Nightmare City {Spooky Reviews}

As we come to the end of this spookiest of months, here is one final review for you.

Read it... if you dare...

Nightmare City



Genre: YA thriller... mystery... thing?  I guess?
Author: Andrew Klavan
Content: Mentions of self-harm, a soldier dying, and gunshot wounds.
Main Character: Tom Harding

Brief Overview:
Tom is a reporter for his school's newspaper.  Recently he published a story that was somewhat controversial and was met with backlash from the community.  One morning, he wakes up to find his house empty and a strange fog roiling outside.  What happens next will change his life forever.

What I Thought:

I stayed up until 1 in the morning to finish this book.  Because I thought, at 11 or so, "oh, I'll just pick this up for a bit and then read more tomorrow".  Like a complete reading newbie.  I should know better.  I couldn't put it down.
The plot of this book was very well done.  The writing left a little to be desired, but HOLY COW THAT PLOT. 
It granted me the pleasure of my favorite reading experience: figuring out what's going to happen seconds before it does.  But I didn't see the ending coming.  Not at all.
And that's all I'm going to say because I don't want to spoil this book and I feel like it would be easy to spoil.


The Characters:

I'm really only going to talk about Tom because he's pretty much the only one we really get to know in this book.  I came to like Tom throughout the story.  I actually disliked him at the beginning, but I think that's just because he's so different from me.  But he really handled the whole situation really well, I have to say.  So I have to admire that.


Favorite Quote:
He thought he saw the whole painting recovered in its frame: Christ crucified, the rivulets of blood streaming down from under his crown of thorns. 
"But you died," Tom said to him. "You died and went to heaven."
"No," the eyes answered. "I lived. That's the whole point. I lived. And now you have to live, Tom."


Overall Rating: 4.5 metal baseball bats out of 5


Happy Halloween, everyone! Also known as the day before the best holiday of the year, Half-price Candy Day!
~ Abby

Favorite Quotes ~ October

Hello friends!  This is something that I've been wanting to try for a little while now, and I figured now was as good a time as any, as I found some really beautiful quotes this month!

Basically, I've been wanting to share some of my favorite quotes from the books I've been reading, movies I've been watching, songs I've been listening to, or just quotes that I found this month.  For October, it'll just be books, but I'll probably have more in the coming months.  Enjoy!

 

~ Abby

The Nightmare Before Christmas {Spooky Reviews}

Welcome again, mortals, to another spooky review.

Today's review is of a film that is considered a Halloween staple, but Abby has only seen this current October.  And without further introduction, let's begin.

The Nightmare Before Christmas



Hey, y'all, your local Disney nerd has finally seen this film!  And... I'm not sure that I liked it all that much.  But I'm here to get my thoughts down, so here we go.

Brief Overview:
Jack is King of the Pumpkin Patch, but after yet another successful Halloween, he is feeling unsatisfied in his life.  When he accidentally stumbles into Christmas Town, he becomes determined to take over that holiday to give himself more fulfillment.

What I Thought:

I enjoyed watching this film.  I watched it with my little brother, which meant I had a good time.  I did know some of the songs already, so that led to some fun sing-along moments.  And I will say, it was sufficiently spooky.  Oogie Boogie, y'all.  *shivers*
But my main problem with this film was that it left me with more questions than answers.  How did the rivalry between Jack and Oogie Boogie start?  How did Lock, Shock, and Barrel start working for him?  How did the doctor create Sally?  Where is this forest with the trees that lead to different holidays?  Do the citizens of the towns never age?  If so, are the children in them always children?  Was Jack a child once?  JUST. SO MANY QUESTIONS.

The Characters

Jack Skellington -

Jack is, to be quite honest, an idiot.  I mean... he's trying his best... but he's really an idiot.  Just BE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU HAVE, PLEASE.  PLEASE. But really, he's a pretty good protagonist. And I mean, you have to admire his stick-to-it-ivness.

