Ghosts of Salem: Haunts of the Witch City is a really interesting collection of historic and paranormal tales.

I had previously read New Hampshire Book of the Dead: Graveyard Legends and Lore by Roxie J. Zwicker and LOVED every second of it. Unfortunately, this one was quite different, but it was still one I would definitely recommend.

I'll admit, after Roxie's book, my hopes for this one were pretty high. I found it interesting that the author stated in the introduction; Ghosts of Salem is, in essence, supernatural– themed travel guide written with a historical lens.

Keeping that in mind, I dove in.

It was immediately apparent to me that this is a book that would be better read in small chunks rather than all at once like I did because it is very repetitive. The first chapter is especially repetitive... specifically with explaining who Giles Cory is.

The repetition was prevalent throughout the book, which really started to get on my nerves, along with how frequently the author used the word "Yep" usually followed by more repetition, or a semi-snarky comment. But the content was still super interesting, so I never thought about stopping.

The file under notes at the end of each tale were pretty funny... for the most part. It worked semi-well with the random lines in each section that tried to lighten the mood a bit. For example, “File under: resident evil” was included after a tale about the Samuel Pickman House, where two people, living in the house at different times, suddenly became very violent. However, these little bits weren’t added to each story, which was kind of odd, and sometimes they seemed a little too light for the content we had just read.

Overall, definitely a worthwhile read!

This is one that I can see myself picking up before my next trip to Salem to refresh my memory about certain buildings and locations. And of course, this is a great read for a dark, cold, and windy night!

Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman, illustrated by S.D. Schindler is another of my all time favorite halloween reads from my childhood!

When I heard that there was also a sung version of the book, I just had to give it a reread and a listen!

The book was just as lovely as I remembered! The storyline is so simple, but so exciting! I remember being so nervous that they weren't going to be able to get the pumpkin off the vine.

I really love the artwork! I remember the page with the ghost trying to detach the pumpkin the most! That must have been my favorite character as a kid.

Listening to the song was so much fun! The story was just perfect to be sung! I loved that each character had a voice of it's own. And let me tell you... this song will most definitely be stuck in my head!

My only gripe was that the noise to turn the page was quite alarming! If this was ever redone, something less intense, like a witch's cackle or a meow or something would be a very welcomed addition.

I definitely recommend pairing the book with the song or so you can see the illustrations! This was so much fun!

Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman was an interesting tale of a terrifying condition, an evil scheme, violence along the trail, and love.

When I first read the synopsis of this book, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Unfortunately, once I bought a copy, it sat there in my TBR pile... Slowly getting pushed further and further down the list.

I'm so happy that I was finally able to pick it up!

Sitting down to write my review, I just had the hardest time trying to organize my thoughts. I don't want to give away too much of the story, even though most of it is in the synopsis...

So I've decided to just touch upon a few key elements that I enjoyed and a few that I didn't like.

The storyline
The plot was definitely a bit nerve-wracking. After all, how terrifying is it just to think about having a condition that suddenly overcomes you and makes you look like you're dead?! And then of course when you find out that the main characters husband is up to no good, it makes everything so much worse.

And gosh, thinking about someone being buried alive is absolutely horrifying! I was so anxious to see how this would play out.

The characters
I found them all so interesting, even if they were a bit undeveloped! Take the main character, Carol, or example. We meet her very briefly before she falls into her coma-like state. Throughout the book, we get glimpses here and there that help us learn more about her childhood and her condition, but outside of that, we don't really learn all that much about her.

Same with the outlaw Moxie; we learn that he's a no-nonsense, lovesick outlaw that played a trick and got famous for it.

Even the main bad guy, Smoke, was a bit flat. Though I did find it super interesting that we saw him slowly lose his mind the closer he got to his end goal.

Then there were various other characters that popped in and out of the story. The chapters for each of these quick characters were fun to read, but I feel like I've already forgotten most of them.

The organization of the storyline
On on hand, I loved that we got right into the thick of things in the first few chapters, but on the other I wish that we had gotten more build up before all of the action.

I also really enjoyed that we were introduced to seemingly random characters here and there in various chapters that were centered on each character throughout the main storyline. It was interesting to see how each of the characters, no matter how small their role seemed, were part of this crazy web of deception.

The organization of the storyline also helped to build a bit of anxiety when it came to the burial. Would Dwight crack up and take an even more extreme step than he already has? Would John Moxie make it to town in time, or would he arrive too late? Would Sheriff Opal find evidence that helps prove his gut feeling? It was certainly exciting to wait to see how it all played out!


