Halloween Recommendations

Happy Halloween! If you're anything like me you might be debating what to do tonight. Halloween is on a weekday this year so most parties or events happened on the weekend. You might be looking forward to a nice evening in watching a scary movie, or reading a scary book between passing out candy to the trick-or-treaters that come to your door.

I am offering up a few of my personal recommendations for last minute Halloween entertainment.

If You're In The Mood For Something Not At All Scary I Recommend .... 

It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

It's a classic and perfect family viewing fun! It captures the spirit of Halloween without being scary.

Casper

I am specifically talking about the 1995 version that stars Christina Ricci. It's sweet, surprisingly romantic, and has plenty of humour.

If You're Looking For Something More Scary I Recommend .... 

Practical Magic

A story of magic, sisterly bonds, and offers up the best use of the song 'This Kiss' in a movie ever. It's perfect for those wanting something a little bit darker but not really scary.

Scream

My favourite scary movie. It's fun, scary, and is basically a love letter to the genre. It is one I make sure to watch every October because I love it that much.

The Craft

While may not scary in the traditional sense, this is a darker option for those wanting something with witches this Halloween. It's delightfully campy and is one of my favourite witch movies.

Stranger Things

This Netflix series is family friend, but with a darker vibe (maybe older children). It's filled with characters you'll fall in love with, 80s nostalgia, and is entirely charming. If you haven't watched this I highly recommend it.

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins (goodreads)

Scream in book format is how I pretty much describe this one. It's both fun and unsettling. It's a great one to pick up if you're looking for something with the same vibe as Scream but with Stephanie's addictive writing.

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga (goodreads)

A boy worries that he'll end up being exactly like his serial killer father in this creepy, and entirely addictive read. It's a three book series which means you'll have something to look forward to during the dreary month of November if you start this series on Halloween.

If You (like me) Are More Scared By Real Events Than Anything Hollywood Could Come Up With I I Recommend .....

Mindhunter

This Netflix show focuses on the start of what we now call criminal profiling. Two detectives begin to interview jailed serial killers when they realized the information from these interviews could provide scientific merit. It's a great character study of both the detectives and the serial killers. It's also a book (for those who would rather read)

My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf (goodreads)

This is a fast read that focuses on Jeffrey Dahmer as a middle school/ high school student told through the perspective of someone who was friendly with Jeffrey during this time. It's graphic novel format would also be perfect for constant interruptions (to answer the door).

Those are my picks for your Halloween entertainment this evening. What are some of yours? Let me know in the comments as I am always excited to find more spooky books, movies, and television shows to add to my list.

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews)

I took part in a Raincoast blogger preview event on Saturday (look for a recap on the blog soon) and was sent a wonderful swag bag with two ARCs and other goodies. I love the Renegades buttons so much and am very excited to read these two books. I loved Ava Dellaira's Love Letters To The Dead so I am excited to get to read her newest.

 

 

 In Seach of by Ava Dellaira (goodreads)

#Prettyboy Must Die by Kimberly Reid (goodreads)

A huge thank you to Raincoast books for the invite, and the review copies!

A book I preordered also arrived this week. I am a huge Stephanie Perkins fan, and loved her horror offering and needed to add the hardcover to my collection.

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins (goodreads)

What goodies made their way into your mailbox this week? Let me know!

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins
Release Date -  September 26, 2017

Publisher Website - Penguin Random House
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -  289 pages
My Rating - 5/5
**received for an honest review from publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Scream meets YA in this hotly-anticipated new novel from the bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss.

One-by-one, the students of Osborne High are dying in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasing and grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and the hunt intensifies for the killer, the dark secrets among them must finally be confronted.

International bestselling author Stephanie Perkins returns with a fresh take on the classic teen slasher story that’s fun, quick-witted, and completely impossible to put down.

I wasn't surprised when Stephanie Perkins announced that her next novel would be horror. Anyone who follows her online can easily see her love of the genre. I would be an understatement to say that I was excited. I was even more excited when it was revealed that it would be slasher horror. I have always preferred this particular subsection of the horror genre as I am more terrified of real people doing horrific things than anything supernatural based. After getting my hands on Stephanie's newest novel I was pleased to discover that it was just was amazing as I had hoped. It's a smart, self aware love letter to the horror movies Stephanie so obviously enjoys and that is something that shines through this entire novel.

This novel has been compared to the movie Scream and the comparison, for me, feels pretty accurate. It revolves around a cast of high school students, has a pretty large body count, and sprinkles in some romance and friendships along the way. It's got all of the qualities that made Scream resonate and be the classic it is today. It also packs a lot of the same self awareness and humour within its pages. If you're a fan of that movie, I think you'll enjoy the time you spend within these pages.

