The Poop on the Pages and Whatnot

Note: There is no discussion of actual poop in this post. 

Has your child ever gotten a raging case of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HMFD) from daycare? Mine has. I hope we don't do this again soon.

*KNOCKING ON WOOD*

Fever, mouth ulcers, palm ulcers, foot ulcers, crankiness, miserableness. Not a good time at all. He is on the mend and I don't have it.

*KNOCKING ON MORE WOOD*

Besides the illness gripping the house over the weekend, I carved a pumpkin for the first time ever. EVER. And I'll be 31 in just over a week. Before you think I'm awesome, I totally used a pattern. I also used a very sharp knife. I have no idea what those "safe companies" want me to do with an inch-long wheel perforation tool and a teeny tiny little saw of a knife. I used a real knife and I still have all my fingers.

Due to the illness, my child did not get to attend his daycare Halloween carnival, nor will he be trick-or-treating tonight. He will wear the costume for a family photoshoot next weekend and we will marvel at the cuteness.

Despite the illness, I actually READ A BOOK this weekend. Not a whole one. Don't get too excited. But I did start a book that interested me, which is a massive step in the right direction given my immense slumptitude of late. The book:

I know. This announcement is not terribly exciting given that I said last week (or sometime) that I was going to be reading this. I kind of didn't get around to it, and then Kim mentioned that it really captivated her, and then I thought back to all of Heather's good comments about it. So I dove in. And I am totally interested! Yay for Scarlett Letterness and Handmaid's Taleness!

If you were not in on the RIP VI readalong of The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson, shame on you. Kidding. It was a great discussion and made even more interesting when the author, Ms. Lawrenson herself, jumped in on the discussion! She wrote an e-mail to Carl, and then he posted it on his blog, and then there was talk amongst all parties. Well, except me. I didn't get in on it because of the preoccupation with the illness. But it's way cool! Go read Ms. Lawrenson's comments and the discussion that ensued.


Lastly and sadly, RIP VI ends today! I vowed to read four books, but alas, I only finished three. I'm pretty happy with that because those three books were super-fantastic: Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day, The Night Circus, and The Lantern. I certainly got my creepy, atmospheric fix, and I don't see a definite end to that current fixation.

Stay tuned for a personal challenge with which I plan to flog myself! Woohoo!

The Poop on the Pages and Whatnot

Note: There is no discussion of actual poop in this post. 

Has your child ever gotten a raging case of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HMFD) from daycare? Mine has. I hope we don't do this again soon.

*KNOCKING ON WOOD*

Fever, mouth ulcers, palm ulcers, foot ulcers, crankiness, miserableness. Not a good time at all. He is on the mend and I don't have it.

*KNOCKING ON MORE WOOD*

Besides the illness gripping the house over the weekend, I carved a pumpkin for the first time ever. EVER. And I'll be 31 in just over a week. Before you think I'm awesome, I totally used a pattern. I also used a very sharp knife. I have no idea what those "safe companies" want me to do with an inch-long wheel perforation tool and a teeny tiny little saw of a knife. I used a real knife and I still have all my fingers.

Due to the illness, my child did not get to attend his daycare Halloween carnival, nor will he be trick-or-treating tonight. He will wear the costume for a family photoshoot next weekend and we will marvel at the cuteness.

Despite the illness, I actually READ A BOOK this weekend. Not a whole one. Don't get too excited. But I did start a book that interested me, which is a massive step in the right direction given my immense slumptitude of late. The book:

I know. This announcement is not terribly exciting given that I said last week (or sometime) that I was going to be reading this. I kind of didn't get around to it, and then Kim mentioned that it really captivated her, and then I thought back to all of Heather's good comments about it. So I dove in. And I am totally interested! Yay for Scarlett Letterness and Handmaid's Taleness!

If you were not in on the RIP VI readalong of The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson, shame on you. Kidding. It was a great discussion and made even more interesting when the author, Ms. Lawrenson herself, jumped in on the discussion! She wrote an e-mail to Carl, and then he posted it on his blog, and then there was talk amongst all parties. Well, except me. I didn't get in on it because of the preoccupation with the illness. But it's way cool! Go read Ms. Lawrenson's comments and the discussion that ensued.


Lastly and sadly, RIP VI ends today! I vowed to read four books, but alas, I only finished three. I'm pretty happy with that because those three books were super-fantastic: Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day, The Night Circus, and The Lantern. I certainly got my creepy, atmospheric fix, and I don't see a definite end to that current fixation.