Beware, the negatives:
The pacing, I will admit, was a bit slow for my taste. There were a few chapters that I felt really bogged the story down.

I didn't really care for the ending. It seemed a bit rushed and a little too scattered. One element that came into play near the end was a gift from Hattie, which was really interesting. However, I felt that the situation caused by Rot made that reveal super underwhelming when it could have been really great.

On that note, things with Rot got a little odd. Again, because things seemed so rushed, I don't think we got enough information about this element and why it was affecting those it affected. Was it simply affecting those close to Carole because it wanted her so badly? That's what I would assume, but it's hard to say.

So clearly I was also left with some unanswered questions... quite a few of them, in fact. I'm usually okay with a few unanswered questions, but when that's paired with a rushed ending, I close the book with a bit of frustration.


My favorite passages:
Thoughts were always shinier, wider, more difficult to corral on the Trail.

Moxie has heard more than his share of Trail myths, yarns rolled down steep hillsides, unraveling until they shape-shifted from fiction to fact.

Memories more like nightmares and dreams like true visions, scattered, fallen from a shelf, out of order, or maybe proof that the order never mattered to begin with…


My final thoughts:
This book was so difficult for me to review!

This was definitely one of those books that was really enjoyable while reading, but after finishing it, I was left feeling a little odd. Like I had been hoping to get something more from it, but didn't... I hate that feeling!

I think this calls for a reread!

Just like the other books in the series, #8 was fast-paced and interesting, the artwork is incredible, and I just love the characters!

At the end of the previous book, Firelight, I was so nervous to see where the story would go next. It did get quite scary in this one for a second there, but luckily there was something that happened that snapped Em out of it a bit. However, she still had to battle with the voice.

When I finished reading this one, I wanted to cheer!

I cannot wait for the next book to come out!

Flying Broomsticks and Buns by L.M. Schukraft is a novella that was released on Halloween... While the demons may have been up to a few tricks, this read was an absolute treat!

Oh my goodness. When I first saw L.M. Schukraft post about how she was creating a novella for Halloween, I could not wait to get my hands on a copy! I preordered the story just as soon as the Amazon link went live and dove in as soon as it was released!

I so wish I could have sat around all Halloween night to read straight through. Unfortunately, I was too busy to do so, so I read this over the course of three days. Even so, it was a wonderful read!

In this novella, we are back in action with Desmin and Castle while they are on an assignment to track down a sub-demon has escaped Hell before that demon can fulfill their crazy plan and cause total chaos.

When the pair first land, I was thrilled to see that they were in Salem, Massachusetts! Of course, based on the history, that is a great setting for a Halloween tale. The author did a wonderful job setting the scene in a short amount of time as Castle walked through town, carrying Desmin.

I could not wait to see what form Desmin was going to be in, and when it was announced for the first time, I laughed right out loud! I won't give it away here, but trust me, it's another perfect pick for a Halloween tale!

Let me just stop right here and say... Desmin is one of my all time favorite characters. He is hysterical! I love how sarcastic he can be and the things that come out of his mouth always makes me chuckle. I also love that he makes pop culture references and teases Castle for not understanding. And the fact that he made a Deadpool reference? Just perfect.

Divide, distract, and conquer. Pit my enemies against each other.
It's not much but it might buy me some time. I needed to channel
my best impression of Ryan Reynolds playing Deadpool. That
man was made for that character. IT was time for me to use my
sassy gift and annoy these ugly beasts from Hell to distraction.


My favorite passages:
"You want me to do what?" I stared at the Limbo angel like she had grown an extra head. Don't look at me like that! It's entirely possible. You'd be surprised how many creatures I've seen sprout and extra head.
On Hades buffed butt cheeks, I swear it.

Seraphina sniffed at me, her nose so high up I was surprised there wasn't ice dripping off the tip of it.

I was pretty sure the earth stood still for a heartbeat there because I was so shocked words failed me. Yeah, that shocked!

Castle must wear special shoes or something because I had no warning. He just appeared behind Seraphina, strolling around her like he was taking a walk in the park. She gaped at him like he was a cookie and she was two weeks into a new diet.

And I was promptly scared right out of my sweet nibblets.

