Don't Fear The Reader roundup!

I might have slacked off many things this month, but this reading bingo wasn't one of them! I got two lines crossed off and I'm extremely happy with that. Here's what I read this month:

And here's my completed bingo card!! 

BLACK COVER:

The Seventh Bride | T. Kingfisher

VAMPIRES:

Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them | J. K. Rowling (vampires are mentioned...... this totally counts)

GHOST HUNTERS:

Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets (I mean technically there are ghosts, and this book features the Headless Hunt so...)

WITCHES:

Blood Magic | Tessa Gratton

DEMONS:

The Darkest Night | Gena Showalter

UNDEAD/ZOMBIES:

Alice In Zombieland | Gena Showalter

CONTEMP' GOTHIC:

The Casquette Girls | Alys Arden

How did you do this month? Did you read any Hallowe'en inspired books?
~Saruuh

Don't Fear The Reader: Favourite Not-So-Spooky film!

Halloween films are among my favorites ever. I'm none too fussed on horror, but I love a good spooky family movie, especially if they're about witches or the undead, and especially if they have humour and a good musical number. It's hardly surprising that Hocus Pocus is my favourite Halloween film OF ALL TIME.

From the Sanderson sisters to the black candle lit by a virgin to the ridiculously cheesy teen romance to the real stars of the show - Dani and Binx - this film can do no wrong. It's fun, it's light, and it reminds me of being a kid and going trick or treating. If you haven't seen this film (is there ANYONE who hasn't?) I do not know what you're waiting for. Watch it for Bette Midler if you watch it for nothing else.

Don't Fear The Reader is a Halloween bingo. Find more info here!

~Saruuh

Don't Fear The Reader, Halloween book bingo!!

IT'S SPOOPY SEASON!!! (Or, if you're not weird, spooky season.) HELLA COOL BLOGGER AMBER-ELISE AND I HAVE COLLABORATED ON A HALLOWEEN BOOKISH BINGO. AND ALSO NO I WILL NOT CEASE WRITING IN ALL CAPS.

Well, okay fine, sentence case it is. (But just know, I am literally vibrating with excitement!!)

This bingo runs the month of October, and everyone can join. Read as many books as you like - aim for a line! I'm aiming for two because I have no limit. The bingo squares range from serial killer to paranormal to murder mystery, and I'll bet you can find a bunch of books on your to-be-read shelves that coordinate with some of them. So round up your spooky reads, save/print out/post on your blog this bingo card, and join us!

There'll be more things celebrating Halloween posted through the month (which I'm bound to RT, so follow me on Twitter), and I'll be scheduling a couple posts to mark my progress and to shout my love of a certain witchy Halloween film. October's gonna be fun.

Tweet me or comment if you join, and have fun!

~Saruuh

Daughters Unto Devils (ARC Review)

Daughters Unto Devils | Amy Lukavics

Published by: Simon & Schuster Children's UK, October 8th 2015

Genre: YA, Horror, Historical

Pages: 304

Format: Ebook

Source: Simon & Schuster Children's UK, via Netgalley

Sometimes I believe the baby will never stop crying.

Sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner fears she is losing her mind. When her family move from their small mountain cabin to the vast prairie, Amanda hopes she can leave her haunting memories behind: of her sickly Ma giving birth to a terribly afflicted baby; of the cabin fever that claimed Amanda's sanity; of the boy who she has been meeting in secret. . .

But the Verners arrive on the prairie to find their new home soaked in blood. So much blood. And Amanda has heard stories - about men becoming unhinged and killing their families, about the land being tainted by wickedness.

With guilty secrets weighing down on her, Amanda can't be sure if the true evil lies in the land, or within her soul . . .

Perfect for fans of American Horror Story, Stephen King and The Others

Daughters Unto Devils marks the first YA horror I've actually finished. All the others I DNF'ed because nothing ever seemed to happen, and when things did they were cliche (faces popping up in mirrors, squeaky hinges on doors, strange and mysterious noises written off as pipes groaning.) This book I did actually finish, even if I do feel that very little of substance actually happened in most of it.

This book is creepy, and that's probably what kept me reading. I was never fussed on any of the characters, the setting and historical period wasn't my thing, the archaic treatment of women made me angry, and the flat tameness of the story didn't exactly keep my interest. But maybe you need to have patience to enjoy this genre, because these books tend to start super slow and build even slower. However, when Daughters Unto Devils did actually get going (at like 75%) I got really into it, and I really loved it. I was flying through the pages.

The end is seriously better than the rest. It's in-your-face horror, as opposed to the general hinting of the rest. For that ending, which I shan't forget soon, I've given this book an extra .5 star. If this is your genre, you're gonna love Daughters Unto Devils; if it's not your genre, try it anyway and stick around for the end.

(Side note: I don't know why it says knock knock all over the cover. It should say sinner...)

Characters ★★★☆☆

Setting/world ★★☆☆☆

Writing ★★★☆☆

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