Welcome to Litsy!

#ScarathlonPhotoChallenge
Day 4 Ghost
#BlackCatCrew #Scarathlon
@Clwojick @StayCurious

A chilling tale of loneliness that gripped me from the very start. Getting to know both Mary and Ella through both prose and picture truly brings you into the mystery and haunting of Thornhill. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

I couldn‘t sleep either @rsteve388 so thank you for reminding me it‘s opening day! #LitsyLoveSpringSwap #LLSS

Thank you so much @Bookgoil ....I LOVE the books! I cannot wait to read them, espcially Thornhill which is beautiful. Chocolate and coffee...my favorite reading snacks. And the Harry Potter magnetic bookmarks...are awesome and perfect for marking up my SundayBuddyRead books. Thanks you so so much. 😘❤️

This was not for me in the same way that 13 Reasons Why was not for me. Smy told the story well, it just wasn‘t a story I wanted to read.

This spooky gem was the perfect final read for October. The dual story line is half picture and half prose and they meshed wonderfully, with one image that gave me the chills like nothing else I have read this year.

1. My husbands 39th birthday... I got a ton of friends together for a surprise party in our back yard... when I was also 9 months pregnant 😂 it was a great time!
2. Almost through week 2 of kids in school, and got a vet visit Saturday for the new puppy 🐶

#ThankfulThursday

August was definitely one of my best months in a while! Thornhill was definitely my fave of the month. Only 2 DNF‘s so not too shabby. Only two 5 ⭐️‘s and that was Thornhill and Brave

#AugustRoundUp

Once again I must apologise for having gone AWOL: I have been half-deranged with the heat and lack of sleep. This book was good, though hardly provides an uplifting message for the deeply introverted amongst us (see spoiler comment below)! Of the parallel narratives, it was interesting how it's Mary that's mute but it's Ella's story that unfolds wordlessly. The artwork made for an absorbing read.

This was a beautiful and heartbreaking story that follows the life of a little girl named Mary who has selective mutism through her diary entries while she is living at thornhill. The illustrations follow a girl named Ella who moved in next door decades later. My love for this graphic novel cannot be overstated. I‘m only sad it took me this long to read it.

Another one knocked off for #BookSpinBingo

I‘ve had this on my shelf since January. If not for #BookSpinBingo I‘m not sure when I would have gotten around to it. Excited to dig into this beast 🖤

#FebruaryFeels #FaveGraphicNovel

I don‘t read many graphic novels so I don‘t know that I have a favorite, but this melancholy, slightly creepy YA ghostly tale was really good & the illustrations were gorgeous.🖤

A book read to my boys. I think I enjoyed it more than them, although they were mostly engaged, my 8-yo said he didn‘t like it much at the end, and my 6-yo was playing his spelling game for school... not as much as a hit as the last graphic novel we read. I, however, think it is a gem.

This book was so delightfully creepy and unique. The format flipped from journal entries to graphic novel, paralleling the experiences of two lonely girls over the course of 30 years. I was not expecting the ending, but it was perfect. Highly recommend.

This was sweet, and sad, and haunting, and wonderful to hold in your hands. Half graphic novel & half diary-form story, half in the past, half in the present, it moves quickly & takes you mostly where you expect to go, with a small surprise or two along the way. I confess there were a few points where I expected something different, but I found it all very satisfying in the end. A fun read on Halloween day!
🎃🎃🎃🎃

Thanks again @lele1432 !! 😘😘

Happy Halloween! Loving this one so far and I‘m nervous and excited to see where it goes. #halloween

Happy Halloween! Loving this one so far and I‘m nervous and excited to see where it goes.

Wow thank you so much @lele1432 !!! You spoiled me!! I 💗 your book choices &, guys, this pic doesn‘t do it justice but Thornhill is sooo pretty. & the fairytale socks!!! 😍😍 & thank you for the mask & cocoas & 🍂 bookmark too!! I can‘t wait to try that tea — it‘s been on my radar for a hot minute!! Also, not shown: chocolate eaten by husband & son immediately (& maybe me) & card that sings, confiscated by son. Thank you!!! 🖤🎃🧡♥️🖤🎃♥️

Getting my Halloween on! 👻 I just breezed through this MG part-graphic novel part-diary novel in which two timelines, two formats and two lonely girls converge. Mary, in 1982, is a lonely orphan at Thornhill Institute whose troubles stem from something far worse than ghosts... Ella, in 2017, moves into a new house near the abandoned Thornhill but is sure that someone still lives there...
It's sweet, sad, creepy, beautiful 💔

Thornhill is about a mew girl named Ella Clarke that just moved to a new town.Every one treated her like outside untel she sees a girl at abanded house. If u like books that are scary , paranormal then this is the book for u.

So much sadness and cruelty in this story. The build up of the story is good and kept me in suspense. I loved the format between the two timelines - diary entries and illustrations. The evocative images, paired with the narrative in the diary which is full of emotions, make this a sad and unsettling read.

Book 2 for #ScreamathonReadingChallenge
#Screamathon RC

This was a lot sadder than I expected it to be. But the last 100 pages or so it got kinda creepy (it is MG, so I wasn't expecting to be terrified or anything). I loved how it was part diary entries and part graphic novel as well.