Stay tuned for a personal challenge with which I plan to flog myself! Woohoo!

The Lantern Group Read - Finis!

Today is the final installment of The Lantern group read for RIP VI. I skipped last week as my brain was fried and I was afraid of giving things away. Today I'm onboard, though.

Thanks so much to Carl, Kelly, and Heather for coming up with the questions!!!

Potential spoilers ahead!!!


1. Now that it's all said and done; what did you think of the book? Did you see the ending coming?


I liked it! I had parts of the ending figured out.. I don't think Lawrenson's intention was to really trick her audience about what was coming. Given Pierre's character, I don't think it's any surprise that he might've done something terrible. Dom's role in Rachel's demise was a little more surprising. I did not see her illness coming, and I did not see his part in ahead of time. That's the one part of the book that REALLY gave me shivers. What guilt to live with!  I actually thought Rachel got off the hook quite easily. I expected her to be a bit more, oh, psycho! Thought he might've pushed her off a cliff by accident or something.


2. What do you think of the characters? Lawrenson took us on a twisty little ride there, I had trouble deciding who was good and who wasn't for a while there! What do you think of Dom? Of Sabine? Rachel?

One of the things Lawrenson does very well is cast doubt over her characters and walk the line between trustworthy or not, truth and lies, good and evil. Her characters are unreliable, conflicted, and I didn't really trust anyone outside of Benedicte and Eve. I even had my reservations about those two in some way or another. Benedicte's mental state was in question, compounded with her failing eyesight. Eve was paranoid and alone. So, yeah, I didn't trust anyone at various points in the novel.

Sabine was unimpressive overall. I found her a very wooden, stock character. Probably my least fave of everyone.


3. Pierre was such a conflicted character. In the end, do you think he killed Marthe and Annette, or did the fall to their deaths because of their blindness?


He totally killed them. I didn't really see him as conflicted. I saw him as a sociopathic asshole. Harsh?


4. The book is being compared to Rebecca and Daphne du Maurier's writing. Do you think the book lives up to that description?


No idea. I haven't read Rebecca. I know! I know! I will. Pinky swear.


5. Did you have any problems with the book? Narration? Plot? The back and forth between two different characters and times?


I didn't really have any problems with the book. I liked the narration, I liked the plot, but now that I've been done with it for several weeks, I have a hard time remembering specifics. I can remember the specifics if I think about it for a few minutes (like writing this post). I'm not sure it'll be memorable in the long run, but it was a good read in the short run.


6. Do you think Lawrenson tied both stories together well in the end? Is there anything she could/should have done differently?


Boring answer: I was satisfied. No changes necessary. :)


7. One problem I had with the novel is the reliability of the narrators. Do you think any of them were telling the truth? Which ones?


I kinda skipped ahead on this one and addressed this issue earlier!  I think they were both unreliable in their own ways. I don't think they were deceitful or had any specific agendas, but I think the forces at work in their lives -- health issues, mental stability, stress -- exerted influence that could make them unreliable. I kinda like that about Benedicte and Eve. It made them interesting, mysterious, and multifaceted.

The Lantern Group Read - Finis!

Today is the final installment of The Lantern group read for RIP VI. I skipped last week as my brain was fried and I was afraid of giving things away. Today I'm onboard, though.

Thanks so much to Carl, Kelly, and Heather for coming up with the questions!!!

Potential spoilers ahead!!!


1. Now that it's all said and done; what did you think of the book? Did you see the ending coming?


I liked it! I had parts of the ending figured out.. I don't think Lawrenson's intention was to really trick her audience about what was coming. Given Pierre's character, I don't think it's any surprise that he might've done something terrible. Dom's role in Rachel's demise was a little more surprising. I did not see her illness coming, and I did not see his part in ahead of time. That's the one part of the book that REALLY gave me shivers. What guilt to live with!  I actually thought Rachel got off the hook quite easily. I expected her to be a bit more, oh, psycho! Thought he might've pushed her off a cliff by accident or something.


2. What do you think of the characters? Lawrenson took us on a twisty little ride there, I had trouble deciding who was good and who wasn't for a while there! What do you think of Dom? Of Sabine? Rachel?

One of the things Lawrenson does very well is cast doubt over her characters and walk the line between trustworthy or not, truth and lies, good and evil. Her characters are unreliable, conflicted, and I didn't really trust anyone outside of Benedicte and Eve. I even had my reservations about those two in some way or another. Benedicte's mental state was in question, compounded with her failing eyesight. Eve was paranoid and alone. So, yeah, I didn't trust anyone at various points in the novel.

