Well, almost. The one month I allow myself to go crazy and read nothing but horror! One of these days I’ll take my bestie’s advice and do some random horror month in like March just to appease my horror needs. Or at the very least just read more throughout the year? Hmmm… or both.

I’ve been hosting Ominous October since 2014 and it’s one of my favorite things ever. This go around, I’ve realized I was quite ambitious in my picks (really long audios and a few really long books… eek.) and especially with all the crazy stuff going on life-wise, these are the ten I’d like to get around to but I’m not holding my breath about getting through the entire list. But who knows! I might turn this slump around and knock out this list and then some. 🙂 I might also just start early. lol

Ghost Story by Peter Straub (532 pages)
I’ve been slowly working my way through all the “classic” horror novels and this is one of them. I’ve heard mixed things but it’s one I’m quite excited about. I love a good ghostie story.

Hell House by Richard Matheson (302 pages)
This has honestly been on my Ominous October plans for like the last 3 years. I have been so. damn. excited. for this book… I love Matheson and I honestly have no freaking idea why I haven’t read this yet. This one is top priority!

Books of Blood: Volumes One to Three by Clive Barker (507 pages)
After thoroughly enjoying The Thief of Always and The Hellbound Heart, I quickly made it my mission to collect all the Clive Barker books. I have all three volumes of this collection that I recently was so excited to find at my used bookstore.

Nightmares and Dreamscapes by Stephen King (992 pages)
I’m still slowly but surely making my way through King’s catalog and I think this might be next up! Looking back over the ones I’ve loved the most and his short story collections are simply incredible.

Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson (208 pages)
The Haunting of Hill House remains one of the books that stand out in my mind that made me start loving horror at an early age. I’ve always wanted to try something else of hers and decided on this one.

The Listener by Robert R. McCammon (10h 27m)
I’ve heard nothing about rave reviews about anything and everything McCammon has written and I have yet to read a single one of them. I’m not sure if this is necessarily the best one to start with, but here goes nothing.

Kill Creek by Scott Thomas (15h 46m)
This was a completely random Audible daily deal pick up but I’m so glad I took the chance. The reviews have me most excited about this one!

Let Me In by John Ajvide Lindqvist (16h 54m)
I’ve been wanting to watch this movie for YEARS because it looks so damn creepy but I keep insisting to myself that I need to read the book first so I figured I should knock that out one of these days.

Lair of Dreams (The Diviners #2) by Libba Bray (20h 12m)
I read (and loved) The Diviners and am currently in the middle of a re-listen because I read it waaaaaaaaay back in 2012 and knew a re-read was the most advisable thing before diving into Lair of Dreams. These are fantastic on audio, January Lavoy does an incredible joy. And boy, are they creepy.

At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft (4h 48m)
I love me some Lovecraft. Lovecraft narrated by the late Edward Herrmann? Even better.

One of the things that I love most about blogging is helping to bring more attention to all the books that manage to fall under the radar. The amazing ones that aren’t nearly as appreciated as they deserve to be. These ten are books that I loved reading and would love to see more people love too.

Past Underrated Gem Posts:

Underrated Gems
Underrated Gems Pt. 2
Underrated Gems Pt. 3

Lightwood (Judah Cannon #1) by Steph Post [Purchase|Review]
100 Goodreads ratings, 32 Amazon ratings

We Are Where the Nightmares Go and Other Stories by C. Robert Cargill [Purchase|Review]
119 Goodreads ratings, 4 Amazon ratings

Witching Hour Theatre by Jonathan Janz [Purchase]
142 Goodreads ratings, 17 Amazon ratings

The Bird Market of Paris: A Memoir by Nikki Moustaki [Purchase|Review]
267 Goodreads ratings, 59 Amazon ratings

The Case of the Baker Street Irregular by Robert Newman [Purchase]
274 Goodreads ratings, 12 Amazon ratings

What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia by Elizabeth Catte [Purchase]
590 Goodreads ratings, 38 Amazon ratings

Something Rich and Strange by Patricia A. McKillip [Purchase]
746 Goodreads ratings, 9 Amazon ratings

Final Girls by Mira Grant [Purchase|Review]
1,008 Goodreads ratings, 51 Amazon ratings

Tighter by Adele Griffin [Purchase]
1,110 Goodreads ratings, 45 Amazon ratings

Love in Mid Air by Kim Wright [Purchase]
1,025 Goodreads ratings, 82 Amazon ratings

A book is #1 on the New York Times bestseller list? I couldn’t care less. A book just won a literary award? I need a copy NOW so I can see what all the fuss is about. (That is unless your book just won the Booker Prize, then, unfortunately, I couldn’t care less.) There is a multitude of literary awards these days and I avidly await the announcement of winners. Sure, the winners aren’t always as amazing as an award would seem to merit, but sometimes those awards shine a spotlight on some real gems.

