Review: Frostbitten

Frostbitten by Heather Beck
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: June 23, 2014
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

Great beauty hides dark secrets...

Seventeen-year-old Anastasia Lockhart has never led an easy life, but when she starts getting into serious trouble, she’s sent to live with her grandparents in Cedar Falls. 

The small, picturesque town hasn’t changed since she visited four years ago, with one exception – the presence of a handsome, mysterious boy named Frost. 

Despite warnings from her grandparents and friends to stay away from Frost, Anastasia can’t deny their attraction, and the more time they spend together, the deeper in love they fall. 

Unfortunately, Frost has a secret that is beyond Anastasia’s wildest imagination, and she soon finds herself in the midst of a supernatural legend that has haunted Cedar Falls for years.

Can Anastasia and Frost’s love really overcome anything, or are their fates much darker?

♥ ♥ ♥

Frostbitten follows Anastasia Lockhart who at the beginning of the story is being shipped off to her grandparents in Cedar Falls because her mom can no longer deal with her teenage antics. Anastasia used to spend her summers in Cedar Falls with her grandparents when she was younger and she had fond memories of the people and town. She’s hoping this will be a chance for her to start over and get back to the person she used to be.

Heather Beck created an amazing setting and I really loved the town of Cedar Falls, but the thing I loved most about this story was how well written it was. I liked how strange everyone was acting and how you know right away that something isn’t quite right between the people in the town. I also really liked how there’s this kind of rivalry mixed in with mystery. I thought that whole angle was great.

Guillermo del Toro’s The Strain; a not so in depth book/tv comparison

Over the summer FX aired season one of the Strain, which is for the most part set to follow The Strain, the first book of The Strain Trilogy. I read in an article that del Toro wanted to the tv show originally, couldn't find a network, wrote the books to tell the story and is now getting the chance to actually do the show all the way through. See kids, dreams can come true.

Book Description

A Boeing 777 arrives at JFK and is on its way across the tarmac, when it suddenly stops dead. All window shades are pulled down. All lights are out. All communication channels have gone quiet. Crews on the ground are lost for answers, but an alert goes out to the CDC. Dr. Ephraim "Eph" Goodweather, head of their Canary project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats, gets the call and boards the plane. What he finds makes his blood run cold.

In a pawnshop in Spanish Harlem, a former professor and survivor of the Holocaust named Abraham Setrakian knows something is happening. And he knows the time has come, that a war is brewing.

So begins a battle of mammoth proportions as the vampiric virus that has infected New York begins to spill out into the streets. Eph, who is joined by Setrakian and a motley crew of fighters, must now find a way to stop the contagion and save his city - a city that includes his wife and son - before it is too late.

Instead of actually doing a full book review or season review that might spoil you, I’m just gonna talk about a few things that lend better to either the show or the book. All images are promotional material from before the show aired or from the first episode. Content warning for below the cut: blood, gore and violence. 

13 Days of Halloween: 5 Terrifyingly Evil Power Couples I Can't Help But Love

1. Angelus & Darla - Buffy The Vampire Slayer/Angel The Series

I've gotta say I was not a Darla fan when they first introduced her in Buffy, but when Angel got his own show and they explored more of his past and the past of the vampires closest to him...I kinda fell in love with Angelus and Darla.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still a first shipper of Angel/Cordelia, but the evil version of him totally needs an evil counterpart. And Darla is the perfect girl for the job. They plundered and pillaged together and still manage to make it look romantic. So much love for these two

2. Spike & Drusilla - Buffy The Vampire Slayer

I loved Spike from the second he graced my screen. Drusilla however, not so much. And while I'm still not entirely a fan I've gotta admit that her entire relationship with Spike is adorable/psychotic and I love every second of it, especially all the times Spike has come back to Sunnydale because Drusilla's left him for various slimy demons.

And yet they've also plundered and pillaged together, killed and tortured slayers together and yet they can be so gentle with each other. It was always clear how much Spike loved her, which I thought was kinda cool. Villains with a heart are my weakness.

13 Days of Halloween: Melissa's Favorie Females from Supernatural Shows and Movies

Since I've already done a top five list of my favorite supernatural guys this season, it seems only fair to do a similar list of the awesome females who are in supernatural shows and movies. However, as I was jotting down notes for my list I came to the realization that there was no way I could keep it at only five women. From Buffy the Vampire Slayer to The Vampire Diaries to True Blood, there's a huge list of women who kick ass and take names, and there was no way for me to compress this list into a top five. So here we are with my favorite females from supernatural shows and movies (in no particular order or ranking because they are all awesome).

Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)


Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)

13 Days of Halloween: Corina's Top 5 Scariest TV Villians

With Halloween only a few days away I thought now would be the perfect time to share my top five TV Villians. These five things scare the ever-loving-crap out of me. Read on to see what scary things are haunting my nightmares and then sound off below in the comments and tell me yours!

5. The Gentlemen: Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Season 4 Ep. 10

I don't care what anyone says. This episode was terrifying. Buffy hasn't been on in years and I still can't forget it. Not only are these guys seriously creepy looking, but can you imagine someone taking away your voice so you can't scream when they come to cut out your heart?!

Also what was up with those creepy kids??? They sang this, "Can't even shout. Can't even cry. The Gentlemen are coming by. Looking in windows, knocking on doors...They need to take seven and they might take yours... Can't call to mom. Can't say a word. You're gonna die screaming but you won't be heard." Kids can be so creepy. But seriously, to this day this is one of the creepiest villains I've seen in an episode of TV. If you haven't watched it, you should.

4. Twisty the Clown: American Horror Story - Freak Show

Guys...I don't even watch this show and this guy scares the crap out of me. I've seen the previews and I've contemplated watching it, but I can't make myself turn it on.

Every time I try I see this guys face and I just want to run in the other direction. So yeah, maybe eventually I'll get around to it eventually...as soon as I stop being a chicken shit.

13 Days of Halloween: Melissa's 5 Fav Supernatural Guys

With Halloween quickly approaching, there's a lot of focus on our favorite supernatural shows and movies. What is Halloween after all without a healthy dose of vampires, werewolves, witches and wizards? So on that note, I've decided to do a top five list of my favorite supernatural boys from throughout the years (and the ranking is only partly based on looks!).



 

 

1. Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) -  No matter how many years go by, Spike will probably always be my favorite vampire. He just had it all - looks, sass, and a certain evil swagger that made me love him from an early age. Not to mention the fact that he first appears in season two of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and that is still one of my favorite TV seasons of any show ever.

2. Damon (The Vampire Diaries) - Let's just pause here for a moment and take a minute to think about and appreciate Ian Somerhalder's pretty pretty blue eyes. ... Alright, moving on. Damon may be the "bad" Salvatore brother, but no matter how many wives he's killed in the past or how many times he relapses, I just can't help but continue to root for him. Not only is he beautiful, but he has a certain style that can't be denied. Damon has learned to own his vampire life, and goes about everything with a certain devil may care attitude and a quick wit.

Review: The Girl with All the Gifts

The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Dystopia, Horror
Release Date: Published June 19th 2014 by Orbit
Buy Links: Amazon ♥ Book Depository

Book Description

NOT EVERY GIFT IS A BLESSING

Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class.

When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite. But they don't laugh.

Melanie is a very special girl.

♥ ♥ ♥

SPOILER ALERT: This is a book about Zombies. The world as we know it has died, and society has collapsed. Nature decided to fight back and infected the human race with a contagious fungi that makes people hungry for human flesh. The remaining survivors scramble for a cure, knowing time is running out. In addition to the survivors there are some very special children, like Melanie, who were born into a world of chaos and have to find out where they fit into the new world.

I loved Melanie's character. Her narration was what made this book for me. She was an endearing girl who had to face truths about herself that could have been hard to accept by some. She faced such harsh treatments from the people surrounding her because of what she was. Her inner conflicts, and how she dealt with them, and how she questioned them, made me care for her so much despite her being truly something else. There are several other POVs in this book and they really help to expand on the world building.

13 Days of Halloween: Five Fun Flicks

 



When people think of Halloween movies, their minds automatically go to the scary. They marathon classic horror movies with Freddy and Jason, or get their fills with creepy ghosts in the dark. However, I am a firm believer that there's another option for Halloween - the fun flick. Instead of watching some freaky horror movie in the dark, how about watching something campy in the light? Halloween isn't just about the scary, there's fun to be had as well! On one hand, this season offers us haunted houses and ghost stories, but there's also dressing up in costumes with your friends and eating obscene amounts of candy. Why not have some fun Halloween movies to go along with the festivities? So throw a party and put on one of my five favorite fun flicks (I'm really into alliteration today, apparently) in the background, or even create a drinking game to go along with them (if you are of age, that is). All that matters is that you have fun and enjoy this Halloween weekend!