Sabine was unimpressive overall. I found her a very wooden, stock character. Probably my least fave of everyone.


3. Pierre was such a conflicted character. In the end, do you think he killed Marthe and Annette, or did the fall to their deaths because of their blindness?


He totally killed them. I didn't really see him as conflicted. I saw him as a sociopathic asshole. Harsh?


4. The book is being compared to Rebecca and Daphne du Maurier's writing. Do you think the book lives up to that description?


No idea. I haven't read Rebecca. I know! I know! I will. Pinky swear.


5. Did you have any problems with the book? Narration? Plot? The back and forth between two different characters and times?


I didn't really have any problems with the book. I liked the narration, I liked the plot, but now that I've been done with it for several weeks, I have a hard time remembering specifics. I can remember the specifics if I think about it for a few minutes (like writing this post). I'm not sure it'll be memorable in the long run, but it was a good read in the short run.


6. Do you think Lawrenson tied both stories together well in the end? Is there anything she could/should have done differently?


Boring answer: I was satisfied. No changes necessary. :)


7. One problem I had with the novel is the reliability of the narrators. Do you think any of them were telling the truth? Which ones?


I kinda skipped ahead on this one and addressed this issue earlier!  I think they were both unreliable in their own ways. I don't think they were deceitful or had any specific agendas, but I think the forces at work in their lives -- health issues, mental stability, stress -- exerted influence that could make them unreliable. I kinda like that about Benedicte and Eve. It made them interesting, mysterious, and multifaceted.

On Scary Books That Freak-a-Me Out

I don't think anyone would argue that there are distinctly different categories of "scary." There is blood and guts scary, alien scary, ghost scary, gross-out scary, sacrilegious scary, unseen scary. Of all the scaries, I tend to fall prey to the "unseen scary" most of the time.

I am a sucker for Halloween and I am a sucker for the atmosphere of fall, and the weather changes combined with all the pre-Halloween hoo-hah, make me want to read a ton in the RIP VI vein and I always watch scary movies and TV shows this time of year. When it comes to categorizing "scary" I tend to think of TV and movies first. Maybe because when I was growing up, I unwittingly stumbled into a lot of scary movies that SCARRED ME FOR LIFE! For example, when I was three or four, I was changing the TV station for my mom, and it happened to be those pre-historic times before remote controls or on-screen channel guides. I happened to flip to The Exorcist just as Linda Blair got down with the pea soup vomit action. I kid you not, I was 23 before I ever watched The Exorcist in its entirety after that little foray into scaryville.

Another overtly scary and troubling movie I happened upon in my youth was House (1986). A guy moves into his dead aunt's house and all hell breaks loose. Ghosts, ghouls, dead servicemen with AK47s. Scared the crap out of me. Watch the trailer on YouTube...it's very 1980s horrorlicious.

While gore and supernatural stuff scared the stuffing out of me as a kid, as I've gotten older, I'm much more troubled by what I can't see. In movie terms, this means that films like The Others absolutely effin' terrified me!!!! Bumps in the night, ooky kids, skittering footsteps across parquet floors, big houses with weirdly calm staff -- CREEP ME OUT. I love psychological thrillers and "ghost" stories, and if there's a surprise twist at the end, all the better. 

In book terms, I also find myself much more frightened by psychological tricks rather than flash and gore. I was a devoted Stephen King fan when I was a teen, and back then novels like Pet Sematery, Carrie, Salem's Lot, and The Shining were the kind of scary I relished. They were outlandish, wild, and scary in a very overt way.

Now that I'm older and even more of a chicken than when I was growing up (ahem!), I prefer my books like I dig my movies: psychologically twisty and "unseen" scary. I know I've praised The Little Stranger up one side and down the other, but I'm GONNA DO IT AGAIN! That book scared the proverbial pee out of me. The plot unfolded very slowly, and for the first half of the book or so, "ghostly" events were few and far between. A moved cuff link here, an odd burn mark there. As the book progressed, though, the ghostly happenings came much more often to the point that there were some scenes that made me shudder. But again, in theory, it all could've been explained away by the characters' psychological state. Let's face it, the family in The Little Stranger could've all been nutters. Losing one's mental faculties is scary to me. What might or might not be moving around in the night is also unsettling.

