Books · Monthly Tags

October TBR 2022 – The TBR Raffle Game

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Hello, my reader friends!

The spooky season is my favorite season of them all. Cozy blankets, pumpkin spice latte, candles and October TBR books with eerie atmosphere. What’s not to like about that?

You probably already know this, but just a reminder that I share my current reading updates on my Instagram posts and stories, and my Goodreads and Storygraph account, so don’t forget to follow my Instagram and other socials (all listed at the bottom of the blog) to see what I am reading at any given time during this month. Sometimes my TBR varies, as I add additional books during the month.

And with that being said, let the October TBR commence.

The October TBR Raffle

I am usually filming my TBRs on my Instagram Stories. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, and check my Raffle draw (usually posted as a highlight or a reel).

My TBR Raffle game is simple: I have a number of prompts that I put in small papers, into a jar. I draw a prompt, and I fit in a book that matches my prompt. Here is a list of the current prompts I have. Feel free to leave any prompt suggestions in the comments. Once the prompt is drawn, I put it back into the jar, so it has an equal chance to get drawn again. I draw a total of 6 prompts, which result in 6 books for the month. If I fail to read a book, it automatically goes into the next month.

My October TBR

1. TBR Vet

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

One of the oldest books on my TBR, and a classic horror novel, I couldn’t not add Frankenstein by Mary Shelley to my TBR this month. It feels like ti was meant to be. I have read so much about the book, I vaguely know the plot, but I have never read it, so quite excited for this one.

Synopsis:

Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was only eighteen. At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature’s hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein. 

Frankenstein, an instant bestseller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life and the place of humankind within the cosmos: What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How far can we go in tampering with Nature? In our age, filled with news of organ donation genetic engineering, and bio-terrorism, these questions are more relevant than ever.

2. Travel (Set in Destination)

The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge

Set in the remote snows of contemporary Norway was enough for me to add The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge on my list. The fact that it has a very spooky cover and synopsis that promises chills, that was just a huge bonus!

Synopsis:

Part ghost story, part Nordic thriller – this is a twisty, tense and spooky YA debut, perfect for fans of Coraline and Michelle Paver.

Martha can tell things about a person just by touching their clothes, as if their emotions and memories have been absorbed into the material. It started the day she fell from the tree at her grandma’s cabin and became blind in one eye.

Determined to understand her strange ability, Martha sets off to visit her grandmother, Mormor – only to discover Mormor is dead, a peculiar boy is in her cabin and a terrifying creature is on the loose.

Then the spinning wheel starts creaking, books move around and terror creeps in . . .

✨ 3. Mystery

The Wych Elm by Tana French

I’ve had The Wych Elm by Tana French on my TBR list for quite some time. And after having mixed feeling about The Searcher, I decided to give Tana another chance. I’ve heard some good reviews about it, and the sysnopsis seems quite appealing to my taste.

Synopsis:

For me it all goes back to that night, the dark corroded hinge between before and after, the slipped-in sheet of trick glass that tints everything on one side in its own murky colours and leaves everything on the other luminous and untouchable.

One night changes everything for Toby. A brutal attack leaves him traumatised, unsure even of the person he used to be. He seeks refuge at the family’s ancestral home, the Ivy House, filled with cherished memories of wild-strawberry summers and teenage parties with his cousins.

But not long after Toby’s arrival, a discovery is made. A skull, tucked neatly inside the old wych elm in the garden.

As detectives begin to close in, Toby is forced to examine everything he thought he knew about his family, his past, and himself.

A spellbinding standalone from a literary writer who turns the crime genre inside out, The Wych Elm asks what we become, and what we’re capable of, if we no longer know who we are.

✨ 4. 5 Star Prediction

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky, for some reason, has become I book I keep meaning to read and never get to it. There are a few books I’ve had this experience with, and they have all ended up being my favourites. I hope this book will follow their trail and saying that, I hope I will finally get to it.

Synopsis:

Christopher is seven years old.
Christopher is the new kid in town.
And Christopher has an imaginary friend.

We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us.

Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, Christopher, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with her child. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It’s as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out.

At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six long days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a treehouse in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same again.

Twenty years ago, Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower made readers everywhere feel infinite. Now, Chbosky has returned with an epic work of literary horror, years in the making, whose grand scale and rich emotion redefine the genre. Read it with the lights on.

5. Instagram Scroll

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

I actually enjoyed scrolling through my Instagram feed to find The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. There was an abundance of spooky books that I didn’t own and had to pass. My TBR list just got way bigger for next year!

Synopsis:

Four seekers have arrived at the rambling old pile known as Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of psychic phenomena; Theodora, his lovely and lighthearted assistant; Luke, the adventurous future inheritor of the estate; and Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman with a dark past. As they begin to cope with chilling, even horrifying occurrences beyond their control or understanding, they cannot possibly know what lies ahead. For Hill House is gathering its powers – and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.

6. My Pick

Bindle Punk Bruja by Desideria Mesa

I love it when I get the “My Pick” prompt. It gives me the freedom to choose any book I want, and I sometimes leave this empty until I pick on the spot in the middle of the month. But this time, I instantly added Bindle Punk Bruja by Desideria Mesa to my October TBR. It’s a book I had my eye on for a few months since I’ve been gifted a proof reader copy, and it’s perfect for the spooky season, filled with witches!

Synopsis:

A part-time reporter and club owner takes on crooked city councilmen, mysterious and deadly mobsters, and society’s deeply rooted sexism and racism, all while keeping her true identity and magical abilities hidden –inspired by an ancient Mexican folktale.

Yo soy quien soy. I am who I am.

Luna–or depending on who’s asking, Rose–is the white-passing daughter of an immigrant mother who has seen what happens to people from her culture. This world is prejudicial, and she must hide her identity in pursuit of owning an illegal jazz club. Using her cunning powers, Rose negotiates with dangerous criminals as she climbs up Kansas City’s bootlegging ladder. Luna, however, runs the risk of losing everything if the crooked city councilmen and ruthless mobsters discover her ties to an immigrant boxcar community that secretly houses witches. Last thing she wants is to put her entire family in danger.

But this bruja with ever-growing magical abilities can never resist a good fight. With her new identity, Rose, an unabashed flapper, defies societal expectations all the while struggling to keep her true self and witchcraft in check. However, the harder she tries to avoid scrutiny, the more her efforts eventually capture unwanted attention. Soon, she finds herself surrounded by greed and every brand of bigotry–from local gangsters who want a piece of the action and businessmen who hate her diverse staff to the Ku Klux Klan and Al Capone. Will her earth magic be enough to save her friends and family? As much as she hates to admit it, she may need to learn to have faith in others–and learning to trust may prove to be her biggest ambition yet.

And that’s my October TBR. Have you read any of the above books? What is on your October TBR list? Let me know in the comments!

Make sure to follow me on Instagram, so you can stay up to date with my current updates during the month.

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Books · Monthly Tags

October TBR – The TBR Raffle – Sister Edition

Hello, lovelies!

Welcome to the October TBR! I hope you are doing well, and are well into the autumn spirit! I am so looking forward to Halloween, even though I am not sure how I will be able to give out treats with Covid still going on. Maybe I’ll have to open up my garden and do a scavenger hunt or something similar. Any ideas?

September was a pretty good month in terms of my reading, even though life got a bit in the way. I still need to catch up on a few book reviews, but keeping a positive mindset, as always!

This month, I have something different planned for you. It wasn’t really planned, it happened naturally, but I think it turned up quite well in the end. My sister came to visit me one weekend, and she always loves my TBR Raffle videos on Instagram. This time, she asked me if she can choose the prompts. So I agreed. And not only did she end up choosing the prompts, but she ended up choosing the books as well. I had to add a few more titles in the end, which I am ue to review in October, but I am confident I can manage to read them all this month.

And with that. let the October TBR raffle commence.

The October TBR Raffle

I am filming my TBRs on my Instagram Stories. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, and check out the “Monthly TBR” highlight at the beginning of each month!