1. Halloweentown - Marnie, Dylan, and Sophie Piper have their first out of many adventures! On Halloween, while Marnie is arguing with her mother Gwen, the kids' grandmother Aggie comes to visit. Aggie wants to start Marnie's witch training before her 13th birthday or Marnie will lose her powers forever. But there is another reason for Aggie's visit. Something dark & evil is growing in Halloweentown & Aggie wants help to defeat it. While Aggie & Gwen are arguing, Aggie uses magic which Marnie observes. After Aggie leaves to return to Halloweentown, Marnie, Dylan and, unknown to Marnie and Dylan, Sophie follow her onto the return bus. Soon afterwards, Gwen follows the children to Halloweentown. While there, Aggie & Gwen are attacked by the dark force in a movie theater. Marnie, Dylan & Sophie race to get the ingredients to activate Merlin's Wand to stop the evil.

Review: Through the Woods

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Horror, Sequential Art, Short Stories
Release Date: Published July 15th 2014 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Buy Links: Amazon ♥ Book Depository

Book Description

'It came from the woods. Most strange things do.'

Five mysterious, spine-tingling stories follow journeys into (and out of?) the eerie abyss.

These chilling tales spring from the macabre imagination of acclaimed and award-winning comic creator Emily Carroll.

Come take a walk in the woods and see what awaits you there…

♥ ♥ ♥

Lately I’ve been on a big graphic novel and comics kick devouring big name books and smaller ones as fast as my library holds come in and Through the Woods by Emily Carroll did not disappoint.

In these five graphic tales, Carroll’s prose and art blend seamlessly to bring you on a journey through haunting tales of strange things that come from or go into the woods. With the strong folkloric feel, the stories themselves seem to end in such a way that leaves you wanting to go deeper into each little universe.

13 Days of Halloween: Movie Fix

We all have a list of movies we like to watch as Halloween nears. Don't lie, you know you do too. Halloween brings out the spooky in us. So below is my list of movies that I like to watch leading up to and on Halloween.

1. Nightmare Before Christmas - Bored with the same old scare-and-scream routine, Pumpkin King Jack Skellington longs to spread the joy of Christmas. But his merry mission puts Santa in jeopardy and creates a nightmare for good little boys and girls everywhere.

13 Days of Halloween: Music Fix

There's nothing like settling down with a good book and music to accompany it, so here's a roundup of my current favorite 8tracks playlists that are Halloween themed.

Hocus Pocus by book’em-spacemonkey
an instrumental mix to start things off

13 Days of Halloween: Five Great Things To Do On Halloween

Every year people go around looking for things to do on Halloween and the days leading up to it and there is no shortage of fun to be had on All Hallows Eve. So, below are some of my favorite things to do on the days leading up to Halloween and of course the night of!

1. Pumpkin Picking - Okay, so not everyone has eons of time in their schedule to spend doing Halloween stuff, but pumpkin picking is essential! It's something that you should definitely experience at least once. Typically you can go to any farm in your area, take a tracker out to the field and pick away. As far as I know it doesn't cost anything to pick the pumpkins, but you do pay by weight, so obviously the bigger you get the more expensive it is. Out here in Jersey my favorite pumpkin picking place is Cheesequake Farms. It's not exactly the closest place to me, but it's well worth the drive.

13 Days of Halloween: TV Fix

There is no shortage of Halloween themed tv episodes or lists of these episodes, but we decided to make a short list from shows of varying genres that are favorites. Not all of these are Halloween episodes specifically, but instead have creepy/spooky/costumey elements.

Review: Surrender (The Ferryman and the Flame #1)

Surrender (The Ferryman and the Flame #1) by Rhiannon Paille
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy
Release Date: November 9, 2012
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

How far would you go to save everything you ever loved?

Kaliel was warned about her love for the Ferryman. One day he will marry the land and leave Avristar forever. 

She doesn't listen, and because of what she is-- a Flame-- one of nine apocalyptic weapons, she sparks a war.

In a desperate attempt to save her home and her love, Kaliel tries to awaken Avred, not knowing she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.


♥ ♥ ♥

“Bloom the weed of temptation and expire the great garden of life.” – Surrender

Surrender by Rhiannon Paille follows a young elven girl who is in the process of maturing into adulthood, something she can only do once she sees the Great Oak for her prophecy. But before that can happen, Kaliel meets Krishani and that’s when everything changes. Their connection is palpable and after just one meeting the love between them winds up destroying more than either new was possible.

Paille did a really nice job describing the world that Kaliel and Krishani live in. The details and imagery were some of the most vivid I’ve ever read and the story is intricate and woven through so many different characters, which is nice.

