Instead of watching TV in the evenings we often choose a book and read as a family. We’ve gone through the Harry Potter series, Unfortunate Events and other great kids books.
This Halloween we’re reading the Vampire Plague series – we’ve just finished the first book set in London and now we’re off to Paris to see what those evil vampires are up to now. It’s set in the 1850s and centres around 3 children who had the unfortunate experience of getting tangled up with the head vampire who just happens to be a Mexican bat/vampire god. There’s a third book to the series set in Mexico – I haven’t seen it in the library yet but I’ll reserve a copy because I’m really into the story.
I love the cover of the Paris book – just look at that gargoyle! One day I’ll return to Paris and head straight for Notre Dame to take photos. I don’t think England is big enough for my gargoyle addiction!!
Not only do we read as a family but Paul and I read to each other too. Usually it’s the latest Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich or something along the chick lit lines (Paul never minds watching chick flicks either – lucky me!) . Yesterday we checked out Twilight.
The plot sounded so good – dead bodies mysteriously vanishing from an undertakers. We started to read last night but the book is SO filled with words! I know that’s what books are meant to be packed with but there are so many adjectives I lost the plot. I’m sure there’s a really good story in there somewhere but I just don’t have the patience to translate the text into everyday English (this is why I don’t read the classics either!).
I need to take it back to the library and find another horror book for us to read. This time I’m going to pay more attention to the blurb on the cover – if it mentions ‘poetic style of writing’ I’m dropping it like a hotcake.
During September I bought some Halloween gifts for the boys. Until today they’d been stored under my bed (along with the rest of the Halloween stuff). When they were at school I left a tombstone on #1son’s bed:
And #2son a flying reaper skull hung on his mirror:
Tabitha already had her gift – a skeleton teddy bear – a while back. But I couldn’t resist getting her some slipper socks. They’re not quite Halloween but she still looks like a little witchling in them:
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What a great idea, to get your kids Halloween gifts in advance! So much fun! My boys are 13, and I bet they’d love to get some of these things!
Have your kids read or heard THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman? Easily my favorite book of the year last year, and probably a good one to read at Halloween as a family. We always read aloud as a family, too, until the boys had so many books to read on their own for school.
I don’t know many spooky books for you and your husband, but you might try the Southern Vampire books (the ones the TV show TRUE BLOOD are based on), or maybe THE LACE READER. That one isn’t chick lit or scary, but it’s a wonderful, poignant story with some supernatural elements thrown in. I loved it.
Thanks for the great post!
I can’t help myself with Halloween – and truth be told, I’d rather buy gifts for Samhain than Christmas (we still buy them gifts as they celebrate – it’s a very mixed up time for our family). We picked the presents up at the 99p shop which makes them affordable and they loved them
Haven’t read any of the books you suggested but will keep my eyes open for them at the library. I haven’t seen True Blood as it only starts tonight on TV here in the UK. The trailer looked awesome though and I’m quite partial to vampires
Be very interested in reading the books!
I’ll have to stop by our bargain stores and see what I can scare up for Halloween (gosh, I’m so funny, aren’t I?!)
I haven’t seen the TV series TRUE BLOOD, but I know a lot of friends who love it. We don’t have cable TV, so we have to watch things later on DVD. You might like the novels, though. The first one was entertaining, at least to me.
Just saw your post on Jack the Ripper–I’ve got to go and read that.
.-= Rose´s last blog ..Tarot Tuesday 10-6-09 =-.
Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes or The Halloween Tree are two of my favorites for the holiday. Its not a bad idea to go back to the original Washington Irving Sleepy Hollow.
On dvd Abbott and Costello did a great ghost story called Time Of Their Lives that I always have fun with around this time of year too. Of course others might like their Meet series(Frankenstien, the Mummy, Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde). Practical Magic is a lot of fun too,but the book is so much better.
.-= ruggedo´s last blog ..once again into the breech.. =-.
What a great idea. I love that you read with your family in the evenings. My ideal mate will enjoy reading aloud with me….maybe one day LOL
I totally second the nomination of Something Wicked This Way Comes Bradbury is a clear writer and a compelling storyteller. O.o if your s.o. is ok with chicklit, I would vote for Mary Stewart’s The Ivy Tree, Thornyhold, or The Moonspinners. If you wanna get old-school with the gothic, I recommend Ann Radcliffe’s A Sicilian Romance or Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto.
The Sookie Stackhouse books (True Blood) were pretty good, but I kind of lost interest after a couple. The first of the Dresden Files were pretty darn good, too.
*snort* Can you tell I’m a lit major? LOL
.-= Birdgirl78´s last blog ..31 Days of Hallowe’en, October 7 =-.
Hello!
I just wanted to let you know that I added your button to my scrolling blog roll.
Cheers!
Aelwyn
http://hedgewitchhollow.blogpost.com
.-= Aelwyn´s last blog ..Ben & Jerry’s Hallowe’en! =-.
Thank you
Have added your badge to my sidebar too!