For a nice change of pace, adulting isn’t the only scary thing going on in my life, because Halloween meant permission to read all the scary books I normally avoid! Huzzah!
Honestly, I didn’t get to quite as many as I’d hoped, but I’m still working on finding that illusive work/life balance everyone talks about. Until that happens, unfortunately, blogging and reading has suffered a bit, but thanks to all of you who have hung in there with me. Y’all are the best.
So here’s a bit of what October looked like for me:
✦ I did not get fired nor did I burn down or otherwise injure the library and/or books … and I consider this a win! I mean, first, because I enjoy my job. Second, I would be very sad if something happened to the books. Books are people, too.
✦ Perhaps the best news of the month so far is: the kitties all found homes! The feeling of being kittyless is soooo freeing. I mean, yes, they were adorable and I miss their little faces, but they’re with people who will love them and not climbing over me all the time while I try to work.
✦ My husband has decided that now that I’m working two jobs and bringing in extra income, he should seize the opportunity to use it to build things. Specifically: Adirondack chairs. Because there is a very clear pecking order in my husband’s mind, this is the order he’s built everything in (with the goal being having a nice hang-out spot on our front deck). First, his chair (obviously). Second, a gate across the porch so the dogs can spend time out there with him. Third, a table so he has a place to put his cigar and alcohol and oil lamp while he’s sitting outside. Fourth … my chair. Because I guess the wife should be allowed to accompany him from time to time, too, as an afterthought?! I love him anyway. And to be fair, they look really nice.
✦ I refused to dress up for Halloween, so my boss gave me cat ears for the staff picture for Facebook, at least, so I could pretend to be festive. So I was a black cat for Halloween. Which, wow, so racist. Okay, not really. I giggled while making the joke, and she rolled her eyes, but joke’s on her because she knew I was like this when she hired me.
✦ My daughter was an angel for Halloween. Or a dead fairy godmother, depending on who you ask. She was supposed to be an angel, but then she insisted on making a wand, and it just spiraled from there.
Me: Aren’t you supposed to be an angel?
— Sammie (@srbetler) October 31, 2019
Offspring: I am.
Me: Why do you have a wand? Angels don’t have wands.
O: I can be a fairy godmother!
Me: Why do you have a halo? Fairy godmothers don’t have halos.
O: *sigh* I’m a *dead* fairy godmother, then!#parenting #halloween2019
✦ I’ve officially started to query my mid-grade comedic fantasy adventure novel, so cross your fingers for me? Publishing is such a long road, but I have to say that I’m pretty stoked (do people use this word anymore?!) to have made it this far. Bring on the querying!
And that’s enough about me. Let’s get to the books.
Click titles for my review.
The Priory of the Orange Tree (★★★☆☆)
Nevernight (★★★★★)
Godsgrave (★★★★★)
A Monster Calls (★★★★★)
Darkdawn (★★★★★)
In the Hall with the Knife (★★★★☆)
Before I Disappear (★★★★☆)
The Turn of the Key (★★☆☆☆)
A Lush and Seething Hell (★★★☆☆)
The Halloween Tree (★★★★☆)
The Library of the Unwritten (★★★★★)
Reviews This Month:
Follow me on Goodreads
✦ To Ask Or Not To Ask: Best And Worst Questions I’ve Had As A Librarian
✦ Qualities I Love In Characters || Ft. Questionable Morals
✦ Extraordinary Titles That Demand Some Attention
✦ Titles That Tell You Nothing About The Book
✦ Wonderfully Bookish Pumpkin Carvings
✦ October 9
✦ October 16
✦ October 23
✦ October 30
✦ Spicy Pumpkin Latte Book Tag
✦ The Productivity Book Tag
✦ First Line Friday 56 || A New Take on An Old Classic
✦ First Line Friday 56 || Gloriously Geeky and Bookish
✦ First Line Friday 56 || Haunted Houses and Apparitions
✦ Mari @ Musings of a (Book) Girl gives a really detailed look at ARCs for new bloggers (or anyone wanting to know more, really).
✦ Krysta @ Pages Unbound keeps us up-to-date on the Macmillan ebook embargo and the fact that it’s moving forward despite protests.
✦ Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits shares some great tips and tricks for how to manage NaNo this year.
✦ FNM shares a giant list of
✦ Annemieke @ A Dance With Books had a guest post from Carol @ Musings from my Soul discussing Death as a character.