Sally -

Sally is my fave.  She's just.  So good? And so pure?  And she just wants to help and be included and she's so sweet I love her so much.  Also her song is really pretty.


Favorite Quote:
"Jack, please, I'm only an elected official here, I can't make decisions by myself!


Overall Rating: 3.5 citizens of Halloweentown out of 5

I did enjoy this, and I'm glad that I can say I've seen it.  But it wasn't my favorite movie ever.  And I doubt it ever will be.  But hey, at least now I'll understand all the references.  Yay.

Have you seen this movie?  What did you think?  Let me know down below!

~ Abby

The Seer of Shadows {Spooky Reviews}

Hello and welcome, foolish mortals, to the first of these most spooky reviews. 

(In other words, Abby's been in a spooky mood as of late, thus has been reading/watching spooky things, and wanted to review them... and is apparently talking about herself in the third person.)

Basically, this will be a few reviews of some of the spooky media I'm consuming this Halloween season.  And I don't even really celebrate Halloween, but I've been in the mood to get in the spirit (haha, makes the same pun that I've already made) of the "holiday".  Plus, I do really enjoy mysteries and this is the perfect time of year for those.  So yeah. Without further introduction, let's get into the review.


The Seer of Shadows



Genre: Historical fiction/supernatural/mystery
Author: Avi
Content: Ghosts, mention of child abuse, a few deaths
Main Character: Horace Carpentine

Brief Overview:
(I'm stealing this from Goodreads because it describes it way better than I could.)

     The time is 1872. The place is New York City. Horace Carpetine has been raised to believe in science and rationality. So as apprentice to Enoch Middleditch, a society photographer, he thinks of his trade as a scientific art. But when wealthy society matron Mrs. Frederick Von Macht orders a photographic portrait, strange things begin to happen.
      Horace's first real photographs reveal a frightful likeness: it's the image of the Von Machts' dead daughter, Eleanora.
     Pegg, the Von Machts' black servant girl, then leads him to the truth about who Eleanora really was and how she actually died. Joined in friendship, Pegg and Horace soon realize that his photographs are evoking both Eleanora's image and her ghost. Eleanora returns, a vengeful wraith intent on punishing those who abused her.
     Rich in detail, full of the magic of early photography, here is a story about the shadows, visible and invisible, that are always lurking near.

What I Thought:
 
(^ both are accurate representations of me to myself through most of this book, tbh)

I've loved this book for a long time.  And I could never figure out why.  I'm not typically a fan of ghost stories, as I don't believe in ghosts.  But especially recently, I've found myself more and more able to separate myself from stories I'm experiencing and just enjoy.  And this, I think, is one of those instances.
This book is so cool.  The whole ghost thing aside, the history lesson this book offers is so fascinating.  Because it teaches so much about early photography in such an understandable way.  And it shows an interesting take on society at the time through the eyes of someone we don't see represented a lot in fiction about this time period.  The whole apprenticeship thing was so neat to see (even though Middleditch is kind of a jerk... but we'll let that slide because Horace is so cool).
Not only that, the story is pretty cool too.  Horace starts taking pictures and starts to see Eleanora Von Macht, clearer and clearer, until it seems that she's manifested herself in the physical world again.  But it's got a very Jane Eyre vibe to me.  That kind of gothic, slightly eerie story, with mysteries you really just want to understand.  Which I apparently really like.

The Characters:

Horace - Horace is really cool for a middle-grade protagonist.  He keeps his head through this whole thing, which I honestly don't think I could do.  He thinks rationally the whole time, including coming up with a very rational way to get rid of the ghost.  And even though he doesn't like the Von Machts once he comes to know what they did, he still has compassion for them.  Which is a really cool thing to see represented.

Pegg - I love Pegg so much, y'all.  She's been mistreated and still has compassion for her employers.  It's not explicitly stated that she's a Christian, but I think she's got to be one.  Or at least should have been.  Yeah.