I'm finding The Lantern to be the kind of scary I really dig. I won't mention any specifics, but the plot unfolds in a tortuously slow manner. The chapters are incredibly short -- just a few pages each -- and it builds wonderful tension. Also, I'm used to my Gothic scary stories taking place in ominous settings. Give me a moor and I'm happy. But the action in The Lantern takes place in a very sunny, pleasant French country estate. Birds singing, music playing, lavender a-growing. Throw in a creepy lantern or a weird occurrence and it's heightened all the more by the unconventional landscape.

I'm wholly overtaken by my love of subtly scary stories as of late. The thought of a wildly contemporary or Postmodern novel isn't appetizing at the moment. I want to be engulfed in crumbling estates and tortured characters. It's been a while since a "type" of book captured me so, but I have a feeling this current fascination will make for a very fulfilling RIP VI this year.

So what do you find scary? Any suggestions for other subtly scary novels for RIP VI? Is there a particular type of book that's interested you for an extended period of time in recent months?

On Scary Books That Freak-a-Me Out

I don't think anyone would argue that there are distinctly different categories of "scary." There is blood and guts scary, alien scary, ghost scary, gross-out scary, sacrilegious scary, unseen scary. Of all the scaries, I tend to fall prey to the "unseen scary" most of the time.

I am a sucker for Halloween and I am a sucker for the atmosphere of fall, and the weather changes combined with all the pre-Halloween hoo-hah, make me want to read a ton in the RIP VI vein and I always watch scary movies and TV shows this time of year. When it comes to categorizing "scary" I tend to think of TV and movies first. Maybe because when I was growing up, I unwittingly stumbled into a lot of scary movies that SCARRED ME FOR LIFE! For example, when I was three or four, I was changing the TV station for my mom, and it happened to be those pre-historic times before remote controls or on-screen channel guides. I happened to flip to The Exorcist just as Linda Blair got down with the pea soup vomit action. I kid you not, I was 23 before I ever watched The Exorcist in its entirety after that little foray into scaryville.

Another overtly scary and troubling movie I happened upon in my youth was House (1986). A guy moves into his dead aunt's house and all hell breaks loose. Ghosts, ghouls, dead servicemen with AK47s. Scared the crap out of me. Watch the trailer on YouTube...it's very 1980s horrorlicious.

While gore and supernatural stuff scared the stuffing out of me as a kid, as I've gotten older, I'm much more troubled by what I can't see. In movie terms, this means that films like The Others absolutely effin' terrified me!!!! Bumps in the night, ooky kids, skittering footsteps across parquet floors, big houses with weirdly calm staff -- CREEP ME OUT. I love psychological thrillers and "ghost" stories, and if there's a surprise twist at the end, all the better. 

In book terms, I also find myself much more frightened by psychological tricks rather than flash and gore. I was a devoted Stephen King fan when I was a teen, and back then novels like Pet Sematery, Carrie, Salem's Lot, and The Shining were the kind of scary I relished. They were outlandish, wild, and scary in a very overt way.

Now that I'm older and even more of a chicken than when I was growing up (ahem!), I prefer my books like I dig my movies: psychologically twisty and "unseen" scary. I know I've praised The Little Stranger up one side and down the other, but I'm GONNA DO IT AGAIN! That book scared the proverbial pee out of me. The plot unfolded very slowly, and for the first half of the book or so, "ghostly" events were few and far between. A moved cuff link here, an odd burn mark there. As the book progressed, though, the ghostly happenings came much more often to the point that there were some scenes that made me shudder. But again, in theory, it all could've been explained away by the characters' psychological state. Let's face it, the family in The Little Stranger could've all been nutters. Losing one's mental faculties is scary to me. What might or might not be moving around in the night is also unsettling.

I'm finding The Lantern to be the kind of scary I really dig. I won't mention any specifics, but the plot unfolds in a tortuously slow manner. The chapters are incredibly short -- just a few pages each -- and it builds wonderful tension. Also, I'm used to my Gothic scary stories taking place in ominous settings. Give me a moor and I'm happy. But the action in The Lantern takes place in a very sunny, pleasant French country estate. Birds singing, music playing, lavender a-growing. Throw in a creepy lantern or a weird occurrence and it's heightened all the more by the unconventional landscape.

I'm wholly overtaken by my love of subtly scary stories as of late. The thought of a wildly contemporary or Postmodern novel isn't appetizing at the moment. I want to be engulfed in crumbling estates and tortured characters. It's been a while since a "type" of book captured me so, but I have a feeling this current fascination will make for a very fulfilling RIP VI this year.

So what do you find scary? Any suggestions for other subtly scary novels for RIP VI? Is there a particular type of book that's interested you for an extended period of time in recent months?

