Anyone who knows me fairly well understands that this is my favorite time of year. Fall is almost here! It’s my favorite season for a ton of reasons. Fall means crunchy leaves, a crispness to the air, bonfires, hoodies, pumpkin patches and apple orchards, zombie paintball and haunted hayrides, pumpkin carving, and Halloween. I get really excited around this time! We do Halloween big – we throw a party for our friends and family, watch some of our favorite movies, carve pumpkins, color Halloween pictures, and create huge Halloween murals for the blank wall in our apartment. Don’t believe me? Have a look at the mural we created last year – it’s full of ghosts, gravestones, and other creepy things, all hand-drawn by us!
I also love to do a lot of thematic reading around this time. Ghost stories and graveyards and creepy mansions and ancient horrors fill the books I read close to Halloween. As a new blogger, I am excited to participate for the first time in the R.I.P. IX Challenge, hosted by Carl over at Stainless Steel Droppings. In its 9th year, the challenge is all about reading spooky books in the two months leading up to Halloween. Readers can choose different levels of participation, even one created for movie fans!
Since a lot of my reading is going to be thematic, I am going to participate at the highest level of the challenge, a.k.a. Peril the First. This level challenges readers to choose four books of any length that fit the parameters of R.I.P. In addition, I will be participating in Peril of the Group Read. The Estella Society is hosting a read-along of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, so I jumped on board because I love a good read-along! I realized after I signed up that I have actually seen the movie – a few years back, one of my friends brought it over for our Halloween party. I didn’t sleep that night, and I’m fairly certain I had nightmares for a few days after. In spite of that, I’m excited to read the book!
I have a tentative list of the books I would love to read for R.I.P. IX. One is a reread, but the others are all completely new to me!
The Haunting of Hill House – Shirley Jackson – Like I said, saw the movie. It was terrifying. But I’m typically not so much of a wimp with books, so it will be better, right? Anyone?
A Discovery of Witches – Deborah Harkness – I’ve read this once before, but I think the third book in the series just came out, so I’m due for another read to refresh my memory. The first two books are chunksters – they feature a ton of characters and a complex plot. So I don’t really remember anything.
The Thirteenth Tale – Diane Setterfield – I feel like this was all the rage a few years ago, but I never got around to reading it. I actually own it, so I have no excuse.
The Penguin Book of Witches – Katherine Howe – This is a nonfiction collection of witch memorabilia from different periods throughout history. It features everything from a witch hunting manual written by King James to court documents from Salem. I requested that my public library add this to their collection when it comes out – instead of one copy, they are ordering 6! Success!
I’m in the process of finishing up some non-spooky library books, so I plan on starting after this week. But I’m super excited! Are you participating? If so, what will you be reading (or watching)?
*Thanks to Abigail Larson for creating the awesome R.I.P. IX official banner. Your art rocks!
Jancee's Reading Journal 
The Thirteenth Tale… I’ve read it 3 times (once just last month).. it is full of twist turns and “shocks”!! I was not thrilled with Setterfields new book but Thirteenth Tale I would recommend to anyone during RIP!!!.. however it seems to be a book you really like or don’t like at all.. I hope you like it!
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I tend to love books that lean toward the spooky or macabre. So here’s hoping it becomes one of my favorites. It’s been sitting on my shelf for a couple years now – it tempts me all the time, but I always prioritize other things.
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I like fall too because it just feels right to break out those creepy reads. 🙂 I am participating for the first time this year as well. (I can’t believe I had never heard of this challenge..ugh) Here is what I am attempting. http://www.booksmoviesreviewsohmy.com/r-i-p-ix-reading-challenge/
I wanted to do the read a long but I don’t have the book nor the money to grab it and by the time I do grab it I figured you’ll be done with it. 😦 I still thinking of grabbing it though cause I have been wanting to read it.
Have a great day,
Stormi
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I checked the book out from my local library – there were six copies in, so you might try that, if that’s an option. And the lovely ladies of The Estella Society are running the read-along through October 1, so still plenty of time to join!
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Have fun with the event! It looks like you have a great selection of books to read. I look forward to reading your reviews. I participated last year, but I’m going to try and make a dent in my TBR pile for the next few months.
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I intentionally chose books that I already wanted to read, so that helps my TBR pile. Although I’ve made peace (at least sometimes) with the fact that I will never read everything I want to read.
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LOL! I don’t think I’ve made that peace yet, but I’m working on it …
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RIP is such a blast. This will be my second year doing it. The Thirteenth Tale is a perfect choice and such an amazing story!
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Yeah, I don’t know why I haven’t gotten around to it yet. I tend to buy books, then forget about them. Or prioritize other things instead.
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