Spooky Book Tag

I know Halloween is over, but I haven’t accepted it.

I’m searching for black lace dresses to wear to keep that Halloween spirit alive.

My inner Wednesday Addams is appeased.

TO CONTINUE THE HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION, I did the Spooky Book Tag I found at Zezee with Books.

Zezee produces such quality content – her blog is worth a follow!

On to the spookiness.

Corn Maze

What book had you confused and lost from the very beginning?

Sadly, Call Down the Hawk is pretty hard to follow.

The story covers more ground, there are more POV characters, and the world is ending???

I was pretty confused from page one on.

 

Haunted House

What book has the creepiest setting?

Sawkill Girls became less scary when the plot took a The Cabin in the Woods turn.

At the beginning of the novel, though, the creepiness of the island and its atmosphere got under my skin.

The horses can detect supernatural forces.

Girls keep going missing.

The characters find a hidden underground bedroom with GIANT SCRATCHES ON THE WALLS.

I can’t stop shivering.

Be warned: as the novel explores complicity and rape culture, the story includes multiple instances of graphic violence, mutilation, and rape threats.

Oh, don’t forget the acephobia.

This is not a light read.

 

Ghost Boyfriend

Who is your eternal book boyfriend?

Hmmm.

Forever is a long time.

Picking Kyo Sohma is too expected.

I choose his hot son instead.

My new fantasy: dating Hajime Sohma and RULING THE SCHOOL.

 

Caramel Apple Suckers

Best dang Halloween book ever

Ooh.

I have to round up some Halloween reads from my childhood.

I’m not certain I’ve read this book, but it looks familiar.

If this IS the book I remember, I HIGHLY recommend Greta’s Revenge.

Of all the excellent witch books my teachers read for Halloween, this was my favorite.

Again, IF this is the book I remember, the climax sees the characters trapped in aggressive magical marshmallow fluff.

 

“Vampires in Everything”

What is your least favorite Halloween trope?

I’m going to spoil the 2019 film Matriarch to make my point.

If you were looking forward to watching that movie, skip ahead to the next entry.

 

I hate learning that one character was dEaD aLl AlOnG.

I don’t mind the trope itself so much.

I’m more bothered when creators make it super obvious and act like they’ve blown my mind.

This is where Matriarch comes in.

The mysterious Ellie Adams is SO OBVIOUSLY DEAD.

The movie treats this as a huge revelation.

IT’S NOT.

I HAVE WATCHED A HORROR MOVIE BEFORE.

It would have been more effective to have Rachel (the protagonist) acknowledge that she was dealing with a dead person.

Better than serving up a lukewarm twist, anyway.

 

“Pumpkin in Everything”

You favorite Halloween trope?

For the record, “pumpkin in everything” is NOT my favorite Halloween trope.

Pumpkin ice cream: yes, absolutely.

Pumpkin hummus: what have you done?

My favorite Halloween trope is the Final Girl.

I love it when women fight back.

Take that, monsters.

Eat it, patriarchy.

Leave now and NEVER come BACK.

BEGONE.

 

Evil Incarnate

the most evil villain

(CW: sexual abuse, sex slavery)

I forgot how mad I was about Irial from the Wicked Lovely series.

Irial essentially forced Niall into sex slavery and sent him down a path of destruction.

He and Niall still end up in a polyamorous relationship later on?

THANKS, I HATE IT.

 

Ouija Board

A book that messes with things that you don’t want to be involved in

HARD AGREE with Zezee’s answer.

The demonic activity in The Diviners is gruesome.

I may or may not believe in demons, but I definitely think it’s a BAD IDEA to mess with them.

Why can’t I remember how Naughty John was resurrected?

NOW I’M PARANOID.

Stay safe out there, friends.

 

Full Moon

What character do you turn into on the full moon?

Ha.

I turn into The Will.

Brutal.

Enraged.

Unforgiving.

Horrified by injustice.

Friend to all children.

The two of us have gained a significant amount of weight, so I see a lot of myself in this character.

 

All Hallows Eve

The other world and this world have meshed for one night; what book world would you love to be swept up in?

I know Croquette & Empanada live in “the real world,” but their version of the real world is so cute and calm.

I would gladly become their roommate.

I dream about living in a brownstone in a quiet, windy city.

That’s where I want to be.

And I want a mop dog.

Or a pug.

 

Voodoo Doll

What author would you love to take control of and make them write you anything you want?

I would love to make Maggie Stiefvater write squishy Ronan/Adam fic and/or a Declan-only trilogy.

I really hate to admit this…

…but Declan is my new favorite Lynch brother.

I KNOW.

Even though I REALLY hate the way Declan texts with his thumb and forefinger, at least he picks up the phone.

Also, he wears shoes with personality.

It’s charming.

 

Black Cat

What red flags do you look for when first starting out a book?

Yiiiikes.

I mainly pay attention to

• how the narrative treats its female characters
• what the narrative says about LGBTQIA+ identities
• how the narrative addresses race

A misstep in any of these areas makes me criiiiinge.

 

Smile and wave, Dear Evan Hansen!

You, too, Maybe in Another Life!

I wasn’t expecting to see you here, Scream Site, but here we are!

 

Witches Brew

A book that had a lot of different components thrown in but the result was magical

Aaaaah.

Carmen Maria Machado wrote In the Dream House in numerous genres.

In lesser hands, it might not have worked.

Machado makes it work.

It’s the best.

I loved this book.

“Dream House as Plot Twist” was my favorite part.

Read this NOW.

Question: should I hold off on ordering those dresses?

My cursor is poised over the Add to Cart button.

I’ll think it over.

Meanwhile, do this tag!

Continue the Halloween revels!