WHAT ARE WE READING & REVIEWING IN OCTOBER 2023?

October has lots of scary books and plenty that are not so scary. Tell us what you plan to read this October.

Carol Scars up Some October Reads
👻 - ★
6/39
What Darkness Brings - C.S. Harris - ★ (Group Read) - (England)
👻The Haunted Child - M. L. Bullock - 3★ (Friend) - (2)
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Finding Hope - Sloane Kennedy - ★ (Montana)
👻Rise and Fall - Aiden Bates - 4.5★
👻It's Just Us - Roan Phoenix & Chris Mc Hart - 5★
👻Role Play - Morticia Knight - 5★
👻Bondage Play - Morticia Knight - 5★
In The Name of The Father - Morticia Knight - ★
A Boy Unleashed - Sue Brown - ★
Humbled - Kate Hawthorn - ★
Undone- Leslie McAdam - ★ (Vermont)
👻On the Double - Cara Dee - 4★
*Got Me Wishing - Casey Cox - ★ (New York) - Hoopla
*Got me Looking - Casey Cox - ★ (New York) Hoopla
Got Me Thinking - Casey Cox - ★ (New York) Hoopla
Got Me Going - Casey Cox - ★ (New York) Hoopla
Got Me Merry - Casey Cox - ★ (New York) Hoopla
Got Me Talking - Casey Cox - ★ (New York) Hoopla
Cutting It Close - Reese Knightly - ★ Hoopla
Taking It Slow - Reese Knightly - ★ Hoopla
Despite It All - Reese Knightly - ★ Hoopla
Call It Quits - Reese Knightly - ★ Hoopla
Love and Monsters - Max Walker - ★ Hoopla
Midnight like This - Max Walker -★ - Hoopla - (22)
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The Stranger Upstairs - Lisa M. Martin - ★
Road of Bones - Christopher Golden - ★ (Russia)
A Witch's Guide to Murder - Aubrey Harper - ★
Boys in the Valley - Philip Fracassi - ★ (Pennsylvania)
Ghostwritten - Ronald Malfi - ★
The Bones of the Story - Carol Goodman - ★
Lay Your Body Down - Amy Suiter Clarke - ★ (Minnesota)
Shutter - Ramona Emerson -★ (New Mexico)
Thornhedge - T. Kingfisher -★
The Creeper - A.M. Shine -★ (Ireland)
The Silky Veils of Ardor - Gerg Herren - ★ (Louisianna) - Hoopla
Little Secrets - Jennifer Hiller --★ (Washington)
All Things Slip Away - Kathryn Meyer Griffith - (Illinois)
Blessing of The Lost Girls - J A Jance - ★
Such Pretty Flowers - K. L. Cerra - Georgia) (15)
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Rise and Fall - Aiden Bates - (New York)
Vanguard Towers Series Book #5
Narrator: Guillaume Dubois
Genera: M/M Romance /Found Family
4.5 ★
The men at the Vanguard Towers call themselves "brothers"...and they are, only not by blood. They all grew up in foster care...and the Vanguard Towers is an old building that several of them bought and restored into apartments in the first book. It's home to all of them and their ever-growing family of significant others. This is one of the brothers, Owen, and his "love interest"...Howie's story. They are two men who find love in this edition of the series. This series is one of the first M/M Romance series that I acquired... but it hasn't by any means been my last. I bought this series, book by book when it when it first came out and am now rereading it for probably the fifth or sixth time. There were hints in books 1-4 books that something was going to happen between these two, but you don’t need to have read all 4 of those to completely understand this one. It nicely stands up on its own. Owen and Howie get the story started with a hook-up that afterward each man thinks was more than likely a bad idea. Their attraction for one another brings them back together, but they try to keep it casual. The more time they spend together though, the more they’re starting to realize it’s much more than just casual. Howie is ready to jump into the commitment. but Owen, is much more cautious. He has a lot of traumas, which is why he's in Howie's office to begin with...caused by an unprofessional shrink, long ago. He's never properly dealt with it and now when he finds love it's holding him back from trying to have a relationship with his current shrink and the personal friend of all the guys at the Vanguard Towers. One of Aiden Bates’ best themes is "found family". He adds scenes that include all the Vanguard Towers "brothers" (and significant others) interacting with both Howie and Owen. These are some of my favorite scenes. Bates also keeps things low-angst and sweet. If you’ve read and liked previous books of this series; or others like it... you’ll enjoy ‘Rise and Fall’ also. Although I have all the books, I decided it would be fun to hear the guys, so I listened to the audio. Guillaume Dubois, the narrator...did a fantastic job on the voices. It was quite the experience to hear the individual voices.