Here are just ten that I have read and loved, that have been honored with an award, and it’s clear just why that is.

Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature (2016): Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

National Book Award for Young People’s Literature (2015): Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel (2013): American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett

Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Historical Fiction (2013): Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Hugo Award for Best Novel (2009): The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original (2008): Queenpin by Megan Abbott

Bram Stoker Award for First Novel (2007): Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (2007): The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Novel (1987): The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

World Fantasy Award for Best Novel (1987): Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

A book doesn’t require a billion pages to be amazing. Sometimes the best stories have the fewest words. From a mere 4 pages up to 102, these are ten stories in miniature that I couldn’t help but wish for more pages.

Throttle by Joe Hill and Stephen King [Purchase]
The Pigeon by Patrick Süskind [Purchase]
We Have Always Lived on Mars by Cecil Castellucci [Purchase]
Apocalypse Scenario #683: The Box (Newsflesh 0.1) by Mira Grant [Purchase]
If You’re Not Yet Like Me by Edan Lepucki [Purchase]

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe [Purchase]
The End of the Party by Graham Greene
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury
The Dead by James Joyce [Purchase]

It’s never more evident how all over the place my reading picks are than when I do a best of list. Memoir, graphic novel, Dystopian, Romance, Non-Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and even a re-read (and a DNF) of two books I didn’t like the first time around. I’ve got a little bit of everything in this list. Here are my current favorite ten reads for the year… so far. 🙂

I Remember Nothing: and Other Reflections by Nora Ephron
Lady Killer 2 by Joëlle Jones
Scythe (Arc of a Scythe #1) by Neal Shusterman
The Dry (Aaron Falk #1) by Jane Harper
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo #1) by Rick Riordan
Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia by Elizabeth Catte
Lock In (Lock In #1) by John Scalzi
Still Me (Me Before You #3) by Jojo Moyes

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July in the United States and I’m not even in the country! But here’s a fun little red, white, and blue book tower anyways.

Get in Trouble by Kelly Link [Purchase]
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella [Purchase]
The Amulet of Samarkand (Bartimaeus #1) by Jonathan Stroud [Purchase]
Horns by Joe Hill [Purchase]
The Dark Lake (Gemma Woodstock #1) by Sarah Bailey [Purchase]
Instant Love by Jami Attenberg [Purchase]
Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler [Purchase]
Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari [Purchase]
Still Me (Me Before You #3) by Jojo Moyes [Purchase]
Into the Drowning Deep (Rolling in the Deep #1) by Mira Grant [Purchase]

Happy Fourth, everyone.

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is all about those series’ that I’ve called it quits on. It can be hard to finally make that decision to move on, I know that personally, I have a hard time closing the door on a story that you may have spent a lot of time invested in. But hard decisions sometimes have to be made so you can move on to better books. These are just a few of the series that have joined my Series Graveyard.

A Court of Thorns and Roses Series

Last installment read: A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.1)
Man, I really loved this series and A Court of Mist and Fury still remains a favorite but this series went super downhill for me. Starlight (which I recently dubbed Frost and Starshit) was just the nail in the coffin.

Red Queen Series

Last installment read: Red Queen (Red Queen #1)
I didn’t get very far with this one, but I’m okay with that. There just wasn’t enough “special” about this one to keep me invested.

An Ember in the Ashes Series

Last installment read: An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1)
This was a well-loved debut (and still remains a well-loved series) but someone has to be the black sheep. Baaa. Between the extremely slow pace and the excessive (and unnecessary) violence, I didn’t much care for this one and never continued the series.

     
Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children Series

Last installment read: Hollow City (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children #2)
This one is a weird one. The last book I read in this series I rated four stars, however, I’ve practically forgotten everything about this and I didn’t enjoy it enough to warrant a re-read. So here it lies.

Blood and Salt Series

Last installment read: Blood and Salt (Blood and Salt, #1)
This was one of the last horror (YA) books that I read. I’m such a massive horror fan and unfortunately, the majority of YA books are far too tame (and contain too much unnecessary romance.)

Parasitology Series

Last installment read: Symbiont (Parasitology #2)
I never expected to dislike this one as much as I did. Parasites! Contagion! Mira Grant! It still upsets me that I couldn’t even finish this trilogy. So sad.

