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Small Spaces
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
Bestselling adult author of The Bear and the Nightingale makes her middle grade debut with a creepy, spellbinding ghost story in the tradition of R. L. Stine destined to become a classic. When eleven-year-old Ollie lost her mother in a plane crash, she sought solace in her books. So when she stumbles upon a distraught woman standing on the banks of the river intent on throwing a book into the water, Ollie stops her, steals the book and rides away on her bike. Upon reading, Ollie discovers a chilling ghost story about a girl, Elizabeth Morrison, who is being chased through cornfields filled with scarecrows by two brothers with deadly intent. When she finds the graves of Elizabeth Morrison and her tormentors, Jonathan and Caleb, on a farm during a school trip, on a day already full of odd occurrences, Ollie starts to think this book is more than just a book. On the ride home, the school bus breaks down along the side of the road and none of the kids or their teacher can get service on their cell phones to call for help. And then Ollie's digital wristwatch starts a mysterious countdown, with the word RUN spelled out on the face. She and two unlikely new friends are the only ones to heed its warning. As night begins to fall, they head out into the woods, bracketed by fearsome scarecrows. The bus driver gives them a word of advice. In order to survive whatever is coming, they'll need to keep to small spaces.
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AmandaBlaze
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Katherine Arden. I‘m reading her third book in the series.
#AlltheBooks2023 #MostReadAuthor2023
#RestingGrinchFace

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AmandaBlaze
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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1. The tagged. I loved the friendship that develops between Ollie, Coco, and Brian. The creepy atmosphere was great, too.
2. The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett. So far, I've loved all her books.
#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView

TheSpineView Thanks for playing!📖🎄📘 4mo
31 likes1 comment
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AmandaBlaze
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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I loved this eerie MG book. I‘m on a MG horror kick, and this is one of my favorites. There is good action throughout the book. Themes of friendship and grief are expressed in the book as well. 4.5 stars
#NovelNovember @Andrew65
#Rushathon @DieAreader @GHABI4ROSES

DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 4mo
Andrew65 Excellent 👏👏👏 4mo
35 likes2 comments
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AmandaBlaze
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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This morning‘s read. I‘m about halfway through the book and loving it.

35 likes1 stack add
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AmandaBlaze
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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AmandaBlaze
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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In preparation for my surgery on Friday, I checked out a lot of MG horror. The tagged was a recommendation from my local librarian.

TEArificbooks Love small spaces 5mo
TracyReadsBooks Small Spaces is excellent! I really enjoyed the entire series. 5mo
Larkken Agree with everyone! Great series. If you run out, the tagged series has been fun, too 5mo
See All 6 Comments
tpixie Hope surgery went well! Easier MG reads is a great idea after surgery! 5mo
AnnR Hope you are healing well! 4mo
AmandaBlaze Thanks for the good wishes. The surgery went well. I've already started physical therapy. :) 4mo
44 likes6 comments
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qwertyuioasdfghjkxcvbnm
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden

It is a great book I hated it

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TEArificbooks
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Pickpick

Almost forgot to include this book for #scarathlon. I reread this one with my youngest for homeschool. I read it with my oldest when he was in sixth grade and now my youngest is in sixth grade. Both boys loved it. #blackcatcrew @BookwormAHN

1490 pts

BookwormAHN Nice, love the creepy cover 🐈‍⬛️ 5mo
40 likes1 comment
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PatriciaU
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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tagged one of my favorite spooky books in this #HauntedHollowSwap post. Thanks @wanderinglynn for the tag.

1. Owl for sure. Creepy but beautiful
2. Halloween Tree - it‘s an annual thing
3. Not a big costume fan
4. I prefer soft, fuzzy socks, size M
5. Too many! Monster movie is Creature from the Black Lagoon; original 13 Ghosts has always been a fave
6. Payday or Butterfinger bars

wanderinglynn I love rereading the Halloween Tree too! 👻🎃🙌🏻 7mo
21 likes1 comment
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vlwelser
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Pickpick

Thoroughly enjoyable audiobook. If you enjoy a creepy MG story, this gets my recommendation.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! 7mo
Larkken I love this series but the first is the best 😍 7mo
39 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Addison_Reads
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Pickpick

#SeriesRead2022 @TheSpineView

I loved this MG book. It's the first in a series and if you grew up reading R.L. Stine you should definitely try this one.

On a school field trip, Ollie who is still grieving the loss of her mother, finds herself in a fight against the Smiling Man to save her friends.

I loved the exploration of friendship, all the creepy scarecrows, and the book within a book story.

