Moving can be so stressful. There's the packing, which truly sucks, then getting those larger pieces from different rooms around the house (like upstairs!), and squishing it all into a vehicle and hitting the road, then unloading, and unpacking. There's also a bit of sad sentimentality that comes along with leaving a home behind (even if you're moving on to bigger, better things). It's quite a frazzling experience.

We're still on the hunt for the perfect house, but please don't ask me how house-hunting's going, because it's such a stressful topic. It will happen when it happens, I guess. But it's nice to be prepared for a move. I talked about some tips for moving a few years ago after we moved into the house we live in now, so hopefully those things still ring true. But today, let's talk about moving books. Those are precious cargo around these parts.

In the past, we've mostly just loaded up my family's pick-up truck, then we moved on to renting a U-Haul for our last move. But over time, our house has grown and we've acquired more things, so this move may require a moving company to actually help us heave our things many miles away. If it's in the budget, consider hiring a removal service such as MyBekins for some of your packing and moving needs too, as they will take care of much of the hard work for you.

So that's wham, bam - thank you, ma'am, and done.

Well, not quite, especially if you are a lover and collector of books. The thought of moving lots of books can definitely increase stress levels. I mean, what if they get damaged? What if there's not enough packing space? Those boxes and bags of books can get incredibly heavy. But no worries! Let's talk through some suggestions to make moving your books easy-peasy.



#1: Declutter your shelves

Before you start the packing process, do what you probably do with your other household items, and have a decluttering session. Go through each of your books and consider whether you need them in your life or not. If you are never likely to read them again, if you just didn't like a book the first time you read it, or if it's been on your shelf for years and years and you know you'll never read it, then it makes sense to add them to your sell/donate/giveaway pile.

So, rather than taking your unwanted books with you to your new home, you could donate them to your local library (I love the leave mine in the little free libraries around me!), give them to your friends, or make some extra cash by having a yard sale or selling them to your local used bookstore. You will then have less to worry about when it comes to the packing stage, and you will have space in your new home for all the new books you intend to buy.



#2: Pack your books carefully

To prevent damage to your books, lie them spine down, or lay them down flat. Be sure not to pack too many books in each box either, as you might only end up with your books on the floor should the boxes buckle under the weight. Of course, you don't only need to use boxes. Large paper bags for those individual titles that are precious to you, storage baskets, and even suitcases are suitable for carrying your books. I definitely like to utilize other items I'm moving (like those suitcases or baskets) to save room! Whatever storage option you use, be sure to use bubble wrap, paper, and items of clothing to shield them from the risk of damage.

Check out these other book-packing tips for more useful advice.



#3: Pack strategically

If you're anything like me, you probably have hundreds of books to carry with you. You probably tend to have a specific system for ordering your books on your shelves, too, whether it's by color, size, title, author, or genre. So with this in mind, be sure to put the books that are normally shelved together in the same boxes. And label your boxes too, as this will save you time and effort when you're sorting out your books at your new home. You might also want to take a photo of the way your shelves are currently arranged, as you will have something to refer to when you need a reminder of where your books need to go - unless you want to try something different this time around.



#4: Don't pack every book early

Finally, don't pack the books you are still reading (or intend to read) weeks before your house move. And especially if you don't intend to unpack immediately on arrival at your new property, leave one or two out of your main storage boxes so you have something to unwind with when you're settling into your new surroundings. I'd recommend leaving these aside in a tote bag you like to use. Put them with your emergency supplies, as you will then have easy access to them, and because having a book to read at all times is obviously an emergency.










*This is a collaborative post.

TW: Racism, violence, illness



I was maybe a little biased when I picked up Frankly in Love by David Yoon. See, I really enjoyed Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon, she married David - so he must be cool by association, right? (I'm also looking forward to reading The Sun is Also a Star soon. It just arrived in the mail yesterday!) Frankly in Love has was also optioned as a film before the book was even released, so I knew I was in for something good. I just didn't realize how good it was going to be.



Frank Li is first-generation Korean-American. His parents, alongside many of their friends, immigrated to the States from Korea before Frank was even born. They built their American lives from the ground-up. But Frank's kind of stuck in this weird limbo between his Korean heritage and his American upbringing. But here's the thing - his girlfriend in not Korean, and his sister was basically disowned for dating outside of her ethnic group. So Frank has to come up with a way to keep his love life hidden from his parents, but it's proving much harder than he expected.





