My #bookspin list for February!

I‘ve been really overwhelmed the last few months with going back to work after a 12 week LOA and the holidays, but I am excited to get back in the swing of things. Here was my #bookspin list for the month! My #bookspin book is tagged and my #doublespin book is Stiff by Mary Roach!

@mrsmarch @BookmarkTavern @5feet.of.fury Have you read any of these retellings? I‘m leaning toward Lavinia, but let me know!!

@currentlyreadinginCO @BarkingMadRead Do any of these spark interest for our BOTM backlog read? I have more if the two of you have read all of these. 😂😂

@Endowarrior21 @Readergrrl Have you read any of these? Let me know!!

I forgot to post my #bookspin list yesterday, but here it is!! I‘ll be reading “To The Lighthouse” and “ The Great Alone” this month!

@BookwormAHN #scarathlon #blackcatcrew

10/1 - 10/14 = 14,646 points

10/15 - 10/31 = 4,341 points

Scarathlon Total = 18,987 points

I fell off a bit the second half of the month since going back to work after a 12 week Leave of Absence. It was a really fun month and it was great seeing everyone‘s posts! Until next year!!

A new round of #LMPBC starts today, but there is still time to join, read, and mail your book by the end of the month! We need one more to join us for BOTM backlog reads, one more to join us for fantasy/sci-fi/horror, and two more to join us for finishing your #Scarathlon TBR. Head on over to @suvata and see if you can squeak into the signups today! (@suvata-sorry if not allowed. I‘m just getting my act together today now that Scarathlon is over)

And just like that, Halloween and #Scarathlon are over for another year. It was a great month!!! My points post will come later today! 🎃 #scarathlonphotochallenge #halloween #blackcatcrew

This cookbook looks absolutely amazing for some Halloween treats!! #scarathlonphotochallenge #treat #blackcatcrew

Pikachu and Escargot had a blast trick or treating tonight! I‘m pretty proud of their costumes! #scarathlon #halloweenbucketlist

This classic reminds me of neighborhood trick or treating as a kid and the shenanigans we‘d inevitably get up to. #scarathlonphotochallenge #trick #blackcatcrew

When the nightmare in your closet tears his head, comfort him and put him to bed! A great story for any kid (or adult) that is afraid of the dark. ❤️ #scarathlonphotochallenge #nightmare #blackcatcrew

I know the movie takes some liberties with Duncan‘s original novel, but this is peak 90s and I loved watching all of them! The movie obviously is partially based on “The Hookman” urban legend which has been scaring teenagers since the 1950s. #scarathlonphotochallenge #legend #blackcatcrew

I haven‘t read a lot of recent Stephen King titles but have heard good things about the Holly Gibney character. I‘ll get to this in a few years as I progress through my chronological read! #scarathlonphotochallenge #cat #blackcatcrew

A spooky novel where each autumn, all of the young men in a small Midwest town take part in a ritual to hunt a giant pumpkin-headed creature that arises from the corn. The winner gets to leave the town and his family given monetary prizes. But something very dark is behind this tradition…..this sounds like a perfect read for next year‘s Scarathlon. #scarathlonphotochallenge #autumn #blackcatcrew

This is a really well done true crime story. I‘m curious about the movie. Has anyone gone to see it yet? #scarathlonphotochallenge #kill #blackcatcrew

An adorable book about a spider that just wants to be a family pet. Always a hit with the kids because they love to scream “Aaaaaaargh! Spider!” #scarathlonphotochallenge #spider #blackcatcrew

We‘ve knocked some #halloweenbucketlist items off the last week or so! Chaperoned mg youngest‘s class trip to the pumpkin patch, had family photos taken, and celebrated with a pumpkin spice latte! #scarathlon2023

My love of horror reading began with the Fear Street books by R.L. Stine. I still remember the exact area of the Shopko where they were displayed - right next to The Babysitters Club books. 😂😂 I‘m sure they are all so cheesy now, but the cover art is still on point! #scarathlonphotochallenge #fear #blackcatcrew

The hold this book had over me in the early 90s. Haha. And then me and my BFF were obsessed with the movie when it came out (we were 13). Classic 😂😂 #scarathlonphotochallenge #vampire #blackcatcrew

I haven‘t read this series yet (I‘ve read Addie LaRue), but I went to an event where V.E. Schwab spoke and I think she is one of the most intelligent people I‘ve ever heard. #scarathlonphotochallenge #magic #blackcatcrew

My all time favorite book. I just love it so much and the Cemetery of Forgotten Books is an amazing idea. The tradition is that when someone visits the cemetery for the first time, he or she must choose a book and adopt it, promising to always keep it alive. If you haven‘t read this, you need to!! #scarathlonphotochallenge #cemetery #blackcatcrew

I‘m not a zombie fan, but I do have this on my #scarathlon TBR. Has anyone read this and what did you think? #scarathlonphotochallenge #zombie #blackcatcrew

Shirley Jackson is the GOAT for spooky season reading! And if you haven‘t watched the miniseries from a few years ago, start it tonight! It‘s so so good. #scarathlonphotochallenge #haunt #blackcatcrew

This middle grade novel about a girl named October living in the woods with dad. When her dad is injured, she has to go live in London with her mom. I‘m definitely adding it to my Scarathlon 2024 TBR! #scarathlonphotochallenge #october #blackcatcrew

It‘s time to sign up for #LMPBC again!! I hope some of you will join me for some BOTM backlog and fantasy/sci-fi reading this time around! Head on over to @suvata for the sign up link!!

