Halloween Book Recommendations 2015

I absolutely love Autumn and Halloween as soon as October 1st hits I make a TBR pile of all of the scary, thrilling reads that I want to read for the season. Every year I love to share some of the amazing books that I've been reading in the hopes that there might be something that interests you that you'd like to check out for Halloween. All books mentioned have been read and loved by me and I think they'd each make a great Halloween read!

YA

Darkmere by Helen Maslin 

I read Darkmere when it first came out this summer and it was one of those books that whilst I was reading it I was kicking myself for not saving it until Halloween because it's the perfect gothic horror story for this time of year, but I wasn't too sad because I was enjoying it so much! This is a UKYA ghost story about a curse that hangs over Darkmere castle and is told in alternate chapters between the past and present day as two young girls come to spend time there. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves gritty contemporary YA with a sinister edge!

The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich 

The Dead House is by far the scariest YA book that I've ever read and is therefore perfect for Halloween! It's about two girls who exist in the same body Carly gets the day but when night comes Kaitlyn takes over. This is one of those books where you're never really sure what is going on or what to believe and it really keeps you on your toes throughout. The book itself is beautifully made and presented and is well worth checking out if you love YA psychological thrillers.

Monster by C.J. Skuse 

Monster has everything that you could want in a YA thriller, it's set in a modern day boarding school in an isolated snowy landscape with legend of a killer beast prowling in the school’s grounds. It's basically the book that my goosebumps-loving teenage self would have been all over. It builds in intensity as the book goes on as you're not sure what kind of beast has made the characters their target. Just don't make the same mistake that I did and read this before bed!

The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle 

The Accident Season is probably the least scary book on this list. It's more atmospherically unsettling than it is thrilling or scary but the gloomy tone of it fits the Halloween season perfectly. The book follows a family who are cursed to be accident prone during the month of October - this can range from anything from bruises and grazes to more serious accidents. This is moody, eerie, magical realism at its best and is perfect for cold October nights. 

Adult

The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson 

This is a book that I finished reading just a few hours ago and so has only just made this list! The Kind Worth Killing is an unputdownable game of cat and mouse only you're never sure who is the cat and who is the mouse in this game. This book had some brilliant twists and lots of action throughout. If you're looking for a thriller to lose sleep over this is the one!

The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne 

I read The Ice Twins back in January but even now when I see somebody reading it I get excited for them. The book is about twin girls Lydia and Kirstie one of them died a year ago and one of them survived, but who? If you like books about creepy children then this is one for you. It left me really unsettled and has a very satisfying ending.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins 

So I'm pretty sure that everybody and their mother has read The Girl on the Train already or has, at the very least, heard of it but this list would be incomplete without giving this one a mention. It has been the Gone Girl of 2015 and for good reason. I was lucky enough to read this early last year before it came out and have watched the hype build and build for this one knowingly. If for some reason you haven't yet picked up this book Halloween is the perfect time to do so.

How I Lost You by Jenny Blackhurst 

How I Lost You is possibly the most dark and twisted book on this list. Just when you think this book couldn't get any more twisted it does just that! This is about a woman who has just been released after serving time for the murder of her baby son Dylan only to receive an envelope with a picture of her baby boy now as a toddler. With no memory of the crime she was convicted of she sets out to find out what really happened and to find out if her son could really be alive. The synopsis for this one had me intrigued straight away and the book definitely lived up to it!

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware 

This is another book that I was completely addicted to and could not put down! Although I admittedly figured out the plot twist for this one fairly early on it didn't ruin the enjoyment of the book for me. I loved the dark atmosphere and isolated setting deep in the woods it was like watching a horror movie unfold on the page. If you love those books where the characters are trapped with nowhere to run and you just know something awful is going to happen and it's all going to end very badly then this is the book for you this Halloween.

The Lie by C.L. Taylor 

C.L. Taylor is one of my favourite thriller writers and her latest one this year The Lie didn't let me down! The Lie centers around a girls holiday that goes terribly wrong. It's very mystery driven so I won't give anything more away than that other than that this is a really dark and twisted book that really played on my mind!

