Weekly Reads/Stacking the Shelves (176)/Sunday Post

So for the sake of time, you all are getting one combo post for me but that's okay, I think it will work out fine.  Things here at The Farm have been hot.  We're have unseasonable temperatures all week but there is a cool down anticipated this weekend.  I don't want winter but I am ready for fall. Booker T and Cass are doing well and have been gracing Instagram with their mugs so make sure you following if you want more pup pics (although there will still be plenty here on the blog).

We managed to watch three movies in the past week or so.  First up was "Final Score" which was really enjoyable and is about someone trying to blow up a huge soccer arena.  Next up was "Jurassic World" which was exactly what I expected from the franchise.  It was really good but I have to admit I was teary-eyed in one part.  For anyone who has seen it...the poor dino watching the boats leave.  STILL makes me sad.  And finally we watched "Mandy," a new horror movie with Nicholas Cage.  Strange is an understatement and I don't think I really enjoyed it that much.

I am hoping to finish my current read tonight - "Providence."  I am really enjoying it and have only about 25% left.  After that, I will be switching it up between a science fiction novel and a historical mystery.

Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves or TBR piles, may it be physical or virtual.  This means you cans you cam include books you buy in a physical store, online, books you borrow from the library or friends, review books, gifts and of course, ebooks! The original meme was started over at Tynga's Reviews. And it now has a new co-host where individuals can link up as well - Marlene from Reading Reality.  Clicking on the book (or title) should take you to the Goodreads page.  I'm also now linking up with the Sunday Post which is hosted by Kimberly@Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

I was lucky enough to win a gift certificate from La La in the Library during Dog Days of Summer so I bought "A Borrowing of Bones" which was just released this month. 

And of course I had to drop off a book at the library and another hold was in - "Campfire."  Plus they had just received a new Bentley Little book - "The Handyman."

So what did you add to your shelves this week???

Netflix Book Tag

I saw this tag over on Stormi's booktube channel which you can check out HERE and it originated with A Darker Shade of Whitney which you can see HERE.  I thought it looked fun and hey, Netflix i a staple in our home so here we go!

1.  RECENTLY WATCHED - The last book you finished reading

2.  TOP PICKS - A book that has been recommended to you based on a book you previously read

Stormi knows I love horror so she said I had to read this one. I did and my review will be coming next week

3.  RECENTLY ADDED - The last book you bought

4.  POPULAR ON NETFLIX - Books everyone knows about (1 you've read and 1 you won't)

I read Dread Nation

and I wont' read

Woman in the Window

5.  COMEDIES - A funny book

I don't think I EVER reviewed this one but it was hilarious

6.  DRAMAS - A character who is a drama queen/king

Totally stealing Stormi's answer because she hit that nail on the head - QUINCY!

7.  ANIMATED - A book with cartoons on the cover

8.  WATCH IT AGAIN - a book or series you want to re-read

9.  DOCUMENTARIES - A non-fiction book you'd recommend to everyone

10.  ACTION AND ADVENTURE - An action packed book

11.  NEW RELEASES - a book that just came out or is coming out soon that you can't wait to read

So I really don't usually tag people but if you want to, go for it, and leave me a link so I can check it out!

An Awesome Little Collection - And Zombie Dinosaurs

TITLE: We Are Where the Nightmares Go and Other Stories
AUTHOR: C. Robert Cargill
PUBLISHER: Harper Voyager
PUBLISHING DATE: June 12, 2018

FROM GOODREADS: From the critically acclaimed author of Sea of Rust and Queen of the Dark Things comes a hair-raising collection of short fiction that illuminates the strange, humorous, fantastical, and downright diabolical that tantalize and terrorize us: demons, monsters, zombie dinosaurs, and Death itself.

In the novella "The Soul Thief’s Son" C. Robert Cargill returns to the terrain of the Queen of the Dark Things to continue the story of Colby Stevens . . .

A Triceratops and an Ankylosaurus join forces to survive a zombie apocalypse that may spell extinction for their kind in "Hell Creek" . . .