Melissa's View that Halloween is the Best

Halloween is absolutely amazing. If you live in a 'Mean Girls' world, it's the one time of the year you can dress up like a slut and no one will shame you for it, but there's more to it than that. Halloween, as well as the weeks leading up to it, is the one time of year that you can shed your boring life and live in a fantasy world.

For most of the year, everyone is stuck at their boring jobs, or slaving away at school, and just living from one day to the next. But Halloween? Halloween is something to look forward to. Costumes, parties, pumpkins (carving them, eating pies, pumpkin spice coffee), ghosts and ghouls and other monsters, and candy seem to invade the world during the month of October, and I am okay with it.

Have you always wanted to be a princess? A pirate? Or ever think you've been born in the wrong decade and were really meant to be a flapper or a disco diva? Or have you always wanted to rock a poodle skirt? This is your time of year. Halloween makes it okay for adults to play dress up just like we did when we were children and there's no judgment.

No one is too old or too young for Halloween. Everyone from babies in pumpkin outfits to grandpas in Frankenstein's monster costumes join in on the fun, and that's one of the many things I love about this holiday. It's for everyone, and there's something that can cater to everyone's tastes.

There are just so many things to do when it comes to this holiday. Fall and October and Halloween is the time of year for pumpkin carving, bobbing for apples, costume parties, horror movies, guided ghost tours, haunted houses, trick or treating, and more. If you aren't the type who likes to go out in the chilly fall weather dressed up like Little Red Riding Hood, then you can curl up on the couch with some hot chocolate, a piece of pumpkin pie, and watch your favorite scary movie with your friends.

Review: Coraline (Book vs. Movie)

Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Age Group: Childrens/Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy/Horror
Release Date:August 29, 2006
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ Barnes and Noble

Book Description:

Coraline's often wondered what's behind the locked door in the drawing room. It reveals only a brick wall when she finally opens it, but when she tries again later, a passageway mysteriously appears. Coraline is surprised to find a flat decorated exactly like her own, but strangely different. 

And when she finds her "other" parents in this alternate world, they are much more interesting despite their creepy black button eyes. When they make it clear, however, that they want to make her theirs forever, Coraline begins a nightmarish game to rescue her real parents and three children imprisoned in a mirror. With only a bored-through stone and an aloof cat to help, Coraline confronts this harrowing task of escaping these monstrous creatures.

Coraline

Rating: PG

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: February 6, 2009

Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ Best Buy

♥ ♥ ♥

I'm not going to lie; I actually saw the movie "Coraline" before I read the book. Normally this isn't my way of doing things, but that's just how it happened. I hadn't even heard of the story before the movie was released, so I went out to the theater without doing the usual pre-reading I like to do before seeing a movie that's based on a book.

And as long as we're telling the truth, I'll let you know that the movie gave me nightmares. The people had buttons for eyes, people! That's creepy! CREEPY! Maybe it was especially bad for me because I have this weird phobia about anything happening to eyes, so the idea of sewing buttons onto them didn't sit well with my subconscious. Or my conscious, for that matter.

Neil Gaiman, who wrote the book, said himself that his story is seen one of two ways. It was written as a children's story, but in true Gaiman fashion, it involved themes of horror some might protest in a work made for children. However, Gaiman has said that although adults read "Coraline" as a creepy horror tale, children just see it as an adventure story.

Review: Two and Twenty Dark Tales: Dark Retellings of Mother Goose Rhymes

Two and Twenty Dark Tales: Dark Retellings of Mother Goose Rhymes by Nina Berry, Sarwat Chadda, Shannon Delany, Max Scialdone, Karen Mahoney, Lisa Mantchev, Georgia McBride, C. Lee McKenzie, Gretchen McNeil, K.M. Walton, Suzanne Young, Michelle Zink, Leigh Fallon, Angie Frazier, Jessie Harrell, Nancy Holder, Heidi R. Kling, Suzanne Lazear, Pam van Hylckama Vlieg, Leah Cypess
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Horror, Short Stories, Fairy Tales
Release Date: October 16, 2012
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

In this anthology, 20 authors explore the dark and hidden meanings behind some of the most beloved Mother Goose nursery rhymes through short story retellings. 

The dark twists on classic tales range from exploring whether Jack truly fell or if Jill pushed him instead to why Humpty Dumpty, fragile and alone, sat atop so high of a wall. 

The authors include Nina Berry, Sarwat Chadda, Leigh Fallon, Gretchen McNeil, and Suzanne Young.

