Season's Readings

 I tried to get started on my spooky season reading in August to get in more books. I didn't get quite as many as I wanted but here's what I did read this year.

 

Note: All title links below are Amazon affiliated where I may earn from qualifying purchases.

 

Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night: A Halloween Horror Anthology

Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night: A Halloween Horror Anthology is filled with spooky stories by new trick or treaters to the big kids that know which streets give out the best candy. All of these stories capture the storytelling style of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark with each author's own twist. 

 

 Does what it says on the box. It's an anthology. There's some hits, some misses, and the rest fall between but they're all Halloween-centric.

 

 Long Live the Pumpkin Queen (Graphic Novel)

 

After escaping from Dr. Finkelstein and marrying her true love, Jack, Sally has become the realm's official Pumpkin Queen. But as much as she adores her skeletal husband, the spotlight of popular attention and the weight of her many new royal obligations have left Sally wondering if she might have actually just traded one form of captivity for another. To make matters worse, when Sally and Zero discover a hidden doorway leading to the previously unknown Dream Town, the resulting cascade of calamities threatens not only her new position as Pumpkin Queen, but also the very foundations of her world! 

 

I've had the e-book sitting in my Kindle TBR for at least a year. I picked up the Graphic Novel adaptation and was so glad I did! They did an excellent job with the art and having the visuals to go with the story really added to the feeling of going back into the movie world. Looking forward to the sequel but just might wait for the graphic novel.

 

 The Bystander: A Horror Movie LitRPG (The Game at Carousel, 1

 

 When horror-obsessed Riley Lawrence and his group of college friends arrive in the small town of Carousel for their Centennial Celebration, the few decrepit cars parked in the street don’t scare them. But when they enter a dimmed theater, the animatronic usher hands them each a ticket, and the lights dim, Riley realizes they’ve entered the inescapable patchwork of a horror movie set. And they’ve each been assigned an archetype―Scholar, Athlete, Eye Candy, Final Girl―to play out as the curtains rise.

 

 This was a little slow to layout the groundwork but it was fun once it got into the groove. The characters are essentially trapped in a realm of horror movies where they're expected to act their roles. But they have the meta knowledge that they're in a horror movie and have tropes (traits) to help them survive. As a horror fan, it's fun to watch them figure out how to survive. I plan on continuing the series but wanted to explore other things before Halloween.

 

  

 

The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night

&

 The Pumpkin Princess and the Buried Castle

 

On Halloween, it is always wise to expect the unexpected, but no amount of planning could have prepared Eve for that particular night. Fleeing an unpleasant orphanage, she’s saved by someone who she never believed was real…the fabled Pumpkin King himself. Throwing caution aside, Eve accepts the offer to become his daughter and is whisked away to the misty Hallowell Valley—home to witches and vampires, ghosts and goblins, and all that go bump in the night. But just when she believes she’s found her place among the undead, a sinister scheme unearths itself, threatening to take everything from Eve unless she can stop it.

 

On the other hand, I loved the first book so much, that I immediately dove into the sequel. The books are aimed at the 9-12 set but I really enjoyed them. They're not written to be scary but they have things that are usually supposed to be scary. It's sort of like Nightmare Before Christmas' Halloweentown. It's a fun kids adventure with cozy Halloween vibes.

 

 

Pick Your Own Quest: The Haunted Manor

 

When your great-uncle Lord Thornebury Vexley III dies, you inherit more than his creepy estate—you inherit a challenge. Spend one night inside the Haunted Manor, and the fortune (and the family name) could be yours. Sounds simple, right? Except the house is bursting with ghosts, cursed objects, and desserts that bite back. Every room forces a choice. Some draw you closer to survival; others trap you forever in portraits, endless staircases, or attics stuffed with regrets. 
 

Obviously this is a Choose Your Own Adventure style book. I picked it up because it's using a similar font to Disney's Haunted Mansion and the similarities don't stop there. It doesn't follow the "story" of the ride but there's definitely references that fans will enjoy like instead of 999 ghosts, there's 499.

