News and Updates
If Fall hasn’t felt real to you yet this week, this weekend sure has made it feel that way around here! The boys were off on a camping trip and the temps dropped low overnight. I took advantage of a quiet house for once and read for hours on the couch yesterday with a cup of the most amazing coffee from Bean Box – I wish I could do that every day! Today it’s back to reality – the boys will be home soon with lots of laundry and it’s time to get ready for another week of school and work.
This Week
Halloween is finally upon us this week! Whether you are celebrating Samhain, All Hallows Eve, or All Saints Day, share what you’re reading in the comments!
Reading Challenge: Halloween
This isn’t necessarily a Halloween book, but it is quite a fright! It’s one of the first horror books directed at children that I ever read and probably one of the more popular having been translated into both stage and screen adaptations.
I did consider changing my choice for this prompt based on the current allegations against the author. First, I stand with all victims of assault and trafficking. Second, this book has been on shelves for quite some time – it’s not new. I actually used my local library and the Libby app to secure this book without spending any money. I think it’s important to acknowledge that book bans of any kind are a slippery slope but there are creative ways to avoid financially supporting artists you do not agree with. I plan to do the same when it comes time for my son to read the Harry Potter series.
If you’re looking for other great books for this prompt, try one of these:
- The Best Halloween Ever, Barbara Robinson
- The Halloween Tree, Ray Bradbury
- The Invisible Hour, Alice Hoffman
- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving
New This week
The Deluxe edition of Noelle West Ihli’s Ask for Andrea hits shelves on Tuesday! I preordered my copy and can’t wait for it to get here! The cover art and stenciled edges look gorgeous in the photos!
This book kept me on the edge of my seat till the very last page. I did not see the ending coming and was blown away. I chose this as our top book for August for a very good reason. And while this has been out in other forms for a while, you’ve got to grab this one – look at those colors! You can find my full review on this fantastic book here.
In Case You Missed It
Last Week’s Prompt
Over the past three decades since the technology has become a central focal point of our legal system, hundreds of wrongfully convicted individuals have been freed because of newly tested DNA. Ron Williamson was one of those men. While not wholly innocent in life, having been convicted of minor charges and having evaded charges on other questionable acts, Ron was wrongfully convicted for the rape, torture, and murder of a young woman in his hometown in 1982. With botched crime scene and evidence investigations, the prosecutor told the state crime lab what he wanted the results to be….and they made it so. This, at best, flimsy evidence was supported by a string of jailhouse informants that were easy to see through, but the prosecutor had one more ace up his sleeve – the former chief of police on the jury, with a grudge against Ron. Add to that the potential incompetence of Ron’s attorney – a blind man who couldn’t even review the evidence put forward by the prosecution himself – and Ron’s mental incompetency that was never brought to light during the trial, Ron never stood a chance. It’s not all too unbelievable that Ron was convicted, but what happened in the decade after will make your jaw drop.
I give The Innocent Man by John Grisham 4.3 out of 5 stars! This was a fantastic work of investigative non-fiction based on the writer’s own interviews with those involved with the events and also contemporary articles and interviews. I found issue with some of the disjointed narrative – the author quickly jumps between the lives of the two main characters without warning, giving readers little to know that the people and places have changed. However, the depth of detail and connection with these men is astounding. If you enjoy true crime podcasts or Grisham’s other fiction works, you will love this book – his first in the non-fiction realm.
Last Week’s Article
Last week brought three of my favorite celebrations together – Diwali began on Monday, Halloween is coming up later this week, and Autumn is in full swing. On Thursday, we shared a handful of great book recommendations for each of these fun reasons to celebrate. Most of these books were picks for former reading challenge prompts, too! You can use the search feature to find their full reviews.
Last Week’s Preview
A woman on her deathbed is going to be brutally honest about two things: your present and her past. Caroline hasn’t seen her mother in ages, but sitting next to her in the hospital room, her mother starts getting honest.
I give Over Yonder by Sean Dietrich 5.0 stars! I have loved Dietrich’s work since reading Kinfolk a few years ago. His southern gothic style sees him telling stories of those who might have been less fortunate, and therefore, less respected, in our southern communities, with such care and humanity. You can read the full review here.
Reading Challenge Prompts
Are you reading along with us for October? Here’s the full list of our upcoming weekly prompts. Not up for reading a book every week? That’s ok – we have a once-a-month prompt, too! Our monthly theme for October is Black – look for a book with a black cover or black in the name.
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: Wildwood, Amy Pease
- Current audio book: Nightswimming, Melanie Anagnos
- Book I’m most looking forward to: Streets of Laredo, Larry McMurtry
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