♥ ♥ ♥

"We do not walk, but float, like wisps of breathy yearning escaping a lover's lips. We do not touch, except in our ancient ways--and only then, under cover of darkest sleep."

Two and Twenty Dark Tales: Dark Retellings of Mother Goose Rhymes is one of the creepiest and hauntingly eerie books I’ve read in the long time. I mean Mother Goose Rhymes turned scary? I love it! The quote above is from my one of my favorite retellings, Blue by Sayantani DasGupta based on Little Boy Blue.

I absolutely love the way in which this story is woven together. The woman, Blue seems ethereal (probably because she’s a spirit haha) and provokes this feeling of deep sadness inside of me and I have no clue why! But when the boy finds her and asks for her story their interaction, it was beautiful and dark yes, but in a good way. Plus, the word usage and descriptions, I just really loved it.

Review: A Blaze of Sun (A Shade of Vampire #5)

A Blaze of Sun (A Shade of Vampire #5) by Bella Forrest
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: October 28, 2013
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ Book Depository

Book Description:

"Of course you know waho I am. I'm a daughter of the darkness just as surely as you are his son…"

Ever since his brief encounter with Emilia at The Shade, Derek's thoughts and dreams have been haunted with images of the mysterious, beautiful brunette. Plagued with guilt, he struggles to understand why he is so drawn to this dark stranger from his past.

When Emilia suddenly appears again on the island, Derek is both terrified and intrigued. But this time, he is determined to involve Sofia and discover who this woman is.

If only Derek and Sofia knew, Emilia is a mystery that should be left undiscovered…


♥ ♥ ♥

First let me start of by saying, “Eeeeeeeeeee book five is finally here!”

A Blaze of Sun is the fifth book in the Shade series following Derek and Sophia through several twists and turns while they fight against the darkness to find true sanctuary for themselves and everyone inside the shade. I’ve got to admit I’ve been done with this book for a little while, but am just now writing the review because I needed to let a few things settle in my mind.

Bella Forrest is one of my favorite authors, I’ve loved every one of her books that I’ve read so far and A Blaze of Sun wasn’t any different. That being said, I wasn’t crazy about the first few chapters of the book. Don’t get me wrong Bella’s style is still flawless, but I guess I didn’t like the strain between Derek and Sophia and my hate for Emilia nearly blinded me into a catatonic rage.

Corina's Top Five Favorite Supernatural TV Shows

5. The Witches of East End

Based on Melissa de la Cruz’s New York Times best-selling novel, "Witches of East End" centers on the mysterious Beauchamp family: free-spirited artist Joanna (Ormond) and her two grown daughters, wild-child bartender Freya (Dewan Tatum) and shy librarian Ingrid (Boston), both of whom are unaware that they are gifted (and cursed) with a magical birthright. Freya is recently engaged to the man of her dreams, wealthy playboy Dash Gardiner (Winter), but when she finds herself inexplicably drawn to Dash’s troubled, enigmatic brother Killian (DiTomasso), bizarre occurrences begin to manifest in her life. Meanwhile, Joanna’s long-estranged sister Wendy (Amick) shows up with a warning that could change the Beauchamps’ fate forever, forcing Joanna to reveal to her daughters that they are, indeed, immortal witches who possess great untapped powers. With their idyllic small-town life now turned upside down, and a formidable and ancient enemy intent on ending the Beauchamp family line, will Freya and Ingrid be able to accept their true potential before it is too late?

- I love witches, like really love them and I haven't been able to find a truly good show about witches since Charmed went off the air. But with the arrival of Witches of East End, I think my search is finally over. There's only bee three episodes of this show so far, it's fairly new, but I really like the dynamic between the sister witches and the fact that their take on witches is a bit different than what I'm used to is something I like. While it isn't one of those shows that is going to keep you obsessing over it for days on end, it's definitely something that can be enjoying for an hour Sunday nights.


4. The Vampire Diaries

Bookish Bakes: Wisteria Series Vanilla Biter Cupcakes

Happy almost Halloween! In honor of October and our 13 days of Halloween special I bring to you a spooky recipe based on one of my favorite young adult book series. Wisteria by Bisi Leyton is a dystopian novel that's based around a virus mutating out of control and infecting people, turning them into zombies or what people in this universe call "Biters". It's a really creative read and the biters are only part of the story. But the series is good and definitely unique.

Anyways, I thought this recipe would not only be perfect for the book, but the upcoming holiday as well! Enjoy.

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe: