October TBR List

With the spooky season upon us, I have a chance to break out of my normal reading genres and try to tackle some books that will probably scare the pants off me. For me, I tend to stay pretty clear of horror, spooky, and psychological or thriller-type books. So this month is looking to stretch me as a reader for sure. Let’s look at the books I’ve pulled to try to read throughout this month.

Kahler; January 16, 2024; Henry Holt and Co; 336 pages

Imagine being a twin and waking up from a coma and only knowing your twin’s face and name are the only things you can remember from before your accident. The twin sees it as an opportunity to change the memories her sister will listen to. But there are people following the recovering twin and there are emotions she can’t quite justify with the picture-perfect, happy past her twin has told her was her past. As this twin grapples with trying to figure out the truth and feeling betrayed by the one person she felt she could trust, this twin is opening a can of worms that might be better left alone. This book is an “unforgettable tale of intrigue, revenge, and the quest for redemption.”

I’m most excited because of the thoughts on identity and ultimately who you trust and the question of what do you do when the person you are supposed to be able to trust, tells you lies.

The second book is House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski.

Danielewski; January 16, 2024; Henry Holt & Co; 336 pages

This book was originally a book I found for my Niece who loves her horror books. I saw Elizabeth from Plant Based Bride on her YouTube review and recommend this book for Horror lovers. Well, my bestie also had it as a book to read so now we will buddy read it… It’s a book that is about a house that is maze-like and there is a monster and the formatting of the book is papers and notes, and different than your typical book. I’m excited to give it a try and I hope it doesn’t leave me scared out of my wits.

Speaking of Plant Based Bride, she also read and has recommended my third book on my TBR list for October.

Monstrilio by Gerardo Samano Cordova.

Sámano Córdova; March 7, 2023; Zando; 336 pages

This book, I believe, was inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. A mother who faces unthinkable tragedy cuts the heart of her lost son and heads for Mexico City to grow a version of the son she has lost. This creature isn’t exactly like her son and the novel explores the angles of the story from the mother, her husband, her best friend, and the Monster.

Something about this book and how the Plant Based Bride talked about it made me so intrigued that when I saw it at a big chain bookstore, I knew I had to pick it up for October.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is the next tome I hope to read this month. It is suited for ages eight and up so it could be a faster read to squeeze in spooky season.

Gaiman; September 30, 2008;  HarperCollins; 312 pages

This book is about a baby who crawls straight into the graveyard where he is raised by the ghostly inhabitants who call the cemetery home. I know there is a bit of controversy concerning Mr. Gaiman right now, and I will do my best to not offend anyone concerning this topic. I do believe that we can still appreciate the works of art of people we don’t want to support and while I’m not versed on the entire matter I will say that I did own this book before the controversies arose so I am just reading from my lengthy TBR pile.

I will say that as of the date and time of this blog post’s publishing, Amazon Kindle Unlimited has this book available to read for free for members. This could change if you are reading this post in the future.

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

Kingfisher; July 12, 2022; Tor Nightfire; 165 pages

This book is a retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe. If we are going to do a spooky book read month, where else do we need to turn that to Poe himself? I remember reading some Poe in school. I don’t remember what I thought about it because it was a long time ago, but I know this whole genre isn’t something I regularly read.

This story revolves around the house of Usher and a military friend comes to find his childhood friend and her twin brother - one sick and terminal, and one losing it with a mysterious illness as well. He must try to figure out the mystery of the house before they are all overcome.

I will say that as of this blog post’s publishing, Amazon Kindle Unlimited has this book available for free for members. This could change if you are reading this post in the future.

Rio; September 24, 2024 Flatiron Books; 144 pages

And finally, Graveyard Shift by M. L. Rio. This is a much anticipated new novella from the author of If We Were Villians.

In this modern gothic tale, five late-shift workers cross paths in an old college cemetery. One evening a new open grave is where one shouldn’t be and this crew follows the gravedigger hoping to find the answers to the weird things happening around the town.

I savored If We Were Villians and anticipate loving this book as well. The only thing I’m not enthusiastic about is the short size of this book, but it’s better than having no new book from this author. I anticipate rich characters and settings and clever plots.

So it’s an ambitious TBR for October, but I’m excited to have a good pile. Hopefully, I will not scare myself silly. I know I will be buddy-reading Where You End, and House of Leaves with my bestie. House of Leaves is a THICK book so hopefully I can make it through them all and still participate in the art challenges this month offers.

What’s on your to-be-read pile for this month? Is there anything you’ve read in the past that needs to be added to mine? Do you run from horror/thriller/scaries?

Swing back at the end of the month or early November to find out if I made it through them all, what I thought of these books, and if you need to send help because I’m hunched in the fetal position in the corner rocking myself to sleep.

It Starts at the Very Beginning…

…A very good place to start.

Welcome to the beginning of my blog. It seems most logical to introduce myself to you, give you a background on what my interests are, and give you some idea of what to expect from my blog as I start writing more frequently.

Hi! I’m so glad you are here.

I’m Elisabeth and I like all things art. I’m starting this blog to share some of my love of different arts as well as share my thoughts on books I have read, inspiration, projects I’m working on, and anything else that catches my eye.

I’m a multi-faceted artist who focuses on Watercolor, Gouache, Mixed Media, and Collage. Growing up, I always had an interest in various arts. My focus back then was on Theatre Arts.

Fun fact: I was voted most likely to be a Professional Artist in high school.

In my senior high school year I was accepted into Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley, Mn. There I was introduced to the community of the art world. I was still focusing on Theatre there but took opportunities to learn more about music, dance, literary, media, and visual arts. One short year was a crash course in being an Advocate for Arts Education and how art has an essential role in our lives.

I attended Winona State University for Theatre and took classes in 3D design, Drawing, 2D design, Drafting for the Stage, and Scene Painting. After graduating and marrying, my husband and I moved to the Pacific Northwest and I took a job teaching art to kids ages 3 and up. I worked mainly with soft pastels, still life, and watercolor. This was the beginning of finding my way back to my love of visual arts.

After having two kids and moving back across the country to Minnesota, I found myself in the fall of 2018 focusing heavily on watercolor. It seemed art was making a fierce comeback into my life and I couldn’t be happier. Consistently working with watercolor opened my curiosity to other areas such as hand lettering, drawing with ink, mixed media art journaling, and generally fostering the idea that creating something every day can do wonders for your mental health and expand your imagination the more you work with it.

Currently, I’m navigating learning how to use Procreate, pressing flowers, honing my skills with mixed media, and spending time in my garden and in the pool with my kids this summer.

So here we are and I’m so glad you made it this far because that means maybe some of my story resonates with yours. Thanks for learning about me, and being with me on my artistic journey ahead. I would love to know how you spend the warmer months and any questions you might have for me about this new adventure. Comment below or send me an email. I am looking forward to growing and sharing more with you in the near future.