Favorite Quote:
The next moment my mind went to the words on the cemetery gate: The Dead Shall Be Reborn.  In that moment, my understanding completely altered.  My body turned cold.  Tears ran down my face as I had to accept the extraordinary fact: I, Horace Carpentine, had somehow brought Eleanora Von Macht back into the living world.

Overall Rating: Five strangely clear photos of a dead girl out of five

This book is just.  So good.  It's such a page-turner.  I've read it before and I couldn't put it down. 

Hopefully you'll enjoy the spooky reviews I have coming up!  I'm excited about this mini-series-ish-thing!

(And just to let you know, I will be quite busy for the rest of the month, because our church's pumpkin patch is officially up and running and I will probably be working it in most of my free time [like I have any free time anyway haaaaa] thus blog posts miiight be a bit delayed.  I'm going to try my best, but this Gus gif is probably going to be an accurate representation of me for most of this month as i'm busy but also stuffing my face with pumpkin whoopee pies:
 )

~ Abby

When You're 18 Going On 19...

(You're welcome, by the way.  That song will be stuck in your head for the next several hours.  My work here is done.)

As of last week, I am nineteen years old.  This is quite honestly ridiculous, and I don't know where the time has gone.  I'm still in denial that adulthood, which was once simply approaching, has smashed into my lovely little existence full force and used the sharp-edged pieces to scrape away whatever sense of normalcy I had left.

Okay, so that was a bit dramatic.

My life has changed a lot in the past year.  Being 18, I was suddenly, in the eyes of the world at large, an adult.  Even though I really wasn't.

As of this past year, I've come to realize one of the main problems with our society.  We expect 17-year-olds, in a matter of days, to do a complete 180 and face the world on their own.  I understand that probably, a hundred years ago, by this age I would have 3 kids.  But why is that a thing that happens?  Why am I expected to be an adult?

Sometimes I think Peter Pan had it right.  Let's never grow up and stay kids forever.  Let's be innocent and be friends and scrape our knees without worrying about permanent damage.

Doesn't that sound wonderful?

Maybe that's because it's comfortable.

Because growing up is scary.

Growing up means leaving behind everything we've known for as long as we've been alive.  It means exploring new territory, forging our own path, choosing our own fate.  Our parents can no longer make decisions for us (neither can they technically sign any official papers for us... which is completely throwing me off... because I actually have to remember to sign them for myself.)

But growing up is necessary.

"Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young,
but instead, set an example for the believers,
in speech, in life, in love
in faith and in purity."

~ 2 Timothy 4:12

Remember when you were little and said "It's going to be so cool to be a grown-up!".  Yeah, I remember that clearly.  I was in a rush to grow up, to be older, to be one of the big kids.

It hit me the other day while at dance that I was one of the "big girls" that little girls are looking up to and wishing to be.  To which I want to say, "Don't, kid, enjoy it while you have it."  But being at this age is kind of amazing when I think about it. 

I'm an example now.  I mean, I kind of always was, having two younger siblings, but now it's kids other than my siblings.  That's a lot of responsibility, but it's also really cool.  I officially graduated AWANA in April, but I haven't left it.  I came back, and now I'm working in a classroom rather than being a student.  It feels strange to be one of the grown-ups that I used to look up to and learn from.

I'm an adult now, even if I don't feel like it.  That's how the world views me.  I have trouble believing it sometimes, but it's true.  I have a witness that I've never had before.  I may be younger than most, but I'm also older than some, and that gives me a wonderful opportunity.

So I'm going to seize this year, and make it the best that it can be, setting an example for my fellow believers, just as Paul urged Timothy to do.  That's my mission... will you join me?

~ Abby

September Wrap-up and October TBR

September has come and gone and I wasn't ready.

