It’s time for a weekly check-in!
TGIF: it’s Friday the 13th! As a horror nerd, you all have undoubtedly guessed how excited I am that we’re getting a Friday the 13th in October this year. 😂 I’ve got haunted theme park plans with my family tonight, and until then, I hope to spend the day watching horror films and reading spooky books — I think I might even treat myself to a day off from work. 👀
It’s been a good spooky week here! The nightly horror film shenanigans ensue with my spouse, my favorite band Ice Nine Kills dropped a new song & music video last night, and most exciting of all, Terry (spouse) and I went on Wednesday to get horror portrait tattoos! My new artist was doing a special on discounted horror portraits for a few people to celebrate the season and we both nabbed a spot: Terry got Art the Clown on their calf and I got Sam from Trick ‘r Treat on mine. I’ll post photos once they’re healed enough to take the Recovery derm shields off and clean them up. 😈
This week’s reading included two 5-star reads and two DNFs — that’s pretty reflective of how my October reading has gone so far! 😂 Really, I’m not mad about it. Neither of my DNFs were “bad” books, Hollow was just definitely Not For Me and Off Season had lost my interest (but I’ll consider giving it another try some other time).
- Empty Smiles // Katherine Arden → ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- A Dowry of Blood // S.T. Gibson → ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Off Season // Jack Ketchum → ❌ DNF ❌
- Hollow // C.M. Nascosta → ❌ DNF ❌
📚 current reads 📚
Yes, I DNFed one paranormal romance book called Hollow only to turn around and pick up a very different paranormal romance book… also called Hollow. 😂 This one’s going much better so far! I’m buddy reading it with Malli and Misty, and I’m also buddy reading The September House with Misty, AND Misty and Erin and I are buddy reading Rule of Wolves. (Wow, I didn’t realize until typing this that Misty and I have 3 buddy reads going at once! 😂) Anyway, I’m planning on finishing Rule of Wolves and Drowning next, I think. The October round of the Unexpected Readathon starts today in my Goodreads group & Discord server and I’m hoping to read a lot! 🤞
- Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror // Jordan Peele → 48%
- Starling House // Alix E. Harrow → 21%
- Rule of Wolves // Leigh Bardugo → 69%
- Drowning // T.J. Newman → 66%
- The September House // Carissa Orlando → 37%
- Hollow // Karina Halle → 12%
I can’t possibly NOT put the new INK song here because it’s fantastic! 😍
Feel free to friend me on Letterboxd if you wanna see my movie mini reviews!
What are you reading right now, or what did you recently finish? Is anything exciting happening in your life? Let me know in the comments!
— destiny ♥
Dini @ dinipandareads
October 13, 2023Two five star reads in a week *is* pretty awesome even if it’s “balanced out” by two DNFs 😂 Sounds like you had a spooktastic week and I hope you continue to have a horror-ful month and that you’ll discover many more stunning reads!
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
October 20, 2023Right?! 😂 This has definitely been a “win some, lose some” month, but I’m not mad about it! I’ve had so few disappointing reads lately that it’s almost weirdly refreshing to get mad at a few books. 🤡 Thank you, Dini!!!
dbsguidetothegalaxy
October 13, 2023Def gonna see what you think of The September House because it looks interesting but I’ve seen some mixed reviews.
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
October 20, 2023Oh my gosh, DB, I LOVED The September House so freaking much. Like… I do not have words for how much I enjoyed it! I think it was very perfectly suited to me because the main character has a super laid-back attitude about ghosts and being haunted, and I lived in a haunted house for years as a teen and was also very “eh, it is what it is” about it, so I just related really hard to her sometimes. 🤣 But seriously, I strongly suspect you’d enjoy it (hopefully)!
mistysbookspace
October 13, 2023Wow I didn’t realize we had 3 buddy reads going until I just read this. We are killing it with all of our buddy reads this year!!
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
October 20, 2023We really are! I swear I have knocked SO many things off of my TBR thanks to our buddy reads and it’s been awesome!
mistysbookspace
October 20, 2023Same!! You have helped me get through so many books that I probably would have kept putting off.
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
October 20, 2023Yep same here!! And some of them have been things I wouldn’t have picked up soon but have loved, like The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches or like House of Hollows right now (which I’m not sure will be a 5 star read but it definitely has me on the edge of my seat right now). I love it for us both!