Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Favorite Creepy Settings

Welcome to a spooooky Top 5 Wednesday! In honor of this glorious season, this week's topic is Top 5 Favorite Creepy Settings. One of the best things about picking up a scary book is getting immersed in a creepy setting with crazy stuff happening. Here's a few of my favorite creepy settings...

--Haunted Houses-- It's a classic for a reason. It's creepy. Sometimes the characters get stuck there and can't leave. They can be haunted by ghosts or other weird secrets. Haunted Houses are a win.

--The Woods-- This goes more towards the fear of being alone or lost in a place where there is no one around to help you. There could be someone stalking you in the woods. They are dark. Shadows everywhere! The woods can be scary! and a great setting for a good, creepy book.

--A Town Full of Weird Residents With Creepy Secrets-- Oddly specific, but such fun for a scary book. I love it when characters think they are coming to a normal town, and then it's not. The danger tends to ratchet up. People usually get crazy. And there's often no escape. Fun Fun Fun!

--An Asylum-- Asylums are creepy! Be they Asylums with people still being treated in them or abandoned, old Asylums full of the old equipment, with the history still seeped in the walls. I would hate to be trapped in an old Asylum. I know some people do tours of old ones, spend the night and stuff, I'm simply not brave enough. But a great setting for a scary book.

--Abandoned Places-- This is general and broad, but I do love creepy books set in a place that has been long forgotten. Or sometimes the characters just think it's been long forgotten. There's the opportunity for a variety of abandoned places to. Usually they are empty, away from society, and there is no escape. Fun!

So that's my Top 5 Favorite Creepy Settings! I love creepy, scary books, so this topic was right up my alley. What are your Top Creepy Settings? Let me know in the comments below. If you want to join in on the Top 5 Wednesday fun, you totally should! Each Wednesday is a new, fun topic to contemplate and consider. Check out all the other Top 5 Wednesday-ers HERE!

Review: Nailbiter, Volume 3: Blood In The Water by Joshua Williamson, Mike Henderson, and Adam Guzowski

Title: Nailbiter, Volume 3: Blood In The Water

Story by: Joshua Williamson

Art by: Mike Henderson

Colors by: Adam Guzowski

Letters and Book Design by: John J. Hill

Published by: Image Comics, Inc.

Released: September 2015

Source: Library

Summary: Why does Buckaroo produce so many serial killers? We might be getting closer to the answer. With help from the Nailbiter killer, a town sheriff and a former NSA officer explore forgotten places in the hope of finding an answer.

My Thoughts: This comic series is so weird, so disturbing, and yet, kind of fun. I felt like I was so close to finding out what was going on in this town, and then it was still held just out of my grasp. I WANT THE ANSWERS!! 

I'm mixed on how I feel about Warren. I mean, he's a serial killer, and there are times when that fact is so obvious. Then there are other times when he's helpful and funny.

I do find I have trouble remembering the other characters' names. Especially the NSA officer, is it Finch? And then the sheriff? I just forget their names.

We did find out one secret in this Volume, which was pretty major. We also got some flashbacks, which I enjoyed.

The ending was mean with that To Be Continued... I will pick up the next Volume when I can, but it might be awhile before I get my hands on it.

This comic series is fun and pretty disturbing all at the same time. I need to know Why This Town!?

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

What Is With This Place?!

Reading Right Now! (135)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...

-- Ten by Gretchen McNeil -- I'm reading with the seasons. Yep, that's me. But in all seriousness, a lot of the time I don't tend to read books based on the season. If I want to read a scary book, I'll read a scary book no matter if it's October or July. So I'm kind of pleased with myself that I'm reading a scary book in October. HALLOWEEN IS COMING!!!

So this book is supposedly based off a classic Agatha Christie book, which I have not read. It's a teen slasher book and it's really good so far. I'm enjoying it. It's about these 10 teens who have been invited to a secret party on an island you can only reach by ferry. When the teens get there, their hostess hasn't arrived yet. The teens then start dying off one by one. So far, only one teen has died at the point I'm at, but I'm already playing detective and trying to figure out who's the baddie. I have a couple people on my suspect list.  Now to finish and see if I'm right.

And that's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you reading?

Review: Labyrinth Lost (#1) by Zoraida Cordova

Title: Labyrinth Lost (#1)

Author: Zoraida Cordova

Published by: Sourcebooks Fire

Released: 2016

Source: Library

Summary: Alex is one in a long line of brujas and brujos. What makes her different is that she doesn't want her magic. She is actively searching for a way to give it back.

On her deathday, just when she is about to be blest for her magic, Alex does a cantos to give it back. Alex's spell backfires, and her whole family is sent to the dangerous world of Los Lagos.

With the help of a mysterious boy named Nova, Alex must go to Los Lagos to save her family. Los Lagos is plagued by an evil known as the Devourer, and to rescue her family, Alex must beat her.

My Thoughts: Meh. I didn't really enjoy this. When I first started it, I was enjoying it, but the farther I read, the more my enthusiasm started to dim. There are reasons, and I will explain my feelings.

