Sunday afternoon

I just thought since it's October 1st, I'd give an update on how I'm doing.

My original list is HERE if you want to see all the books I chose.

I picked 7 books and the read along.

This is what I've completed so far.

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm in love with Harry Dresden, so of course I loved this one.

Vampires, Wizards, Creatures and things that go bump in the night!

Just a fun para-normal romance--with changlings.  And mind control.  You know...all those romantic kinds of things.

Loved this gothic short story collection.

The birds!  Holy Cow!

So different from the Hollywood movie, but so good.

And I am almost done with this one...

I am not loving it as much as I thought I would, tho.

Lizzy Borden fascinates me, so I hope I change my mind soon.

So I have done a great job I feel.  And next week I get to spend a week in a cabin in the woods--Perfect to finish up my challenge.

Not so perfect as there is no internet.

How are you doing on your R.I.P. Challenge?

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril update

I am ready to embrace the Autumnal Mood!

Here is a list of the books I'm going to read for the R.I.P  challenge.

I signed up for 

peril the 2nd --which is to read 2 books in the allotted time period, but I think I am going to do 4.

2 in hand and 2 on audio.

My 'in-hand' books are:

My audio books will be:

WAIT!  I'm adding an extra, so I'll be doing 3 on audio.  I mean just a few days ago I started a Harry Dresden book--and Harry's a Wizard.  I just didn't realize I can include him in the R.I.P. Challenge.  The book was just coming  close to the top of my TBR list, and then it dawned on me as I'm writing this.

Pssst--I can include this book!

And I'll move this one to the Peril of the Short Story 

(which I didn't sign up for, but...  what the heck. The main focus is to have fun!)

IF I were to be able to sneak in a mystery

(I mean I will be in a cabin in the woods for the first week of October--I'll have lots of time on my hands. There is a slight chance I'll read all of these.)

It'll be this one:

and IF I have any time left over I might sneak in this fantastical, shape shifter, paranormal love story:

And the group read of course.  I just ordered it!

Okay, I might have gone a little overboard, considering I was keeping it conservative when I signed up, BUT I really would love to read all these books.

I have 7 weeks!

Ready, set, GO!

 if you want to join in the fun, check out

Andi of Estella's Revenge and/or  Heather of

My Capricious Life

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril; or RIP XII

I've enjoyed participating in this bookish event for the past couple of years--so I'm joining up again.

I love fall and all things autumn as well as that tad bit of creepiness that comes along this time of year, so I thought--why not join in for my 3rd year in the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril XI challenge?   RIP!

Even tho, the horror genre is usually not my thing (although in the past couple of years I've become fonder of them), I'm sure I can find a book or two  to fit in.

What is RIP?

This is from Andi of Estella's Revenge and  Heather of

My Capricious Life:

(be sure and check out their websites for a complete rundown and explanation of levels, etc)

Every September 1 through October 31 for the last 11 years Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings has hosted the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Challenge, affectionately known as the R.I.P. Challenge. Carl has been kind enough to entrust the event to us, Heather and Andi, from now on, and we hope to do him proud. We know all of you readers will!

The purpose of the R.I.P. Challenge is to enjoy books that could be classified as:

Mystery.

Suspense.

Thriller.

Dark Fantasy.

Gothic.

Horror.

Supernatural.

The emphasis is never on the word challenge, instead it is about coming together as a community and embracing the autumnal mood, whether the weather is cooperative where you live or not.

I'm going to try for Peril the 2nd.

And Peril of the Group Read.

Be sure and check out their webpages for more information --

and then think about joining in!

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril XI

I love fall and all things autumn as well that tad bit of creepiness that comes along this time of year, so I thought--why not join in for my 2nd year in the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril XI challenge?   RIP!

Even tho, the horror genre is usually not my thing (although in the past couple of years I've become fonder of them), I'm sure I can find a book or two  to fit in.

I'm just a tad bit late... usually I arrive right on time, but this time my procrastination caught up with me.  This challenge started on September 1st and lasts until October 31st.

I think I can do it tho.

Today is the first rainy day we've had since April and it so makes me want to go home and curl up with a good spooky book! 

We'll see what I can come up with in the next 6 weeks.

What is R.I.P.? 

R.I.P. XI hosted by Stainless Steel Droppings is  an informal reading event from  where participants focus on the following genres:

Mystery
Suspense
Thriller
Gothic
Horror
Dark Fantasy

Stop in at Stainless Steel Droppings to get the whole scoop!

I am choosing Peril the 2nd.

and also Peril the Screen.

I figure I can get a couple of good books and a few movies in!

While others might be ready for some football this fall... wait, who am I kidding, I love football, BUT I also love books and Fall and Halloween.

I'm ready to read!  And watch scary stuff!

Are you ready to join in?

R.I.P. Update

 

 

I did it!

I completed my  R.I.P.  X  challenge.

This challenge is hosted by Estella Revenge.

 

I had challenged myself to  Peril the 2nd.

(okay, yes, so it wasn't that hard to make my goal---I get that--but don't burst my bubble, okay?)

Peril the Second: Read two books of any length that you believe fit within the R.I.P.categories.