TheSpineView Awesome! 1y
43 likes1 comment
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Eggs
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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#Haunted #OminousOctober @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Though I‘ve read only 2, this quartet is hauntingly good😱

FlowerFairy I‘ve read the first in the series and my daughter has read the first two. Highly enjoyable. 1y
Eggs @FlowerFairy 👍🏼😱👏🏻 1y
Clwojick I‘ve been meaning to finish this series. The first one was so good! 1y
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Larkken Love love love the first two! The rest were good too ♥️ 1y
mrp27 Waiting patiently for my library to get Empty Smiles in! 1y
Eggs @mrp27 🤩 1y
RosePressedPages @Larkken The first two were my favorite too❤️ 1y
65 likes7 comments
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Erinreadsthebooks
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Pickpick

I‘m digging middle grade lately, especially middle grade horror. This little nugget of a book had some pretty creepy crap in it, and I‘m here for it! The book made for a quick read and a nice palate cleanser. 🎃🧑🏻‍🌾

JamieArc Middle Grade horror is my favorite to read this time of year. I‘m a wimp, so it‘s the right level of creep for me. Plus, middle grade books do such a good job of dealing with heavy subjects in a way that doesn‘t leave you feel depleted, if that makes sense. 1y
RosePressedPages @JamieArc I completely agree! Small spaces was my first middle grade horror and now I‘m hooked! I like knowing middle grade will never go too far unlike adult fiction and horror. (edited) 1y
28 likes2 comments
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katifurrey
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
Pickpick

This book seems eerie and dark but also really enjoyable for older children to read. It builds suspense each page and I think a lot of kids would love reading it

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victoriaberns
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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victoriaberns
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden

This book reminds me of a spooky children‘s Halloween movie or story and it would be great for older elementary.

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victoriaberns
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
Pickpick

Speculative fiction, published 2018. This book is about a young girl who runs into many problems across the course of the story. It‘s a little bit spooky and a lot of fun. This book is a perfect fall/Halloween read for older children because it is a chapter book. Overall, great story!

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Laughterhp
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Pickpick

I‘ve had this book on my TBR for a while and at first I couldn‘t remember why. It was because it‘s written by the author of the Bear and the Nightingale. This is a middle grade horror novel. Ollie has a bad thing happen to her and she quits the softball team and chess club to just be in her books. They go on a field trip to a farm and all the kids get taken. Ollie and her friends need to figure out who and how to rescue everyone.

41 likes7 comments
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RosePressedPages
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Pickpick

I adored Katherine Arden‘s Winternight trilogy, and recently found out she had written a middle grade horror series. The book follows Ollie, Brian, and Coco who find themselves on the wrong side of the mist after a school trip to the local farm goes horribly wrong. They need to work together if they want to escape the scarecrows controlled by the mysterious smiling man. This book definitely left me on edge and I can‘t wait for the next!

Johanna414 I read this to my 6th grade book club a couple years ago and they LOVED it! 2y
RosePressedPages @Johanna414 That‘s awesome! Arden is such a great writer. I‘m not surprised she transitioned to middle grade so seamlessly :) (edited) 2y
BiblioLitten This was really enjoyable. I liked it more than 2y
RosePressedPages @BiblioLitten I‘m glad you enjoyed it! 2y
102 likes4 stack adds4 comments
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Jgacreations
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Pickpick

Yes i know it‘s middle grade but it was an easy quick listen while i painted my stairs lol (renovations continued). I liked the horror aspects. I‘m halfway through the sequel as well.

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therubberduckninja
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Pickpick

This is a surprisingly creepy, extremely well written middle grade book. Katherine Arden is another author who doesn‘t disappoint.

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suvata
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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On my quest through the #PromptMaze
@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 2y
43 likes1 comment
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suvata
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Pickpick

Creepy, spellbinding ghost story for middle-graders +. After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie steals the book and runs away. As she begins to read the small book, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man”.

BiblioLitten I liked this book… especially her friendship with her two classmates. 2y
suvata @BiblioLitten I thought it was great how they all became friends at the end. All it took was a little scarecrow attack. 2y
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underground_bks
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Pickpick

I‘m not a huge horror reader but I am a huge fan of Katherine Arden‘s Winternight Trilogy, so her middle grades horror debut has been on my list for some time. Small Spaces is genuinely creepy as hell, and I look forward to recommending it to all our young readers hooked on scary stories. The series is seasonal and if I read the sequels, I‘ll be trying to read them in season as I think that adds so much.

braddsibbersen As an adult horror fan I'm surprised at how good horror for young readers often is. I have a small collection of books like this from the 1970s; they're often wildly inventive and some of them are downright chilling. 2y
underground_bks @braddsibbersen they‘re incredibly popular with young readers too—they‘re the ones who‘ve gotten me on board! 2y
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Clwojick
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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After filling in my free spaces, I realized I cleared my CloudLibrary #bookspinbingo. I also read 12 books off of my NetGalley list, but only 3 from my Chirp list. 😈

