Happy Halloween Eve!

I can't believe tomorrow is Halloween!!  This past week has been so busy, but tomorrow the boys and I are all home and will celebrate in style (despite the 20 degree weather that's being predicted... eww).  We haven't cemented anything in stone, but tomorrow will more than likely include bribing Everett into wearing his pumpkin costume, taking him to visit family and possibly a couple doors for trick-or-treating, coming home to hand out candy to our neighborhood trick-or-treaters, Halloween books before bed, and finally my husband and I watching Hocus Pocus eating the leftover candy and/or popcorn (I am obsessed with the movie Hocus Pocus, and my husband loves me so he tolerates it each year :)).  

As for Everett's Halloween treats... since Ev's still so young, we don't really give him candy.  He'll probably get a couple bites of chocolate, but other than that, Eric and I have gotten him some candy alternatives.  He got the book Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson about a week or so ago (that way he can enjoy it for longer than a night) and he absolutely loves it!  I thought the story might be a bit long for his attention span, but he sits through it every time.  He also got adorable Halloween pjs (okay two pairs skeleton & mummy themed) and some shirts that he's been wearing all month.  Tomorrow we'll top off his Halloween with a trip to the bookstore for a new book of his choice and a pumpkin cookie from Panera (his favorite treat!).

For me, I told myself I was going to attempt to read a couple spooky things this October, but after The Bird Box, I moved onto other books I've had on my to-read list that are not going to keep me up all night.  This past week was a HUGE new release Tuesday in my book.  Two of my favorite authors had books come out... 

1. My Patrick Rothfuss countdown finally commenced with the release of The Slow Regard of Silent Things.  A novella all about the character Auri... my favorite character from his Kingkiller Chronicles Series.  Patrick has also been posting about his upcoming Worldbuilders fundraiser, so be sure to check out the posts about his new novella and this event on his blog.

2. Paula Treick DeBoard's The Fragile World has also finally come out!  I read Paula's debut novel The Mourning Hours when it released in June of 2013 and knew I would read every book she wrote thereafter.  She's an amazing writer, and The Fragile World is no exception! I won't spoil anything review-wise until I'm completely done with the book, but don't worry, more details on how much I was blown away by this book soon!

Last Friday, Wisconsin author, Valerie Biel, also released her first novel into the world, Circle of Nine: Beltany, which I am reading and enjoying.  Circle of Nine: Beltany is a YA novel which incorporates Celtic lore into a modern teenager's life. I absolutely love books that include this kind of history, so when I saw the premise of this title, I had to read it!  Valerie will also be part of a really exciting event taking place at Barnes & Noble Appleton on December 14th.  Details to come on this event as well... but trust me if you're a YA lover, jot that date down and keep your afternoon (starting around 1:00) open :)

What are some of the books you have all been reading lately?  Any fun Halloween traditions  your family has every year?  I love hearing from you :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone and Happy Reading!! :)

Book Club Title: That Night by Chevy Stevens

When Chevy Stevens published her first novel in 2010, Still Missing, I had heard her style was similar to Jodi Picoult and Jennifer McMahon, two authors I've enjoyed.  Still Missing was also met with excellent reviews from critics and advance readers, so I grabbed a copy and tried it out.  I liked Still Missing, it was a fast-paced thriller with definite twists and turns, but it wasn't my favorite book ever.  Now four years have gone by and Chevy Stevens released her fourth book, That Night, which was chosen for our book club's September read.  

I was actually pretty excited that one of her books was chosen.  I know several people who read her books each time a new one releases, and they tell me that they get better and better, but I had yet to pick up another book by Chevy.  Book club gave me that extra push to try out her writing again (love my book club)!  Review time...

That Night by Chevy Stevens 

4 of 5 Stars

The premise of this book: One night can change the course of your entire life... especially if someone is found murdered.  Tori, an eighteen year old girl, has a strained relationship with most people in her life (her mom, her sister, her dad, her "friends") and is viewed as a trouble-maker.  Her ex-best friend, Shauna, treats her beyond terribly, and seems to want nothing more than to ruin Toni's life for good.  The only light in Toni's life seems to be her unwavering relationship with her boyfriend, Ryan, and the fact that they are almost done with high school and ready to begin their lives together.  That is until Toni's younger sister, Nicole, is found brutally murdered one night when Toni and Ryan had taken Nicole out.  Toni and Ryan are found guilty of murdering Nicole, but claim they are innocent...

This book was a definite page turner!  The chapters jump from "that night," to Toni's time in prison, to the time after she is released back into society.  I found myself reading just one more chapter each time I read so I could try to figure everything out or gain another clue as to what really did happen "that night."  The ending was worth the wait.  Chevy threw in some good curve balls throughout the novel to keep her readers guessing until the very end.

