It’s been a fun and spooky October, and I wanted to share some of the goodies we’ve been enjoying this month.
BOOKS
Some unexpected seasonal colds meant days of reading books. I don’t usually read horror/thrillers but I wanted something atmospheric for Halloween. I read three books while I recovered from bronchitis: Verity by Collen Hoover, Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne, and Gallant by V.E. Schwab.
There was much TikTok hype about Verity, but the novel didn’t land for me. So much was made of –the ending — but there wasn’t enough of anything else in the book to get me fangirling over –the ending–. Wasn’t for me, and made me realize that whenever the protagonist of the book says, “I’m getting bored,” I, the reader, am beyond bored. Thank you; next.
On to Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match. I enjoyed Sally’s writing more than Colleen’s, and I also appreciate that this is novel is a very imaginative work of fanfic. Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is seminal, and by the end of Thorne’s book, I kinda wished I had spent my time rereading the original. There was too much about consent that I couldn’t get passed. Sure she seemed to ask one of the corpses for permission, but her swain was the compilation of a dozen different men. My stomach is turning as I write this, and I think had I not been a fan of The Hating Game, I would not have continued past the “grave robbing” scene. While the brother sister dynamic was silly and fun, love triangles and grave robbing a way to an HEA isn’t really for me. Maybe third times the charm?
My sister recommended Gallant at the beginning of the month. And oh, it was so much fun. I loved that the MC was a non verbal communicator. Loved it. Loved the atmospheric house and the other unique settings. I loved the spookiness. Above all, I loved the writing–beautiful, thoughtful, richly detailed without shading into purple prose. I want to read more from V.E. Schwab, and I want a keeper copy of Gallant for my shelf in time for next Halloween.
MOVIES
My kiddos are much older than the targeted audience of Curious George’s Boofest, but we all still love it. Long live No Noggin.
This summer we took the kiddos to Disneyland. My daughter and I got stuck in the Haunted Mansion right in front of the Hat Box ghost. So we were an informed audience when we watched the Haunted Mansion remake at the beginning of the month. We all loved it. It was just the right amount of scary for our us, and we enjoyed spotting the many Easter Eggs from the ride. I found the themes of found family after grief and loss to be touching, and we all enjoyed the setting. This time of year its easy to be nostalgic for Mississippi and the Deep South.
Invisible Sister is another Halloween favorite at our house. It’s also set in New Orleans and is fun and heartwarming, while appealing to our Stem-y sensibilities.
SWEETS
Carmel apple pops. The ratio of caramel to green candy isn’t uniform and there is a hot debate in our house as to which ratio is best. I like heavy caramel. Mr. Trent likes light caramel and heavy green candy. They are fun to have in our candy jar, and I delight that my daughter enjoys them as much as I did in middle school/high school.
Sugar cookie season begins anew in October. We always manage to make bats, pumpkins, and ghosts. I roll my sugar cookies in powdered sugar instead of flour. Life changing. You are welcome.
Happy Halloween everyone! Whether you are passing out candy, hiding from trick-or-treaters or out braving the elements, I hope you have an amazing last few days of October.