I was highly impressed with this book. It really hit the ground running, I was immediately connected to Frank and really invested in how he would either succumb to or combat his own parents' racist tendencies. Racial identity and pressures are something I think about literally daily. I think it's so important to understand your race and the race of others ("color blindness" is microagressive, folks), and how those things impact the world around us. As someone who is married to someone of a different race, this book really hit home in a lot of ways, though Frank's experience was much different than my own.

I enjoyed learning about Korean-American culture through Frank's eyes and getting a better understanding of expectations within those communities. I am not incredibly well-versed in terms of any Asian/Asian-American cultures, so this was a nice change of pace. I also really enjoyed the behind-the-scenes of the Apeys. I myself, was an AP students, but was very underprepared because of the school I went to. I was always an overachiever and "smart kid," and I work with high achieving students, so it was nice for the story to be told from that perspective.

Frank is nerdy and super corny, which is my favorite kind of humor. So I really appreciated the goofy jokes throughout the books. They were bad, which made them oh, so good. 

I will say that while there were definitely some twisty plot points throughout the story that I wasn't expecting, the main plotline was highly predictable and I saw it coming from a mile away. It honestly didn't take away from the story, though. Don't we all love a fun fake-dating trope? I still really enjoyed the entire book and was always rushing to find time to read it. According to Goodreads, it's "Frankly in Love #1," meaning there will be at least one follow-up, and for that I cannot wait. I would highly enjoy getting to know more of Frank's story.

For the negatives, I loved Q's character so much. He is a sweet, kind, and thoughtful kid who is Frank's best friend. He's Black and I loved all interactions with him and his family. The problem? #1. In the only way I can say this without spoiling a "twist" in the book - Q's character is completely underserved within the story. There's so much more I wanted for his character and so much more I wanted to know. His "secret" backstory is treated in a way that seemed unintentionally negative, and there's definitely some work to be done in future stories from Yoon. #2. His sister, Evon, is described as being hot every. single. time she is mentioned. I get it - Frank's a horny teenage boy. But this horniness doesn't play through in really any other pieces of the book (seriously, not even the sweet little PG sex scene), thus promoting Black woman as sexual objects, which is totally screwed up.

I'll also say that while this book is fairly diverse and I appreciated that the majority of the characters were Asian, it is a YA book and I expected more diversity in terms of gender and sexuality. There's virtually no queer characters, which felt very lacking.






Overall, I really loved this book. I thought the story was so precious and things were mostly well-written, I had concerns with the lack a queer characters and felt the Black characters were unintentionally portrayed in a harmful way. I will continue reading Frank Li's story. Yoon's writing is fresh, funny, and flows really well. I appreciated the exploration of racial identity and family dynamics. This book made me quite literally laugh and cry, which is always a good sign in terms of YA - I like to feel all the feelings, and Frankly in Love made me feel.





Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆

One of the things I truly look forward to each November is the release of the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge for the upcoming year. The 2020 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge was just announced and I am so excited for what 2020 holds in terms of reading accomplishments. But look, in terms of 2019 - I am very behind on my reading challenges. I still have 20 prompts left for the 2019 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge (Yikes! That likely won't get finished), and I've got to read 15 more books to complete my Goodreads challenge. It's not that I haven't been reading - I have! But I've made it through my fair share of Stephen King books this year, and we all know how long those can take. I also graduated with my master's, started a new job with a longer commute (and I don't do audiobooks). So it's been one heck of a 2019, which is fine, but let's keep our figures crossed in terms of me finishing some reading challenges here, okay?


You can always keep up with my progress at the top of the page (under the 'books & reading' tab, you'll find all of my previous and current reading challenges). You can also catch me on Goodreads and Instagram!

I've included POPSUGAR's printable graphic below, which I usually save on my phone so I can mark as I go. Feel free to grab it to keep up with your completed prompts, too!




2020 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge


01. A book that's published in 2020 ☑

Popsugar 2019 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title (utilizing "stars" as an astrology term, there's also heavy astrological focus within the book)


TW: Death, mild violence, racism, homophobia, illness



I do not have the vocabulary to explain how much I absolutely loved The Stars and the Blackness Between Them. This book is beautifully poetic, well-written, heart-wrenching, and really everything else I could hope for in a book. It's YA at its greatest - a culturally and racially aware queer Black love story. One I'll recommend over and over.