 I hope my picks have given you some ideas for what to read this Halloween! I'd love to know what would make your list. 

 Happy Halloween!

The Scary and Supernatural: My Top Picks for Halloween Reading 2014!

I don't know about you but I love diving into some darker reads during the build up to Halloween! I love lighting a fall candle and getting snuggled under my blanket with either a scary or supernatural book to celebrate the season. Today I'm sharing the books that I think would make perfect Halloween reading for anybody looking for books to add to their TBR. I'm separating my picks by genre so there's something here for everyone ranging from horror to paranormal. All books mentioned have been read and enjoyed by me.

Horror 

Red Hill by Jamie McGuire 

Red Hill was my favourite Halloween read of last year. This is a thrilling adult apocalyptic horror fest that's perfect for fans of The Walking Dead or the movie Contagion. This book balances out nail biting survival with characters you'll fall in love with which only makes the worry that they're not all going to make it escalate. I was absolutely gripped by this zombie novel with heart!

Say Her Name by James Dawson 

Say Her Name has been hailed as the creepiest YA book ever written. This is James Dawson's take on the legend of Bloody Mary and he does it so well by including everything you'd associate with horror: a creepy boarding school, graveyard, dripping taps and an asylum as well as the book taking place over the Halloween period. Say Her Name is everything you could want in a scary Halloween read.

 Adult Thriller 

Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas 

Mother, Mother is a deeply unsettling read. It's not as fast paced as some thrillers out there but it's one that creeps under your skin without you realizing it. I felt so uneasy reading this story about a highly dysfunctional family and was never really sure who to trust. Is Josephine a loving and attentive mother? Or a manipulative monster ruining her children's lives? This one left me chilled. 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 

This book is everywhere at the minute and with the film now out (which is also excellent) there's really no better time to pick up this book if you haven't already! I read this one very recently and at first found it slow - but stick with it! Once you're about half way through you get completely sucked into the crazy and won't want to put it down. 

 YA Thriller 

The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher 

This is another book that I read last Halloween. The Killing Woods has a brilliant 'whodunnit' mystery surrounding a game played by teenagers in the local woods. Lucy Christopher's gorgeous writing really brings the woods themselves to life and makes them an ominous setting thick with atmosphere. This is certainly one of the more chilling YA Thrillers I've read. 

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian 

Don't be fooled by the pretty pink cover! If you love Pretty Little Liars you are going to want to get on this series. Although lighter in tone compared to the other books on this list it still packs a punch as three girls take their lust for revenge too far. I found this book impossible to put down and can't wait to read the last book in the series Ashes to Ashes this Halloween! 

 Paranormal 

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke 

This book is gothic paranormal romance at its best. Eerie and grim Tucholke spins a story of a girl who loses her heart to the worst kind of boy. Usually this kind of romance rubs me the wrong way but this one really worked for me as it matches the unsettling atmosphere of the rest of the book. Twisted and sinister is putting it lightly.

Trial By Fire by Josephine Angelini 

I couldn't not include this book! Although not particularly scary it puts a fresh new spin on witchcraft and Salem and is one of my favourite paranormal reads of this year. If you're looking for something really different in the paranormal genre this Halloween then I urge you to pick this one up!

I hope my picks have given you some ideas for what to read this Halloween! I'd love to know what would make your list. I just started The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey and am really enjoying it. 

 Happy Halloween!

Letterbox Love (41) They're Back!

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey @ Narratively Speaking for UK based book bloggers to showcase the books that they’ve received each week.

I'm so happy to be bringing back book hauls to the blog this week! Back in May I explained that I wouldn't be doing them for a while whilst we were decorating and my books were everywhere and now we're all done and my books are back together again on my gorgeous new bookcases. I won't be showing everything I've got since May because that would be ridiculous so instead I'll be starting fresh with the books I've bought and received over the last two weeks.