 

 

My two books were:

The Fate of Mercy Alban

and

Salem's Lot (just finished today! It was good and scary!) 

Review post coming up in a couple of days.

 

 

 

I made the Handyman watch Rosemary's Baby the other night.

It's really creepy.

There is no slashing, no vampires, no ghosts, but it's the idea of the....devil among us.

It's not for everybody, I know.  My friend Robin can't do anything 'devil'  (and yet, she does Stephen King???)  Anyway it's just a creepy, eerie movie.

The book was even better.  I read it a couple of Octobers ago.

 

To even myself out I had to watch Hocus Pocus.

For fun AND  for  a monthly food challenge called Food 'n Flix. (see my post here.)

 

And I'm hoping to watch a couple of Alfred Hitchcock thrillers this weekend while at my son's.

The Birds for one!

and to end it on the best note... I'll be watching "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" with my grandkids.  THE BEST Halloween flick ever.

 

Oh wait!  What if I don't have time for Don Knotts in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken?

 

It's been a fun October.



The Fate of Mercy Alban

 

I just finished  my first book for the R.(eaders) I.(n) P.(eril) X challenge.

I signed up to read two 'scary' books between September 1st and October 31st, (and watch at least one scary movie)  but I'll be lucky to finish my second book(Salem's Lot read-a-long)... October is the busiest month of the year at work, and while I like it---the events we put on-- I also hate it, because I just want to relax.  I want to relax and read scary books!

I want to get in the Halloween mood!!

 

Okay, enough of my whining---everyone is busy---  I just finished this book:

 

 

 

 

From Goodreads:

From award-winning novelist Wendy Webb comes a spine-tingling mystery about family secrets set in a big, old haunted house on Lake Superior.

Grace Alban has spent twenty years away from her childhood home, the stately Alban House, for reasons she would rather forget. But when her mother's unexpected death brings Grace and her teen-age daughter home, she finds more haunting the halls and passageways of Alban House than her own personal demons.

Long-buried family secrets, a packet of old love letters and a lost manuscript plunge Grace into a decades-old mystery about a scandalous party at Alban House, when a world-famous author took his own life and Grace's aunt disappeared without a trace. The night has been shrouded in secrecy by the powerful Alban family for all of these years, and Grace realizes her family secrets tangle and twist as darkly as the secret passages of Alban House. Her mother was intending to tell the truth about that night to a reporter on the very day she died - could it have been murder? Or was she a victim of the supposed Alban curse? With the help of the disarmingly kind--and attractive—Reverend Matthew Parker, Grace must uncover the truth about her home and its curse before she and her daughter become the next victims

 

From me:

On the front cover of the book I have it says  "A Perfect Read for a dark and stormy night".

I was very exited, because  I wanted to love it, I wanted to be spooked, I wanted to feel a bit nervous...but I ended up only  giving  it three stars.

 I liked it. I did. It kept my attention, I was pretty engaged in the writing and the characters, but I sometimes have issues with gothic type of novels.

 

The issues would be ---they never finish a conversation at all!!

They'll be in the middle of a deep conversation about an important plot twist and then the character will say, "we'll finish this later, after I take a nap."

That might be funny if it weren't true.

They NEVER finish a conversation---something always interrupts them.

 

I think the premise of the gothic (or gothic-like) novel is to keep the reader on the edge of their seats with FRUSTRATION, and just wanting to get to the bottom of the story.

I end up just getting annoyed with the situation.

Maybe I should give it 2 stars, but I really did like it, so I'll stay with 3.

Three, because after all is said and done, it was a fun little mystery with a tad bit of supernatural thrown in for good measure.

It's a paradox.

 

Now I am on to finish Salem's Lot and find a couple of creepy good movies to finish up my challenge.

What's a creepy good movie that you love?

 

RIP---I'm doing it!

I'm doing it.

I'm jumping in!

I'm joining the RIP X challenge.

What is RIP X, you ask?   Readers Imbibing Peril, take ten.

This is the first time I'm taking part and they are 10  years in.

I'm excited!

(it doesn't take much to excite me)

I love fall and all things autumn and that tad bit of creepiness that comes along with, so I thought--why not?  Even tho, the horror genre is not usually my thing (I say usually, because this past year, I have read my horror,suspense, thriller than I ever have), I'm sure I can find a book or two  to fit in.

If you want to join in, sign up at The Estella Society. I hope to see you there!

Read and/or watch, if you're so inclined, books from the following genres between September 1 and October 31, 2015:

• Mystery
• Suspense
• Thriller
• Dark Fantasy
• Gothic
• Horror
• Supernatural
• Anything sufficiently moody that shares a kinship with the above

I am doing Peril the Second.

Peril the Second: Read two books of any length that you believe fit within the R.I.P.categories.

I figure I can read at least 2 books in the categories as well as watch a good ghost story on the screen in the time period, even tho work is hell this time of year.

(HA HA---work is hell---it's a pun to fit in with the book challenge!)

I really did hesitate to sign up, as I have so much (SO SO VERY MUCH) going on at work in the next 4 weeks.

So! What did I decide to do?

Sign up for a few challenges and go on a 5 day vacation!