Welcome to Litsy!

Perfection 😍

I‘ve been sick this past weekend and my lovely friend dropped me off a care package including the book and blanket! Perfect reading for spooky season…

Creepy, crazy haunted house , the author has you guessing about fmc it was a ride, very descriptive, I loved it for scary season!👻💀
#ReadAway2024 book 38

finished this on the last day of September…so fitting… #readinggoal #audiophile #readinglife

Started this one on my lunch break. This one is due back in a few days so i hope i can get through it because it‘s really good so far.

This was refreshing.

Four years after moving into the Victorian house, Margaret and Hal have gotten used to some of the quirks of the old house. September seems to be the roughest month if the year, bleeding walls, wailing, ghosts all over the house, but Margaret thinks nothing is so bad that you can't get used to it.

When her adult daughter announces she wants to visit things get tricky. How can Margaret hide the ghosts?

⬇️

🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃 this book weaves horror, gore, family trauma and humor effortlessly. Hats of to a well crafted story that is both shocking and delightfully entertaining. A wonderful protagonist that will win your heart.

I read this one (tagged) in April on a trip to Zion National Park (pictured), and I've been recommending it to people who like spooky reads ever since. I love that there's so much more to it than just the spooky stuff.

If you're looking for something chilling to read in October, I recommend The September House.

#BlackCatCrew @BookwormAHN #HauntedShelf @PuddleJumper

I had this on my TBR and then @scripturient recommended the audiobook - she said the narrator was stellar.

Eight chapters in and I'm in love. The narrator of the audiobook manages to transfer the nonchalance of the novel's narrator perfectly. Gory ghosts, moaning, bleeding walls,... you get used to it. 🤷As annoying as a cute cat hacking up hairballs. 🤣🤣🤣

It's horror, but it's also funny.

My reading buddy wondering if it‘s time to put the book down and take a Sunday nap??🤣😴

September for me means a combination of #SummerSciFi and #RIP, so I tried to reflect that in my #BookSpin list for the month.

@TheAromaofBooks

First, the good things. A darkly humorous, scary, and surprisingly deep book about a woman puttering around her haunted house. The book would have benefited from being 80 pages shorter. There were some issues with scenes dragging on too long, and the aggressive passivity and inaction of the MC (which I know is plot-relevant) got grating the longer it went on. Easily solvable by cutting some scenes down. Overall, funny, scary, and fun.

Last night this book (finally!) became available on Libby and I am having the BEST TIME listening to it! I can‘t even describe how much I am enjoying it- I‘m definitely going to have to buy a copy. Horror with a bit of dark humor - I hope the rest is as good as the beginning!
#litsylove

Holy sh*t, that was awesome. Just when you think you‘ve figured out what‘s going on, this author smacks you upside the head, because NO! And then she does it again. A darkly funny, gory, creepy, little mindf*ck.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Have you read this, @Reggie ?

This haunted house story manages to brush against all kinds of horror from gory ghosts, domestic violence, continued trauma, but tempered with a surprising bit of humor and heart. A dark story for sure with menace that rises as steadily as the blood pours from the faucets and walls, but one that kept my attention from start to finish. A strong audio performance, too makes this all in all a promising debut novel!

Margaret has fallen in love with a Victorian house that a great deal. Of course, the house is haunted, and boy-howdy are there ghosts! There‘s even a dead serial killer in the basement. What makes this such a clever story, is that Margaret is able to cope by applying the skills she has learned surviving years of domestic violence. Her husband earns his just deserts in the basement. There‘s a great, powerful women-united-against-violence ending!

Also stopped at my local library and they were able to find The September House for me🥹 so I got to leave here with 2 horror books that were on my radar!👻🖤 I‘m convinced she had magical powers because it was not on the shelves when I looked😅

I knew I would love this and I‘m so happy I did! I was laughing at so many things and excited at others. A haunted house? A crazy woman? Who knows??? Do you stay in a haunted house or do you go?

Oh, my gosh! I love this novel! It's so weird and intense, with such an honest, deep representation of "home" and all the complicated things that come with it. It's about the accommodations we make to hold things together, and what it looks like to set a firm boundary, at long last. And alongside that, it's a deliciously creepy haunted house story. Probably shouldn't have read it on vacation in a house whose noises I don't know, but here we are.