Thanks again for hosting @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!!! 2y
54 likes1 comment
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HeatherBlue
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Halloween costume no. 1 inspired by a book, of course 🧡 📖 🎃

Gissy 😍👌🍂🍁🧡🤎 2y
40 likes1 comment
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Allylu
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Pickpick

Doesn‘t this cover look creepy? Yes, this is a middle grade creepy book, but it was really good. We had unexpected heroes, scarecrow minions and ghosts! Really good! #132 #BookSpinBingo #16 #BFC21 #20in4 #FallIntoReading #Scarathon2021 #Screamathon #Frightfall #SpookOWeen #LittenListen #SweaterWeatherReadathon #Scaredy-CatReadathon #Wickedathon

Clwojick I just read this one too! I adored it, and will definitely be checking out the next one. 2y
TheSpineView Fantastic 2y
Andrew65 Great 👏👏👏 2y
JamieArc I read this last year and loved it. Need to read the others… 2y
28 likes4 comments
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Clwojick
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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It was another lazy day, but I enjoyed it! I finished up my paint by number, and listened to 3 audiobooks, all of which were 4-5 star reads.

I‘m so thankful for #Scarathlon and all the other events going on on Litsy right now. My reading year started out okay, but fizzled out fast, but my reading mojo is fire now! 🔥🔥

Razor Blade Tears 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Small Spaces ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Since We Fell 🌟🌟🌟🌟

wanderinglynn That‘s an incredible paint by number! 👍🏻🖌 2y
Lizpixie I love that painting!💚🏞💚 2y
Clwojick @wanderinglynn Thanks! I buy them all from Aliexpress for under $10. They definitely helped get me through covid without being too bored lol 2y
See All 7 Comments
Clwojick @Lizpixi Thanks! 🤗 2y
slategreyskies It‘s beautiful!! I thought it was a photo at first. Love it!! 🥰 2y
DivineDiana Impressive! 2y
Linsy Beautiful! ⛰ 2y
70 likes7 comments
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BiblioLitten
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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“October in East Evansburg, and the last warm Sun of the year slanted red through the sugar maples.” 🍁🍂🍁

#FirstlineFridays #currentlyreading #halloweenread

50 likes1 stack add
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ravenlee
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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I really enjoyed this reread - such a creepy little story, but with some genuinely warm moments. Now I can reread the second one (as I recall it‘s creepier) and then dive into the third! #seriesread2021 @TheSpineView #bookspinbingo

TheSpineView Way to go!🧡📖🖤🎃 2y
33 likes1 comment
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ravenlee
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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“Ollie remembered nearly everything she read, a vital talent for any girl who reads novels in class and doesn‘t pay attention.”

🙋🏻‍♀️ Reminds me of…well, a lot of my school years, but particularly this one awful economics class in undergrad.

BiblioLitten I‘m reading this as well. 💜 2y
ravenlee @BiblioLitten this is a reread, as I found the third book at the library and needed to revisit the first and second. This is about the level of creepy I can handle! 2y
26 likes2 comments
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Skyrimir
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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She‘s always got to have attention somehow when I‘m reading. Sometimes she‘s my book rest, haha!

SolaRaynor Cute! 2y
32 likes1 comment
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emtobiasz
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Pickpick

What a deliciously creepy audiobook! 11 year old Ollie finds a book with the story of The Smiling Man, little suspecting they‘ll come face to face on her school field trip…

Today still felt like summer (86 degrees F) but you can tell fall is on its way, and I am ready for the spooks 👻

Palimpsest I love this book! Dead Voices is great too and I requested Dark Waters at my library. I like scary Middle grade books because I can‘t read the really scary stuff, but also because they are good! 3y
BiblioLitten I have wanted to read this for a long time. Perfect for October 🖤 2y
43 likes1 stack add2 comments
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TracyReadsBooks
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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The third book in this series, Dark Waters, is out next week which was reason enough for me to finally get the tagged book, which I absolutely love, and it‘s sequel. This middle grade series is perfectly creepy and a wonderfully engaging series. I‘m definitely looking forward to the next installment!

21 likes1 stack add
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HeatherBlue
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Loving on my kitty niece waiting for the best friend to come home 💜
#catsoflitsy

Kappadeemom 😻😻 3y
Leftcoastzen Aww ! She‘s beautiful! 3y
ladym30 Such a sweet face!❤️ 3y
54 likes3 comments
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Peaceful_Reader
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Pickpick

Great friendship story mixed with an underlying creepiness of old ghosts, scarecrows and promises to the smiling man...
Well-written and just the stuff of nightmares!

