Week one of Spooky Season is officially in the books! I got to three books this week, and finished the third after posting this video today. This month, I’m staying true to the theme by sticking to horror books and/or themes.

@halliday.nelson

Reading recap for week one of spooky month! #spookyseason #horror #reading #recap #review #booktok #jasonpargin #whatthehelldidijustread #jdate #christophermoore #bloodsuckingfiends #monikakim #theeyesarethebestpart

♬ original sound – Halliday Nelson

1. What the Hell Did I Just Read – Jason Pargin

Yes, this one was in the last recap. I had started it then, and this was an update after finishing it. As stated, this is the third book in the series. The first book is called John Dies at the End and the second is called This Book is Full of Spiders. (Older copies were published under the pseudonym of David Wong, which is the main character’s name.) This series is hilarious and terrifying and thought-provoking all within the same sentence. All throughout. I love it.

I said in the video that there are two more books in the series, but that was incorrect. There’s one more that has already been released, and the author has a few other books as well. There are two in his Zoey Ashe series, and I had thought one of those was in the JDATE series. His latest novel is a standalone that just came out a couple weeks ago and I’m kicking myself for not having preordered it when I had the chance because it keeps selling out.

2. Bloodsucking Fiends – Christopher Moore

For the most part, this read was a lot of fun. I really do enjoy Christopher Moore’s humor. Lamb and The Stupidest Angel are both great examples; I loved both. There were some really funny parts, some fun reinterpretations of old clichés, and a couple truly unexpectedly beautiful moments.

However, since the first publication was back in 1995, there were a few jokes and lines that did not age well. Encountering those pulled me out of the narrative each time. I was only smirking a bit when the female lead found two working payphones within the first ten pages of the novel, but the feeling was different with the reference to the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 or the misgendering jokes. None would have been out of place on a primetime sitcom of the era, nor were any so heinous that I’d reconsider picking up another of Moore’s books, but there were enough to be worth noting.

3. The Eyes Are the Best Part – Monika Kim

I finished this one off later in the afternoon after recording the video, and my opinion of it did not change. Still rave reviews all around. I absolutely recommend this one. This is a phenomenal example of an unreliable narrator. It hasn’t been this easy to root for the killer since the first couple seasons of the show Dexter. The chapters were very short and the writing style was extremely engaging, which had me saying “just one more chapter, I swear” on repeat for much longer than I intended. No regrets. I find it absolutely astounding that this is a debut novel. I’ll be anxiously awaiting more from her.

That’s My Week One of Spooky Season!

I’m definitely enjoying this month’s reading so far and still happy I chose to stick with the theme. Here’s to hoping the week to come is as good as week one was!

As always, I want to hear from you! What have you been reading lately? Are you having fun with it? Have you read any of these titles, and if so, what did you think of them? Tell me everything, and follow along for more!