In a grand old building atop a crack in the world, an Iraq War veteran must serve a one-year term as a punisher of the damned condemned to consume the sins of others in the hope that one day he may find peace in "In a Clean, White Room" (co-authored with Scott Derrickson) . . .

In "The Town That Wasn’t Anymore," the village of Pine Hill Bluff loses its inhabitants one at a time as the angry dead return when night falls to steal the souls of the living . . .

And in the title story, "We Are Where the Nightmares Go," a little girl crawls through a glowing door beneath her bed and finds herself trapped in a nightmarish wonderland—a crucible of the fragments of children’s bad dreams.

These tales and four more are assembled here as testament to Cargill’s mastery of the phantasmagoric, making We Are Where the Nightmares Go and Other Stories a collection of unnerving horror and fantasy will keep you up all night and haunt your waking dreams.

MY THOUGHTS:  I pretty much added this short story collection to my wishlist the first time I saw it based on the cover.  I mean, come on, there are tentacles so it was a must.  And then I started hearing some pretty good things about it so I asked that my library order a copy and was thrilled when they did.  Now I usually find short story collections hard to review so I made a few notes as I read this and want to mention each story briefly.  Let's hope this works

      THE TOWN THAT WASN'T ANYMORE - 5/5 Old WV mining town haunted by those the mine claimed.  (Snow, Faith, Fox)

      WE ARE WHERE THE NIGHTMARES GO - 5/5 Little girl takes a doorway beneath her bed and then tries to return (Feisty, Clowns, Lost)

     AS THEY CONTINUE TO FALL - 2/5 Man fights fallen angels who tormented him as a child (Dark, City, Feathers)

      HELL CREEK - 5/5 Dinosaur love story.  Triceratops needs a friend (Death, Blood, Zombies)

     JAKE AND WILEY AT THE END OF THE WORLD - 3/5 Good old boys drinking as the world ends around them (Drunk, Idiots, TV shows)

     THE LAST JOB IS ALWAYS THE HARDEST - 3/4 Man on a mission to kill people gets a big surprise (Bombs, Timing, Reapers)

     HELL THEY CALL HIM, THE SCREAMERS - 2/5 The Butcher carves people up for a living (Blood, Guts, Gore)

 

     I AM THE NIGHT YOU NEVER SPEAK OF - 3/5 Nighttime killer suckers a drink to come along for the ride (Nightbreed, VHS, Fantasies)

     THE CLEAN WHITE ROOM - 4/5 Man with a job to do questions his purpose (White, Friends, Enemies)

     THE SOUL THIEF'S SON  - DNF

Overall I felt this book was pretty solid.  My favorite story was Hell Creek closely followed by The Town That Wasn't Anymore.  It was nice to see a spooky WV tale.  I ended up DNF'ing The Soul Thief's Son because it was related to a series Cargill has written which I hadn't read yet and I had trouble getting into it.  Perhaps I'll revisit it someday as I definitely want to read more from this author.  "We Are Where the Nightmares Go" is a nice collection of all things spooky and weird.  I definitely think it's worth a read for any horror lover and I'd love to see this book get more attention.

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

Can't Wait Wednesday (175)

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS: School's out for the end of the world.

Anna and the Apocalypse is a horror comedy about a teenager who faces down a zombie apocalypse with a little help from her friends.

Anna Shepherd is a straight-A student with a lot going on under the surface: she's struggling with her mom's death, total friend drama, and the fallout from wasting her time on a very attractive boy. She's looking forward to skipping town after graduation--but then a zombie apocalypse majorly disrupts the holidays season. It's going to be very hard to graduate high school without a brain.

To save the day, Anna, her friends, and her frenemies will have to journey straight to the heart of one of the most dangerous places ever known, a place famous for its horror, terror, and pain...high school.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  The Christmas holidays are usually the one time of year I reserve for any cutesy or romantic books but even so, I still like to find some non-traditional Christmas reads.  This one sounds fun and humorous and it's definitely going on the December TBR.