 

Still Reading

 

 

Thirteen Tales for Halloween

 

 Collecting twelve original short stories first published on the seasonal Halloween blog Your Best Halloween Ever with an exclusive thirteenth story that’s unlike any other, Thirteen Tales for Halloween is filled to the brim with Halloween spirit like a jack-o-lantern candy bucket packed with tricks, treats, and a few surprises for good measure. Featuring stories with magic and frights both familiar and new, these tales are bound to become Halloween favorites that you can revisit again and again.

 

 Almost done, I just started the 13th story this morning and I can already tell it's going to be my second favorite tale! From what I have read so far, I give it a high recommend. There's a good variation between stories and they're all great at setting a Halloween mood.

  

The 31st Trick-or-Treater

 

I posted about this last month. It's an "advent book" with each of the 31 chapters intended to be read every day in October. I'm surprised I've managed to only keep to one chapter a day so far because a couple of them end with you wanting to keep reading!

 Click the image to see the full list of Countdown to Halloween blogs!

 

Ben Farthing's The 31st Trick-or-Treater

I've been a big fan of author Ben Farthings "I Found" horror story series and am excited to check out his latest, The 31st Trick-or-Treater.

Last Halloween, thirty trick-or-treaters vanished into the night. This October, they’re coming back—one by one, each day of the month. But every child carries the same chilling warning: something is returning on the 31st. Bob has never stopped searching for his daughter. Now, as the shadows of Halloween grow longer, he must face the darkness that stole her—before it takes everything again.

The 31st Trick-or-Treater is a Halloween advent novel: thirty-one nights, thirty-one chapters, and one final nightmare waiting on Halloween.

 

The book is written so that you read a chapter every day in October leading up to Halloween. I love the idea of this and wanted to spread the word about it.

 

The e-book releases on September 24th and is currently available for pre-order on Amazon (affiliate link). Ben may have physical books up at his website next week. While you're waiting, pick up any of the "I Found" books for a quick spooky read. 

 

Ben has also created a 31st Trick-or-Treater Read Along Facebook group.

Book Report - Deep Descent Doug

 You might remember back in April, I talked about getting into the Dungeon Crawler Carl series of LitRPG books. Thanks to BookSirens.com, I was able to get an advanced review copy of Deep Descent Doug to check out.

 

 Initially, based on the similarities in title and cover art, I thought that this was going to be a parody of the Carl books but it is its own thing.

Welcome to the office dungeon. Promotions? Power-ups. HR? Bloodthirsty monsters. Failure? A one-way ticket to the paper shredder.

Doug Kinney hated his life before the dungeon cracked open under his cubicle. Now? He’s dodging killer copiers, fighting HR golems, and grinding XP in an office hell where survival comes with a stapler — glowing, oversized, and very, very stabby. With his foul-mouthed cyber-raccoon sidekick and a survival instinct fueled by coffee, spite, and pure middle-manager rage, Doug’s ready to smash his way up the corporate ladder — one bloody memo at a time.

If you crave LitRPG chaos, ultraviolent humor, and the unholy lovechild of Dungeon Crawler Carl and Office Space, this is your next addiction. Strap in. It’s gonna be a brutal ride.

 The description "the unholy lovechild of Dungeon Crawler Carl and Office Space" was enough to hook me on this one. Like a resume, you're going to be expected to deliver on how you're promoting yourself, especially if you have a foul-mouthed cyber-raccoon. Doug didn't quite do that for me.

It definitely lives up to the hum-drum office environment more than the humor during the first half. Maybe a little too well as it felt like the endless eternity of waiting for the clock to go from 4:59:59 to 5:00 on a Friday. But I did enjoy the futuristic corporate setting and the weirdness going on there, even before things get really weird and the "corporate restructuring" begins!

The second half, thankfully, brought some coffee and donuts to perk things up. After Doug teams up with someone and the sentient office supplies start attacking, the story gets into its groove. Unfortunately, like an office party with alcohol, once it starts getting fun, it's just about over. 

For me, the shortness of the book (80 pages) brings quitting time just when I'm starting to enjoy it but it also makes me want to see what the next installment can bring. I'm not saying you got the job, but we'll put you on a probationary period.

 

Rating: 3/5 

Book Report - Dungeon Crawler Carl

 A couple years ago, an ad for Dungeon Crawler Carl (DCC from here on) popped up in my Facebook feed. It sounded like fun so I promptly add it to my "books to check out" list...and there it sat. Recently, the book has come up in a couple of podcasts so I figured now was the time to check it out.

 

 The apocalypse will be televised!

You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.

Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.

 DCC falls into the LitRPG genre. This is my first dip into LitRPG which I find kind of funny because it sounds like the kind of thing I'd really be into. LitRPG is short for literary Role-Playing Game but you probably could have figured that out. LitRPG smashes up traditional fantasy/sci-fi books with video game RPG elements.

 

DCC is a seven book series and I am currently halfway through book 2, so if you know the series and I present inaccurate information, this is why.

 

 In the tradition of Hitchhiker's Guide, aliens arrive on Earth but instead of a hyperspace bypass, these aliens are mining the planet. To enact their plan, they flatten the surface of the Earth. From cars to skyscrapers, it's all flattened, wiping out a good chunk of the population that were not outside. Those that are left alive are given the choice to compete in a galactic dungeon crawl reality show. 

 

The book has plenty of humor and action. One of the main things that made this book so much fun for me is the dynamic between Carl and Donut. The only reason Carl is alive is because Donut got outside in the middle of the night and Carl had to hurriedly get dressed to chase her. Unfortunately for him, he was only in his heart-decorated boxers and grabbed a leather jacket and his ex's too-small Crocs. One of the running jokes is that Carl isn't able to find pants or shoes.

 

 Another effect of the alien's arrival is that Donut can now talk! Carl is an every man and Donut is his ex's prize winning show cat so they aren't exactly best friends from the start but their relationship evolves as they rely on each other to get through the dungeon.

 

Speaking of dungeons, that's the other contributing factor to my enjoyment: the Diablo-esque escapades of killing monsters, getting loot and achievements, and leveling up. It's very much like reading a video game, which I guess is what LitRPG is usually. It also seems like there's some world building as the story goes on and Carl finds out more about the dungeon itself and those behind it.

 

And just like a video game, the book is addicting. If you're one of those gamers who just has to see what's in the next room or tries to get that gear upgraded before bed, I think you'll really like this series.

Skelton's Keys to the Classics

 I was going to do a Holiday Haul post but things are still scattered all around which means I'd have to actually make an effort to sort stuff and figure out where it's going to go. Too much for me right now, so instead, here's one of the cool gift(s) that Mrs Dex got me: Skelton's Keys to the Classics.

 

There's a secret library inside the old Skelton farm. Hidden within the collection of classics are keys to fantastic places, enchanted kingdoms and lost worlds. Find the library, and unlock adventure . . . if you dare. 

At first glance, these appear to be small books.

But when you open them...

Haunted Library - Friday the 13th

Did you know there were a series of Friday the 13th novels? I'm not talking about movie novelizations but brand new stories. You did? Did you know there were three different series of books? I'm not the biggest F13 fan so this was news to me.

The series featured today is the Camp Crystal Lake series from the 1990s. Similar to Freddy's Tales of Terror, I imagine this series was capitalizing on the popularity of the Fear Street and Christopher Pike books. From the cover synopsis, it seems like a different person is possessed by the hockey mask in each book.

 

 Once there was a boy named Jason Voorhees who drowned at a summer camp when the counselors weren't watching. First, his mother got revenge. Then, Jason rose from the grave. And now, everyone knows you can't kill a legend... but a legend can kill you.

Seventeen years after the fourth book ended the series, author William Pattison (aka Eric Morse) released a sequel of sorts on his website for free. This book crosses over the legacy of Jason's mask with the Friday the 13th TV series!

I'm pretty excited to dig into this one! Where most F13 fans were disappointed by the TV series having nothing to do with the movies, I loved it! This just makes so much sense as the show had the characters hunting down cursed objects. You can click the cover to grab this one.

Clicking your Haunted Library card will allow you to check out the original four novels. They are being offered here because they do not appear to be commercially available. You can also borrow, or read online, at the Internet Archive.

Unearth other Countdown to Halloween Crypts by clicking the link below.

