Kiddos in Disguise

Halloween is tomorrow, but we'll be busy with family and trick-or-treating and pumpkin carving -- ya know, all the fun stuff -- so we thought we'd do the requisite Halloween post today. =)

Over the years, Katie has been a lot of different characters. There was her first Halloween, when she was a ladybug.

And the next year, she was an adorable black kitty cat.

The following year, we went to a costume party for Halloween, and she was a ridiculously cute -- and not at all creepy -- garden gnome. (Daddy's the scary guy in the mask. :D)

Katie was really into Lalaloopsie there for awhile, and so on her fourth Halloween, she was Feather Pillowbed.

Like all little girls, Katie's also gone through a princess phase. I don't think this one has ended yet.

Last year was the year my older sister dubbed "The Year of the Elsas" because 80% of little girls dressed up as the Frozen character, including Katie.

But this year, this year, Katie's going as one of my favorite characters.

We went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter this year for Spring Break, and of course, I couldn't say no when Katie wanted Hermione's wand, a robe, and her very own broom. So, I made a deal with her then that she would have to be everyone's favorite girl genius for Halloween this year in order to get those things. My sister kept side-eyeing me and whispering that I could get that stuff so much cheaper on Amazon, but Katie wanted to be Hermione in that moment while we were walking around the park, and I didn't go all that way and spend all that money to deny her that. ;0)

I love seeing Katie through the years in these pictures. It makes me nostalgic and glad that I still have some time before she's grown up and won't want to dress up for trick-or-treating any more. (It also makes me want to invent a way to stop time, to keep her from getting any older. I kind of feel like Beverly Goldberg in this moment. :P)

Yay!!!! Happy Early Halloween! This is one of our favorite times of year in my house. Fall is just magical, especially here in Pennsylvania. The colors are to die for.

Aubrey has also dressed as many things over the years, and it's kinda nostalgic looking through all the pics to do this post. My gosh, I miss when she was a little thing. For her first Halloween, we dressed her as Princess Leia.

She was really obsessed with remote controls at the time. lol. The following year, she was a bumble bee.

That year, it rained so hard. We had to trick or treat at the Nursing home where Brian's Aunt was.

Then, there was the classic witch costume. She was thrilled to be having her picture taken.

She then went through a fairy phase. Back to back. lol. She ended up going full circle and dressed as a witch again last year, but I can't find a good pic. Only ones of her bundled up with her coat over it.

This year, she decided on the Live Action Cinderella move costume. Where she gets married.

I took this last weekend right before our Halloween Party. She looked beautiful, though I may be biased. I can't get over how grown up she's looking these days. Why do they have to grow up so darn fast!!!

We hope you all have a safe and happy Halloween! Be wary of things that go bump in the night, and don't eat too much candy!

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Labels: aubrey, halloween, holidays, katiebug

Review: Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace

Author: Kali Wallace
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: January 26th, 2016
Source: Received for review from publisher via Edelwiess
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

For fans of Holly Black and Nova Ren Suma, a gripping, hauntingly atmospheric novel about murder, revenge, and a world where monsters—human and otherwise—lurk at the fringes.

When seventeen-year-old Breezy Lin wakes up in a shallow grave one year after her death, she doesn’t remember who killed her or why. All she knows is that she’s somehow conscious—and not only that, she’s able to sense who around her is hiding a murderous past. In life, Breezy was always drawn to the elegance of the universe and the mystery of the stars. Now she must set out to find answers and discover what is to become of her in the gritty, dangerous world to which she now belongs—where killers hide in plain sight and a sinister cult is hunting for strange creatures like her. What she finds is at once empowering, redemptive, and dangerous.

Tense, complex, and wholly engaging, Shallow Graves is a stunning first novel from Kali Wallace .

I know Shallow Graves doesn't come out until January, but I just had to read it early because... Halloween! :) It certainly did not disappoint when it comes to the creepy factor. That's for sure.