Us by David Nicholls (For Review)
One Day is one of my all time favourite books and I've been waiting and waiting for another David Nicholls book for years. The wait is finally over and I was thrilled to find that the publisher had sent me a signed copy!
Talon by Julie Kagawa (ARC, Borrowed)
I'm borrowing this one from my lovely friend Jasprit which reminds me that I really need to get to it soon as Rach is waiting to borrow it next! Kagawa's books tend to be hit or miss with me but this one has DRAGONS so we'll see how I get on with it.
My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins (For Review)
Our gorgeous UK cover, Christmas and several of my favourite authors. I'm freaking excited you guys! I'm waiting until November before making a start on this one.
I Was Here by Gayle Forman (Proof, For Review)
When this dropped through my letterbox earlier today I got some very worried looks from my family because I was squawking and flapping my arms about like a seagull. This is one of my most anticipated 2015 releases and I'm so made up to have a proof copy! I don't think I'll be able to wait long before starting this.

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson (Bought)
I have wanted to read one of Sanderson's books since forever and I've almost bought one so many times. I believe this is a new YA series from him and so I decided to finally, finally give him a go.
Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian (For Review)
This is another book where my inner seagull was out in full force! I love this series and am so excited to see how everything ends. I'll be reading this one very soon.
Sublime by Christina Lauren (For Review)
I hadn't originally heard of this book until the publisher emailed me about it and based on the synopsis alone I decided to give it a go! Although I have to say after some research I much prefer the US cover.

This Autumn I have been on such a thriller kick and it all started when I read Gone Girl last month. Since then I've been straying away from my review pile once a week and diving into a thriller. I've got a little pile that I've been working my way through which has made for perfect October reading. I'm currently reading and enjoying Before I Go To Sleep and if you have any recommendations for what I should pick up after I've finished these three I'd love to know!
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (Bought)
The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey (Bought)
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes (Bought)

 As always thank you to the lovely publishing folk for the review copies. If you decided to do a Letterbox Love, Book Haul, IMM, Showcase Sunday, Mailbox Monday or whatever else featuring the books you got this week leave me a link as I’d love to check out your books too! ^_^ 

 Happy reading till next time!

Review for Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas

Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas 
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release: 16th January 2014
Genre: Adult Fiction, Psychological Thriller
Source: Bought




Summary: 

"Meet the Hurst Family.

Meet Violet Hurst -16 years old, beautiful and brilliant. So why is she being accused of being a danger to herself and others? 

Meet her brother Will Hurst – the smartest and sweetest twelve-year old boy around. But does he really need all that medication he is being told to take?

Meet oldest sister Rose – the one who got away. She disappeared one night in her final year of school, never to be heard from again.

And then meet their mother – Josephine. Perhaps it will then all start to make sense."

Review 
Psychological Thrillers are an old love of mine but unfortunately I don’t read them as often as I used to. However, when I read the synopsis for Mother, Mother it sounded just like the dark and menacing read I was after and so after reading some glowing reviews for the book I decided to give it a try. Mother, Mother is the kind of book that crawls under your skin without you realizing it. It’s not the kind of thriller that’s fast paced and full of twists but rather one that makes you feel uneasy and suspicious of every character. It’s so compelling that it practically turns the pages itself as you dive deeper into the world of this deeply dysfunctional family and their twisted relationships.

The book is told from two of the Hurst children’s point of views with oldest daughter Rose having recently run away from home and escaping their mothers clutches. Will is a twelve-year-old autistic boy who has withdrawn so much from the world that his mother and her approval is all that really matters to him. Then there’s Will’s older sister Violet the middle child in the family who’s recently been sectioned in a mental health unit due to a crime against her brother that she has no recollection of committing.

Will and Violet are both such unreliable narrators that you’re never quite sure what to believe especially when the different accounts on their home life begin to clash. Trying to piece together exactly what’s going on in that household made captivating reading.

All members of the Hurst family are broken, flawed and interesting characters to read about. None more so than mother Josephine who really is the puppeteer behind their family and the perfect façade they show the world. I won’t say too much about Josephine other than she’s an incredibly clever individual who kept me guessing throughout the book. Is she the loving and attentive mother that Will adores? Or the deranged psychopath who is ruining Violet’s life?

The only thing that let this book down for me was the ending. I would have liked something a little more surprising and sinister to have taken this book to new heights.

Overall Mother, Mother was a chilling and thought provoking read that proves that you never really know what’s going on behind closed doors.