First, I'll focus on what I liked. The cover drew me in. I really liked the skull mask motif and thought it did a good job of fitting with the book theme. Update: This book has a cover change and I can only ask myself why?! The new cover isn't awful, but it's not as pretty, or draws your gaze, like the old cover does. I don't understand cover changes. I also really liked the inside map. It was very detailed and was fun to turn back to to see where the characters were at.

My favorite character has to be Nova. I always tend to like the snarky characters who are usually more complex than the reader thinks at first. Nova is kind of broken, mysterious, funny, and cute. He was the most interesting character to me. I wanted to know more about his life and motivations. He's a very flawed character, which made him interesting.

Now on to Alex. She was boring. Maybe that's why I kind of felt meh about this story, because I felt meh about her. I can't say I really understood her. The whole idea of having magic powers and then not wanting them, that's hard to wrap my head around. I get that Alex's story was about not being sure of herself, and eventually learning to accept what makes her special, but she was just a boring character to me.

This book also offered a weird contradiction to me, it was very fast in its pace, but I read it pretty slowly. I just didn't feel compelled to pick it up and read it. It almost felt like things were happening too fast, that I was thrown here and there. I'm also not sure that I ever loved Los Lagos. This book, and especially the chapters that occurred in the magical setting just felt like a weird dream to me. It was all random flashes of various images, and just not really that interesting. I didn't feel any real danger or fear, and I guess I just didn't care about what was going to happen.

My biggest gripe has to be with the character of Rishi. She was just the biggest waste of space. I didn't understand why she had to accompany Alex on her journey. She wasn't important to the overall story. Everything she was involved in could have happened just as well without her. I also feel like Alex and Nova had this fun, teasing thing going on between them on their journey together, and then Rishi showed up and ruined it. I didn't think she was cute. I didn't think she was funny, she really just shouldn't have been there. I mean, I know the main reason Rishi was included, and that was just to add a bit of diversity when it came to sexuality, but the book didn't really need that. It was already a diverse book just because of the main character and her family. Hate me if you want, but my review, my opinion. Adding all these diverse attributes doesn't make for a better story. Sometimes it can feel so forced and become annoying.

I did think the brujo/bruja aspect was cool. So there's another pro.

All in all, I wasn't really a fan of this read. It wasn't compelling to me. It suffered from a dull main character, a unneeded character (Rishi), and a journey that I just didn't end up caring about. I liked the bruja/brujo aspect and Nova. I might read the sequel just to see what happens, but I wasn't impressed by this first book.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.2/5

No Magic For Me

Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Books Featuring Witches

It's time for another Top 5 Wednesday! This week's topic is our Top 5 Favorite Books Featuring Witches. I'll try not to go for the obvious, so no Harry Potter, sorry. I love books about witches, featuring witches. They are a lot of fun.
Here are my Top 5 Books With Witches in them:

  

  

-- The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare-- I don't remember when the first time I read this was, but it was a childhood book that I really enjoyed. It's a witch book, but not a magic witch book. It is set in the past, in the time of the Puritans, and it deals a lot with the Witch Trials, or what can happen to people who were accused of consorting with the devil. I just remember really liking this. I remember really liking the romance. I think it's a book that's worth a read. Witches have a place in history that's not all fun and games.

--Spellbinder (Nightworld Series) by L.J. Smith-- L.J. Smith books and I were fast friends when I was a preteen, before the YA explosion hit hard. I still have a bit of resentment because she still HASN'T FINISHED THIS DARN SERIES!!! I love this Nightworld series, I haven't read all the books published in it yet, but I do own those nifty bind-ups. I liked this series because it had supernatural creatures and always a love story, a soul mate. I mean, how romantic is it to imagine a soul mate out there meant just for you? I know! My teenage self was smitten. Spellbinder was a book that focused on witches. There was a good witch and her dark witch cousin, and they were fighting over a boy. It just screams READ ME!

--The Secret Circle: The Initiation (but really the whole series) by L.J. Smith-- Oh look, another L.J. Smith Series on my list! I read the whole series of this and really liked it. It's kind of about a coven of witches. A new girl moves into town and finds out stuff about herself. She also falls for the Coven Leader's Boyfriend, which causes tension.

--Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood-- I really enjoyed this book when I read it. I still need to read the rest of the series. It was about a family of witches, sisters, who have to hide their powers in their male dominated society. Finishing this series is on my list of things to do.

--Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore-- I almost forgot about this one and I can't believe I did! I really, really liked this one when I read it. If I'm remembering right, I don't think our main character has any powers, but she comes from a family with powers. It's set on a ranch, with a hot cowboy, and a haunting that they have to solve. This book wasn't what I was expecting when I read it, but I loved it so much.

And that was my Top 5 Books With Witches! Do you have any witchy book recommendations for me. I'm all ears. I love witch books. If you want to join in on the Top 5 Wednesday fun, you totally should! Check out all the other Top 5 Wednesday-ers HERE!