The romance, for me, was classic Stephanie Perkins. You'll instantly be invested in these characters, and the romance that is the central focus of the novel. It's filled with the moments that make Stephanie's novels such a delight to read. It feels natural within the plot and doesn't overshadow the horror elements which was the most pleasant surprise for me. It's a balance between the two that really works.

The horror element, to me, felt very tongue in cheek. There are some tropes that Stephanie is slyly having fun with. These tropes will be recognizable to those who already have a love of horror, particular this brand of horror, and make the reading experience all the more enjoyable. It ends up being a read that is both unsettling and a lot of fun. It plays with the whole "the call is coming from inside the house' trope rather effectively. This killer's particular way of doing thing was especially unsettling to me. Your house is supposed to be a safe haven, and this rips that entire notion away from you. You'll leave this book jumping at small noises and question every item that isn't where you think it should be.

The above mentioned feelings are largely due to the pitch perfect atmosphere and tone that is within the novel. Stephanie sets the scenes perfectly and allows the tension to amp up. She knows that the build up is just as good as the bloody pay off and uses her words to create that apprehensive feeling within the reader. That tension is what made the novel for me.

As much as I appreciate the scares, I also loved that this novel never forgets that horror is also supposed to be fun. There is a humour that makes them more easily accessible and that is found right along side the bloody thrills in this one. It allows the characters to be ones that we care about so that we can immerse ourselves in the story a little more. It allows us to connect to the main character and root for them to be among the survivors.

Stephanie Perkins showcases that she can easily switch genres and produce gripping, entertaining reads that captivate your interest. She is capable of sending chills down your spine and making you a swoony mess with her romances in equal measure. I highly recommend this one for the upcoming Halloween season followed by a watch of the Scream movie even it if means sleeping with the lights on and triple checking you've locked the door. 

Waiting On Wednesday .... There's Someone Inside Your House

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

Here is the Goodreads synopsis 

Scream meets YA in this hotly-anticipated new novel from the bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss.

One-by-one, the students of Osborne High are dying in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasing and grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and the hunt intensifies for the killer, the dark secrets among them must finally be confronted.

International bestselling author Stephanie Perkins returns with a fresh take on the classic teen slasher story that’s fun, quick-witted, and completely impossible to put down.

How amazing is that cover? Everything about it is perfect. It gives off a horror vibe and manages to make the neon pink feel creepy.

I am a huge fan of Stephanie Perkins' contemporary novels. Her first three novels are counted among some of my favourite reads and I am just as excited to see what she does with horror. I predict her novel will still have that epic romance that is expected from a Stephanie Perkins novel, and I am predicting it'll be one to read with the lights on.

This is probably my most anticipated of the autumn releases and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy.

Expected release date - September 12, 2017

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

BOOK

Cover for Stephanie Perkins' There's Someone Inside Your House

I have been so excited about this novel right from the moment Stephanie teased that her next book would be a horror novel. I was even more excited when she revealed that it would be a more 'slasher' type of horror rather than paranormal. I became fully obsessed once it was compared to the Scream movie franchise.

This cover is stunning and perfect! It has just the right amount of creepy while also giving a nod to Stephanie's first novel with the pink hue. I am counting down the days until I have this book in my hands.

OTHER

Buffy 20th Anniversary

Lots of goodies have popped up recently has Buffy celebrates its 20th anniversary. Entertainment Weekly recently got the cast together for a reunion and I am in love with EVERYTHING about it.

First up this amazing cover! I totally ship Buffy and Angel so this made me extremely happy.

You can also view the 40+ minute reunion video over on EW.com. It is equally amazing. I anticipate we'll be getting lots of other goodies as this iconic show continues to be celebrated and remembered. 

Peter Pan Hot Topic Exclusive Funko

It is no secret that I am a HUGE Peter Pan nerd. I am also entirely addicted to Funko Pops. It should surprise nobody that I pretty much squealed with happiness upon finding out that Hot Topic is going to have an exclusive Peter Pan Pop. No image has been revealed from Funko yet, but you can see the Pop in this video where Hot Topic is revealing some of their exclusives.

#HTNerdette unboxes @originalfunko Retro Video Game mystery minis + new Funko exclusives! https://t.co/XrfiDSv4Pm

— Hot Topic (@HotTopic) March 30, 2017

I am eagerly awaiting his release and cannot wait to add this one to my collection

What are you obsessed with this week?