Mystery Book Giveaway- Round 2

I have decided to host a Mystery Book Party and would love it if you would join me!

Here's how it'll work:

1. I will post some pictures of book covered in brown paper with a brief and cryptic synopsis.

2. You will choose the three books you would like to read the most and send an email to mysterybookparty@gmail.com with a sentence or two telling me why you want to review each book and when you will be able to review the book (I don't expect you to drop everything and read it now, but am hopeful for a review within six months).

3. I will choose someone to send each book to and mail them.  If I have more interest than I have books, I may add a few books (depending upon the number of people interested).

4. If you get a book, you will write a reveal of what the book was and write a review on your own blog! I will write a post the same day as you directing those interested in the reveal/review to you.  Don't have a blog, but want to participate?  Send your review to me and I will be happy to post it on my blog, with credit to you!

Doesn't that sound fun?

If this is successful, I may do it a couple times a year!  

Please feel free to share this on your own blog and let your own followers know about it.  I would love to get a good group of people in on this. If you share this on your blog, please let me know when you request a book along with your URL and you will get top priority!

Ready???  Ok, here's the books:

~300 pages

~350 pages

~ 400 pages

~ 450 pages

~350 pages

~ 300 pages

~ 400 pages

~400 pages

~150 pages

Footnote: Please be aware these are used books in good condition that I have found at used book stores, thrift stores, and library sales.  I haven't read them, so I do not necessarily recommend them (but might if I read them!)

Top Ten Movies To Watch To Get In The Halloween Spirit

It's time for Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!

This week's theme is: Top Ten Books/Movies To Read Or Watch To Get In The Halloween Spirit OR Top Ten Characters Who I Would Totally Want To Be For Halloween

I decided to choose the Top Ten Movies to Watch to Get In The Holiday Spirit and take short break from books.

I have to admit that I am a novice scary movie watcher.  I never watched them. Then I met my husband who grew up with Jason, Freddy, Michael and LOVED all things horror. I started watching them with him when we were dating, just to spend some time with him, and soon I found myself choosing scary movies to watch.  Now I watch them all the time, even by myself! 

So, here we go: (In no particular order)

1. Halloween: Of all the serial killer/slasher bad guys there are out there, Michael Myers is the creepiest to me. He's pure evil, and has been since the young age of 6, with no explanation.

2. Poltergeist: This is one of the few scary movies I remember seeing as a child and one of the many reasons its not a good idea to build a house on an old cemetary.

3. The Conjuring: This is a fairly new one, but made the list anyhow because it was rather scary. I watched it (for the second time) with a couple of my sisters and one of them nearly crawled over the back of my couch at one point.

4. 28 Days Later: This is a zombie classic. If you like The Walking Dead, I highly recommend this.

5. Misery: This is a slower paced thriller, but scary none the less.  Its one of those where all you can think is, "Crap, how are you going to get out of this?"

6. Shaun of the Dead: Humor and horror are a great mix in this Dawn of the Dead spoof. Simon Pegg doesn't fail to make you laugh while terror happens all around.

7. The Cabin in the Woods: Have you ever noticed that all horror films follow a formula?  Watch this movie and learn why.

8. Friday the 13th (original): Camp Crystal Lake has been the site of devastation for over 30 years, but it all started with this one.  Also, you'll see Kevin Bacon like you never have before.

9. Rear Window: A Hitchcock classic that is filled with suspense!

10.The Lost Boys: Vampires done right! No sparkling, no romances, no good!

This list is in no means complete.  I am missing so many amazing horror films from this list:  Scream, Evil Dead 2, Psycho, Silence of the Lambs, Fright Night, House of Haunted Hill, and so many more.  But asking someone to limit the list to ten means I had to make some cuts and I decided to go with a variety.  But if you like these, let me know and I can always recommend more.

Happy Halloween!

Making Up For Monday: What is the scariest book you have ever read?

It's time for Making Up For Monday!

This week's question:What is the scariest book you have ever read?

Hmm...this one is a toughy.  I LOVE Halloween and getting scared.  But I am a tough one to scare. I've tried Stephen King, and wasn't impressed. I usually find the scary book intriguing, but nothing scary enough that it gives me chills. 

I did really like Dracula by Bram Stoker.  I think the scariest thing about it was that no one had a clue they were being attacked. How scary is that?  Dracula made his presence nearly impossible to even notice.  While the thought of that was rather spooky, it didn't really "scare" me. 

I also really enjoyed The Haunting of Hill House, which was spooky because you were sure if was really a haunted house or not.  But again, I didn't feel like I was really "scared". 

Perhaps I am too much in the real world and not sinking myself enough into the books.  Maybe I haven't read a truly scary book.  Does anyone have suggestions for some truly haunting reads?

Making Up For Monday: Character Choices

It's time for Making Up For Monday!

