmas lights?!? 

 

:lol:

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As much as I loved the original trilogy, I found The Ring of Solomon (the latest addition) excellent, as it had a more grown up feel to it. Claire, they're all only £1.99 on the kindle at the moment :)

That is brilliant. I haven't read it yet .. was a bit worried .. but so good to know that, if anything, he has raised the standard :) 

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Oh, maybe she has read the book, yes! That didn't cross my mind :D I guess it's just that I would think that whoever will read the book will love it and make it known on here :blush: And so far I think I've only come across you and tunn300!

I think you may be right .. the three of us made such a noise about it though. Surely we encouraged someone? :D 

I wonder how you will incorporate toast in this scheme... And spots! :lol: Oh I wish my apartment was more horrorful. The only horrible thing at the moment is that I can see from my balcony some other person's balcony and they've decorated it with BLUE Christmas lights. Personally, I don't know anything more non-Christmassy than BLUE Christmas lights :D And it seems so odd, because it's so dark! The trees have shed their leaves and there's no snow and it's just grim. BLUE Christmas lights?!? 

  :lol:

I don't do horror as such in my decorating .. I can cope with an icing spider perhaps or a chocolate eye ball :D 

 

I don't get all the love for blue Christmas lights either .. too cold for me. I like white lights .. but more warm yellowy white ... not really the ice blue and definitely not the electric blue! 

 

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I think you may be right .. the three of us made such a noise about it though. Surely we encouraged someone? 

 

We must have, we are a force of nature in this respect, but I don't see any results?!?  :10_confused:

 

I don't do horror as such in my decorating .. I can cope with an icing spider perhaps or a chocolate eye ball 

 

 

But be honest, how long do you think the chocolate eye ball will last in the household... :D I mean yes it will decorate your insides quite nicely but it's hard to take a picture if you don't work at a hospital and have access to them cameras that they slip in via human holes... :D 

 

I don't get all the love for blue Christmas lights either .. too cold for me. I like white lights .. but more warm yellowy white ... not really the ice blue and definitely not the electric blue! 

 

Totally agree. And the blue lights on the neighbor's balcony are those horrid electric blue lights.  :doh:  I guess I'll have to learn to tolerate them... But it's only October! :D:rolleyes:

 

 

I'm pretty much set for the Halloween read-a-thon, but I still have to do my weekly vacuuming and dusting. It's incredible and incredibly annoying how much dust gathers in this room. Shouldn't be surprising, though, it's a small room and I have a lot of stuff, so it's bound to get dusty. I hate being allergic to dust. I wouldn't bother cleaning so often if it didnt't make me sneeze so much and breathe more difficult :rolleyes:

 

Then I'm also scheduled for a phone date with my Lahti friend, but after that it's ON!!!  :devcat:   I'm sure flatmate will think I have no life when she finds out I'm going to be staying in my room the whole weekend and do nothing but read :D 

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As much as I loved the original trilogy, I found The Ring of Solomon (the latest addition) excellent, as it had a more grown up feel to it. Claire, they're all only £1.99 on the kindle at the moment :)

 

Thanks, Michelle - I'll pop over to Amazon to have a look now. :)

 

Kay and Sari - I haven't read Gold, but it you're both recommending it, then I'll have to try it … how could I not?! :lol:

 

I know it's off topic, but I have to disagree with you about the blue Christmas lights.  We only use them sparingly, but the piano has a set of blue lights on it, but when we put all the white trinkets on there (we have a couple of Christmas tree ceramic tea light holders, a wintry village which has cardboard houses and shops you make up as an advent calendar … that sort of thing) and the blue lights give it a night time wintry, frozen feel, and it looks lovely!  Admittedly, the rest of the room … and the rest of the house come to that :D ... is decked out in white (some creamy, yellowy, white, some silvery, bright white), green and red lights, so that one little corner looks sparkly and wintry.  So  :P to you both! :giggle2:

 

Back on topic, the Kindle daily deal today has all the Morganville Vampire series on offer, and It occurred to me that I enjoy that sort of supernatural YA series, and I've got a few of them on my wish list as well, which would be perfect for the read-a-thon too, so I'll have a look at those too, if I finish Hell's Belles this weekend.

 

On that subject, I started Hell's Belles this afternoon, and I'm already hooked and loving it!  My spooky reading has begun. :smile2:  How's everyone else getting on?

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Kay and Sari - I haven't read Gold, but it you're both recommending it, then I'll have to try it … how could I not?! 

 

I don't think you can avoid it now :giggle2: You simply must try it! But Kay said she thinks you'd like it, and I don't see any reason for you to positively dislike it, so it's hopefully not a very bad thing that you are now obliged to try it! =P

 

I know it's off topic, but I have to disagree with you about the blue Christmas lights.  We only use them sparingly, but the piano has a set of blue lights on it, but when we put all the white trinkets on there (we have a couple of Christmas tree ceramic tea light holders, a wintry village which has cardboard houses and shops you make up as an advent calendar … that sort of thing) and the blue lights give it a night time wintry, frozen feel, and it looks lovely!  Admittedly, the rest of the room … and the rest of the house come to that ... is decked out in white (some creamy, yellowy, white, some silvery, bright white), green and red lights, so that one little corner looks sparkly and wintry.  So  :P to you both! 