There was something in the bed. I was sure of it now. There was no way it was friendly either. Friendly stuff doesn't slide all up in your bed in the middle of the night. Not in this crazy fear factor Bed and Nightmares-r-us.

"And what if she's not?" I had to play devil's advocate (no pun intended but hardy-har-har).

Her walls and rainbow colored portraits of cats, kittens, and cupcakes.
I think we've found the end of the Skittles rainbow. I was getting a cavity from just looking at all the sweetness.

Castle's obvious lack of watching Scooby-Doo cartoons and horror movies was going to get me killed, I just know it.

"Can we talk about this?" I tried backing up but was met with cold stone. "I'm sorry about your buddies but they aren't supposed to be here. Maybe we could go get a beet or something?"
The zombies were closing in on me. One groaned and it's jaw dropped to the ground.
"Okay, maybe not a beer..."


My final thoughts:
I had SO much fun reading this short. I cannot wait to see these two again!

Aquicorn Cove by Katie O'Neill is a beautifully illustrated story about a little girl named Lana and a quick trip back to her hometown that teaches her some wonderful lessons.

I am so in love with Katie O'Neill's artwork! It's just so adorable and so beautiful!

I loved each of the characters that we met in this one, especially little Lana! It was interesting to watch her learn so much over the course of such a short time!

The plot of the story was so fun. When Lana is by the sea and an Aquicorn approaches her from the ocean, I was so excited! That was such a cool scene and I couldn't wait to see where things were going to go from there.

My only slight complaint was that it felt a little too short, so some of the story seemed a bit rushed and jumpy.

Even so, I would definitely recommend checking this one out! I really enjoyed it!

Are You Scared, Darth Vader? by Adam Rex is such a fun story with wonderful illustrations that is sure to be a hit for any young reader or Star Wars fan!

When I first cracked open this book, I was so hoping that this author was going to do something predictable with the acknowledgement page. I was very happy to see that he did. How perfect is: "For Henry... I am your father.- A.R."

I loved the tone that this author was able to capture for Darth Vader in this short story. His deadpan responses were so perfect and the humor made me chuckle, especially when the narrator asked if Darth Vader was afraid of the dark and he responded, "Is that a joke?"

The artwork was lovely! I really enjoyed the overall background and slightly creepy atmosphere of many of the pages. The characters were all wonderfully illustrated and so interesting to look at! I also really enjoyed how the text and lettering was added into the overall page design in such a fun way.

The story overall was short, but super sweet. It did get quite dark there for a minute, which may not be quite understood by children, but is an interesting little twist for adults. I loved the ending and how the fourth wall was broken.

This would be a great read for the Halloween season!

My final thoughts:
Oh my goodness. This is definitely one that my husband and I be adding to our kids library in the future. This book is absolutely adorable! This would be so much fun to read time and time again. I highly recommend it!

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol was a cute graphic novel about a high school girl named Anya who becomes friends with a ghost.

The story follows the main character, Anya, as she deal with typical family and high school related drama.

But suddenly, the story takes a very dark turn that I wasn't expecting. I understood that there would be a ghost, as the synopsis explains. So when Anya first discovers the ghost, that wasn't too shocking. But what happens later on totally threw me for a loop!

The artwork was simple and fun. I really enjoyed how wonderfully illustrated the characters and their facial expressions were.

Unfortunately I can't saw much else without giving too much away! So overall, this was a fun read! I definitely enjoyed it while I was reading, though I don't think this is one I'd reread. Even so, I would recommend it!

Unfortunately not for me. I really disliked the main character and couldn't look passed that in order to attempt to enjoy the story.

Spider-Man, Spider-Man! by Marvel Press Book Group is such a beautifully illustrated and fun read along that comes with a CD of two songs that you can use to read along with or simply have some great background music!

This is another book that I bought as a gift and read first to make sure I was passing along a good story! It was indeed a fun little story!

I LOVED the illustrations! This book would be awesome for children that enjoy looking at the pictures. The story itself is simply the Spider-Man theme song, so it goes by very quickly. Though it was a lot of fun seeing the different illustrations for different parts of the song.

On the CD, the first song is the Spider-Man theme song with lyrics that you can listen to while flipping the pages of the book to follow along. The second track is simply the instrumentals, which would be super fun to have in the background during a read through, but you'd have to be rather quick if you choose to do either as both songs are quite short!

I would definitely recommend this one to anyone looking to buy a gift for a kiddo this holiday season! It's adorable!