2.5 🌟
I feel this book has been over hyped. For a while there every October people pulled it‘s dark pages out and said it was the haunted house book middle graders are craving. I heard everything from a middle grade version of House on Haunted Hill, to a shorter version of Rose Madder. Ummmmmm, I think not. To me this feels more like Flowers in the Attic by way of Brian Selznick without the incest.

Not as good as I was expecting. Longer review later.

Spent the day In Amish country. Went to the Broomcorn Festival. Almost bought a perfect HP broom but it was hot and the line was way too long. The. To Beacheys, an Amish dry goods bulk store, and lunch at Yoders. Then home. I used to live just a few miles away, but now it was a bit of a drive. josh and our Friend Dan joined us. Finally home and settling down with the tagged book

I guess my reading attention span is pretty short these days. Maybe that‘s why nothing has really stuck over the past few months. But this one is going well. A graphic novel combined with journal entries. The illustrations are great and detailed (I usually find myself turning back the pages and reviewing them), and combined with the journal entries, it‘s making for a very creepy, atmospheric read.

Next read. I love the art in this one. I would‘ve adored this as a kid.

No creo que sea un libro para todos, sin embargo, no deja de ser maravilloso. Es de esos libros que, en medio de lo espeluznante que pueda parecer, te llega al corazón. La historia de estas dos niñas enlazadas a través de un diario ha sido una de mis lecturas del año.
OJO: hay un tema fuerte sobre la muerte, la soledad y el maltrato de fondo. Si sos sensible a esto, probablemente sea mejor buscar otro título.

Saw this in my clearance section and couldn‘t resist picking it up. I think it will be perfect for a rainy day.

I had to take some close up shots of all my wonderful treats! I can‘t wait to frame that picture! Thanks again @Gissy #allhallowsreadswap

Another book read during the spookathon challenge. I will like not to spoil anything here but there is a girl, a diary and a neighbor girl?🤔Maybe.One of the girl makes puppets the other one just write in her diary. How both are connected? This is a graphic novel and I found the story very sad😢A little bit confusing but a re-read will help me to understand better the story. The illustrations are ok but they help you to understand the story.3.4⭐️

#booked2018 #spookyread

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 Initially I choose The Halloween Tree by Bradbury but it wasn't spooky enough so I tried this one and I really liked it! Told in dual time lines and part novel part graphic novel a young girl named Ella explores the mysteries of the abandoned Thornhill. This was the perfect amount of creepy and spooky for me.

#31bookpics #pagenumber

Started this one tonight for #booked2018 . This is about as spooky as I get.

3.5⭐️ A very atmospheric ghost story with parallel plot lines, one told with art and the other with words. I enjoyed this one last October but I think I might give it a reread this month. Super easy to read in one fairly short sitting.

Day 11: #black #blackcatchallenge

What a strange book. I enjoyed the story being told through pictures and old journal entries... this was a quick, atmospheric read!

Thank you SO much @aprilpohren for such a thoughtful swap! I collect owls, too, and was happily surprised to find the cute owl figurine and dish towel! Thanks @JoeStalksBeck for hosting! #myfavoritebookswap #mfbs

Beautifully illustrated, atmospheric and nicely plotted. The dual storylines work well side by side and it's a refreshing take on the gothic form. It was very genuine, devastating at points and I can see why it resonates so well with young people. I really loved it and I think everyone should read it!

Just finished this and it is AMAZING! I loved the uniqueness of the 2 stories together, told completely differently and intertwining perfectly! Thornhill is the story of 2 young girls, 1 during 1982 and told in diary format and the other girl in the present time, told in illustrations. The story is both eerie and heartwrenching. So amazing.

#JB I have done one of these fun questionnaires for awhile!
1. Purple
2. Bookmarks, mugs, fun pens and pencils, Funkos
3. Yes
4. YA, paranormal
5. Any! Especially magnetic.
6. 3/16/197=

Found this in the stacks at the library today.

This really touched me.

Just grabbed these at the library!

Only mildly creepy but thoroughly enjoyable. A sort of cross between The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Shirley Jackson. Somewhat predictable in the way that middle-grade books tend to be. Great atmosphere, loved the art.

BAM has all their bargain books B2G1. I've read all of these just needed copies for my shelves. Thornhill which I read and loved but never wanted to pay the 19.99 list price i got free!

#bookhaul

I really liked this book. It‘s a little creepy, and the main character reminds me of myself and my struggles as a child. Otherwise 👍 four 🌟🌟🌟🌟 🌚🌚

1) Any of the luxurious houses and mansions in Oak Park, IL. 2) No, don‘t want to take a chance making the cats sick. 3) Only cool bookmarks 4) Eh, depends on my mood and if I have a deadline 4) litter duty/ getting rid of cat pee odor- it follows you everywhere!! #tellmetuesday @Ke633

What an awesome read!

✔ Intriguing plot
✔ Dual timeline with two different formats - 1982 is told in prose & 2017 is told in illustrations
✔ Good storytelling
✔ Haunting illustrations

❌ Confusing at first but not a major issue

Rating: 4🌟

Recommendation: If you like Coraline, you enjoy this as well!

#graphicnovel #goodread

#ReadingResolutions Playing catch-up so you get three prompts in one post. 🤗I used to skip over #youngadult books, thinking that I was a bit past my prime for reading them. It would be a #shame if I had bypassed any of these as I enjoyed them all. Some of these feature a #lovestory --sometimes a non-traditional one--others are about friendship, mystery, history, & coming-of-age. There's much more variety in YA titles then when I was growing up.