The thing I was most impressed with was my hatred for Toni's antagonist, Shauna.  I despised her.  Every time her name came up or she found another way to make Toni's life miserable I would literally get angry.  Everyone who has attended high school knows there are school bullies and some can be absolutely horrid... Shauna... she wins the "worst ex-best friend turned bully award" of all the books I've read.  It's obvious that Shauna has some definite issues with insecurity, but seriously... what a...

I will say I wasn't in love with Toni's character either though.  I understand why Chevy made her imperfect (in many ways), but she was so flawed that it made it harder to empathize with her character.  Yes, I felt terrible for her when she was bullied, and I wanted the truth of what happened "that night," but she had messed up in so many ways with her family prior to "that night" that I understood why her family and community questioned her involvement in her sister's death.

Long story short, if you're looking for a good thriller with an interesting plot, pick up a copy of Chevy Steven's That Night.  You won't be disappointed and hopefully the ending will surprise you!

This novel did make me want to check out some more of Chevy Steven's books.  I actually saw that she has an e-novella, The Other Side, available too (for only $0.99!), so that might need to be downloaded for a quick read!  

I love chatting with my book club each month about the book we chose, but I also love that I can go to them for excellent recommendations.  Is anyone else out there in a book club?  What books have you chosen and enjoyed?  Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and got lots of reading time! :)

The e-novella.

There is a new(ish) trend in the book world lately... the e-novella.  Now that e-readers are so widespread and popular, many publishers and authors take full advantage of the fact that a short story or novella can be published quickly and a lot cheaper than when everything was physically printed.  Therefore, many authors are publishing novellas between books, before a new book release, or simply because they have a short story they'd like to share :)  This is a great way to make the wait for a new book in your favorite series or a new novel from a favorite author a little more bearable.  (Well I suppose perhaps this is a matter of opinion... if the short story is amazing and you still have to wait a few months for the book... perhaps it makes the wait feel even longer... but there's still new reading material... so no complaints!)

I actually really love this new trend, especially when the e-novella is a prequel for an upcoming novel.  Typically these novellas give you a glimpse into the characters and world of the novel and lets you see if the novel is really something you'll like.  Plus, novellas are typically inexpensive (some are even free!) and short (usually 200 pages or less), so if I'm hesitant on whether or not I'll like an upcoming book or author, I download a novella to see how I feel about the story/writing.  

I asked some of the authors I've met recently how they felt about publishing these works and if it's something publishers are pushing.  They mostly responded that it is kind of the "in thing," and many publishers ask if the author would be willing to put something out prior to a release to build excitement for an upcoming title.  Other authors said they take it as an opportunity to tell a different perspective of a story or share a related story that might not fit into their final novel.  All-in-all I think these e-novellas are a win-win-win for authors, readers, and publishers.

Some novellas that I've scooped up and enjoyed lately are:

Little Lies by Heather Gudenkauf -- This was the prequel to Heather's latest novel Little Mercies.  It's a short mystery/suspense novel in which social worker Ellen Moore is brought in to help with a four-year-old boy who is found next to the body of his murdered mother.  An excellent stand alone story as well as a great introduction to the characters from Little Mercies.



The Other Girl by Pam Jenoff -- A short companion novella to Pam's latest novel The Winter Guest about a newly married, pregnant young woman name Maria during WWII who finds a Jewish girl, Hannah, hiding in the barn.  This short story definitely makes you want to read more about the characters and their lives... luckily The Winter Guest is out already, so there's plenty more of Pam's wonderful writing ready to be read!

The Undertaking of Tess by Lesley Kagen -- A prequel to Lesley's upcoming novel The Resurrection of Tess Blessing this novella tells the story of 11-year-old Tess and her 10-year-old sister Birdie.  The story takes place right after their father accidentally drowns and Tess now must navigate the world, and look after her sister, without his help.  Equal parts heartwarming and funny, I loved this short story and can't wait to get a copy of the novel!




Curious Case of the Werewolf That Wasn't, The Mummy That Was, and the Cat in the Jar by Gail Carriger -- A short story set in the world of Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series which gives a bit more background on Alessandro Tarabotti's character.  Carriger's writing is so humorous and fun... for anyone who likes science-fiction with a dash of British humor... I recommend checking out this series (and you can start with the novella to get a sampling of her writing style!).




The Wanderer in Unknown Realms by John Connolly -- A stand alone novella written by the author of one of my favorite books of all time (The Book of Lost Things... if you haven't read this novel... do it!) about madness, obsession, and books.  This story would actually be a good one to check out with Halloween on the way... it's definitely got a horror vibe to it!



So, if you're looking for a way to see how much you may or may not enjoy a new author, or for new works from an author you adore... see if they have any e-novellas available... you just might discover something new!

Happy reading! :)