Wow! What an amazing ride. Steady pace but relaxed for a haunted house book. Good characters, gripping scenes. Not your typical ending. A strong recommend.

📚Spending my weekend with these library books

📚 What are you reading this weekend?

I went into this blind and so was even more blown away by this quirky, drily humorous and simultaneously gory haunted house tale! Haunted houses are my favorite, but this was like no other haunted house I‘ve ever heard of. The bleeding walls, the shrieking ghosts, the biting ghosts, and a host of other paranormal oddities are dealt with in a matter-of-fact tone that only makes them more surreal. Absolutely LOVED it!!

If you are looking for a story that will scare you and make you laugh,look no further!
Margaret has been living in a haunted house for 4 years now and every September is when things get really crazy. Her nonchalant and dry comments towards her "pranksters" and their hijinx is the highlight of this story for me. But if all that weren't enough, her daughter is coming back into town to look for her father (an abusive alcoholic) who has gone missing.

Margaret loves her new “old” Victorian house. So much so that when September rolls around and the walls bleed, the “pranksters” roam the house (just be careful Elias doesn‘t get his teeth in you), and the local priest attempts an exorcism, just follow the rules and you‘ll get through it. I enjoyed the author‘s writing style, and there was some humor thrown in. The build up towards the end was a little long, but I was satisfied with the ending. 4⭐️

We‘ve been hibernating this week - it‘s rainy and so windy I keep thinking the house is going to blow to Oz 😂
So I‘ve been getting some solid reading time with some really good books. So far this is hilarious and sad and SO WEIRD.

This horror novel about a haunted house that goes into overdrive every September is one of the best haunted house books I have ever read. Orlando doesn‘t just provide tension and dread, but she frames it in a larger observation of abuse and relationships. The story was riveting, and the characters were well-developed. I listened to the audio, and looked around for things to do so I could have an excuse to listen. Warning for violence, gore, abuse.

#12Booksof2023 I couldn‘t believe this was a debut! I loved that it completely surprised me not once, not twice, but over and over. The ghosts were great and the level of humor was perfect for me. Since finishing it, I‘ve been dying to see what Carissa Orlando writes next. I can‘t wait.

The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon was another great September read. A serial killer story. I just remember feeling so many HUGE emotions while I read it.

@aCleverDuck thank you for everything in my #creepychristmasswap package I love it all sadly the mug broke in transit. But everything else survived. @teebe

THNAK YOU THANK YOU! @WildAlaskaBibliophile
This is an amazing #creepychristmas package.
I wanted to read this book for a while. the other book looks really interesting (a great way to get introduced to new authors).
the #manpanion and I spend the PB cups right away. YUM!
Where did you find that ornament and teas? They are fantastic.
I Love everything so much.
BTW the wooden postcard with the bat is perfect.

#tebee

Book 205📚 4.5⭐️

This one was so good! And there was now delay on the crazy shit, they just jumped right into it!!

Flies coming outta their mouths, biting ghosts, bleeding walls. It‘s great.

They had be going there for a bit too near the end!!😱

Needs must when the devil drives…

I enjoyed this one more than I was expecting! It has the ghosts and gore that I was expecting (and hoping for), but it also had humor and heart and quite a bit of sadness that surprised me. I can‘t get enough of haunted house stories but this one had the added benefit of being unique and fresh. And the narrator was great! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is horror with really complex, sad themes woven throughout. I felt all kinds of things reading this, including horror. Definitely passing this on to friends to read. @StephMC82 it‘s coming to you!

I love a book with a haunted house.

This was not as scary as I would have liked, but I thought the premise was an interesting way to tell a haunted house story. My favorite part was getting to know all the different ghosts.

There were also a few good twists.

#Scarathlon #SpookyGhostClub @Clwojick

I am convinced you are not human @Litlady because you are just too good. I couldn‘t have pick out better gifts for myself. I‘ve already gotten into the lotion, the word finder, and decorated the house with those sponges (that I get the biggest kick out of) and cute ghost pumpkin. All the books look creepy and perfect. Thank you so much my friend! My #litsypenpal is the best! Happy Halloween to all!!!