Audre is heartbroken after her mother sends her from her home in Trinidad to live with her father in Minneapolis. Luckily she makes a friend in Mabel, the daughter of her father's best friend. Though Audre likes Mabel, she tends to struggle with her belonging in a new place and doesn't want to share a truth about herself - she's a lesbian and that's why she was sent to live with her dad. Mabel is confused in her own right. She's had a boyfriend, but has felt more for a girl in her class and is developing complicated feelings for Audre. All of this is interspersed with flashback/dreams of Audre's grandmother, Queenie, as a young woman, and a book written by a Black man who's been in prison since he was a teenager. 


I truly don't know how to describe the feelings I had reading this book (the quote below is pretty accurate thought). It was such a powerful story and Petrus did such an amazing job intertwining the different stories in the novel. The book is written in different dialects, so I could really hear Audre's Trinidadian accent and Mabel's casual American. While it would've been easy for that to make the writing sloppy, it just made everything more poetic. I felt like they were talking to me, sharing their deepest thoughts and secrets. I've never felt so encapsulated into a cultural experience through reading. And I was drawn deeper and deeper within every page.

This book has a lot of the big themes I love about YA, many of which I won't share because I don't want to spoil any of this miraculous piece of literature. It was so emotional going through the journeys of confusion and complicated feelings - not understanding your own urges and thoughts. The entire thing was an emotional roller coaster in the best way. What's best is that Audre and Mabel aren't the only queer characters. There's even an explanation to parents about the singer of a band using they/them pronouns. It was so incredibly real and relevant and valid.

Then the parallels learning about Queenie's young life, and the life of Afua, who was wrongly accused of his best friend's murder as a teen. This novel is a story about life and death, love and hatred, prison and freedom. And while that seems like it would be overwhelming, or difficult to follow - it's so poetic and beautiful. The segments of the book are divided up into seasons by utilizing poems for each astrological season. I'm not usually a poem person, but I just really appreciated the ones in this book. Everything flows so magnificently, and I loved the characters so much.

Lastly, there is just a sliver of magical realism, fantasy if you will, or just true spiritualism. I wouldn't take it so far as this book is supernatural. It's more a look at the ancestors, spirituality, and even astrology as themes of life and how they impact the world-view of folks.






Truly, I cannot recommend The Stars and the Blackness Between Them enough. I'm thankful I grabbed this book from Book of the Month, otherwise I may have never heard about it. I've seen zero hype about it on social or elsewhere. But I will continue sharing it and recommending over and over again. Beautifully written, very raw teenage emotions, lots of culture and storymaking. It's everything I could've asked for in a book. Whether you enjoy YA or not, this book is sure to knock your socks off. Add it to your next BOTM box or click here to grab it from Amazon. Just read it soon!



Goodreads rating: ★★★★★

 
The county of Lancaster, in Pennsylvania, is most famous for being the home of the Amish community and is one of the oldest inland towns in the USA. (Before you knock visiting Amish country, check out this post from Kate about visiting an Amish community in Ohio. It actually sounds super fun and relaxing.) It is a fascinating place to visit if you want to experience personal growth, whether you want to stick the tourist trail or go a little bit off the beaten track. Here, we explore just a few of the things you can do in and around this charming town before heading off to eat in one of the many restaurants in Lancaster, PA.


The Ephrata Cloister

In the middle of the 18th-century, a group of nearly 300 men and women in rural Pennsylvania retreated from their material lives and became part of the Ephrata Cloister, a religious community founded by a German immigrant. These days, the property, which was once self-reliant, is open to the public who can gain an insight into the secluded lifestyle of the people who once lived there and explore the restored interiors of the dormitories and workspaces, as well as the founder's house.


Wheatland

Ever wondered what the home of one of the least loved American presidents was like? Well, if you head to Wheatland, you will be able to see for yourself! James Buchanan, the 15th President of the United States, lived here during his campaign and after his widely maligned four-year term. It has never been altered or remodeled in any significant way and still holds some of his possessions, such as the desk he used at the White House. If nothing else, it gives you a fantastic insight into the upper-class lifestyle of the 19th century.


The Indian Steps Museum

This small museum situated on the banks of the Susquehanna River is home to a unique collection of Native American artifacts. The area is rich in Native American history, with evidence of communities living there over 10,000 years ago! There was once indeed a set of steps carved into the cliffs and leading down to the river, but have long since been buried below the waters since the construction of the dam around 1911.(This sounds really cool - I'd definitely love to visit here.)