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

TTT - Books On My Fall TBR

The top 10 weekly meme used to be hosted by The Broke and the Bookish they  handed over the reins to ThatArtsyReaderGirl who can be found HERE.  Each week she will focus on lists which cover various topics related to books and reading. 

So this week we are looking at books on my Fall TBR.  I love making TBR lists because I love looking at all the pretty covers and basically, I'm a list sort of gal.  HOWEVER, I don't usually strictly follow the lists so some of these may get read and some won't.  Oh well, best intentions and all that!  On to the books!



And since it's Fall, don't be surprised to see lots of creepy, spooky reads!  Also, I'm adding a few key words and a link to Goodreads so you'll know if you want to check any of these out.

The Chrysalis - Creepy basement makes owner do weird things.

Toil & Trouble - Witches

The Nightmarchers - ancient warrior island ghosts

Unexplained - True unexplained spooky stuff

Sawkill Girls - Insidious monster legend and girls (imagine that)

Not Even Bones - Black market body parts

The Good Demon - True Detective meets The Exorcist

Voyage of the Dogs - Space dogs called "barkonauts"

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle - Groundhog Day murders

Life on the Leash - Woman who walks dog

So there you have it.  What made your list this week?

And oh boy, I bet my TBR grows by leaps and bounds with this topic!

Well Now That Was Interesting....

TITLE: The Cabin at the End of the World
AUTHOR:  Paul Tremblay
PUBLISHER: William Morrow
PUBLISHING DATE: June 26, 2018

FROM GOODREADS: The Bram Stoker Award-winning author of A Head Full of Ghosts adds an inventive twist to the home invasion horror story in a heart-palpitating novel of psychological suspense that recalls Stephen King’s Misery, Ruth Ware’s In a Dark, Dark Wood, and Jack Ketchum’s cult hit The Girl Next Door.

Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote cabin on a quiet New Hampshire lake. Their closest neighbors are more than two miles in either direction along a rutted dirt road.

One afternoon, as Wen catches grasshoppers in the front yard, a stranger unexpectedly appears in the driveway. Leonard is the largest man Wen has ever seen but he is young, friendly, and he wins her over almost instantly. Leonard and Wen talk and play until Leonard abruptly apologizes and tells Wen, "None of what’s going to happen is your fault". Three more strangers then arrive at the cabin carrying unidentifiable, menacing objects. As Wen sprints inside to warn her parents, Leonard calls out: "Your dads won’t want to let us in, Wen. But they have to. We need your help to save the world."

Thus begins an unbearably tense, gripping tale of paranoia, sacrifice, apocalypse, and survival that escalates to a shattering conclusion, one in which the fate of a loving family and quite possibly all of humanity are entwined. The Cabin at the End of the World is a masterpiece of terror and suspense from the fantastically fertile imagination of Paul Tremblay.

MY THOUGHTS: "The Cabin at the End of the World" is my first read by this author and while I enjoyed it, I guess my expectations were a tad bit higher than what I received.  Wen and her fathers are vacationing in New Hampshire when 4 individuals show up saying that only she and her family can save the world from destruction.  The task is on a strict timetable and lets just say these 4 have a unique way of trying to convince the family to accept what they must do.

"The Cabin at the End of the World" takes place in just a few days and although there's quite a bit of action, it's not exactly action-packed.  Instead Tremblay relies on tension building an atmosphere.  It does help that Wen and her fathers are likable characters, but what we learn about them is primarily done through flashbacks.

I will also caution that this is not a book for people who are turned off by ambiguous endings.  The ending of this book is definitely not wrapped up in a nice, neat package.  Also, I was also sometimes bogged down by the paragraphs that lasted for 2 entire pages.  

In the end, I am glad I picked up this book.  I have been curious since I first learned about it and needed to see for myself what it was all about.  However, I'm not really sure this is a horror novel - it's more a novel about horrific people and situations - and that's okay.  I own "A Head Full of Ghosts" and feel like it's a book I'll like a lot more but if you like doomsday and dystopian tales, "The Cabin at the End of the World" might just work for you.

RATING: 3 PAWS

Stacking the Shelves (175)/Sunday Post

Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves or TBR piles, may it be physical or virtual.  This means you cans you cam include books you buy in a physical store, online, books you borrow from the library or friends, review books, gifts and of course, ebooks! The original meme was started over at Tynga's Reviews. And it now has a new co-host where individuals can link up as well - Marlene from Reading Reality.  Clicking on the book (or title) should take you to the Goodreads page.  I'm also now linking up with the Sunday Post which is hosted by Kimberly@Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

So kind of a small haul this week which is fine.  I had two holds come in at the library - isn't that how it always happens? I love that person with their head on the ground on the cover of "#Murdertrending" and I've heard some mixed reviews of "Toil & Trouble" but I still want to check it out.

And then I have two review books. I couldn't resist "The House of Falling Embers" especially when I saw it was about a house with a witch in the woods and "Little Darlings" sounds like a good thriller, but it doesn't come out until April.

What did you add this week???

Weekly Reads (09/14/18)

Another week in the books.  I tell you I don't know where time is going.  Everything has been great at The Farm and the pups and I really want to take a moment to send good thoughts to everyone in the path of Hurricane Florence.  Stay safe guys!

So it seems we've been watching quite a bit of recorded TV as some of our faves are either in full swing or starting.  We started watching "The Purge" on USA because Mr. Barb loves those movies and I have to admit that after 2 episodes, I'm intrigued.  Also, "Mr. Mercedes" continues to be a weekly draw.  We also recorded the first episode of "American Horror: Apocalypse" but haven't watched it yet.  The trailer dropped for "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" for Netflix and I can't wait to watch it over the Halloween holiday.

Booker T and Cass are fine and Booker T gets his stitches out this weekend.  He never bothered them ONCE and for that I'm grateful.  I still don't think he knows he has them.  Oh well, fine by me.

I have been getting some reading done and it has picked up since football started.  I love reading and watching.  Plus it rained all last weekend so it was a good excuse to stay inside.  I was going to do a TBR but really am just in the mood to grab things this month so since it's already the 14th, I figure I'll just go with it.  These are the books I do plan on starting next though.  Consider it a mini-TBR.

Well, hope everyone has a great week ahead and again - stay safe!

The Sunshine Blogger Award

I was tagged by Greg over at Book Haven.  Thanks Greg!  I doubt I will tag anyone because I think it's made it's rounds but I at least wanted to answer Greg's questions.

1.  Favorite flavor of ice cream

Ben & Jerry's Fish Food

2.  Favorite Music 

A tie between Prince and 70's music - couldn't live without either

3.  Do you believe in Heaven?

Yes and all my pets who have passed are waiting there for me - if not, I'm not going :)

4.  What is your favorite vacation destination?

Porchville.

5.  Would you rather eat at home or go out to eat?

Eat at home.  Mr. Barb is a wonderful cook!

6.  If you could come back to life in a cloned body, would you do so?

Nope.  Now if I could come back as a vampire.....

7.  Would you rather have a talking cat or a talking dog?

Really?  No question - a talking dog

8.  What book would you want to be able to enter at will?

Any Winnie-the-Pooh book

9.  Weirdest book you've read

Tim Waggoner's "The Mouth of Darkness"

10.  Favorite book to movie adaptation

"What Dreams May Come" by Richard Matheson

11. If you could change the ending of one book what would it be?

Marley & Me - if you've read it or even saw the movie, you know why.

Can't Wait Wednesday (174)

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS: Boys are being trained at one school for geniuses, girls at another. And neither knows the other exists--until now. The innovative author of Bird Box invites you into a tantalizing world of secrets and lies.

J is a student at a school deep in a forest far away from the rest of the world.

J is one of only twenty-six students, who think of their enigmatic school's founder as their father. And his fellow peers are the only family J has ever had. The students are being trained to be prodigies of art, science, and athletics, but their life at the school is all they know--and all they are allowed to know.

But J is beginning to suspect that there is something out there, beyond the pines, that the founder does not want him to see, and he's beginning to ask questions. What is the real purpose of this place? Why can the students never leave? And what secrets is their father hiding from them?

Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, in a school very much like J's, a girl named K is asking the same questions. J has never seen a girl, and K has never seen a boy. As K and J work to investigate the secrets of their two strange schools, they come to discover something even more mysterious: each other.

In Inspection, the masterful author of Bird Box crafts a sinister and evocative gender equality anthem that will have readers guessing until the final page. 

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  Josh Malerman

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK????

Just Stick With the Graphic Novel

TITLE: Giant Days
AUTHOR: Non Pratt
PUBLISHER: Harry N. Abrahms
PUBLISHING DATE: August 21, 2018

FROM GOODREADS:  Based on the hit graphic-novel series from BOOM! Studios, the publisher behind Lumberjanes, Giant Days follows the hilarious and heartfelt misadventures of three university first-years: Daisy, the innocent home-schooled girl; Susan, the sardonic wit; and Esther, the vivacious drama queen. While the girls seem very different, they become fast friends during their first week of university. And it's a good thing they do, because in the giant adventure that is college, a friend who has your back is key--something Daisy discovers when she gets a little too involved in her extracurricular club, the Yogic Brethren of Zoise. When she starts acting strange and life around campus gets even stranger (missing students, secret handshakes, monogrammed robes everywhere . . .), Esther and Susan decide it's up to them to investigate the weirdness and save their friend.

MY THOUGHTS:  I was really excited about this novel when I first learned of it because I'm a a huge fan of the graphic novel.  So when I saw it available on Hoopla, I thought it was the perfect excuse to give it a go.  Let's just say I should have stuck with the graphic novel.

That's not to say there weren't things I didn't enjoy.  I love Ester, the Goth chick, and think she is a blast.  However, I found it sad that someone who has so much going for her spent so much of the novel trying to be best buds with the campus' other Goth chick when she was clearly so undeserving of such friendship.  Susan is very sarcastic which I also found enjoyable but Daisy sort of got on my nerves.  

I missed the artwork and I missed the fun.  "Giant Days" just didn't seem to flow very well.  Instead of the chapters uniting to form a cohesive take, I felt like each one with its own plotless story.  In retrospect, it was kind of like comic book issues, but in written form and while that type of flow may work in comic book form, it did not here.

I wish I had liked Giant Days but I will still be following the graphic novel so there is that.  Unless you're just curious, I really wouldn't recommend it.

RATING: 2 PAWS

TTT - You Guys Need to Check These Out!

The top 10 weekly meme used to be hosted by The Broke and the Bookish they  handed over the reins to ThatArtsyReaderGirl who can be found HERE.  Each week she will focus on lists which cover various topics related to books and reading. 

This week we are focusing on hidden gems.  Books that we think need more attention and deserve more recognition.  Right away I knew a few books that I wanted to add to this list so let's go!

I vowed this year to read more science fiction and this was one of my first reads.  I fell in love with the world of Donovan and seriously am telling people all the time to read this book.

So many people love Seanan McGuire but most don't talk about this series.  Maybe since she just released the follow-up, that will change.

Unless you're new to my blog, you know how much I love "Certain Dark Things."  EVERYONE who loves dark, gritty vamps needs to pick up this book.

This little gem has a wonderful cover and a great horror mystery set in a cold, snowy bed and breakfast.  One of my faves but not one a lot of people read.

Hands down the best Lizzie Borden book I've read thus far.

Another horror hidden gem.  After reading this, I vowed to read almost anything Sniegoski writes.

I love Cherie Priest and think most of her books could be counted as hidden gems because you just don't hear a lot about them.

Another dark gritty vampire tale that more people should leave.

Diane is a wonderful author who also rescues dogs.  She incorporates her love of the into her mystery series which has one bad-ass female MC.

This author is quite popular but this series, not so much. I recommend this book to anyone who likes urban fantasy.  It took too long for the second one in the series to be released that I now need to re-read this one before continuing.  

So what hidden gems made it onto your lists?