A Pair of Creepmas Reads

Here's a couple of books I read recently to help put the creep in your Creepmas. Clicking on the covers will take you to an Amazon affiliated link, where you can get the book and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

First up is the newest from Ben Farthing's "I Found" horror series. I mentioned the first two of this series in my Halloween Reading List and loved them both. This one is just as good and it has the added bonus of being a Christmas horror. And like the others, it's a quick read at only 126 pages. Perfect for Christmas Eve by the fireplace.

After last year’s tragedy, Douglas’ parents are ignoring Christmas.
But when Douglas finds an eerie strand of lights slithering through the sewer, he unwittingly unleashes merry terror upon his neighborhood’s tacky lights contest. String lights spread like invasive kudzu, turning festive decorations into surreal, predatory nightmares. Determined not to lose both Christmas and his family forever, Douglas gathers his courage to confront the source of the holiday horror: deep in the concrete pipes beneath the street.

 

While Krampus has started getting a foothold in the US over the past few years, things are generally bright and cheery here in the month of December. Europe, on the other hand, has some darker characters associated with this time of year. The next book is a guidebook to these festive frighteners.

 

 

It features 24 entities across Europe and Denmark, with each one having a danger rating, a couple paragraphs and a wicked illustration that might inspire something other than sugarplums dancing in your head at night.

While it doesn't go into too much detail, I think it's a good way to briefly learn about these stories and possibly find some (or all!) that intrigue you enough to dig into them more. It's also absolutely worth it for the illustrations!

Halloween 2023 Reading List

 In the vein of my Monthly Media Recap, here are the books I consumed this spooky season. Many of them are quick reads if you're looking to cram in a last minute story or two. I was pretty happy with what I knocked out this year. I started in September to give myself some extra time.

Click on the covers for an Amazon affiliate link where I may earn from qualifying purchases.

The only non-horror story I read. Set in 1994, this is about a group of young teens that put together a horror haunt to save their local indie video rental store run by former 80s horror host Cassondra Dagger. If you're a fan of 80s kid adventure movies and horror, I give this a strong recommend.

Haunted Library - Freddy Krueger's Tales of Terror

Let's keep the Freddy energy rolling into the weekend!

 

From 1994-95, a series of six YA novels were published under the name Freddy Krueger's Tales of Terror. While they sported Freddy prominently on their covers, he only briefly appears in the stories, usually relegated to hosting duties much like on Freddy's Nightmares where he introduces and wraps up the story.

 

These books fit in among teen horror at the time like Fear Street or the works of Christopher Pike. They even had die-cut covers that gave a peek at an image on the first page. On a side note, both Friday the 13th and Halloween Also had YA series around the same time but the killers were actually in them. 

I remember reading these when they came out because I could not get enough Freddy at that time...no matter how tangentially related to the source material it may have been. They're okay if you want that 90s teen horror nostalgia fix, not so good if you're looking for a proper Nightmare story. 

 

The books have long been out of print and used copied go for crazy money. But now you can experience these tales thanks to the Haunted Library! Just click your card to check them all out.

 

 

Be sure to check out the list of Countdown bloggers by clicking below.

Haunted Library - Halloween Horror

Welcome back to the Haunted Library!

I've got a bit of an oddity today, Halloween Horror by Gina Clemen. It seems to be written to aid those learning English. 

 

The story follows teenagers in Salem that have a Halloween party in an old, abandoned house and have a run in with the ghost of a Salem witch. After each chapter, there are some reading comprehension exercises.

As an introductory reading book, I suppose it's a decent spooky Halloween story. It does have a couple parts that might be a little intense for kids. I do have questions for the parents that let their young teens have a Halloween party in an abandoned house until midnight.The kids aren't even sneaking out to do it!

As someone that's close to Salem and knows a little about the witch hysteria, the book is not historically accurate. Which, okay, it's fiction but it portrays the victims as evil witches. There are descendants of the victims living in and around Salem to this day. They would most likely not be happy with this book. Granted none of the names in the book are the names of the actual victims so I have to give credit for that. It also mentions there were 20 hangings. In reality, there were 19 hangings and one person was pressed to death. But again, it's fiction.