The Central Market

This is the oldest farmer's market in the United States and was even approved by the King of England! Fresh produce has been sold here in the Pennsylvania Dutch country since the 1730s when it was legitimized by official decree from King Geroge II of England. Now, you can buy baked goods, flowers, candy, herbs, and specialties from the Amish community as well as Greek, Italian, German, Thai, African, and Middle Eastern cuisines.




Lancaster is full of things to do, particularly if you're looking for something with history and culture behind it. Grab your favorite travel buddy and head to a town that truly is charming.











*This is a collaborative post. 

TW: Abortion, sexual assault*, some violence
*I'm unsure if the situation is sexual assault, but it's definitely bad and anti-consensual.
To be clear, this entire book is about a minor pursuing an abortion.



There is already a ton of hype for Unpregnant, and it's only been out since September. It's been optioned as a film for the upcoming HBO MAX, which I cannot wait to watch. Much like Hello Girls, this book was also marketed as a modern-day Thelma & Louise for the YA crowd. It's a road trip story about friendships, reproductive justice, and is honestly just really good.


Veronica is a straight-A student, a goodie two-shoes, the precious and perfect daughter and student. She's set to go ivy league in the fall, but her plans may be set astray by the test she just passed - a pregnancy test. Determined to remove any hitch from her plans, she plans a trip halfway across the country with her ex-best friend to get an abortion in the closest clinic where parental consent isn't required. What follows is a misadventurous weekend of giant cows and elephants, strippers, ferrets, and stolen cars. 


I read this book so quickly. It was so intriguing, funny and well-written. Veronica is kind of terrible, but she is a teenager with a big dilemma. You've got to take characters with a grain of salt, especially when they're teens, so I wasn't too hard on her. I really liked Bailey, and thought she was hilarious, if a little reckless. Some of the other characters though, were absolutely the worst. Seriously, yikes.

I laughed throughout this book. I cried, sobbed like a baby at parts. I love the parts about Roswell (somewhere I really want to go!). I thought sensitive parts of the book were written and handled really eloquently. It was a truly emotional book.





I was reminded a lot of Hello Girls. There were definitely some similar themes and plotlines. But the overall story here was much different. I thought it was an important YA book with a focus about abortion, sexual consent, and reproductive justice. I would certainly recommend this book.



Goodreads rating: ★★★★★














*I received this book free in exchange for review. All opinions are entirely my own.

TW: Death, depictions of Hell



I love a character-driven story, so I oftentimes struggle with anthologies or short stories. I feel like I don't have the time to get to know the characters in a way where I can connect with them within the story. Because of this, I'm hesitant about reading anthologies. But when Black Spot Books offered me a copy of A Midnight Clear to review, it sounded quite too interesting to pass up. Plus it was short enough to add in between all the other books I'm trying to read by the end of the year.


This anthology shares six not-so-spirited holiday stories. The stories range from more realistic to very fantastical - from mysterious meetings at The Stanley Hotel (yes, that one), to a wolf in human's clothing, to Santa's elves on trial for murder. These aren't merry, wonderful holidays stories. Instead they're quite dark. 






This anthology of stories was not what I was expecting. While these are dark stories, I expected them to be a bit darker and maybe more adult. Though they included demons, murder, and other not-nice topics, the writing and stories seemed pretty juvenile. Seriously, the first story is about Santa's elves, with names like Poundcake. One of the stories was an alternate universe where people were wolves, and humans were creatures.


The story I enjoyed the most and found most memorable was The Poetry of Snow and Stars, which was set in Colorado at The Stanley and gives some throwback to The Shining, which I obviously appreciated. Most of the other stories I had a difficult time getting into, and a few of them were downright forgettable - I literally had to skim back through the book to write the short synopsis above.






The anthology was mostly interesting. It was a new take on holiday reading. But overall, it was forgettable. Not great. Not bad. I had no strong feelings about it either way. I would've loved if it had been a bit less juvenile in its story-telling. I was hoping for some good ole' scares, but these leaned more towards goofy, in my opinion.