Love Lies Beneath Series

Last installment read: Love Lies Beneath (Love Lies Beneath, #1)
This is another favorite author of mine that managed to write something I didn’t like. But it happens, I suppose. Maybe it was the lack of verse? Whatever it was, this was terrible, but at least my review was fun to write.

Guards of the Shadowlands Series

Last installment read: Sanctum (Guards of the Shadowlands, #1)
This had been on my TBR for ages and I’d listened to people rave about this series for years. Definitely another black sheep situation. I could barely finish the first installment.

Alphas Series

Last installment read: Origins (Alphas, #0.5)
I’ve heard rumblings that even though this was written a while ago, that a series may happen someday. I love Ilona Andrews so much but this is one series I’ll be skipping out on if it does in fact happen.

Eve Duncan Series

Last installment read: Bonnie (Eve Duncan, #14)
I read this one for many, many years but finally had to call it quits. The 14th installment was meant to be where we finally got all the answers but it was such a cop-out. And then the series continued somehow, even after everything was “resolved”. I’m curious how Johansen kept the story afloat but not interested enough to actually pick up the next book.

These ten are a combination of genres but all include the requisite fluffy bits (for the most part) that my reading lists typically tend to lack. I searched for the term “Beach” from past posts and had a good laugh at all the planned reading lists I made solely to be read by the beach… and how few of them ended up getting read. Oh well, good intentions are great and all, but here’s hoping these actually get read? And maybe I actually go to the beach?

The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle [Purchase]
Bad at Love by Karina Halle [Purchase]
How to Bake a Perfect Life by Barbara O’Neal [Purchase]
The First Husband by Laura Dave [Purchase]
Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian [Purchase]

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid [Purchase]
A Night to Surrender (Spindle Cove #1) by Tessa Dare [Purchase]
The Duke’s Perfect Wife (Mackenzies & McBrides #4) by Jennifer Ashley [Purchase]
Broken Dove (Fantasyland #4) by Kristen Ashley [Purchase]
A Kiss to Remember by Teresa Medeiros [Purchase]

I’ve got a trip of a lifetime coming up in a few short weeks: 11 days in Ireland. I’ve never been overseas so this is a really big deal. Naturally, I’ve already scoped out all of the literary things I need to make sure to do while I’m there. 🙂 In terms of Irish/Ireland literature, I haven’t read a whole lot. I’ve compiled a list of ten that should help me keep the memories of the hopefully amazing time I’m about to have alive in my mind.

In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad #1) by Tana French [Purchase]
Haunted Ground (Nora Gavin #1) by Erin Hart [Purchase]
Walk the Blue Fields: Stories by Claire Keegan [Purchase]
The Last Four Days of Paddy Buckley: A Novel by Jeremy Massey [Purchase]
The Ruin (Cormac Reilly #1) by Dervla McTiernan [Purchase]

A Swift Pure Cry by Siobhan Dowd [Purchase]
The Glorious Heresies (Ryan Cusack #1) by Lisa McInerney [Purchase]
City of Bohane by Kevin Barry [Purchase]
The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly [Purchase]
Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern [Purchase]

Do you have any well-loved books set in Ireland you’d like to recommend? I’m all ears!

It’s taken me a long time to finally be as okay as I am with DNF-ing. It was always a tie between worrying that I wasn’t in the right mood and that it really wasn’t the book’s fault and between simply giving up *right* before it finally got good, of course. Occasionally, there are even instances where I’ve listened to the audiobook and it’s possible it would have gone over a lot better in physical. Those are the ones that really bother me (there are a good number of those).

Honestly, it’s really quite simple: we all read for the enjoyment of reading. If you’re not enjoying yourself then what are you even doing? But despite my new (yet still occasionally rocky) outlook on reading, there are some that I can’t help but wonder if I quit too soon.

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) by Holly Black [Purchase]
Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo [Purchase]
Written in Red (The Others #1) by Anne Bishop [Purchase]
A Promise of Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles #1) by Amanda Bouchet [Purchase]
The Last Adventure of Constance Verity (Constance Verity #1) by A. Lee Martinez [Purchase]

Authority (Southern Reach #2) by Jeff VanderMeer [Purchase]
Wolf Hall (Thomas Cromwell Trilogy #1) by Hilary Mantel [Purchase]
The Lake House by Kate Morton [Purchase]
Rotters by Daniel Kraus [Purchase]
Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin [Purchase]

Alright, so are there any on here that you’d like to convince me to give a second chance to? 😉