This week's question: If you were actually in the book you are currently reading, who would you want to be and why?

Oh geez, why did I have to be reading THIS book when this question was asked?!?!?!?!

I am currently reading Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. This book is about a tribe in Africa and how they live.  Eventually, Christian missionaries arrive and build a church. This causes a lot of contention in the village. This book doesn't really seem to be heading toward any happy resolution for any character so picking a character to be is difficult.

But, if I had to chose, I chose Ezinma. She is Okonkwo's favorite daughter. Due to the great love her mother has for her, and the special relationship her mother has with her father (as opposed to his other wives), she has a bold and outspoken personality. This is strange and out of the ordinary for this culture. She has great loyalty towards her parents.  I like her and they way she is who she is without apology.

What about you?  What are you reading?  Who would you be?

Mystery Book Party!

I have decided to host a Mystery Book Party and would love it if you would join me!

Here's how it'll work:

1. I will post some pictures of book covered in brown paper with a brief and cryptic synopsis.

2. You will choose the three books you would like to read the most and send an email to mysterybookparty@gmail.com with a sentence or two telling me why you want to review each book and when you will be able to review the book (I don't expect you to drop everything and read it now, but am hopeful for a review within six months).

3. I will choose someone to send each book to and mail them.  If I have more interest than I have books, I may add a few books (depending upon the number of people interested).

4. If you get a book, you will write a reveal of what the book was and write a review on your own blog! I will write a post the same day as you directing those interested in the reveal/review to you.  Don't have a blog, but want to participate?  Send your review to me and I will be happy to post it on my blog, with credit to you!

Doesn't that sound fun?

If this is successful, I may do it a couple times a year!  

Please feel free to share this on your own blog and let your own followers know about it.  I would love to get a good group of people in on this. If you share this on your blog, please let me know when you request a book along with your URL and you will get top priority!

Ready???  Ok, here's the books:

~300 pages

~350 pages

~ 400 pages

~ 450 pages

~350 pages

~ 300 pages

~ 400 pages

~400 pages

~150 pages

Footnote: Please be aware these are used books in good condition that I have found at used book stores, thrift stores, and library sales.  I haven't read them, so I do not necessarily recommend them (but might if I read them!)

Top Ten Places Books Have Made Me Want To Visit

For this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday hosted by the Broke and the Bookish, the theme is  Ten Places Books Have Made Me Want To Visit (whether fictional or real).

1. The Cemetery of Books from The Shadow of the Wind: Seriously, book lovers all over the world would love this fictional place and I am so sad its not real. 

.

2. Space from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Ok, so space is huge but it sounds so fascinating in  Adams' world.

3. Maycomb County in To Kill a Mockingbird: Scout seemed to love the little town she lived in filled with wonderful neighbors and fun adventures.

4. The Secret Garden in The Secret Garden: How wonderful would it be to visit the secret garden?

5. The Chocolate Factory in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory: Because it's a chocolate factory, duh!

6. The school in Sideways Stories from Wayside School:  I may have actually looked forward to school if I went to this one.

7. The site of the World's Fair in Chicago in The Devil in The White City:  This one is real so someday I can go!

8. Camp Half-blood in The Lightening Thief: It would be a very pleasant way to spend the summer.

9. Neverland in Peter Pan: Because sometimes the concept of never growing up sounds wonderful.

10. Italy in Playing for Pizza:  Grisham made the food sound so wonderful!  I want to visit.

 

For the record, I know that Hogwarts will be a common answer for today, and just to clarify, I did not forget it.  I simply don't want to go.  I would be one of the students who dies or who gets stuck somewhere for months and can't get out.  I would definitely not survive a school term there!

Making Up For Monday: Bookstore Heaven

It's time for Making Up For Monday!

This week's question: Where is your favorite bookstore? 

This is an easy one for me. After college, I moved to Portland, OR, which is home to the largest independent bookstore. Seriously, the store takes up an entire city block AND goes up for quite a few levels (I can't remember exactly how many).  Its easy to get lost in this labyrinth of a bookstore, and I LOVE IT!

Powell's Bookstore has everything you can think of from the old and rare to the new and hot of the presses. What I love the most is the options with each book. They sell both new and used so you can find the book you are looking for and then choose the book that best fits you. I am a fan of the old and used so I LOVE it.

If you ever go to Portland, this is a must stop shop!

What about you?  Where do you go?

Making Up For Monday: Duplicates

It's time for Making Up For Monday!

This week's question: Do you or would you own more than one copy of a book? 

Technically, I own a couple copies of a few different books, but that was more or less by accident. 

But, I was talking to this man who owns a small independent book store about how much I love old books and To Kill a Mockingbird. He recommended to me that I try to own as many different versions of that book as possible.  Its an idea of toyed with for two years now, but not yet put into practice. I was curious if anyone else had done this.