 

:D I'm only happy that my opinion on the blue lights hasn't scared you off and turn your back on this convo and me :blush: You are quite welcome to decorate your house as you please! I'm rather curious about the Christmas tree ceramic tea light holders, I don't even get what that means to be honest, so many nouns that don't seem all to fit together in my head! And the wintry village too. I wouldn't mind seeing pictures some day!

 

If one adds white lights to the blue lights, to me it makes it more like the Independence day and not Christmassy at all, but that's because blue and white are the two colors in the Finnish flag :)

 

But then when I think about it... Blue and white kind of do remind me of Christmas, because one of my favorite Christmas chocolates come in a blue-white package. 

 

675ba099033c3b556822cf828156adc7.jpg

 

 

Oh man, why didn't I buy any treats for the weekend when I went to the shop earlier today :blush:

 

Back on topic, the Kindle daily deal today has all the Morganville Vampire series on offer, and It occurred to me that I enjoy that sort of supernatural YA series, and I've got a few of them on my wish list as well, which would be perfect for the read-a-thon too, so I'll have a look at those too, if I finish Hell's Belles this weekend.

 

 

That's great, you'll have more to choose from! I had the books on my wishlist back when I had my vampire series phase, but I've removed them since then... I'd be interested in hearing how you fair with them :)

 

On that subject, I started Hell's Belles this afternoon, and I'm already hooked and loving it!  My spooky reading has begun. How's everyone else getting on?

 

Happy to hear it's going well! :smile2: 

 

I haven't had a chance to start yet, but now I'm going to have pizza and then I'm going to start reading!  :devcat:  Muahahahhaaha!

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I don't think you can avoid it now :giggle2: You simply must try it! But Kay said she thinks you'd like it, and I don't see any reason for you to positively dislike it, so it's hopefully not a very bad thing that you are now obliged to try it! =P

 

Sold! I'll definitely give it a go. :D

 

:D I'm only happy that my opinion on the blue lights hasn't scared you off and turn your back on this convo and me :blush: You are quite welcome to decorate your house as you please! I'm rather curious about the Christmas tree ceramic tea light holders, I don't even get what that means to be honest, so many nouns that don't seem all to fit together in my head! And the wintry village too. I wouldn't mind seeing pictures some day!

 

If one adds white lights to the blue lights, to me it makes it more like the Independence day and not Christmassy at all, but that's because blue and white are the two colors in the Finnish flag :)

 

But then when I think about it... Blue and white kind of do remind me of Christmas, because one of my favorite Christmas chocolates come in a blue-white package. 

 

675ba099033c3b556822cf828156adc7.jpg

 

 

Oh man, why didn't I buy any treats for the weekend when I went to the shop earlier today :blush:

 

Since it's a bit off topic, and it's a bit early for the Christmas threads, I'll continue this over in my bits and bobs thread. 

 

That's great, you'll have more to choose from! I had the books on my wishlist back when I had my vampire series phase, but I've removed them since then... I'd be interested in hearing how you fair with them :)

Well, I read up to book 12, and I did think I'd stop there, but since they're on offer, and I haven't read anything like that for a while, I think I'll go back to them and catch up to date.

 

Happy to hear it's going well! :smile2: 

 

I haven't had a chance to start yet, but now I'm going to have pizza and then I'm going to start reading!  :devcat:  Muahahahhaaha!

Ok, well I'll wait to see how you're getting on later! :smile2:

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Kay and Sari - I haven't read Gold, but it you're both recommending it, then I'll have to try it … how could I not?!

Another one I'll put on the pile then Claire :D xx

I know it's off topic, but I have to disagree with you about the blue Christmas lights.  We only use them sparingly, but the piano has a set of blue lights on it, but when we put all the white trinkets on there (we have a couple of Christmas tree ceramic tea light holders, a wintry village which has cardboard houses and shops you make up as an advent calendar … that sort of thing) and the blue lights give it a night time wintry, frozen feel, and it looks lovely!  Admittedly, the rest of the room … and the rest of the house come to that ... is decked out in white (some creamy, yellowy, white, some silvery, bright white), green and red lights, so that one little corner looks sparkly and wintry.  So  :P to you both!

Well someone's got to like them I suppose  :P  :D  ;) I think you cover all angles and tastes with your lights by the sound of it so I'm sure it looks lovely and festive  :grinhat: 

 

I've just started The Wimbledon Poisoner and am a couple of chapters in so my Halloween read-a-thon has officially begun. Good luck everyone xx Have fun xx Don't get too spooked  :witch:

halloween2014.jpg 

Anyone knocking later for some treats ... will be sadly out of luck  :giggle: I've already made inroads.

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