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Eggs
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Haunted buses, barns, cornfields, and old ski lodge...💀🙀👻

#hauntedhouse #litsyspringbreak @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TheKidUpstairs

TheKidUpstairs These look fun 3y
Eggs @TheKidUpstairs They are 3y
65 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Andrea4
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Mehso-so

Middle grade read by the author of Winternight trilogy which I loved. Tbh not sure I'd have loved this as a kid, doesn't seem creepy enough and Arden doesn't seem to trust that she can leave things as subtext rather than actual text. But I feel she was a bit like that in Winternight too. In any case entertained me enough while doing all this for hours yesterday.

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Valhalla
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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My yearly librarian recommendation

8 likes1 stack add
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shadowspeak17
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was alright. If I‘d read this when I was eight, I think I would have liked it. Reading it as an adult, it was mildly entertaining. I guess I‘d just hoped for a little more. I love the writing in Arden‘s Winternight Trilogy, so I‘d hoped I would love it in this too, even if it was more simplified for a middle grade audience, but it didn‘t really do much for me in the end.

#catsoflitsy #Phoenix

TheBookAddict I‘ve been meaning to read this for a while. Cute kitty. 😻 3y
Leftcoastzen 😻 3y
Texreader What a beautiful cat!! ❤️🐈😻 3y
The_Penniless_Author I have a cat who looks so similar to yours, right down to the bottle-brush tail! 😸 3y
38 likes4 comments
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Jadams89
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Pickpick

This middle-grade book is about a group of kids who go on a field trip to a farm, but are taken by the Smiling Man. Pretty creepy! +16 #teamHarkness #Scarathlon2020 #Screamathon2020

26 likes1 stack add
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booksandsympathy
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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On Halloween, Katherine Arden will be doing a live reading of some scary parts of her middle grade book Small Spaces on instagram. She'll also be doing a cover reveal and reading the first chapter to the third book in the series, Dark Waters. https://www.instagram.com/p/CG-fOJ7gjRB/?igshid=3oxz9rz0280w

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JamieArc
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Pickpick

A perfectly delightful and creepy tale.

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Sweetkokoro
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Mehso-so

I was expecting a bit more from this after hearing how people talked about it and the 10 week wait from the library. It‘s only mildly spooky, the elements used where good, but it took half the book before any spooky unnatural stuff started to happen and then it just blew by and the end just felt so lack luster, I‘m all for tricking evil spirits who bargain but this was so anticlimactic for me.

Sweetkokoro @TheAromaofBooks This was my #bookspin book!! Book number 9 on the #bookspinbingo board !! Woooo I actually read both the book spin and double spin this month!!! I knew it would happen eventually haha 3y
TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! Awesome progress!! 3y
19 likes3 comments
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erzascarletbookgasm
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Pickpick

A creepy story about a 6th grade class field trip to a local farm that goes horribly wrong. It‘s the story of three friends, their bravery & friendship; of monsters, ghosts, and otherworld; also touches on dealing with loss. Atmospheric, just the right amount of spooky, and totally engrossing! I enjoyed this very much and will read the second book.

#screamathon2020

Kalalalatja I didn‘t know Arden had written other books than the tagged series. I‘ll have to check it out 👍 3y
81 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Eggs
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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🎃🍁 both!
🎃 PS!
📚 52

#thoughtfulthursday @MoonWitch94

Megabooks Thanks for the tag! 4y
Bookgoil Wait what!!? 52??? I thought I was going good at 35 (edited) 4y
erzascarletbookgasm Thank you for the tag 🤗 4y
Librarybelle Thanks for the tag! 4y
46 likes4 comments
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booksandsympathy
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
Pickpick

This book was pretty creepy for a middle grade book and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Katherine Arden has the type of writing that just sucks you right into the story. A school trip to a local farm goes wrong when The Smiling Man comes and takes all but 3 kids, who have to find a way to save everyone. Great book that even dealt with grief and overcoming stereotypes and learning to look within.

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GypsyKat
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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I spent my last birthday gift card at BookOutlet and look at my #BookHaul 😆📚 And other than upcoming new releases that I already have on preorder, I‘m officially DONE getting books for myself for the foreseeable future! 😅

AmyG Oh, sure. 🤣 (we all say that) 4y
ravenlee Two days later, books fall into shopping cart. Well....there was no way to foresee that happening! 😆 4y
GypsyKat @AmyG @ravenlee Hahaha! It‘s like y‘all know me! 🤣🤣🤣 4y
92 likes3 comments
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booksandsympathy
Small Spaces | Katherine Arden
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Going to start the tagged book next. Excited to read more Katherine Arden books and also continue my spooky reading.