Perfect setting

The Fireside ChatsLeave a comment

Do you have an ideal setting to read in? If so, what is it?

Mine is being at home where I don’t have to worry about being bothered, first of all. I also don’t have to worry about noise or a lot of distractions. My hubby is likely to have the tv on but I can always go to another room in the house to get away from that noise. The tv actually doesn’t bother me a whole lot because I may just be use to it. Plus, I don’t have to worry about someone walking up to me and talking to me right when I’m in the middle of my book, especially if I get to a good part and I want to continue reading.

Second of all, if the weather decides it wants to be gloomy outside, then I prefer to stay home and read. Like yesterday for instance, it was really cold and it was snowing when I got up. I wanted to stay at home where it was nice and warm so I could read but that doesn’t pay the bills unfortunately. So I had to brave the cold and go off to work. I can also stay home if it’s raining outside, especially if it’s storming.

Last but not least, I can do with a nice hot chocolate if it’s cold outside. If it’s during the warmer months, then I’ll find something cold to drink like one of my Baja Blast Mt. Dew or one of my flavored waters.

I’d love to hear about your ideal setting to read in in the comments below.

"Off to War" by Wayne Hancock

The Fireside ChatsLeave a comment

I can cross another novel off my list. I am a fan of author Wayne Hancock and the mysteries or crime fictions that he normally writes. This one didn’t let me down, even though it was a little different than previous books in this series. In previous books, they were usually looking for someone who murdered somebody….in this book they’re trying to keep German spies from invading their community. I was entertained the whole time and I enjoyed the book. I also enjoyed the fact that you get a sense of how people lived back then versus how they live today.

Synopsis: Off to War is the fourth book, and the exciting conclusion to the Gotcha! Series, eleven years in the making. This time Buck Pettit’s investigating club is chasing German spies instead of murderers. Read how they find and eliminate this threat to our national security. What happens to Irv and Will as they reach the draft age? How will they react to this threat of war from abroad? With keen insight and a great ability to blend history and fiction, author Wayne Hancock illuminates the hard times and struggles that existed during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

"All the Birds in the Sky" by Charlie Jane Anders

The Fireside ChatsLeave a comment

I had heard a lot about this book and decided to give it a go. It supposedly won the Nebula Award in 2017. Yeah, I know, I know….I’m a little late to getting around to this novel.

I wasn’t sure what to think of this novel before I started reading it. I read the synopsis and wasn’t sure if it was something I’d like or not. Anyway, I finished reading this over the weekend and I actually enjoyed it. The book builds and builds until you get the end, even when you don’t realize that it’s building. Anyway, I tried reading something outside the usual with this one and I ended up liking it.

Synopsis: An ancient society of witches and a hipster technological startup go to war in order to prevent the world from tearing itself apart. To further complicate things, each of the groups’ most promising followers (Patricia, a brilliant witch and Laurence, an engineering “wunderkind”) may just be in love with each other.

As the battle between magic and science wages in San Francisco against the backdrop of international chaos, Laurence and Patricia are forced to choose sides. But their choices will determine the fate of the planet and all mankind.

In a fashion unique to Charlie Jane Anders, All the Birds in the Sky offers a humorous and, at times, heart-breaking exploration of growing up extraordinary in world filled with cruelty, scientific ingenuity, and magic.

Locke & Key Official Trailer

The Fireside Chats2 Comments

I know recently that I mentioned that Netflix is going to be showing a tv show based on a comic book series I’ve read before. Well, now they’ve come out with a trailer for the show….finally. I’m watched the trailer a couple of times now and I’m getting anxious for the show to start. I want February 7th to hurry up and get here so I can start watching it. I’ve been hearing about a possible movie or tv show based on these comic books for forever and now we’re finally getting it.

Synopsis: Three siblings who move into their ancestral estate after their father’s gruesome murder discover their new home’s magical keys, which must be used in their stand against an evil creature who wants the keys and their powers.

"The Haunted" by Danielle Vega

The Fireside ChatsLeave a comment

I’ve got a book I’ve crossed off my list over the weekend. Even though it’s geared towards the young adult crowd, I decided to give it a try. I thought the story line was good and I liked the way the book ended. The only thing I didn’t really care for was the main character seemed like she couldn’t make up her mind which boy she liked more and even then she couldn’t decide if she wanted to be with that boy or not. That may be normal for young adult novels…I know I’ve seen it happen in a few other young adult novels I’ve read in the past.