I have to say, I liked it. I'm still stewing on it a bit, because it was so different. I don't read a ton of books like this. I like your mushy romantic type stories. There isn't any romance here, so if your looking for that, look elsewhere.

I didn't go into this story expecting love. I expected a zombie.. a zombie isn't what I got though. I mean, I guess that might kinda be what she is.. but not. Breezy is an interesting creature and I was kinda digging what she could do and sense. I felt so bad for her. I mean, the poor girl wakes up a year after being murdered. That can't be pleasant.

This story is basically about her trying to discover what she is and how she became that way. I'm not lie, there were some slow spots.. but I feel like it was my confusion dragging me down. It was hard to wrap my head around the people/creatures she runs into on her journey. I'm still not sure I've fully grasped wtf was happening, but it was an entertaining ride at least.

I think my biggest problem was... it started out with a certain feel to it. And then all of a sudden, she ends up at this place and it becomes a totally different kind of book than I thought it would be. But it's great for this time of year. There is some creepy shit going on. Overall, I did enjoy the story. Especially for this time of year. :)

About the author:

Kali Wallace studied geology and geophysics before she decided she enjoyed inventing
imaginary worlds as much as she liked researching the real one. Her short fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, F&SF, Asimov's, Lightspeed Magazine, and Tor.com. Her first novel will be published by Katherine Tegen Books in 2016. She lives in southern California.

Find Kali:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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Labels: creepy, ghouls, halloween, Katherine Tegen books, living dead, murder, review, Shallow Graves

{TTT} Books to Keep You Up at Night

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the awesome ladies at The Broke and the Bookish. Apparently, they are overly fond of list-making and love to share their bookish lists with the rest of us book nerds.  =) We're game.

This week's topic is a Halloween-themed freebie.
(10 best ghost stories, 10 things that scare you in books, 10 literary Halloween costumes, 10 vampire novels, 10 books that WILL scare you, 10 non-scary books for Halloween, 10 scariest covers, etc.)

Jen's Picks:

I love re-reading some of my favorite creepy reads this time of year, and the snapshot above has it all: aliens, vampires, zombies, red-haired devil boys, magic, ghosts, gargoyles, demons…if you were scared of it as a child, it's included. =)

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - ravens, ghosts, psychics, murder & mayhem
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke - that red-headed devil boy I mentioned
Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan - magic, a sleepy English town and murder most foul, plus HUMOR
The Diviners by Libba Bray - ghosts, murder, magic, all manner of special abilities
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan - zombies!!!
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride - HUMOR and dead things
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake - a vengeful ghost and sarcasm to boot
Arclight by Josin L. McQuein - a futuristic nightmare of a story featuring nanobots that utterly creeped me out
The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan - gargoyles and Victorian charm and demons
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - genocidal aliens masquerading as humans
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black - scary-ass vampires

And might I recommend the following anthology -- edited by one of my favorite authors -- which just released in August? It's seriously got something horrible for everyone. :P

Other spooky posts here at The Starry-Eyed Revue that might interest you:

Bookish Costume Ideas
Recommended Halloween Reads
Scary Covers and Freaky Reads

What are your favorite books to read at Halloween? Be sure to share a link to your TTT post so we can visit!

And something to amuse you because it always amuses me:

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Labels: creepy, halloween, scary reads, top ten tuesday

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop 2015 - INTERNATIONAL!!!

Big thanks to Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer for organizing this hop!

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays and I've always loved joining on this hop to share my love of the holiday -- and my love of scary reads! Below is a list of creepy books you can choose your prize from. Some I've read and some I'm dying to read but all sound perfect for this time of year! And if you're just looking for some scary recommendations, check out our Halloween recs post from last year.

Rules:

• This giveaway is international. As long as The Book Depository ships to your location and the book is available from them, you are good to go. (You can double-check that here.) 
• One entry per household. 
• Entries will be verified. Any entry found to be falsified will result in disqualification of all entries for that participant.
• Please note that if you use your Twitter account solely for giveaway entries and you enter using the Tweet about the Giveaway entry, that entry will be disqualified. Please remember that this entry method is to spread the word about the giveaway, not simply increase your chances of winning.
• Winner will be notified via email. Winner will then have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected. Please check your SPAM folder!!! 
• We are not responsible for lost packages. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now that you've entered here, be sure to check out all of the other stops on the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop:



Thanks for entering & happy reading!

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Labels: creepy, funfunfun, giveaway hops, giveaways, halloween, scary reads

{Review} There's Something Horrible for Everyone in SLASHER GIRLS & MONSTER BOYS by @apriltucholke

Title: Slasher Girls & Monster Boys
Author: Stories selected by April Genevieve Tucholke
Narrator(s): Robbie Daymond, Emma Bering, Nora Hunter, Jorjeana Marie, Julia Whelan & MacLeod Andrews
Series: n/a, horror anthology
Length: 13 hrs 12 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
Publication Date: August 18, 2015
Source: borrowed audio from library
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

For fans of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Lois Duncan, and Daphne Du Maurier comes a powerhouse anthology featuring some of the best writers of YA thrillers and horror.

A host of the smartest young adult authors come together in this collection of scary stories and psychological thrillers curated by Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’s April Genevieve Tucholke.

Each story draws from a classic tale or two—sometimes of the horror genre, sometimes not—to inspire something new and fresh and terrifying. There are no superficial scares here; these are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat. From bloody horror to supernatural creatures to unsettling, all-too-possible realism, this collection has something for any reader looking for a thrill.

Fans of TV’s The Walking Dead, True Blood, and American Horror Story will tear through tales by these talented authors:

Stefan Bachmann
Leigh Bardugo
Kendare Blake
A. G. Howard
Jay Kristoff
Marie Lu
Jonathan Maberry
Danielle Paige
Carrie Ryan
Megan Shepherd
Nova Ren Suma
McCormick Templeman
April Genevieve Tucholke
Cat Winters

I find it really interesting to listen to anthologies these days. I still want a physical copy of this book for my shelves so I can leaf through it and re-read my favorite stories when I'm in the mood for a little horror or need to share a good scary story. But there's just something about hearing these creepy tales from some of my favorite authors…and having some of my favorite narrators give voice to the things that go bump in the night...

The Birds of Azalea Street by Nova Ren Suma - 3.5 stars
I think using this story to kick off the anthology was a brilliant idea. Nova's writing style is always eerily beautiful. It's not gory but still just creepy enough in the most human way. I don't know if it would have had the same impact if I'd read it after some of the others in this collection.

In the Forest Dark and Deep by Carrie Ryan - 5 stars
This story was inspired by Alice in Wonderland and it was epically epic in its creepiness. It seems like one thing and then morphs into something else, and I kind of loved it. The use of flashbacks only served to make the story seem even more otherworldly. Dat white rabbit, tho!

Emmeline by Cat Winters - 3.5 stars
I liked the writing style in this one, but I just found it too predictable. I just didn't connect with it, though the French accent the narrator used was lovely. I'm also not all that familiar with the stories that served as the inspiration for this piece, so that could have been responsible for some of the disconnect.

Verse Chorus Verse by Leigh Bardugo - 2.5 stars
I thought for sure this would be one of my favorites of the collection because of who the author is, but I was underwhelmed. It was eerie to an extent, but it never gave me chills or anything like so many of the other stories did, and I know that Bardugo can write such darkness into her story if she deigns to. Maybe it was because she was tackling a contemporary setting instead of her usual fantasy? Whatever the case, this story left me feeling very meh.