Goodreads rating: ★★★☆☆














*I received this book free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King ★★★★★
Popsugar 2019 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book becoming a movie in 2019

Brief synopsis: Many years after the terrifying events at the Overlook Hotel, Daniel Torrance has grown into an alcoholic and a bit of a skeeze. But after moving to a small-town and starting the 12-steps, he finds his home in a local hospice home where he helps the patients "pass." There, he's known as Doctor Sleep. Miles and miles away, there's a group of travelers who call themselves the True Knot, and they feed on the steam of children who have the shining. And there's a young girl who's got the strongest shine, maybe of all time, and the Knot is coming for her.

Overall thoughts: I was actually incredibly impressed with this book. I felt that it was a pretty great follow-up to The Shining. I appreciated getting to know Dan as an adult. I thought it was a beautifully-written, character-driven novel (what a surprise with King, right?). I didn't enjoy the parts of the book about the Knot as much as the chapters about Dan, but I guess that's to be expected as there was already a formed connection with Dan from the first book. I'd definitely recommend this book. Full review here.






Unexplained: Real-Life Supernatural Stories for Uncertain Times* by Richard MacLean Smith ★★★☆☆
Popsugar 2019 Reading Challenge Prompt: N/A

Brief synopsis: A telling of 10 true, explained stories in modern times. From stories of reincarnations, UFO sightings, Mothman prophecies, curses, and poltergeists - these stories will chill you to the bone.

Overall thoughts: I actually enjoyed this book, but I did tend to find it a little dense at times. There were multiple stories, featuring stories about Slenderman, Mothman, the hotel AHS:Hotel was based off from, and more. I liked reading the stories, but did tend to struggle through the more textbook-style, academic review of each story. This book is based off a podcast of the same name, though I don't listen to podcasts. I'm sure that would appeal to the interests of those who are actually into the podcast, too. Full review here.






The Plants by Kenneth McKenney ★★★☆☆
Popsugar 2019 Reading Challenge Prompt: A "cli-fi" (climate fiction) book

Brief synopsis: In a small British town, a man lacking a green thumb grows an eleven foot squash overnight. The town is shocked and confused. Meanwhile, the local newscaster, his little girl, and the town "kook" think there's something more to the mysterious vegetable. As a scientist does research into the phenomena, the town's on edge as one of its own is found dead in the street. Weird things are certainly happening in the small town of Brandling, and the townsfolk are ready to find out what it is that's going on.

Overall thoughts: I thought overall this book had a good plot, but it was actually pretty corny. There were certainly some problematic things happening, which I'll attribute as a sign of the times. It's written as a horror novel with a focus on climate change, which was cool. But it wasn't actually too horror-y. I would've liked if it was a bit scarier. Full review here.





The Mist by Stephen King ★★★★☆
Popsugar 2019 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature

Brief synopsis:  Following a terrible storm in a small vacation-town, David Drayton, his young son, and their neighbor travel together to a local grocery store to stock up on a some necessary supplies. But an almost solid mist traps them and the other customers in the story indefinitely. What's worse, there's something in the mist, and it's after human blood.

Overall thoughts: I've seen the movie and series version of this story, but had forgotten about the creatures. This book is actually pretty terrifying - the creatures in the mist are so scary. This hasn't been my favorite King book, but I still enjoyed it. I was worried the story wouldn't be as character-driven, since it's much shorter, but it was still entirely character-focused. I was left wanting by the ending. But overall, still a great King story. Full review here.


















* denotes book was received free in exchange of an honest review. All opinions, as always, are 100% my own. 

PopSugar 2019 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature


TW: Death, suicide, violence/gore



I watched both the film and series versions of The Mist, and while I liked both - I found the film to be a bit corny (though I haven't watched it since probably 2008). After reading the book, I can say the show is wildly different (but good). I enjoyed reading The Mist, but hasn't been my favorite in terms of King's works. It's actually a short story, so it's a very quick read.


Following a terrible storm in a small vacation-town, David Drayton, his young son, and their neighbor travel together to a local grocery store to stock up on a some necessary supplies. But an almost solid mist traps them and the other customers in the story indefinitely. What's worse, there's something in the mist, and it's after human blood.


I already knew the overall story from the movie (which again, I haven't seen in about 10 years), but it was really nice to read the story, as well. King has such a way with character development and diving you into the story. I wasn't actually expecting much in terms of the plot being character-driven, since it's such a short book, but he did it again. Regardless of the story, his characters are oh so central to the plot, every. single. time.

I couldn't remember anything about what the creatures in the mist were, so getting introduced to them all over again was so terrifying.