You can view/download a copy of the book by clicking the library card. The original copy I found online did not have the Japanese (?) text so the book seemed more like it was aimed at young children.

I'm presuming this is the audio CD that came with the book, minus the educational bits. It's a full cast audio type of thing with sound effects and music. For some reason, the last chapter is a completely different narrator and there are no additional voices, music or sound effects.

 

Click below to see the list of participating Countdown blogs!

Choose Your Own Indiana Jones Adventure (Find Your Fate)

Maybe role-playing games aren't your thing, maybe you don't like complicated rules, or can't strong arm enough of your friends to sit down to play. Maybe you don't have any friends (it's ok, we've all been there). There was still another way you could go on a globe trotting archeology adventure aside from, you know, actually going outside to play: the Find Your Fate series of books! 

Image from the Indiana Jones Wiki

As a pre-teen, the Choose Your Own Adventure books had a big imapct on me. Over the years I'd try out any CYOA style book series that came along. When you add a pop culture icon to that style of storytelling, you've got an instant buy from me!

Sean Äaberg's Halloween Book

Back in October of 2021 (has it been that long?!) I backed this project on Kickstarter. If you've been hanging around here any length of time, you know I LOVE Halloween. So this was a no-brainer!

 

Just looking at the art on the Kickstarter page was enough to sell me on this.

But, of course, it's more than just the art, it's also a sort of a mini-treatise on celebrating Halloween.

Haul-iday Highlights 2022

 Back from the holiday break with the annual showing off of holiday loot!

 

We'll kick it off with the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Funko Pops.

First up we have Groot and Peter Quill. Groot is looking better here than he did in the actual Special itself, I am not a fan of that costume. Quill's got a Santa hat (which you can't see much of here) and a wrapped gift. I'm glad they did these so I can bring them out every year to give a Guardians tweak to the holiday decorations.

Drax has his "little man" lawn ornament and I just love it! Also loving Mantis' festive headband. What I'm not loving? The fact that you can only get Holiday Rocket in an Amazon exclusive 5-pack. Booooo!

Haunted Library - Amazing Monster Mazes 1977

 This week we have another devilishly delicious treat for the monster kids at heart.

Amazing Monster Mazes was published in 1977 by Hallmark. I remember going to the Hallmark store in our local mall as a kid at Halloween time and there was just so much cool stuff to see.

While the cover boasts 24 pages of mazes, there are actually only 13 because most of them are two page spreads. But that's okay! Even if mazes aren't your thing, the artwork is worth checking out.

You may find yourself tiptoeing through a mansion of sleeping monsters...

 

or even helping the Headless Horseman get back to Sleepy Hollow!

If you want to get lost in this book, just click on the library card.

Pet the cat to go to the Countdown to Halloween site and visit the other participants!

Haunted Library - Movie Monsters - Monster Make-Up & Shows To Put On (1975)

 Have we got a treat in the stacks for you today! If you're a monster kid of a certain age, this will probably be a nostalgia trip. Even if you haven't seen this particular book before, you likely checked one out just like it from your local library.

I originally got this from the now defunct Retrospace. 

You can view that original post here.

Monster lovers, this Scholastic book has got you covered! The first 28 pages talk about Lon Chaney, Universal Monsters, and even Blacula and Young Frankenstein!

 

The next 33 pages give instructions for recreating your own monster make ups.

The last section has a short stage play and some special effect tricks.

 

 

To check out this book, click your library card below!

Click below to visit the main Countdown site to see all the participating blogs.

Haunted Library - Best of Halloween Magazine

 Welcome back to the Haunted Library! The doors only open during October so make sure your books are back and you are out before midnight on the 31st!

For your first visit to the library, we have this Best of Halloween magazine from 2000.

It's loaded with tips for decorating pumpkins, party ideas, kids costumes, outdoor decor, and of course, recipes!

Once in awhile, I'll pick up one of these Halloween themed magazines. I don't know why I do because I never attempt anything in them!

Anyway, if you'd like to check out this "vintage" magazine, click the library card.

Click below to go to the Countdown to Halloween site and visit the other
  participants!