Happy Sunday all and a slightly early Happy Halloween. Whilst I know it isn’t until tomorrow it has been a pretty Halloween heavy weekend for us (finally getting me in the spirit). We had a kids Halloween party Friday followed by a witch walk through some local woods where the kids had to find cauldrons with spell ingredients and adults seemed to be jumping out of the trees more than the adults. Then last night we did our trick or treating at a living museum. It’s great, with staff dressed up as ghouls and ghosts, street performers, fire eaters and old fashioned magicians. Now I am coming down from a huge sugar rush and have a splitting headache but it was well worth it!
Reading and blogging wise, I had a good week this week. I finished two books – Stalker on the Fens, which I featured in my Tuesday Intro and will be reviewing tomorrow and The Exit by Helen Fitzgerald (link to Goodreads) which I will be reviewing Wednesday or Thursday. One I really liked, one I wasn’t so keen on but you will have to wait to see which was which.
I also posted two reviews for two very different books but both of which I enjoyed. First up was Himself by Jess Kidd which was beautifully written and imaginative, set in a small Irish village with lots of ghostly secrets. This was followed by The Mistake I Made by Paula Daly which was more conventional but still a good read, subtler than I thought with a central character I didn’t know if I liked or not. In between I wrote about Books I never seem to be able to finish and five in particular that I never seem able to make it through but felt I should. One especially seemed to have had the same response in others so I know longer feel quite so alone.
This week, I plan on finishing Hagseed by Maraget Atwood which I have just started but is quite hefty. I’m thinking it might be the only one I get through but you never know as I do have a tendency to devour her books. What about you – what are your reading plans or otherwise for this week?
emma
This week, I’m linking in with Kimba at the Caffeinated Book Reviewer and her Sunday Post and with (a little early) Katherine at Book Date for It’s Monday, What Are you Reading? Head over to see what other bloggers have read, written about or just added to their shelves.
One Readers Thoughts 
That witch walk sounds so cool!
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It was. I love we are embracing Halloween in a different way over here.
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Oh a witch walk sounds interesting! Not heard of that but heard of zombie walks. I don’t really do anything for Halloween, but I did DVR my favorite old horror movies, The Wolf Man and Dracula from the TCM channel so I could veg out and watch them. 🙂
Hope you’re enjoying your read and any other you might get too! 🙂
Stormi
Week in Review
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It was fun and I hadn’t done it before. It was less scary than a zombie walk I think but better for kids.
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I have noticed that celebrating Halloween this weekend seems to be popular…it makes sense.
I have The Exit waiting patiently on Pippa…I liked another book by the author, which is why I downloaded it…ages ago. Hmm.
Enjoy your week, and thanks for visiting my blog.
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It did for us…it’s half term here so school starts tomorrow. I wonder if it was The Cry you read? That was why I picked up The Exit.
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Your Halloween activities sound wonderful. With no small children at home, it’s quieter here. We did see Princess Sophia yesterday in costume as she went to the VA Halloween Festival. Tomorrow, we will have a bonfire and had out treats. Enjoy your reading, and I hope this week is a good one for you.
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They really were. It makes it special. Plus we get to spend it with friends we don’t see often.
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Ooh. What a great setting for trick or treat! Fabulous.
We are doing our Halloween tomorrow. I hope that we get some trick or treaters. We didn’t get many last year. We live on the edge of town, and most of the kids go to the center of town. It’s more convenient.
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We started going out because we never got any trick or treaters. Though we still have tonight / tomorrow this year because of when Halloween falls. I have chocolate I like so I can eat it if they don’t turn up.
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It was fun to read your review of “The Mistake I Made.” Kudos!
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Thank you. I had (have) fun writing my reviews!
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The witch walk sounds like so much fun! Our Halloween has been pretty low-key this year (no kids around at the moment), but when the girls were younger we always got together with friends and their children for a pizza party and trick-or-treating. Lots of happy memories! Sounds like a good week of reading… I’ll look for your reviews and find out which book you liked!
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It really was. A bit different and the kids loved it. I kind of don’t want them to grow up as they had so much fun.
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I’ll go and see what books you can’t seem to finish now! nd that review for The Mistake I made, because I looks really good.
My plans?
Well, I was reading one festive read (One Christmas in Paris) but with new Google look and everyone tweeting about Halloween, I’m switching to something spooky to read tonight and tomorrow.
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Spooky is much better than Christmas I think…I can’t get my head around how close the holidays are!
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That sounds like a great Halloween weekend! I love the idea of the kids having to look for ingredients- sounds fun! I’m curious to see if Stalker on the fens is the one you liked- with a title like that it certainly sounds suspenseful.
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It was a great way to get the kids engaged that didn’t involve constant candy. I have post my review of stalker on the fens today so you can see what I thought 😄
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There’s been a lot of Halloween festivities here to that I’m enjoying. I’ll be kind of sad when it’s over. 😦 Enjoy your reading, hefty book and all 😀
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I really enjoyed my Halloween but am not sad it’s over. There was too much in the shops too early this year. I felt overwhelmed and over it for the first time ever. Next year I just won’t leave the house till it’s right on me. 😄
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Well I’ve read The Exit but not the Stalker in the Fens so I’m eager to see which one you favoured. I have a few books to read and review for November so I’m hoping for a little time to let me get them done 😉
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Fingers crossed you find the time…it’s getting to the busy time of year I think. All I see is a really long to do list to get ready for the holidays!
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I’ve already checked out a couple of your reviews as the books appealed! The Halloween party sounds like fun.
I didn’t know Atwood had a new book out. Is it a newbie? I enjoyed her earlier work more than her more recent stuff I must admit!
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Halloween was great, especially as I hadn’t been in the mood. Hagseed came out a few weeks ago. It’s a reworking of the Tempest and I’m enjoying it – despite not having read The Tempest in so long I don’t really remember it.
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It sounds like you had a fun pre-Halloween. I need to get a copy of Hagseed. I love Margaret Atwood.
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It really was and much better todo vs. Tonight when school is on. Hayseed is pretty good so far but it is long.
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Sounds like a very fun Halloween weekend!
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Very much so – still glad it is over though!
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Your Halloween activities sound like so much fun! Glad your reading and blogging was so successful and I hope you have a good week again this week.
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They really were. I am also very glad they are over. I am in sugar withdrawal.
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It sounds like you had a great “Halloweeny” weekend! We did take the kids to a Trunk or Treat on Friday and, of course, we did pumpkins yesterday…otherwise, we’re doing all the Halloween stuff today.
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It really was. Plus a good thing as today is a school night and I couldn’t face a tired little girl tomorrow with sugar withdrawl!
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I had to have a peek at some of the books you couldn’t seem to get through. I sure identify with some of them and if they aren’t appealing to us as readers I am not sure we should even try!
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I don’t know why I do but I keep going back to them. Other books, I can put down no problem but these haunt me (and not just because it’s Halloween!)
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Great blog I enjoyed reeading
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Belated thanks 😊
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