Bookish Brain Dump: The Lantern!

Whoa, y'all! We're in mid-audit. Well, it's audit day. It hasn't started yet, and I'll be hella glad when it's over. I think we're well prepared and nothing to really worry about, but of course there's a little anxiety until it's DONE!

Behind the scenes, my brain is still stuck on books. Yesterday I downloaded Deborah Lawrenson's much blogged-about novel, The Lantern, for the RIP VI readalong.

From Lawrenson's website:

The Lantern is a modern gothic novel, inspired by a crumbling hamlet in Provence. When I began writing, it was going to be an homage to Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, with its young heroine who finds her man becomes more mysterious to her the longer she is with him.



Along the way it became a novel about perfume and blindness and the past life of houses, and also about books, reading and the imagination.


And while the story was all in my mind, the beauty of the Luberon region that provides the backdrop was just there to be captured in words…

Captivating, no? I laid in bed reading the first few chapters on my iPhone last night after Greyson went to sleep. I was instantly caught up in the language, and I can't wait to see what this book holds for me. I've become very interested in "house novels" since reading Sarah Waters' The Little Stranger earlier this year. The house certainly became a character of its own in that book, and it sounds like I have something similar ahead in this one.

I'm also sort of fascinated with the chapter layout in this one. The book is only 350ish pages (388 maybe?) but there are like 60 chapters or somethin'!

I hope some of you are planning to join in. The schedule for this group read will be:

• Monday, Oct 3 to Oct 9, Parts 1 and 2 (Questions by Carl). Answers post Monday, October 10th.
• Monday, Oct 10 to Oct 16 Parts 3 and 4, (Questions by Kailana). Answers post Monday, October 17th.
• Monday, Oct 17 to Oct 23 Part 5 and Wrap Up, (Questions by Heather). Answers post Monday October 24th.

Visit Stainless Steel Droppings for more info on the readalongs!

Bookish Brain Dump: The Lantern!

Whoa, y'all! We're in mid-audit. Well, it's audit day. It hasn't started yet, and I'll be hella glad when it's over. I think we're well prepared and nothing to really worry about, but of course there's a little anxiety until it's DONE!

Behind the scenes, my brain is still stuck on books. Yesterday I downloaded Deborah Lawrenson's much blogged-about novel, The Lantern, for the RIP VI readalong.

From Lawrenson's website:

The Lantern is a modern gothic novel, inspired by a crumbling hamlet in Provence. When I began writing, it was going to be an homage to Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, with its young heroine who finds her man becomes more mysterious to her the longer she is with him.



Along the way it became a novel about perfume and blindness and the past life of houses, and also about books, reading and the imagination.


And while the story was all in my mind, the beauty of the Luberon region that provides the backdrop was just there to be captured in words…

Captivating, no? I laid in bed reading the first few chapters on my iPhone last night after Greyson went to sleep. I was instantly caught up in the language, and I can't wait to see what this book holds for me. I've become very interested in "house novels" since reading Sarah Waters' The Little Stranger earlier this year. The house certainly became a character of its own in that book, and it sounds like I have something similar ahead in this one.

I'm also sort of fascinated with the chapter layout in this one. The book is only 350ish pages (388 maybe?) but there are like 60 chapters or somethin'!

I hope some of you are planning to join in. The schedule for this group read will be:

• Monday, Oct 3 to Oct 9, Parts 1 and 2 (Questions by Carl). Answers post Monday, October 10th.
• Monday, Oct 10 to Oct 16 Parts 3 and 4, (Questions by Kailana). Answers post Monday, October 17th.
• Monday, Oct 17 to Oct 23 Part 5 and Wrap Up, (Questions by Heather). Answers post Monday October 24th.

Visit Stainless Steel Droppings for more info on the readalongs!

The Sunday Salon - Andi's Vacation Chronicles, Day 6

My vacation is winding down, y'all, and I could not have hoped for a better, more relaxing bunch of "me" time to get centered and ready for the remainder of the calendar year at work. Tomorrow it's back to my 7:15am class, management team meetings, audit preparation, and my co-workers I enjoy so much. I don't dread going back, but I do mourn the loss of unlimited reading time.

While I had hoped to complete at least two or three books this week, I only finished one, and you all know it because I've been gushing about it ever since. I plan to post my review of The Night Circus tomorrow so you'll know exactly why I love it so much.