My TBR Raffle game is simple: I have a number of prompts that I put in small papers, into a jar. I draw a prompt, and I fit in a book that matches my prompt. Here is a list of the current prompts I have. Feel free to leave any prompt suggestions in the comments. Once the paper is drawn, I put it back into the jar, so it has an equal chance to get drawn again. I draw a total of 8 prompts, which result in 8 books for the month. If I fail to read a book, it automatically goes into the next month.

*This month, my sister chose my prompts and my books. I had a lot of fun doing this with her, and maybe I’ll let her do it again in the future! 🙂

My October TBR

✨ 1. New Author

My mum had an impact on this choice, as she was in our living room while we were having our fun. And she’s also been trying to get me to read this title for a very long time now. So she chose The Love Letter by Lucinda Riley.

When Sir James Harrison, one the greatest actors of his generation, passes away at the age of ninety-five he leaves behind not just a heartbroken family and a wealth of memorabilia from his long career but also a secret so shocking, so devastating that it could change everything…

Joanna Haslam is an ambitious young journalist, assigned to cover the legendary actor’s funeral. The great and the good of the celebrity world will be there. But Joanna stumbles on something dark beneath the glamour: the mention of a letter Harrison has left behind, the contents of which he was desperate to conceal. As she gets closer to tracking down the source, she realises that there are other very interested parties. And they’ll stop at nothing to reach the letter before she does.

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK |Amazon US |

✨ 2. Lowest Rated

The current lowest rated book on my October TBR is Devil’s Mist by Liam Moiser.  I think the reason for the low ratings has to do with low number of people that read it, so I am excited to dive into this one. It has camping and scary stories, and I think it has the perfect mood for Halloween. 

A camping trip with a friend’s family, with a campfire to sit around and tell scary stories – except Rosie’s dad says this one is true. According to legend, the house across the lake hosts a strange curse, a missing daughter and a threat that anyone who ventures close will meet the same fate. Rosie and Jenny shrug the story off, but as events escalate, it becomes crystal clear that the curse is real and someone else is the next target.

Although they try to deny the truth, a note from an unlikely source confirms their deepest fears. Lies unravel, allies form and the truth about what happens back then threatens to come to light. But one answer remains shrouded, haunting all involved: Will they escape the mist before it comes for them or are they doomed to be lost forever?

Purchase Links:
 Amazon UK

✨ 3. Giveaway

A book that I have won as a Giveaway. My sister chose Beneath the World, a Sea by Chris Beckett. I won this book through ReadersFirst, and it seems like a truly enchanting read. 

South America, 1990. Ben Ronson, a British police officer, arrives in a mysterious forest to investigate a spate of killings of a local species called the Duendes. They are silent, vaguely humanoid creatures – with long limbs and black button eyes – that have a strange psychic effect on people, exposing them to their suppressed thoughts and fears.

The crimes have taken place in a landscape known as the Delta and to reach it Ben has crossed the Zone, a territory which wipes the memories of all who pass through. He remembers nothing of the preceding days; what he did or felt or saw.

Ben is uneasy about what he may have done in the Zone and avoids opening the diaries he kept whilst there, busying himself with the investigation instead. He becomes fascinated by the Duendes, but the closer he gets, the more he begins to unravel. As the Delta starts to take hold of his mind, Ben becomes increasingly haunted by the unopened diaries and the terrible secrets they might hold…
 

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK |Amazon US |

✨ 4. Sister Pick

My Sister was so happy this also popped up. So she chose one of her favorite books, which I haven’t read yet. It’s After by Anna Todd. After is the first book in the After series. 

Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She’s got direction, ambition, and a mother who’s intent on keeping her that way.

But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to.

But he’s also rude—to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does—until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before.

He’ll call her beautiful, then insist he isn’t the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper.

Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin’s prejudice about nice girls like her?

Unless…could this be love?

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK |Amazon US |

✨ 5. Classic

For my classic read, my sister chose Emma by Jane Austen. Emma has been on my TBR for a very long time, and I am really looking forward to finally reading it for the October TBR.

