Chapter Adventure Reading Challenges (Formerly GXO) discussion

+ KEY WORDS THIS MONTH +

Old, After, Take, Shadow, Monster, Haunt, Darkness, Of

Comment below with the book you read and whether you liked it or not!

Her soul to take by Harley Laroux

• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V.E. Schwab
https://www.goodreads.com/user_challe...

This book is like a punch delivered directly to the solar plexus. My heart aches so bad. I procrastinated finishing because I was fairly certain there would be no happily ever after. And I was right….but the ending was perfect even so. An ellipses rather than a period.

I read for words OLD and DARKNESS (both in 1 book)
Darkness, My Old Friend by Lisa Unger
5 stars Book 2 in The Hollows series.

I read A touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair I really enjoyed this book

I read The Haunting of Hill House. I didn’t enjoy it but then horror is not my favorite genre.

I read Shadow's Keep by Megan O’Flynn. A bit of a rambling narrative, but the overall story was good. See my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I read The Creeping Shadow, the fourth book in the Lockwood & Co series. I have loved every one of these books and can't wait for book five (sadly the last book of the series....) but I may start over again! These are wonderful for all ages (although they are spooky....so even though these are young adult, make sure young readers are okay with spooky and intense scenes....) but I would highly recommend the series and the book!!

I read :
The Collected Regrets OF Clover
The Mad Girls OF New York
Cultish: The Language OF Fanaticism
The Six Deaths OF The Saint (short story)
The Unmaking OF June Farrow
The Lost Flowers OF Alice Hart

I really enjoyed them all.

Challenge complete!
Keyword: of
Read Murder of a Herkimer County Teacher: The Shocking 1914 Case of a Vengeful Student by Dennis Webster

Just realized I read another book this month with "of" in the title": The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing by John R. Perry. I, too, tend to be a structured procrastinator!

I read The Diva Haunts the House by Krista Davis. Here's the review.

Sophie Winston does it again!!!! To date, I think this is my favorite Domestic Diva book yet! The only thing that I was disappointed with in this book is that it didn't tell about her and Mars' conversation following him kissing her. Mars sure was acting odd during this book! I can't wait to find out if i the situation is elaborated on in the next book.

This book also did something that no other book in this series has done. It had me hanging on the edge of my seat almost the entire book. I loved it!

As always, I can't wait to read the next installment!

I listened to The End Of Her by Shari Lapena

I read The Shadow Of The Wind for this challenge. It was alright, I just don’t think I’m super into historical fiction. But overall would recommend it.

Word: Haunt (used Ghost instead)
Book: The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I listened to this and the narrator and guides after each chapter made me enjoy it more than I think I would’ve if I read it. However, while funny, I didn’t think it was really all that and the ending was kinda weird imo.

I read How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

This month I read the following:

Old:
As Old as Time by Liz Braswell 4 stars & is an interesting twist to Beauty and the Beast;
Old Country by Matt Query 5 stars--I really enjoyed this thriller and how it blends in American Indian mysticism and spirits with the role of mankind and nature.

After:
After the Party by Lisa Jewell 3 stars not a gripping storyline and it dragged on for me;
After That Night by Karin Slaughter 4 stars this is #11 of the Will Trent Series and another chilling story that delves into Sara's past traumas

Take:
Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez 4 stars based on true events and told in dual timelines in 1973 and 2016 when black women were forced into sterilization. This was really sad and do recommend.

Shadow:
Our Shadows Have Claws: 15 Latin American Monster Stories by Yamile Saied Méndez 4 stars - this is a compilation of interesting short haunted and scary stories;
The Girl in His Shadow by Audrey Blake 3 stars - interesting historical fiction when women were not allowed to practice medicine;
SHADOWFIRES by Dean Koontz 2 stars --another flop from Dean Koontz.

Monster:
The Speckled Monster: A Historical Tale of Battling Smallpox by Jennifer Lee Carrell 4 stars - reads like a history book and how the smallpox vaccine was created;
Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro 4 stars-- teens with special talents back in the late 1800s in London--interesting read;
Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova 4 stars --interesting and sad story similar to Frankenstein, about a modern monster created in Mexico City.

Haunt:
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix 4 stars - this is about sibbling rivalry and who inherits the house after the parents pass away plus the tension is felt from the haunted house;
The Haunted by Jessica Verday 4 stars-- this is the second book in the series based on forbidden love with a ghost based on the Legend of Sleepy Hallow;
The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro 5 stars -- I enjoyed the scary ghost vibes in this book and especially since it is based on the legend of La Llorana which brings childhood memories of scary folktales of La Llorona and Tataduende etc...;
The Haunting of Blackwood House by Darcy Coates 5 stars-- I have been enjoying the haunted house and ghost stories from this author and this one doesn't disappoint.

Darkness:
Sister of Darkness: The Chronicles of a Modern Exorcist by R.H. Stavis 3 stars - a memoir of someone who claims to perform exorcist and her experience--interesting read;
Powers of Darkness: The Lost Version of Dracula by Valdimar Ásmundsson 4 stars - another retelling of Dracula;
A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair 4 stars-- enjoyed this love story of Greek God Hades and Persephone. This was the 1st book of the trilogy and continued the other 2 books in November.

Of:
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay 3 stars has to do with dealing with madness but the story was not as riveting as expected;
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas 4 stars- I enjoyed this gothic and western take on Vampires in the 1800s on the Texas-Mexico border;
One of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus 3 stars -- this is the 3rd book in the series and a young adult mystery murder book;
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 4 stars and nobel prize and pulitzer finalists--a classic must read and is about the historic dust bowl experience;
The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig 3 stars -this gave me vibes of Stephen King--it built up but then I lost interest and it was too long of a read;
The Face of Fear by Dean Koontz 2 stars-- I've read almost all of Dean Koontz and keep getting dissappointed on his recent books --enjoyed those from the 90s;
Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand 5 stars-- I did enjoy this play about love and sacrifice and beauty inside and out;
The Return of the Witch by Paula Brackston 3 stars - the 2nd book in a series about witches and warlocks.
These books are duplicated and rated above: Sister of Darkness; A Touch of Darkness; The Haunting of Alejandra; The Haunting of Blackwood House

Patricia wrote: "This month I read the following: (I will review later) ..."

It's so awesome how many books you read @Patricia. Hope you enjoyed them all!

Tanya Patrice wrote: "Patricia wrote: "This month I read the following: (I will review later) ..."

It's so awesome how many books you read @Patricia. Hope you enjoyed them all!"

Thank you, it's amazing how many books you can go thru with audiobooks. It's getting out of hand. Actual books I read is more like 4 books a month. I enjoyed most of the books. Thanks.

Challenge Complete! I read How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix.
Keyword: Haunt

The unexpected kind to

Sorry is the Unexpected kind of love by Hayden Stone