It was a month of dancing, birthdays, and a hurricane (which we came through fine, btw, even though we just now got the boards off our windows... three weeks later... *cough*)

We competed in our second Irish dance feis, and had a grand old time.  I turned 19 (expect a post on that very soon), and actually feel like an old woman because of dance classes and stiff muscles.  But really, I had a great month.  Can't complain about much aside from the one night when I literally didn't sleep all night because Irma was howling too loud.  I'm like... mostly caught up on sleep from that.

What I Read:

Higher, Faster, Further, More ~ Kelly Sue DeConnick

Overview: Carol Danvers has a second identity as Captain Marvel, an intergalactic hero who works to free from oppression those who can't help themselves. 
Rating: 4 out of 5 (I enjoyed this comic.  I haven't read much Captain Marvel, but I'd love to read more in the future.  She's pretty awesome.)

Lumberjanes, Volume 1: Beware the Kitten Holy

Overview: Five friends at a summer camp determine to solve every weird and wacky mystery that comes their way. 
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (I liked it, and it was super cute, but it probably won't make it onto my favorites list.)

The Goldfish Boy ~ Lisa Thompson

Overview: Matthew has a severe case of OCD.  He rarely leaves his room, being cripplingly afraid of germs and infection.  He passes his hours observing his neighborhood, and so he is the first to notice that Teddy has gone missing... and may be the last to have seen him alive.
Rating: 5 out of 5 (I absolutely adored this.  It was so good.  Please read it.)

The Lady of the Vineyard ~ Kellyn Roth

Overview: A young girl decides to spend the summer with her estranged father, and forces her mother to reevaluate her life and her beliefs.
Rating: 4 out of 5 (I read this the day after Irma blew through, and it was a really quick, sweet read.)

At Home in Mitford ~ Jan Karon

Overview: Father Tim is the local priest in the small town of Mitford.  An attractive neighbor, a young boy, and a dog the size of his scooter might just throw off what would otherwise be a normal year for the rector.
Rating: 5 out of 5 (I enjoyed this so much! I have so many thoughts, I may do a review sometime soon.)


What I Watched:

Monk:

Monk is quickly becoming one of my favorite shows.  I love the mysteries, I love all of the characters, and I can't wait to see where it goes.  Also, Tony Shalhoub totally earned every one of his awards for this role.  He's such a great actor.

Supergirl:

This girl is Good and Soft and I love her very much.  I binged season one and absolutely loved it.  Winn is my son.  I've adopted him, it's official.

Milo Murphy's Law:

Disney Channel decided to give me a birthday present in a whole week of new MML episodes leading up to my birthday.  And I absolutely adored every single one of them.  Milo is so pure, y'all.  Please watch this sweet show.

DuckTales:

Webby is my fave, tbh.  I never watched the original Ducktales, but I've really been enjoying the reboot.  It's funny, it's cute, and the animation style is amazing.

The Inhumans:

I really can't say much about this yet because we're only one episode in, but it premiered on my birthday and I was very very excited.  And I still am because it started out awesome.


What I Listened To:

Jamie Grace's new album came out this month (it's awesome, as expected), we watched a ton of Monk this month, I finally saw Newsies because it came to Netflix (!!!), whilst binging Supergirl I may or may not have skipped ahead to the musical crossover with the Flash... *cough*. I saw The Lego Ninjago Movie and it was hilarious and I really enjoyed it.  This cool new thing called Club Mickey Mouse debuted on Instagram and "I Want You Back" is by far my favorite song they've put out so far.  Also I actually listened to Matthew West's newest album and one of Natalie Grant's and really liked both of them.


What I Posted:
Autumn Favorites (about some autumn-themed stories I love)
The Bookish Tag (about books... obviously)


What I Plan to Read:

Uncommon Criminals ~ Ally Carter (because i'm pretty much flying through it)

Lost Boy ~ Linda Newbery (because it seems like a creepy read for Halloween time)

Whatever else piques my fancy (lol) (I don't really know what else I'll read, lately I've been reading a lot as I feel like reading a certain book.  That'll probably keep happening.)