✦ Marie @ Drizzle and Hurrican Books discusses what it actually means to “make it” as a book blogger.
*watching a clip from Hamilton with my 8-year-old*
— Sammie (@srbetler) October 7, 2019
8yo: Mommy, you should marry him (@Lin_Manuel).
Me: … why?
8yo: Because you have the same silky black hair!
Me: What about Daddy?
8yo: *shrug* He doesn't have that kind of hair.#parenting #kidssay
ACCEPTABLE WRITING ALTERNATIVES IF YOU RUN OUT OF INK:
— Sammie (@srbetler) October 14, 2019
– Crayon
– Your reader's tears
– Blood of your enemies
– smoke signals
– the blackness of your heart
– the ashes of your soul
– the colors of the wind
– permanent marker 'cause you're hardcore#writerslife #WritingCommunity
Just finished Darkdawn by @misterkristoff and now I have all the feelings, and what the heck am I supposed to do with them?! If you need me, I'll be tucked in a corner somewhere screaming into the void, waiting for the shadows to scream back. #amreading
— Sammie (@srbetler) October 16, 2019
Congrats on getting ready to query your novel! That’s so exciting. Best of luck🤞I love the story about your hubby and his “new” porch😁 Hope you have a great month!
Thanks so much! I can’t complain too much, since this weekend, he *finally* made my chair, and they look lovely. I’ll have to include a pic on next month’s wrap-up.
OMG Sammie, you ZOOMED through Nevernight Chronicle! ALL FIVE STARS!! I just opened my Illumicrate special edition box for Darkdawn and HOLY WOW. It has me really excited to finally read the last book. I’ve really been putting it off even though I said I didn’t think I would. But I just don’t want this series to end?! I’m going to be DEVO. I just feel it–Kristoff is going to squash my feelings like an insignificant bug on a windshield. Welp 😫😭 I’m legit terrified. I’m gonna message you when I’m reading it so I can have someone to cry to haha (seriously)! Looks like you had a pretty awesome reading month by the way. Curious to know your thoughts on Library of the Unwritten coz it sounds amaze!
Also, hahaha a dead fairy godmother. That’s amazing! 🤣 Hope Halloween was fun for the fam. Great wrap up!
Did I zoom through them, or was I kidnapped by them, hmm? That’s the real question. Oooh, I didn’t see what that version looks like! I’ll have to look it up later.
Kristoff will 100% confirmed rip out all your feelings, filet them, cook them up with a side of mushrooms, and much on them. Just saying. I loved lots of it and hated some of it and just had all the feels. If you need someone to yell at while you read it, you can definitely DM me because I know no one else who’s read it and I want to talk about it, dang it. xD
Library of the Unwritten was totally amazing! Need to work on getting a review out there. I’m so behind lol.
Your post had me giggling… lol.. Happy November!! 🙂
Holy moly you read so many long books in October! I would definitely get burnt out if I tried to do that so I’m really impressed!!
I’m so glad to see you enjoyed In the Hall with the Knife! I’m about to read that one and review it. It sounds really fun but I can also see how it would easily not be good. Fingers crossed I like it too!
Thank you so much for linking my post on ARCs!
Did I? I guess the Nevernight Chronicles was pretty long, but I promise, once you start it, it’s really hard to put it down. All those books just flew by. And to be fair, I *started* Priory in September. It just took almost a month to finish, so I finished it in October. xD
I hope you enjoy it! It definitely depends on your taste, but I loved the bit of nostalgia with it and was able to just see these as new characters, too.
Okay, I feel a little better knowing you started Priory in September 😂 Doesn’t the Nevernight Chronicles have a million footnotes? Those drive me crazy so I’ve always stayed away from that series.
There are a LOT of footnotes, and I found they pull me out of the story, too, so I sort of … skipped them? I went back and read them when I’d finished the book. They don’t add a whole ton to the story itself. They’re mostly just world-building, so if you don’t read them, you’re really not missing anything plot-wise.
Oh, that’s really good to know that they’re skippable. Because that’s exactly my problem too is that a large amount of footnotes pull me out of the story.
Sounds like October was a great month! Here’s to lots of books in November! Oh, and thanks for the link and I’ll keep my fingers crossed for your querying! 😀
Thank youuuu! I appreciate it. 😀
Okay but like do you have a picture of you with cat ears because I have a big desire to see this 😀
I do, but I’ve buried it somewhere in the depths of the Internet, where no one will find it. Muahaha!