I was a bit annoyed with one particular scene that became a kind of turning point in the story and changed my entire perception of one of the main characters. It really irked me and just felt so unnecessary. It's what led me to rate the story four stars instead of five. I also wasn't a fan of the ending. It wasn't a bad ending, per se, but left me wanting (not in a way where I longed for more story, just in terms of what I needed for closure).







Overall, it's a King book, so of course I enjoyed it. I would recommend it. It's actually part of a larger collection of his short stories, but I was lucky to be gifted this one as its own single book. (Special thanks to my book swap buddy.) As usual, King is a master story-teller, and The Mist is terrifying in so many ways (as it's own story and quite the allegory).





Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆

This post is going live on November 6, which is Stranger Things Day! So I hope you're celebrating Stranger Things anyway you know how. 

PopSugar 2019 Reading Challenge Prompt: A "cli-fi" (climate fiction) book


TW: Violence, death, fat phobia



I picked up The Plants at a thrift store recently for a quarter. It looked like a fun, short vintage thriller so I decided to pick it up and take it for a spin. The description compared it to Jaws and The Birds, but you know, about plants. Yes, those live, green, leafy things.  


In a small British town, a man lacking a green thumb grows an eleven foot squash overnight. The town is shocked and confused. Meanwhile, the local newscaster, his little girl, and the town "kook" think there's something more to the mysterious vegetable. As a scientist does research into the phenomena, the town's on edge as one of its own is found dead in the street. Weird things are certainly happening in the small town of Brandling, and the townsfolk are ready to find out what it is that's going on. 


First thing's first - this book is definitely a product of its time. There's a lot of fat shaming, and other little things that are reminiscent of the time. (Which is also some of the things that bothered me most about Jaws.) Outside of some problematic ideas, the book actually wasn't so terrible. It was corny, that's for sure. But the theme is actually pretty smart - it's about climate change, which is obviously an important topic today. But this novel was written over 30 years ago. So I enjoyed the relevant theme from an older novel in line with the classics. I'm actually really surprised this novel isn't a well-known one. I could've seen it in line with some of the bigger 80s horror novels and films.






Overall, I enjoyed this book. The plot was really great, though the story wasn't executed perfectly. The writing isn't the best, by any means, but the point gets across. Plus it's super short, so it's a quick and easy read.



Goodreads rating: ★★★☆☆

TW: Abductions, possession, animal death



When Sourcebooks reached out to offer me a review copy of Unexplained: Real-Life Supernatural Stories for Uncertain, I was incredibly excited to read such a creepy book for October. I've never listened to a podcast - not a single one - but apparently this book is based of a podcast of the same name, so it may be even more up your alley if you're already a fan of the podcast. Either way, this was a terrifying, chilling book full of true, unexplained mysteries.


A telling of 10 true, explained stories in modern times. From stories of reincarnations, UFO sightings, Mothman prophecies, curses, and poltergeists - these stories will chill you to the bone. 


This book was different than I expected it to be. I expected 10 chapters that only shared 10 different mysterious tales. While the book did have those things, it also gave additional context to each story. The author also gave a lot of his perspective to each story, and though I'm sure it comes across in a way more interesting way during a spoken podcast, those perspectives typically came across as very dry and hard to read in the book. Don't get me wrong - I loved reading the actually unexplained stories (and I'm still having some nightmares surrounding those), the "extra" bits in each chapter was so boring.

I am looking forward to looking into some of those stories more (and to not touching some of the others with a 10-foot pole because I am not bringing that evil upon myself). There were some stories I'd definitely heard of - those of the Mothman and Slenderman. Though I'd never actually known what the Mothman Prophecies were, I am looking forward to watching the movie based upon those events.





Reading this book felt kind of like watching a season of The X-Files, but without my main man Mulder. I'm actually almost certain some of these stories, or those like it, were mysteries within the show, so that all felt familiar to me. I will say that reading each of those tales was so haunting. More than half of them left me feeling actual terror. I'd definitely recommend reading this if you're already a listener of the podcast. And if you're into unexplained mysteries, you'd also probably really enjoy this. It's a good starting point, but I definitely left each story wanting more information. Again, the book can read as really dry at times - almost like a textbook - but the actual events themselves are really interesting.



Goodreads rating: ★★★☆☆














*I received this book free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions, as always, are 100% my own.