The Running Bibliophile

In the days leading up to Halloween, I decided that I wanted to read a spooky book but one that wasn't too long. Perusing my bookshelves at home, I came across one of my favorite YA Authors when I was a tween and teen . . . Richie Tankersley Cusick. How apropos would it be to read her book entitled Trick or Treat ? Regrettably, I didn't finish reading Trick or Treat before Halloween like I wanted to. The reason is simple . . . it creeped me out even though I ended up remembering who "did it" early on. Reading it late at night didn't help either as every little creak or noise in the house made me even more jumpy. Because of this, I kept putting it down after reading a chapter or two a night. I was in awe that a book that I hadn't read in 15 - 20 years and geared towards teens could still spook me like it did. Although, it was written in the late 1980's, the story holds up and is still enjoyable. I think the tweens and teens of today would enjoy Tric...

In A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin , a comet the color of blood streaks across the sky as the Seven Kingdoms descend further into chaos. Rival kings rise, alliances fracture, and six powerful families fight for control of the Iron Throne. As war, betrayal, and ambition spread across Westeros and beyond, the question remains: who will ultimately claim the throne? I know I’m late to the game when it comes to reading George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series , A Game of Thrones for you underlings, but I honestly can’t get enough of these books. I still haven’t watched the TV show yet. I’m old school like that; I prefer to read the book (or books) first before diving into the television series or movie adaptation. For me, there’s something magical about discovering the story on the page before seeing it brought to life on screen. Each book in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series takes me at least a year to finish. It’s not because the writing is di...

Starting where A Discovery of Witches left off, in Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy #2) Diana and Matthew have traveled back in time to London in the year 1590 to search for the mysterious Ashmole 782 AND find someone who can tutor Diana in the art of witchcraft. The opening quote that Deborah Harkness chose couldn't be more perfect as it sets the tone and theme of Shadow of Night . Throughout the novel, the reader learns a multitude of things about Matthew and the regrets he has about his past . . . things he would change if it wouldn't cause dire consequences to the future.                                The past cannot be cured.                                               - Elizabeth 1, Qu...

The Time of the Witch by Mary Downing Hahn  opens with  Laura and her brother being sent to live with their aunt in the country because their parents are going through a divorce. Hoping to reunite her parents, Laura confides in Maude about her wish, unaware that doing so could have dangerous and unintended consequences. When I was a kid, I used to dread reading chapter books because I often found them boring and hard to get into. That all changed during the summer between 5th and 6th grade . Sweet Valley Twins  and The Baby-Sitters Club  sparked a love of reading that has stayed with me for years. Unfortunately, my middle school library didn’t have these series in stock, so I began exploring the shelves, hoping to find something else that would capture my interest. That’s when I stumbled across The Time of the Witch by Mary Downing Hahn.  The synopsis immediately caught my attention, and I decided to give it a try. I instantly fell in love with the stor...

While on their way home from Paris, France, Finn and Layla stop at a rest area. When Finn comes back to the car, Layla has disappeared without a trace. Fast forward ten years, Finn has fallen in love and is living with Layla's sister Ellen. With Finn's and Ellen's impending nuptials right around the corner, Finn receives a phone call that someone has seen Layla. On top of that, he's receiving sinister emails and items left at his house from Layla's and Ellen's childhood. Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris captured my attention from page one, and I had trouble putting it down. If I hadn't been so sleepy, I would have stayed up all night long to finish it. Even though clues were dropped throughout the book, I was totally shocked when I got to the end. Every guess I made was wrong, which doesn't happen to me often. Even the artwork on the cover is a bit of a clue, even though I didn't realize what it was until I finished. (I loved everything about the ...

Killman Creek (Stillhouse Lake, #2) by Rachel Caine raises the stakes even higher after the chilling events of the first book. After escaping from prison in Missouri, serial killer Melvin Royal is once again at large and playing a deadly cat-and-mouse game with his ex-wife, Gwen Proctor, and their children. With Lanny and Connor safely hidden under the protection of trusted friends, Gwen teams up with Sam Cade to hunt Melvin down and end his twisted game once and for all. The tension is relentless, and the sense of danger never lets up. Rachel Caine proves once again that sequels don’t have to suffer in quality, because Killman Creek is just as gripping as Stillhouse Lake , if not more so. The story picks up almost immediately where the first book left off, which makes reading the series in order highly recommended if you want the full emotional impact and context. The momentum carries straight through, pulling readers back into Gwen’s nightmare without missing a beat. One...

The Breakdown by B.A. Paris opens with teacher Cass deciding to drive home after celebrating the end of the school year with her colleagues, rather than spending the night at a friend’s house. Before leaving, she calls her husband, Matthew, to let him know she’ll be home after all. Concerned for her safety, Matthew asks her not to take the shortcut home through the woods. In a moment of impulsive decision-making, Cass ignores his request and takes the shortcut anyway. Along the isolated road, she encounters a car pulled over on the shoulder with a woman sitting inside. Cass drives past without stopping, a choice that will soon haunt her. The following morning, Matthew informs Cass that a woman was found murdered in her car on Blackwater Lane, the very road she had driven through. While relieved she didn’t stop and potentially put herself in danger, Cass is immediately consumed by guilt. She feels responsible for ignoring her husband’s warning, and things only get worse; she beg...