Let's chat in the comments!  Favorite book you read this month?  Anything I have to watch ASAP?

~ Abby

The Bookish Tag

Tags are my favorite have I mentioned that enough lately?

 The ever-wonderful Faith tagged me for this Bookish Tag and I'm very excited so here we go.

The Rules:
~ You must be honest.
~ You must answer every question.
~ You must tag at least 4 other people.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, let's jump in!

1) What book has been on your shelf the longest?  Ooh... this is hard.  I think it'd probably be some of my American Girl books.

2) What is your current read, your last read, and the book you'll read next?  Hehe...he... See, I'm currently in the middle of like... ten books... but right now I'm actively reading At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon (and really enjoying it).  My last read was The Goldfish Boy.  And the book I'm planning to pick up once I'm done with at least four out of these ten I'm in is probably going to be Uncommon Criminals.

3) What book did everyone else like, but you hated?  Okay, to be frank, I never hate books.  I may dislike them, but hate is too strong a word.  ... Actually, I take that back.  Romeo and Juliet.

4) What book do you keep telling yourself to read, but you probably won't?  Probably any Shakespeare play.  I've read Julius Caesar and Romeo and Juliet, and I like to think that I'll read more someday... but it probably won't be anytime soon.

5) What book are you saving for retirement?  ...Do people actually do this?  Like, man, I'm only 18, retirement is a long way off. 

6) Last page: read it first, or wait 'til the end?  Wait 'til the end!

7) Acknowledgment: waste of ink, or interesting aside?  I like reading acknowledgements, because often I just want more of the author's writing.  And sometimes they're funny. 

8) Which book character would you switch places with?  Um... mayyybe one of the Pevensies?  But most of the time, I wouldn't switch with any.  Their lives are too hard.

9) Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life?  So many of my books hold certain memories.  But I have a copy of the collected works of Carson McCullers that was given to me by my mom's step-mother who passed away early last year.  And it was given to her by my granddad, who I never got to know, but apparently I have very similar reading tastes to him.  Which is cool.

10) Name a book that you acquired in an interesting way.  Maybe my copy of Tuesdays at the Castle.  Because it didn't start out as mine.  Technically, my sister earned it by doing a summer reading program, but she didn't want any of the books that were offered.  So I got to pick two.  Which was awesome.

11) Have you ever given away a special book to a special person?  Not that I can remember.

12) Which book has been with you the most places? Other than my Bible (obviously), I'm really not sure.  But while I was reading The Blood of Olympus, I did carry it with me to quite a few places, so I guess that counts (including a grease stain on the back cover under the dust jacket because I didn't think about my greasy fingers until it was too late).

13) Any "required reading" you hated in high school that wasn't so bad later?  I didn't really enjoy reading Ender's Game but the whole of the story has stuck with me so strongly and I've gotten deeper into the messages and I actually really liked the movie.  Yeah.

14) Used or brand new?  I can't argue with the lovely feeling that the smell and feel of a new book has, but I also can't argue with the price of used books.  So... both?

15) Have you ever read a Dan Brown book?  No, can't say that I have.

16) Have you ever seen a movie that you liked better than the book?  *cough* Jane Eyre *cough*

17) Have you ever read a book that made you hungry?  Hands down, this has to be Unlocking the Truth.  Look at this cover and tell me that cinnamon roll doesn't make you hungry.


18) Who is the person whose book advice you'll always take?  My mom.  Or my OYAN friends.  I trust them 100%.

19) Is there a book out of your comfort zone (e.g. outside your usual reading genre) that you ended up loving?  I think I have to go with The Seer of Shadows for this question.  As I mentioned the last time I talked about it, it's quite creepy and eerie and not normally my cup of tea.  But I loved it.


So there you have it!  The Bookish Tag! 

Um... at least four of you consider yourself tagged and we'll say that counts because this is my blog and I do what I want *cough*

How would you have answered any of these questions?  Let me know in the comments below!

~ Abby