This novel about a widow working at an aquarium is simply delightful. The witty and poignant observations about humanity made by the sassy octopus, Marcellus, are a great touch and the straightforward way the mystery elements come together allows for the simple enjoyment of the charming characters and sweet story. This examination of grief and finding friendship in the most unlikely of places has enough charm to warm any heart (or three). 5⭐️

Creepy Carrots is a fave in this house, and this picture book about a sinister purple crayon looks like a winner too! #scarathlonphotochallenge #purple #blackcatcrew

I‘ve earned 14,646 points for the #blackcatcrew so far in #scarathlon2023!!

I‘m off to a promising start for the #outstandingoctober read-a-thon! Hoping to complete my #bookspin, #authoramonth, and #scarathlon buddy reads over the course of the week.

This is a novel that has stayed with me ever since I read it. An unseen entity causes people to develop sudden and violent suicidal tendencies just by looking at it. People flee by hiding in their homes and covering the windows. I think the best part of novels like this is their examination of humanity during extreme crisis. It is often us who are the monsters. #scarathlonphotochallenge #monster #blackcatcrew

I started a chronological read of Stephen King this year, so I won‘t get to re-read this until 2024, but this is King at his best. Three of the novellas in this were adapted into movies. Two of which are classics: “Stand By Me” and “The Shawshank Redemption.” This was the copy I had as a 90s teenager and the stories stick with me to this day. #scarathlonphotochallenge #moon #blackcatcrew

A mysterious circus that only comes at night? Sounds magical (and it is)! This has been on my re-read list for awhile. I hope to get to it soon. 🎪 #scarathlonphotochallenge #night #blackcatcrew

It kind of broke my heart to not give this 5⭐️, but it just didn‘t hit like her previous novels. Following several POVs around a murder and a 20 year old kidnapping while tackling difficult topics like postpartum depression and strained mother-daughter relationships, Feeney foregoes the punch of a thriller for a deeper drama. I was hungry for a Feeney WTF moment which was not delivered, but I did enjoy how she brings the story together. 3⭐️

I am about 50% through this and it is so cute. A perfect cozy read for a rainy day in the PNW. #scarathlonphotochallenge #witch #blackcatcrew

Squirrel is suspicious when he notices the leaves start to go missing from the trees. This is such an adorable book about the changing seasons. 🍁 #scarathlonphotochallenge #orange #blackcatcrew

Alice Feeney is great and her homage to Agatha Christie is a perfect read for spooky season! #scarathlonphotochallenge #dark #blackcatcrew

I have been meaning to read the Sookie Stackhouse novels for years and enjoyed the first several seasons of True Blood (especially Alexander Skarsgard 😂). Maybe next Scarathlon I will finally take the plunge! #scarathlonphotochallenge #coffin #blackcatcrew

This children‘s book about how being different is ok and how we each have a place in the world is delightful! I had never heard of it until my daughter entered Kindergarten and her class read it. It‘s adorable. 🎃 #scarathlonphotochallenge #pumpkin #blackcatcrew

I read the All Souls Trilogy back in 2016 and remember really enjoying it. I think fans of #scarathlon would like it too!! 🎃 #scarathlonphotochallenge #shadow #blackcatcrew

I really love Moore‘s irreverent writing (as a lapsed Catholic, “Lamb” is HILARIOUS). However, I haven‘t read his series about a love story between a female vampire and a mortal. Have you read it? #scarathlonphotochallenge #blood #blackcatcrew

This is strike three for me and this author pairing. I didn‘t like another of their titles and apparently read another one in 2019 and literally don‘t remember a single thing about it. I could not understand the motives of anyone in this book. It was just completely implausible and non-sensical. Shay was also pretty dense for someone with an “analytical mind.” Anyone can write statistics down in a notebook. That doesn‘t make them smart. 😂 2⭐️

This freaked me the hell out. A haunted house story set amidst the more sinister realities of gentrification and racism, this had me ready to sleep with the lights on! Perfect for an October read! #scarathlonphotochallenge #ghost #blackcatcrew

Soft pick. I‘m not sure Moriarty will ever top Big Little Lies, but I did enjoy this novel about a disparate group of people on a wellness retreat. Some of the characters are well-fleshed out and others took me awhile to keep straight. There are some heavy topics explored that caught me off guard. Ultimately, I found the plot and the retreat leader a bit too ridiculous, but I was inspired to fit a silent retreat into my 2024 plans. 😂 3⭐️

Amazing memoir by a former New York City Medical Examiner. I will say more in my forthcoming official review, but this was a 5⭐️ read. #scarathlonphotochallenge #death #dead #blackcatcrew

Finally got my Autumnal Bucket List together!!! Some of this will likely spill into November. I just love this time of year! #scarathlon #halloweenbucketlist #blackcatcrew

Absolutely beautiful book about those that care for us after we‘re gone. Highly recommend! #scarathlonphotochallenge #skeleton #bones #blackcatcrew

I love a black and white cover and the Miss Peregrine‘s Peculiar Children series covers are so striking. #scarathlonphotochallenge #black #blackcatcrew

Kicking off #scarathlon with Silent Book Club (and finishing last month‘s #LMPBC 😬). The cider is loganberry and the popcorn is truffle oil and Parmesan. Delish.