Emma Woodhouse is one of Austen’s most captivating and vivid characters. Beautiful, spoilt, vain and irrepressibly witty, Emma organizes the lives of the inhabitants of her sleepy little village and plays matchmaker with devastating effect.

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK |Amazon US |

✨ 6. Highest Rated

It’s amazing that we have both a Lowest Rated and a Highest Rated prompt in the same month for October TBR. I really love these. My current highest rated book is All About Amy by James J. Caterino. All About Amy has been on my TBR for a while now, and I remember winning it in a giveaway from Goodreads, a very long time ago.

Meet Troy Carter Brown, a man living a life of quiet desperation. One day, a mysterious woman from California shows up on his doorstep claiming to be a walk-in, the transmigrated soul of Amy Ellis, his long lost girlfriend who died in a tragic boating accident nearly twenty years ago. Is she merely playing him in some sort of an elaborate con game, or has the soul of Amy really returned to Troy in the form of this alluring stranger named Julie Saxton. Only in the end, as Troy and Julie end up on the run together fleeing for their lives from local gangsters, will the dramatic truth be revealed.

Purchase Links:
 Amazon UK

✨ 7. Standalone

My sister chose Uprooted by Naomi Novik for the standalone prompt for this October TBR, , because she knows I want to read this book so bad! Thanks sis!

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, ambitious wizard, known only as the Dragon, to keep the wood’s powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman must be handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as being lost to the wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows – everyone knows – that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia – all the things Agnieszka isn’t – and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But no one can predict how or why the Dragon chooses a girl. And when he comes, it is not Kasia he will take with him.

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK |Amazon US |

✨ 8. Sent by Author

Hands Up by Stephen Clark is the book my sister chose. Probably because it is purple. 🙂

Officer Ryan Quinn, a rookie raised in a family of cops, is on the fast track to detective until he shoots an unarmed black male. Now, with his career, reputation and freedom on the line, he embarks on a quest for redemption that forces him to confront his fears and biases and choose between conscience or silence.

Jade Wakefield is an emotionally damaged college student living in one of Philadelphia’s worst neighborhoods. She knows the chances of getting an indictment against the cop who killed her brother are slim. When she learns there’s more to the story than the official police account, Jade is determined, even desperate, to find out what really happened. She plans to get revenge by any means necessary.

Kelly Randolph, who returns to Philadelphia broke and broken after abandoning his family ten years earlier, seeks forgiveness while mourning the death of his son. But after he’s thrust into the spotlight as the face of the protest movement, his disavowed criminal past resurfaces and threatens to derail the family’s pursuit of justice.

Ryan, Jade, and Kelly–three people from different worlds—are on a collision course after the shooting, as their lives interconnect and then spiral into chaos. 

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK |Amazon US |

✨ 9. Extra

I am participating in a blog tour for Meet Me in London by Georgia Toffolo. My tour stop is on 5th October.

What do you do when your fake engagement starts to feel too real…

Aspiring clothes designer Victoria Scott spends her days working in a bar in Chelsea, and her evenings designing vintage clothes, dreaming of one day opening her own boutique. But these aspirations are under threat from the new department store opening at the end of her road. She needs a Christmas miracle, but one is not forthcoming.

Oliver Russell’s Christmas is not looking very festive right now. His family’s new London department store opening is behind schedule, and on top of that his interfering, if well meaning, mother is pressing him to introduce his girlfriend to her. A girlfriend who does not exist. He needs a diversion. Something to keep his mother from interfering while he focuses on the business.

When Oliver meets Victoria, he offers a proposition: pretend to be his girlfriend at the opening of his store and he will provide an opportunity for Victoria to showcase her designs. But what starts as a business arrangement soon becomes something more tempting, as the fake relationship starts to feel very real. But when secrets in Victoria’s past are exposed will Oliver walk away, or will they both follow their hearts and find what neither knew they were looking for…

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK |Amazon US |

✨ 10. Extra

I am also participating in a blog tour for Haunted by multiple authors. This book is a collection of spooky short ghostly stories and my tour stop is on 28th October, right in time before Halloween. If there is just one title I can pick to be most excited about – it’s definitely this one!

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK |Amazon US |

And that’s my October TBR.
Make sure to follow me on Instagram, so you can stay up to date with my current updates during the month.
What are you planning to read this month? Let me know in the comments!

Social Media:
Wishlist | Ko-fi | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest |

Books · Monthly Tags

October TBR – The Spooky Edition!

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Hello, my lovelies!

October is my favourite reading month of the year, as I love Halloween so much and I love all the spookiness that it brings with it.

As I have announced in my September TBR Update, I have changed the way I am choosing my books – if you haven’t read this update yet, please go and have a look.

This month, I am using only the first spinning wheel (acquisitions) and with a slight twist this time – on top of the prompt I land on, I also have to choose a book that has a spooky vibe. This could be anything: mystery, thriller, vampires, werewolves, etc.

All the books that are currently on my TBR can be found HERE. This is the list that I will choose from when spinning the wheels.

My TBR for October

I always start with 8 books on my TBR, because this is what I read on average. If I happen to read all of them, I will add a few more books at the end of the month. If I don’t manage to read the books from last month, I don’t unhaul them. They go into the next month’s list automatically, which leaves me with less spins. This month I have 2 books that are extended, which leaves me with 6 spins.

These are the 8 books I am planning to read for October:

october tbr spooky edition halloween devil love heather dojo dracula bram stoker reverie blood shadow temple house vanishing death dojo goodreads netgalley blog blogging diary of difference

   1. Reverie by Ryan La Sala

Reverie is one of the two books I didn’t manage to read last month, and because I don’t unhaul books I haven’t read, they go into the next month’s list automatically. Last month, I chose it because I spun Netgalley and Boyfriend pick, and my boyfriend picked it because he knows I love magic and fantasy. I have already started reading it.

  2. Blood Shadow (Blood Never Lies #1) by Dianna Hardy

Blood Shadow is book 2 from my extended reads and the spin for this last month was Giveaway and Highest rated. I know it’s a story about vampires and werewolves, so it also fits the spooky category.

   3. The Devil Aspect by Craig Russell

Spin: Readers First

This book features an asylum with some of the most dangerous murderers there, psychiatrist that tries to resolve a mystery murder, and also a murder happening outside, putting everyone involved in grave danger. I am ready!

   4. Love, Heather by Laurie Petrou

Spin: Netgalley

I am not entirely sure what the plot is about, apart that a few teens start an online prank that blows out of proportion. It has also been described as dark, coming-of-age thriller, so I think this fits the spooky theme perfectly.

  5. Dracula by Bram Stoker

Spin: Purchased

The classic Dracula, a book I have had on my shelves for a long time now, but haven’t read it yet. I know right? Such an embarrassment. But I think that October is also a perfect time to read this, so here we go 🙂

   6. A Darker State (Karin Müller #3) by David Young

Spin: Giveaway

A mystery / crime novel, where a teenage boy’s body is found and the main character of this book (and series), Karin, is investigating the mystery. I haven’t read the previous books of the series, but it one of those that you don’t have to read the in order, as they are all standalone mysteries, it is just Karin that stays the same.

   7. Death in the Dojo by Sue Leather

Spin: Purchased

This will be a re-read actually, as I have read this book a couple of years ago. This is a mystery that takes place in a Karate dojo (training room) and as a karate lover myself, I enjoyed this book a lot. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to come back to this lovely book!

   8.  The Temple House Vanishing by Rachel Donohue

Spin: LoveReading UK

I was kindly sent this book by the team at LoveReading UK, and I will be participating in the Ambassador Buzz around mid November for this book. It is a book that solves a mystery of a disappearance of a sixteen-year-old schoolgirl and her teacher that happened 25 years ago.

And that’s my October TBR! I hope I will manage to read all of these books, and I hope that maybe I can squeeze in one or two more, before the end of the month?

Make sure to follow me on Instagram, so you can stay up to date with my current updates during the month

What are you planning to read this month? Let me know in the comments!

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