For me, summer has always been too long. The childhood wonder of it lingers no more and you'll only find me at the beach if someone else has begged me to go. The sun seems to never go down. For me, this isn't a positive experience. How am I supposed to relax without the comfort of night?
This year I've been working to quiet my discomfort with our hottest months and longest days. Being in a community of like-minded bookish people, I heard about Summerween. Yeah, I had heard of it before in the general buy all your spooky stuff now and live like the fall is already here. I'm referring specifically to something which popped up in the Booktok/Booktube world. There are challenges and a lovely t-shirt – all of this spawned by YouTuber gabbyreads. I couldn't think of a better way to introduce some joy into the month of July. A month in which my seasonal depression always seems to hit its peak.
While there is a handy-dandy challenge associated with the concept of Summerween, I needed to set rules for my own journey. Maybe next year I'll fully participate and maybe I'll just stick to what I did this year... It worked out great for me and you probably know the saying which comes to mind when things work out on the first go.
I decided on simple rules: Just read as much horror, thriller, and mystery as you can before the end of the month. This did spill slightly into August and you know what? That's totally okay. Even the simplest rules are made to be broken if they're for something arbitrary you're supposed to be enjoying. Above is a cutesy little graphic I made to keep track of things and to share with my own bookish community. But if you're here, you're probably interested in my thoughts and opinions. Or as me and a buddy of mine like to say thots and onions.
Thots and Onions:
Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison - 4/5
Even though this has been on my TBR forever, I'll admit I was a little worried it would be an angst-fest. We started with a character who heavily described herself and her twin and a sort of nerdy, awkward love interest. But I had so much fun with this book and there were some seriously healing moments in it. Watch out for trigger warnings if you want to read but if you like werewolves, it's a great read. When I actually am in spooky season, Cackle has bumped up the list as prime reading for the month of October.
The Magic of Death by Leslie Gail (Dead End Witches #1) - 4/5
Another big surprise honestly. This was a Stuff Your Kindle Day freebie and results may vary in that game. But I wanted cozy mystery and this delivered with extra cheese in the best possible way. High compliments to the pacing, the likable and relatable main character you are watching grow in the story, and the unexpected twist.
Fan Fiction: A Mem-noir Inspired by True Events by Brent Spiner - 5/5
This book was fucking hilarious. I was excited to be reading a wild story of an actor who played Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation. It didn't pull any punches with the chaos and humor. Super glad I randomly stumbled upon and picked up this book on a visit to a new local bookshop.
Revival by Stephen King - 3.5/5
If you join me on this blogging ride, it won't take you long to figure out how much I love the writing of Stephen King. One of the things I liked about this book was the main character and how he consistently tried to do the right thing. But religion, addiction, and the paranormal muddy things up throughout the story. My chief complaint for this book was pacing which caused me to become less engaged at times. An okay book and I won't unhaul it from my King collection, but it's not something I'll likely ponder on in the coming years.
From a Buick 8 by Stephen King - 3.5/5
WILD fucking book from King. How did he make a book about an alien car so good? There were some real holy moly moments and the word "birthed" was used in a way that both horrified and delighted. But the book fizzled out. Keeping in my King collection but no waxing poetic on the book overall here.
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King - 4.5/5
I don't rate short stories. Except when they're stunning. This was a definite show stopper for me. All four stories dealt with the murder of someone for one reason or another told from the perspective of the person responsible for the murder. The first story 1922 has a Netflix film adaptation and it was a nice little watch but you're going to want to read the story to truly feel the depth of the tale.
The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson - 3.5/5
There are important and vital moments in this book. But there were also times where the piling on detracted from the message. Domestic violence is serious and is something no person should go through. And maybe it seemed like a sea of despair to me at times because in similar situations I have been mentally and emotionally equipped to respond differently. I think this is one of those books where the importance of the main message can most be felt by someone who has been in the main characters' shoes and responded in the same way.
The Outsider by Stephen King (Holly Gibney #1) - 3.5/5
Biggest complaint about this book... why did you wait so long to give me my Holly fix King? Holly Gibney is the hero we all need especially if you're like me and you much prefer the company of movies to people. This inspired me to dig through all the books Holly is in to see what movies she mentions and make a comprehensive list so let's see if that ever comes to pass.
Cell by Stephen King - 2.5/5
The Stand but not as good by miles and a shitty ending.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies #1) - 5/5
It just came to my attention this is a series so thanks StoryGraph for the two new books you've added to my TBR. I actually finished this book in the beginning of August but once you start a Summerween book it stays a Summerween book and on the cute little chart you've poured your soul (I mean, approximately 10-20 minutes of it at least) into it goes. I adored this book. I laughed. I cried. I annotated for the first time. Mr. Bennett is always right. Also, classic lovers can chide me then throw me to the wolves but this book is WAY better than the Austen original.
That wraps up my Summerween adventures. This is what I'm currently reading:
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should and Shouldn't Cook from Scratch - Over 120 Recipes for the Best Homemade Foods by Jennifer Reese
Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant