Happy Halloween! It’s hard to believe that October is over. All month I kept wanting to immerse myself in frightening tales like I did when I was a kid, but sadly being an adult has cut into my seasonal activities. I can take comfort in the fact, though, that I’ve at least been able to read, listen to, and watch some spooky tales, so this month wasn’t completely lost.
Wanting an easy read, I decided to give Kristiana Gregory’s The Haunting of Hillside School a try and was glad I did. It’s a short chapter book for kids so it satisfied my need for a mystery while allowing me to start and solve the case in the small time frame I found to actually read a book. I enjoy audiobooks, but I’ll always prefer words printed on a page. About a week or so ago I finished listening to The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti. I liked everything about the book except the ending. My dislike comes from the fact that I didn’t feel like the ending was near, so I was caught off guard. I was brushing my teeth, thinking that the pause was getting me ready for another chapter, but it was really the end. I wasn’t ready!
I associate Fall with baking, so the other day while I was baking several desserts I listened to Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Mask of the Red Death” and “The Cask of Amontillado” and Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” wishing I had time for more. My hope was to get around to reading Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter” because they both involve crazy scientific experimentations. I’m so happy I realized during my freshman year of college that the 1800s provide a great collection of haunting short stories.
I think what makes me most excited about Halloween 2017 is the release of Chris Brown’s eighth studio album, Heartbreak on a Full Moon. And did I mention it’s a double album?! That fact makes today feel more like Christmas than anything else. I was able to see him in concert in May on the last leg of his Party Tour and he sang some singles off the album, so I’ve been looking forward to this for a few months now. (He’s a great performer, so if you get a chance to see him, take it!) I haven’t had a chance yet to listen to the whole thing, but so far my favorite single is “Questions,” Breezy’s revamp of Kevin Lyttle’s “Turn Me On,” because it’s extremely catchy. Listening to HOAFM on repeat will cut into my reading time, but that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.
So, here’s to another October, the only month where I can read and watch stories considered by some to be disturbing and have it seem completely normal. Too bad it can’t be Halloween all year long…
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