On The Double- Cara Dee - (Columbia)
The Renegades Series Book #3
Genera: M/M/M Romance/Kidnapping
4★
Possible Triggers: Kidnapping and Graphic Murder
Shay Tenley...twins, River and Reese Tenley's husband, has been kidnapped right off their home property and right under their very noses. The book cover, rightfully tell as that "The streets were going to run red with blood until they had their boy back". This series is suggested that it be read in order and of course, I didn't. Does that come as a surprise to anyone? This series, although I was happy to see that it brought together all of the characters, is just SO different from "The Game" series that came before it. As crazy as I am about these characters. I'm not at all crazy about mercenary type stories. Anyone that enjoys that type of story, will more than likely really like it, much more than I did. I have to admit that I read it because of the featured characters.... Reece, River and Shay. The Tensley twins are going to find and bring their husband, Shay, home even if it means destroying an entire county. The brothers and their friends cut a deadly swath through Carillo’s, (a character from the other 2 books that I didn't read), known associates, murdering and torturing along the way, in order to find Shay. There are a few flashbacks which helped to give some background to the relationship...for those that didn't read The Games series, that show pieces of how Shay met Reese and River, and how they came to share their kink and their lives. Shay was anything but fragile, even from book #1 of The Games series. He was always a fighter and a survivor. This is what he's doing now while a captive... always knowing that his husbands will move Heaven and Earth to find him. You can see immediately how much of a connection these three men have. The rescue becomes more of a sure thing as more of the group of friends arrive to help with the operation to kill off the heads of the cartel and bring their kidnapped "friend", and husband, home. The story is filled with a lot of investigative work aa well as a lot of action and suspense. I guess I'm going to have to search out book #2 since I really want to learn more about Crew and Adrien's relationship story. This one is an entertaining as well as a fairly quick read...but be warned it does end with a cliffhanger.

Role Play - Morticia Knight - (California)
Play Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/Age Play/Power Exchange
5★
This is the first book in the "Play" series. We are introduced to Terry and Phil who also carry on into book #2, Bondage Play. The start of the story felt like the reader should have known what was happening, but we were missing some of the basic but important facts. Phil and Terry had been a couple that had split up three years earlier, when Phil took a job in Toronto leaving Terry stunned and broken hearted. Phil has learned a lot about himself in those three years and he’s now back to get "his man". Lucky for him Terry has been pretty much grounded in one place and not attempted to move on at all...in fact he was pretty much stuck right where Phil had left him. I liked Phil and was impressed with him for telling Terry why he left and why he was back and asking Terry to give him another chance... but the way Phil left made me I think that Terry was way to quick to take him back. It is a short book...so... guess the story had to move on. With a very quick conversation Phil explains that while he was gone, he has trained as a Dom and is interested in a D/s relationship...but only with Terry. In fact, he wants to go all in with a Total Power Exchange. They were very quick to declare their love for each other, moving in together and setting up a scene that seemed way too risky for a new couple...one of which is only just being introduced to BDSM. Although the book appeared to lack some important back-up information, it seemed to work for both characters. Book 2 is a continuation of their story.


Bondage Play- Morticia Knight - (California)
Play Series Book #2
Genera: M/M Romance/Age Play/Power Exchange
5★
This is the continuation of the story from book #1, Role Play. Terry and Phil have begun what promises to be a very satisfying D/s journey together. Their rough role play was a success, and Terry is ready to allow Phil to have more control over him in all ways. But even seasoned and experienced Masters have doubts. Then when things take an unexpected turn in Phil's film production career, he worries that he's not properly taking care of his "boy"...plus there is the chance of another long-distance separation. Terry and Phil have begun what promises to be a very satisfying Dom /sub journey together. Their rough role play was a success, and Terry is ready to allow Phil to have more control over him in all ways. But even some experienced Masters have doubts. Things take an unexpected turn in Phil's film production career causing him to worry that he's not properly taking care of his boy.

Terry now knows that being submissive answers a need within himself that he never before realized existed. Then Phil decides to take their scenes to the next level, and he introduces Terry to more extreme bondage. When an old nemesis from Master Gerard's BDSM gatherings returns it spells real danger to Terry. When the Phil and Terry decide to play with Master Gerard and his boy, Marco, the danger becomes even more frightening than they all could've imagined. These two books should diffidently be read in order as book#2 is the continuation of the story from book #1. The story has a happy ever ending. I see there is a book #3 but I haven't been able to find it, but I'll keep looking.

The Haunted Child - M.L. Bullard
Idlewild series Book #4
Genera: Paranormal/Horror
3★
I'm not a stranger to reading out of order as everyone knows by now. This one...I asked the library to find the book and it took them a LONG time to come up with this one...the last in the Idlewild series. I guess fate was somewhat on my side as I asked for it in January and they got this one in time for Halloween. I've read other books by this author and have always enjoyed her spookiness. Maybe it was because it's the last book in this series, but I felt that something was missing. There wasn't as much goose-bump producing scenes as there had been in some of the others by this author. For one thing I felt that I was left hanging with unanswered questions. What happened to Gage and Bridget? I have no idea.... but would have liked to know. Maybe they are they going to be Idlewild's next ghostly visitors. What about Carrie Jo and Ashland? Did the house ever settle down? I Know it was a short book, less than 200 pages, and this writer's imagination has always been off the wall fantastic enabling her to create stories that the reader doesn't soon forget. This one (?)...it just felt like she was...well, just finished. It's a good story.... but maybe I just wanted more.

It's Just Us - R. Phoenix and Chris McHart
Genera: M/M Romance /Daddy Little/BDSM
5★
This little, (no pun intended), story could easily be used as a primer to introduce folks to a part of the BDSM lifestyle that is less familiar than what people often think of when those four letters are mentioned. A lot of people picture whips and chains...but that is a very small part of the lifestyle and is often not even found in many clubs. The story starts with a "little"...Micah... that is so new at this part of himself, that you can almost hear him squeak. He's never been exposed to the lifestyle in any way and is not even sure where he fits in... but he knows without question, that it's where he feels safe. The authors take the time to work into the characters dialog some explanations and some basic terminology along with some of the issues faced by the "little" community. Specifically, that "little" play is about being able to regress for stress relief, and to be able to play and act out childish things without fear of being judged or ridiculed. On the adult side of this equation is the "Daddy" ...in this story Carter...or sometimes there's a "Mommy". Either is the adult who is able to take care of a/his/her partner in the persona, and not an actual child. It's consensual play between two actual adults. That said, this story is a good place to start for anyone that is even a little bit curious about the "little" lifestyle. The story is not at all too overwhelming. It does, very briefly, include discussion about articles of clothing that might appeal to a "little". Not all "littles" want or need the same things. There is also a discussion about feminization, and men being comfortable using nail polish and makeup if they wish to. There is an actual older version of the "little"...known as a "middle"...an adult regressed to about the age of a 9- or 10-year-old. Along with the good things the story brings out about the lifestyle there is, unfortunately the necessity to bring out the discussion about bullies, alcoholism, being disowned by family, and what I consider one of the top things on the list... respect for the privacy and choices of others. By the end you can see a pretty good chance of many, many years of happiness and joy in Carter and Micah's future.

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
349 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

The Thursday Murder Club is back at it. Right after Christmas, Stephan's old friend Kuldesh Sharma is found murdered in his car. Chris and Donna start the investigating the case, but it is soon taken over by the National Crime Agency. The gang suspects that a missing shipment of heroin played a role in Kuldesh's death, and they use all of their resources to figure it out. Against this backdrop, we see Stephan becoming more lost to Alzheimer's, as he and Elizabeth try to plan for their future.

A nice, but sad, visit with old friends. Stephan's confusion is becoming frightening to both him and Elizabeth. The mystery is complex and multi-layered, with a satisfying conclusion.

Days of death are days when we weigh our relationship with love in our bare hands. Days when we remember what has gone, and fear what is to come. The joy love brings, and the price we pay. When we give thanks but also pray for mercy.