Quick Movie Question...

Now that it's November and Thanksgiving is on the horizon, it got me thinking about holiday movies. There are an overabundance of scary and/or Halloween-oriented movies to watch in the month of October. And plenty of Christmas movies to watch in December. But what about November? What movies are there for Thanksgiving? I could only think of two:  Planes, Trains and Automobiles with Steve Martin and John Candy, and the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Special. (Because who doesn't love seeing Snoopy dishing up toast, pretzels, popcorn and jelly beans for Thanksgiving dinner?) 

But there's got to be a few other Thanksgiving movies, doesn't there? Can you think of any? I was just wondering. 

Randomness...

Just finished reading Night Will Find You by Julia Heaberlin, and I enjoyed it. If you're curious as to why, check out Rachel's awesome review of it, which is the reason I decided to read this one in the first place.  

Here are the books I checked out of the library and am hoping to read in November:

(I also have several Christmas-y romances on hold, but who knows when they'll all come in.)

Battle For the Big Top by Les Standiford

Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar

Watch Her Disappear by Lisa Regan

Spring Girls by Karen Katchur

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

Dark Ambitions by Irene Hannon

NPCs by Drew Hayes

Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Ellie Cosimano

All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie

Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller by Oliver Darkshire

I've also been binge-watching the first season of Grimm and watching The Amazing Race!

(Both shows are favorites of mine.)  

And here's my quote for the month: 

Happy Reading!

With Love, from Cold World by Alicia Thompson

 

Cold World is a small tourist attraction in hot and humid Orlando, Florida, that offers visitors a fun taste of winter all year round. But numbers are down and it's in danger of closing if they don't come up with a plan soon to revitalize it and draw in more people. 

Lauren Fox is the bookkeeper at Cold World. She's reserved and guarded and likes to keep tight control of everything in her life, especially at work. She grew up in foster care and doesn't really know how to relate well with others. Though part of her longs for family and friends. 

Asa Williamson has worked at Cold World since he was eighteen, and he knows all the ins and outs of the place. He sports tattoos and blue hair and is friendly, confident, and a bit cocky. And he loves needling uptight Lauren, not realizing how often his teasing words hurt. 

Lauren and Asa aren't exactly friends. And Lauren absolutely does not want to work with Asa to save cold World. But fate keeps pushing them together. And as they spend time together, their relationship takes an unexpected turn. 

This is a very character-driven romance and I absolutely loved it. Thompson's writing drew me in right from the first chapter. Asa and Lauren are well-layered characters complete with flaws, hidden talents, and surprising depths. I enjoyed watching their journey together and how they each grew as characters. There are some fun moments of banter, cute Secret Santa gifts, and I really loved the game they invented the night they got trapped inside Cold World together. Their romance just made me happy. 

Melody and I read this one together. And it was so much fun. Be sure to check out her review.

Happy Reading!

So haunting....

Doesn't this house look totally haunted? I love how broken and eerie it looks. It would make such a great setting for a scary ghost story. 

This one looks pretty haunting as well:

But I think this one is my favorite. This is one I'd love to buy and fix up...even if it is haunted.  

Two Quick Bookish Books Recommendations...

 

The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser

First Thea gets laid off. Then she discovers that her husband of twenty years is cheating on her with one of her friends. So when she finds out she's inherited her great uncle's house and antique book collection, she gladly escapes to Baldochrie, Scotland to claim her inheritance. One thing leads to another and soon Thea is happily working at the local bookshop for the grumpy (and handsome!) owner, Edward Maltravers. 

Scotland and a bookshop? Yes, please! Those are two of my favorite things to read about. And I loved how Thea's and Edward's humorous bickering led to some very honest conversations, friendship, and ultimately deeper feelings of love.   4/5 stars. 

Bookshop Cinderella by Laura Lee Guhrke

1895, London. The Duke of Westbourne has just made a bet to turn a quiet and plain bookshop owner into the bell of the ball. And he has six weeks to do it. Evie Harlow isn't interested in his proposition until her bookshop suddenly needs some major repairs. She agrees to help him with his bet, but neither one of them planned on falling in love. 

This is a fun if predictable romance with two engaging characters. I liked that Evie knew about the bet right from the start, and I thought their dancing lessons were very cute.  3/5 stars. 

Happy Reading!

P.S  These two books count towards Susan's Bookish Books Reading Challenge.

Haiku Reviews...

 

Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison

One bite. Now its fur,

fangs and claws every full moon--

What's a girl to do?

Fiction.... 324 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(Amazing prose and a strong heroine!)

The Witch is Back by Sophie H. Morgan

They were engaged. He ran. 

Now he's back. Can Emma trust him

with her secrets...and her heart?

Romance ....378 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.

(Cute and magical.)

The Duke Alone by Christi Caldwell

Alone at Christmas,

Myrtle finds solace, friendship and love

with the duke next door.

Regency romance ... 304 pages .... 5/5 stars.

(A captivating romance between a mischievous heroine and brooding widower; loved the humorous banter and sweet kisses.)

Happy Reading!

The Nightmare Man by J.H. Markert

 

Ben Bookman writes horror novels inspired from the nightmares of his childhood. Now those nightmares are coming to life as several recent murders in Crooked Tree, the town where Ben and his wife and daughter live, uncannily mirror the murders in his book. When the police come to question him he doesn't have many answers for them. Because Ben has secrets. And sometimes he sleepwalks. And something happened when Ben was writing the end of his novel out at his grandfather's secluded Blackwood Mansion that he can't quite remember. But he knows it wasn't good, and it's made his own wife suspect the worst.

The two main detectives on the case are Detective Winchester Mills and his daughter, rookie detective Samantha Blue. Mills has a reputation for solving some pretty bizarre cases over the years, but this latest murder investigation is the most gruesome. And if Bookman's novel is anything to go by, the murderer isn't done. Mills also has the ability to see the nightmares of others. But the nightmares he's seeing now seem to lead to Ben and his family.

My thoughts:  This thriller is atmospheric, unexpected, and riveting, with a supernatural element that I loved. Markert's take on nightmares is deliciously creepy, and I really liked the way he weaves together Ben's dark childhood memories and his family's long-buried secrets with the present investigation. Detective Mills, with all his flaws and his strange ability, is a fascinating character. I enjoyed his interactions with his daughter, Sam, as well as Ben's interactions with his young daughter, Bri. Their family dynamics added a nice layer of normality to this compelling thriller. And while the murders that take place in this one are disturbing, the author never gets graphic or too gory when he describes them, which I appreciated. This book hooked me right from the beginning and kept me engaged all the way to the end.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Happy Reading!