Synopsis: From Danielle Vega, YA’s answer to Stephen King, comes a new paranormal novel about dark family secrets, deep-seated vengeance, and the horrifying truth that evil often lurks in the unlikeliest of places.

Hendricks Becker-O’Malley is new in town, and she’s bringing baggage with her. With a dark and wild past, Hendricks doesn’t think the small town her parents moved her to has much to offer her in terms of excitement. She plans on laying low, but when she’s suddenly welcomed into the popular crowd at school, things don’t go as expected.

Hendricks learns from her new friends that the fixer-upper her parents are so excited about is notorious in town. Local legend says it’s haunted. Hendricks doesn’t believe it. Until she’s forced to. Blood-curdling screams erupt from the basement, her little brother wakes up covered in scratches, and something, or someone pushes her dad down the stairs. With help from the mysterious boy next door, Hendricks makes it her mission to take down the ghosts . . . if they don’t take her first.

"Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill your Bones" by Alvin Schwartz

The Fireside ChatsLeave a comment

I’ve finished the last in this series. These stories were everything I remembered from when I read them back in the 7th grade. They brought back a lot of memories from my childhood. They’re perfect for kids who aren’t scared easily and want to read some scary stories.

“Perfect for reading alone or aloud in a dimly lit room.” – Kirkus Reviews

"More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" by Alvin Schwartz

The Fireside ChatsLeave a comment

I’ve finished the next book in the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series. I had originally read these books back in the 7th grade. I remember checking them out from the library in school. Good book for readers ages 8 to 12 if the child doesn’t scare easily.

“Guaranteed to make your teeth chatter and your spine tingle. The stories are short and perfect for telling aloud. Gammell’s eerie drawings are excellent.” – School Library Journal (starred review)

Also, on a side note, I went to the bookstore yesterday and picked up another book to add to my list of books to be read…

"Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" by Alvin Schwartz

The Fireside ChatsLeave a comment

I read this book back in 7th grade (if memory serves me right). I wanted to re-read this book after they made a movie based on this book and it was released back in August. The book was just as I remember it. This book is good for younger audiences who enjoy a good scare (on the back of the book it says this book is appropriate for ages 8 to 12 but that depends on whether the child is easily scared or not).

“Sure to provoke chills along the spine, this collection of short selections about witches and ghosts includes ‘jump’ stories as well as macabre songs, modern-day psychic tales, and frightening legends from the past.” -ALA Booklist

"The Monster of Elendhaven" by Jennifer Giesbrecht

The Fireside Chats2 Comments

I’ve finished another novel recently. I enjoyed this book and this is good for any horror fan who wants a quick read around Halloween time. I can’t say what I really want to say here without ruining the ending. I’m just going to suggest you go read it and you can comment on this article when you’re done. I want to know what you think when you’ve made it to the end. For those of you who haven’t read this book, don’t read the comments for fear of spoilers.

Synopsis: The city of Elendhaven sulks on the edge of the ocean. Wracked by plague, abandoned by the South, stripped of industry and left to die. But not everything dies so easily. A thing without a name stalks the city, a thing shaped like a man, with a dark heart and long pale fingers yearning to wrap around throats. A monster who cannot die. His frail master sends him out on errands, twisting him with magic, crafting a plan too cruel to name, while the monster’s heart grows fonder and colder and more cunning.

These monsters of Elendhaven will have their revenge on everyone who wronged the city, even if they have to burn the world to do it.

"The Haunted" by Bentley Little

The Fireside Chats2 Comments

Okay, my first book of the year. This book is one of those haunted house type stories but it’s a little different than the haunted house stories I’ve read before. I’m kind of on the fence about this one. There were things I liked about this novel and other things I didn’t like. It’s hard to talk about without ruining the story to someone who hasn’t read it yet. There were some strange things going on at this “haunted house” and I felt like some things were left unanswered or just left hanging. Maybe that’s what I didn’t like about it. Anyway, I’ll leave it to you to read yourself and form your own opinions about the novel. (Note: I do not recommend this book for younger audiences. This book is for adults only, especially adults who are not easily scared.)

Synopsis: Julie and Claire Perry and their two children, Megan and James, have made the move to a bigger, nicer home in their city’s historic district. But something isn’t right.

The neighbors seem reluctant to visit. Claire can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching her. Megan receives increasingly menacing and obscene texts. And James is having terrible dreams. No wonder, considering what he’s seen in the corner of the basement, staring at him and shuffling closer ever so slowly. 

Pity no one warned the family about the house. Now it’s too late. Because the darkness at the bottom of the stairs is rising….