Review: Locke & Key, Vol. 6: Alpha & Omega by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

Title: Locke & Key, Volume 6: Alpha & Omega

Written by: Joe Hill

Art by: Gabriel Rodriguez

Published by: IDW Publishing

Released: 2014

Source: Library

Summary: All the pieces are in place. The keys have made their way into the hands of the wicked. Dodge has a big plan in store. After years of waiting, victory is within his grasp. Can the Locke children figure out what's going on in time? Discover the adversary in their midst? And stop a villain that has been wreaking havoc for centuries? All questions will be answered in this final volume. Sacrifices will be made, friends will be lost, and hopefully, evil will be eradicated.

My Thoughts: After picking up the First Volume a year or more ago, it's bittersweet to see it end. I enjoyed the ending. I think it did the series justice. It was full of craziness, violence, and hope. I was satisfied with how it ended. It was a series that took me on a wild ride, and I don't regret going on the journey.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

A Satisfying End.

September 2017 Wrap-Up!

Another month has flown past, which is crazy. It's crazy to believe it's already October and in two months and change it will be Christmas again. Where has this year gone?!? Anyway, I had a pretty good reading month in September. I read 7 books, which is decent.
September was kind of a crazy month. I got a full time job. YAYYY!!! So I've been having to get used to full time hours and fitting in my reading time within that. I also became an aunt September 18, which is weird. I've never been an aunt before. My sister had a little boy named Hudson, and it's been pretty cool. I'm not the biggest small baby person, they tend to make me nervous, with being so small and fragile, but I'm happy that Hudson is here. So September has been a month full of changes and life stuff.
My reading was pretty good. I participated in two blog tours, read some review books, library books as always, and really enjoyed some books. Enough jibber jabber. Here's my September Wrap-Up!

  

 

 

-- Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel -- I got this one for review from NetGalley and EntangledTeen and was on a blog tour for it. I liked it. It's a paranormal romance with some creep factor and other surprises. It was a good time and I'm glad I got to review it. I love the cover. BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

-- Gossip Girl (#1) by Cecily von Ziegesar -- This was actually a book from my own shelf! I know, shocking! I read this for #TheReadingQuest Rogue Challenge, which was to read a banned book. I really liked this. It was super addictive and kind of fun. Really reminded me of the pilot episode of Gossip Girl. I own more books in the series, so I'm definitely going to continue with it. It might not be the series for everyone, especially super critical people who complain about everything, but I  liked it. BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

-- Those Left Behind (Serenity #1) by Joss Whedon and others -- I watched Firefly not too long ago, loved it! and then weeped in despair at the sad fact that it was canceled after one season. I then watched the movie Serenity which I also really liked, I was emotionally scarred from some of the deaths though. So I know I'm years late, but I'm now a Firefly fan. I might be on my way to becoming a Browncoat. So after watching all that I could find to watch, I discovered some graphic novels of the series to read, YAYY! This graphic novel was awesome. It had that same, great feel of the show, the art was fantastic, and it left me just wanting MORE MORE MORE! I can't believe they canceled Firefly. What idiots. BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.5/5

-- The Siren Chronicles: Book 1 by Douglas J. Sloan -- This was also a review book that I got through NetGalley and was on a blog tour for. My review is up and posted. This book was all right. It was the author's first book, he's known for being a writer for TV. I think this book would have worked better as a TV show. It wasn't bad, but I could have been something more. The ending was interesting though. I'm glad I was given the chance to review it. BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5

-- BZRK (#1) by Michael Grant -- I love The Gone Series by Michael Grant and wanted to read more by him. I was just so so on this book. I thought the subject matter was kind of weird. It reminded me a lot of The Magic Schoolbus episode where they get small and go in the human body. It was kind of gross and kind of weird. Also kind of unnerving and scary. There was also some insta-love in there that I was just mehh about. There were also almost too many characters for me to keep track of and know who they were. The first 30 pages were so intense and good!, but then it just kind of got weird and confusing. Still going to continue with the series because I'm not a quitter. BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.3/5

-- Saga, Vol. 7 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples -- I wasn't blown away by this Volume. I don't know if it's just that Saga is losing its sparkle for me, that it just feels kind of dragged out and not as exciting. I just felt like this Volume was a filler volume. Sure some stuff happened that was important and a little shocking, but overall, I just felt meh about it. I'm also mixed on the art. It's gorgeous, but I don't understand why it has to be so dirty and not safe to read in public. It sometimes just feels excessive on the shock. BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.7/5

-- Queen of Hearts (#1) by Colleen Oakes -- This probably ties for my favorite of the month. I don't know what it was about this book, but it hooked me. I usually don't love Alice in Wonderland inspired books, they always tend to lose me with the overdone weirdness. Maybe I just haven't read enough. But this one was really good. I liked the Wonderland presented. It had that magical quality to it, but it didn't go overboard. It also had this darkness to it that piqued my curiosity and helped set this mood. I'm interested in Dinah's story. Her father was the WORST! The ending got crazy and I requested the sequel pronto because I have questions and I need answers! I've heard this described as a more political intrigue kind of book, and I haven't read a lot of those, but I might like more of them after reading this. Definitely recommend. Also, the cover and book aesthetic is so pretty. BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

And that was my reading month of September 2017! How was yours? What were you favorite books? Have you read any of the ones I read? Do you agree or disagree with what I had to say? Let me know, I love discussing books!