October 2023 Wrap Up
- The September House ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Out There Screaming ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Mermaids Never Drown ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Mister Magic ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oooooooh I‘m so excited for both of these!! Thank you @MidnightBookGirl for picking out perfect books for me!! And I love peeps (will save for next cheat day ;)) and those bookmarks are adorable! Thank you!!!! 🧡👻🖤🎃🧡👻🖤🎃

And thank you @MaleficentBookDragon for hosting one of my fave swaps!! #AllHallowsReadSwap #AHRS

This was a gruesome haunted house story but the twist that made it different for me is that the main character isn‘t scared and is defending her house. Made for an interesting story but not nearly as creepy or scary as I had hoped. With that being said, I couldn‘t but it down. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Annoying characters. Daughter 🔪 so annoying! Mother was a bit laissez faire.

Awesome haunting.

Loved it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Edit - #31by31 … 22/31

#PhotoChallenge #Scarathlon @FlynnDewey #TeamWhoYouGonnaCall

Day 10: Orange

𝟑.𝟕𝟓⭐
You know, I wanted to love this since the cover is amazing. So, it‘s possible gallows humor isn‘t my thing…because this is the second book that I just didn‘t get the humor within it. Otherwise, this was a rather terrific story about a haunted house…and so much more. The back-and-forth between the mother and the daughter did get on my nerves super bad at one point, though. It really got more and more gruesome as the story progressed.

#PhotoChallenge #Scarathlon @FlynnDewey #TeamWhoYouGonnaCall

Day 4: Ghost

#Scarathlon Soon! I heard they were ghost in this book. 🍁🎃🍂

#Scarathlon photo challenge Day 4 prompt - Ghosts

Two very fun haunted house stories!

@bookmarktavern @dabbe @liatrek @jessclark78 @chrissyreadit @thedaysgoby @vonnie862 @ladyCait84 @sresendez12 @kelli7990 @JessieKB

#hhc +5 +1

You‘re getting a 2 book update today because BOY were the last few days full of insanity with having to take a dog to the vet, our truck‘s battery dying, plus our son‘s birthday yesterday. The Perry wasn‘t as good as others in the series but not sure why I didn‘t enjoy it as much? Probably a me thing. But the tagged? PHENOMENAL.
#scarathlon #TeamCreepinItReal #31by31 #spookoween #falling4books

The September House has it all. A sweet old lady of a main character that you can‘t help but love. A haunted house with bleeding walls and ghostly inhabitants wearing the gore of their demise. Banter between characters that will make you laugh out loud. Twists and turns around every corner that will leave you at the edge of your seat until the very last page. Overall a fantastic read!
#horror #scary #halloween

Love, love, love! This is 100% not a normal haunted house story. I absolutely adored all the characters. I thought I knew exactly what was happening the whole time, and even got a little mad when it didn't. Just to realize this book was written so well to drive you to that conclusion, completely tricking you. I'm impressed this author was able to convince me so wholeheartedly on the wrong conclusion. 5/5!

This was a fantastic horror read. It has a great balance of humor and gruesome horror and would make an amazing movie. You constantly are questioning what is really going on in the house with a dark history until the very end. I will say nothing else as this is best read knowing very little. 5⭐️

A great choice if folks are looking for more picks for #Scarathlon!

This was FANTASTIC. I enjoyed every second of reading it. It was creepy, it was scary, and there were great twists sprinkled throughout. I thought I knew what would happen, then I was wrong! So I shifted my ideas around, and I was wrong again!! I cannot believe it‘s a debut. It‘s just so much fun. Plenty of emotion packed in here among all the scares, but also there is levity. Especially with one character: Fredricka.

DO NOT miss this one, guys!!

Best horror book I have ever read. Scarier than the Overlook or Hill House, yet everything is survivable, especially if you follow the rules. This should be in everyone‘s Halloween tbr. Trigger warnings- domestic violence, alcoholism, body horror and ghosts, lots of ghosts.

Tip of the hat to Carissa Orlando. I thought I had all the twists figured out but she twisted the twist! This one is a joy ride (if you like haunted houses and a little bit of gore). Great read for spooky season. 🖤

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Do you accept the haunting of your dream house? "Needs must when the devil drives." Margaret is an endearing late, middle-aged woman who has found ways to cope, but her husband is having none of it. Delightful insanity ensues.

I'm a big horror fan, and I devoured this debut gem. It was imaginative, amusing, and suitably gross. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good ghost story for Halloween.