Hide and Seek by Megan Shepherd - 4 stars
I have a thing for Death personified. Or harbingers of Death. Really, anything where Death or the Afterlife is involved. And games of chance. This story was kind of fun, all things considered, but it was also dark, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

The Dark, Scary Parts and All by Danielle Paige - 4 stars
I didn't know what to expect from this story because I read the prequel novella to Dorothy Must Die and I enjoyed it so little that I didn't continue the series. But I actually found that I enjoyed this addition to the anthology, despite the fact that I figured out the twist pretty early on. But I do tend to connect to characters who embrace both the light and dark within. ;0)

The Flicker, the Fingers, the Beat, the Sigh by April Genevieve Tucholke - 4.5 stars
Tucholke really knows how to build up to the creepy after just a hint of it in the very beginning of the story, especially with all the talk of "best scary movies", etc., between the characters throughout. That only adds to the atmosphere and sense of foreboding. And the not knowing...eeek!

Fat Girl With a Knife by Jonathan Maberry - 3 stars
Typical zombie story. I haven't read anything by this author previously, but I'm interested...mostly because of the character development. Dahlia was fierce but compassionate in spite of all of the bullying she'd succumbed to, and she makes a frighteningly good zombie killer.

Sleepless by Jay Kristoff - 5 stars
Dude. It's scary to get inside the head of a killer. Even scarier that Kristoff does it so well. Though, he did have a hand in creating the homicidal AI in Illuminae, so it shouldn't come as a surprise. I liked the inspiration for this one, as well, though I was also reminded of that Supernatural episode Houses of the Holy with the supposed avenging angel.

M by Stefan Bachmann - 3.5 stars
M is for murder. Mwahaha. I didn't get any creepy vibes from this story...just an urgent need to help Mischa discover the murderer's identity before it was too late. The story felt very much on the surface, like I could have read an entire book based on this premise and still never connected with it more than I did in this short story. It was rather bland to me.

The Girl Without a Face by Marie Lu - 3 stars
I love stories that totally lead me astray in the beginning, only to throw the shocking truth at me later. I also like stories where characters get their comeuppance. Marie Lu has proven to me time and again that she can write characters who are unaware of what they are, who struggle with right and wrong. But I most enjoy the characters who leave me on the fence, deserving of my contempt but also strangely deserving of my appreciation.

A Girl Who Dreamed of Snow by McCormick Templeman - 3.5 stars
Short, sweet and to the point. There are those who think that one sacrifice is worthier than another, and this story serves to highlight that fact. Magic, sacrifice, hunters...I can't pinpoint what exactly helped me to connect to this story more than others in the collection. I just know that I did.

Stitches by A.G. Howard - 4.5 stars
Most Frankenstein retellings I've encountered -- and I haven't read all that many -- focus on the brothers' relationship to validate the need to revive a person using some crazy science and medicine. This Frankenstein story, however, stems from a family's need to survive a tremendous loss that leaves them broken beyond repair and another family's need for redemption. Equal parts tragic and eerie, this story reminded me of why I like Howard's writing so much. She touches on many of the same themes as the original tale, from inconsolable grief to what makes a person human.

On the I-5 by Kendare Blake - 2.5 stars
I just did not connect with the voice in this story. Not as the main character described the monsters and not when it became apparent that she was a monster herself. I expected the anthology to end with a bang of a story, but it sort of just fizzled. Maybe I'm biased, though, because hitch-hiking seriously weirds me out. :P

I am sososo glad I listened this anthology. I may never look at some of the narrators the same again, but that just means they did their job thoroughly. ;0) I mean, obviously it appealed to every little evil bone in my body, but it's just such a good collection of stories. There's really, truly, honestly something for everyone in this anthology. And now I reeeeeally can't wait for April's new book in 2016 -- Wink Poppy Midnight -- because she makes reading creepy, abhorrent things such a delightful experience.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

April Genevieve Tucholke is a full-time writer who digs classic movies, redheaded villains, big kitchens, and discussing murder at the dinner table. She and her husband—a librarian, former rare-book dealer, and journalist—live in Oregon. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is her first novel.

Find April:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

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Labels: anthology, april genevieve tucholke, favorite authors, favorites, halloween, horror, must-read, penguin, scary reads