In other news, I started my next read, also for RIP VI, The Good Dr. Guillotin by Marc Estrin, published by Unbridled Books. It's the story of five men, all involved in one way or other with the first guillotine in France. One is an early criminal to meet his fate there, another the doctor who wanted to invent a "humane" execution device, the executioner himself, etc. So far it's a really quick, interesting read, so I'm hoping to polish it off early this week.  

Also on the docket for today: reading some short stories to catch up for my Science Fiction and Fantasy class. I'm certain at least some of these stories will count toward the RIP VI Short Story Peril, so expect to see a post about those, soon.

Finally, like so many others, I'm contemplating the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 today. I was fortunate not to have lost anyone in that tragedy, but like so many Americans, we feel a kinship to those who endured this horrible event. It's become such a defining part of our history as Americans, and it's hard to believe it's been 10 years already. My prayers go out to those who still wrestle with the reality and endure the lasting pain of what happened there 10 years ago.

The Sunday Salon - Andi's Vacation Chronicles, Day 6

My vacation is winding down, y'all, and I could not have hoped for a better, more relaxing bunch of "me" time to get centered and ready for the remainder of the calendar year at work. Tomorrow it's back to my 7:15am class, management team meetings, audit preparation, and my co-workers I enjoy so much. I don't dread going back, but I do mourn the loss of unlimited reading time.

While I had hoped to complete at least two or three books this week, I only finished one, and you all know it because I've been gushing about it ever since. I plan to post my review of The Night Circus tomorrow so you'll know exactly why I love it so much.

In other news, I started my next read, also for RIP VI, The Good Dr. Guillotin by Marc Estrin, published by Unbridled Books. It's the story of five men, all involved in one way or other with the first guillotine in France. One is an early criminal to meet his fate there, another the doctor who wanted to invent a "humane" execution device, the executioner himself, etc. So far it's a really quick, interesting read, so I'm hoping to polish it off early this week.  

Also on the docket for today: reading some short stories to catch up for my Science Fiction and Fantasy class. I'm certain at least some of these stories will count toward the RIP VI Short Story Peril, so expect to see a post about those, soon.

Finally, like so many others, I'm contemplating the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 today. I was fortunate not to have lost anyone in that tragedy, but like so many Americans, we feel a kinship to those who endured this horrible event. It's become such a defining part of our history as Americans, and it's hard to believe it's been 10 years already. My prayers go out to those who still wrestle with the reality and endure the lasting pain of what happened there 10 years ago.

RIP VI - Hurrah!

It's that time again! My very favorite challenge is ON! Carl is hosting the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril challenge for the sixth year (can't believe it!), and I'm soooooo game!

Of the various Perils, I've chosen Peril the First! I'll be attempting four books from any of the following genres: mystery, suspense, thriller, dark fantasy, Gothic, horror, supernatural.

I may also find myself dabbling in Peril of the Short Story, and I'm definitely interested in taking part in this year's Peril of the Group Read. One of the selections is the much-blogged-about, The Lantern, by Deborah Lawrenson.

I've found it's pretty productive for me to limit my reading choices so as not to become overwhelmed; I'll be working from a small collection of printed books and the e-books on my Nook. Some of the reading I have in mind:

• Affinity by Sarah Waters (STILL need to finish it)


• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern


• The Good Doctor Guillotin by Marc Estrin


• Captivity by Deborah Noyes

Autumn is my favorite part of the year for the weather, the atmosphere, the damn fine reading, and the wonderful sense of community that swirls around the RIP Challenge! Thanks to Carl for fearlessly hosting us once again!

RIP VI - Hurrah!

It's that time again! My very favorite challenge is ON! Carl is hosting the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril challenge for the sixth year (can't believe it!), and I'm soooooo game!

Of the various Perils, I've chosen Peril the First! I'll be attempting four books from any of the following genres: mystery, suspense, thriller, dark fantasy, Gothic, horror, supernatural.

I may also find myself dabbling in Peril of the Short Story, and I'm definitely interested in taking part in this year's Peril of the Group Read. One of the selections is the much-blogged-about, The Lantern, by Deborah Lawrenson.

I've found it's pretty productive for me to limit my reading choices so as not to become overwhelmed; I'll be working from a small collection of printed books and the e-books on my Nook. Some of the reading I have in mind:

• Affinity by Sarah Waters (STILL need to finish it)
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
• The Good Doctor Guillotin by Marc Estrin
• Captivity by Deborah Noyes

Autumn is my favorite part of the year for the weather, the atmosphere, the damn fine reading, and the wonderful sense of community that swirls around the RIP Challenge! Thanks to Carl for fearlessly hosting us once again!