Dystopian Giveaway Hop

I am opening up my giveaway early, so there is no excuse not to enter!
My giveaway is US only and you will have 48 hours to respond if you are contacted as the winner. No PO Boxes please.
One winner will win their choice of one of these three books:
Unbreathable, Flowertown, or Dark Eden.
All paperback and like new condition.

                                             

Enter by using the Rafflecopter located here:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0a8807113/


Follow along the hop here:
http://www.myshelfconfessions.com/dystopian-giveaway-hop/
giveaways should be listed by November 1st.

Thank you for visiting and best of luck!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book and Top Ten Movies To Get Into the Halloween Spirit

See all the Top Tens at: http://www.brokeandbookish.com/2014/10/top-ten-books-movies-to-get-into.html
I'm going to divide my picks into categories.
I will start with movies.

Movies

Family Friendly
1. Hocus Pocus

The perfect pick for family fun. Just enough scares to hold older kids interest. An interesting storyline, plenty of laughs, and a talking cat.

2. It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

A Halloween classic with all your favorite peanut characters. Kids will love the storyline, adults will have flashbacks of watching when they were young.

3. Tower of Terror

Ghosts,  mystery, an old building that may be haunted , it's all in this film which is total creepy fun.

John Carpenter
1. Halloween

Michael Myers, just the name can conjure fear into the heart of people everywhere.

2. The Fog

An atmospheric thriller that is a creepy classic.

3. Christine

This twisted love story will have you looking at cars in a whole new way.

Thrillers

1. Trick 'R Treat

Four intertwined tales perfect for Halloween. A little gore, a few scares, a few laughs, something for everyone.

2. The Ring

I have seen it so many times but it still freaks me out.

3. The Descent

If the atmosphere doesn't get you, the creepers will.

Gore
1. Cabin Fever

This one is not overly scary, but is full of gross and gory.

Okay, moving on to the book picks!
Books

Stephen King
1. Bag of Bones
One of my favorite reads and often overlooked. Sure King has scarier stories, but to me this one is the most well rounded story he has ever written. There is mystery, romance, thrills, and chills. A ghost story that will stay with you long after you have read the last page.

2. The Shining
An isolated hotel, a snow storm, a psychic child, and a tormented man, make for one of the scariest stories ever told.

3. It
First read the book, then check out the mini-series. Both are wonderful and deserve your attention. You will never feel the same about clowns again.

Zombies
1. When the Dead
What if the Zombie Apocalypse was going on around your apartment building and you decided to stay inside?

2. State of Decay
If you like your zombies with a side of action, a splash of gore, and lots of thrills, this one is for you.

Vampires
1. The Passage
I cannot say enough good about this book. An excellent story, full of surprises.

Ghosts
1. Anna Dressed in Blood
It rocks! Read it!

2. Tombstone Tea
If you like to take a walk through a cemetery and read the headstones, you should check this one out.

Haunted Houses
1. The Brown House
If you love your ghost story with a side of romance, you should try this one.

2. The House of Small Shadows
A gothic creep fest that is super weird.















What do you think? What do you like to watch and read to get into the Halloween mood?

Monday Memories: The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll-The Search For Dare Wright

Monday Memories is a weekly feature hosted by Miss Print and the Book Bandit. Just take a photo of a book from your personal library (or a library book that’s significant to you, etc.) and talk about why it matters. Is it your first ever signed book? The first book you reviewed on your blog? Whatever it is, write it up in a Monday Memories post and share it.



This is one of those books that you feel like maybe you shouldn't be reading, but yet you can't help yourself. It is one of the most bizarre, engrossing, sad, stories that I have ever read. To top it all of Dare Wright is a real person. Dare was a famous artist. Her life story is one of a desperate search for someone to love her, a love she never found. Her relationship with her mother is one of the strangest I have ever read about. She had a love for dolls and bears and put most of her love into them. I love to read about people. This is a story that you will never forget about a woman that you will never forget. One of my favorite autobiographies.



Dare Wright was the author of these books that have beautiful pictures but were very controversial in the time they were written.

   
   
 

She also wrote the Look Series. Her most popular stories are those of Edith.

Dare Wright is so fascinating. You can find out more about her here:
 http://www.darewright.com/


Dare Wright was ahead of her time. I'm sure if her books were written now, she would be world renowned. Her photography is beautiful and she should not be forgotten.

Movie Review: Snowpiercer

This is a polarizing movie. It's one you either hate or love, very few fall in between. I loved it! My son hated it!  For me, the movie reminded me of 1984, Brave New World, and Solvent Green.  For my son it was a grade B minus terrible production. Maybe I should first give a little of what the movie is about before I begin talking about production.

Snowpiercer is set on a train. A train that runs on a track that takes a whole year to finish a cycle. The inhabitants of the train have been "passengers" for seventeen years. The reason they are on the train is because a failed experiment to stop global warming has caused the Earth to become extremely cold. The coldness has caused extinction. The only inhabitants of Earth are on the Snowpiercer.

The movie starts off running and never slows down. It is very fast moving and you will learn the "secrets" of the train along the journey. The journey consists of the fate of several of the back riders on the last train car deciding that they don't like life and are too enslaved and want to take over the train. Their journey takes them through the train into the many worlds that the train cars hold. The train cars hold everything from a 1920's style club in one car, to an all enclosing aquarium in another car.

The movie is basically a non-stop action ride with the have-nots, trying to find out exactly what the haves, have. This is an eye-opening look into the world. The fact that it is all going on inside a train just makes it more exciting. What do the people eat? Where do they get water? How are they controlling the train? Well to answer those questions would ruin the film. So, if you want to find out, you need to get to watching!

The reason my son hated the movie is because it is very easy to pick apart. It also needs to be watched in whole because it is very confusing if you miss any of the storyline. It is not a movie you can jump into half way, and even remotely figure out. It is a movie that is for enjoyment and doesn't stand up to much questioning. It is also a mind bender that will keep you thinking and analyzing long after the last frame has played.

Chris Evans does a wonderful job playing the disenchanted hero of the lower class. Tilda Swinton is so annoying that you will want to slap her, but she does a totally awesome job playing her character. Octavia Spencer plays the mother of the year who is willing to sacrifice everything for her child. The actors do a wonderful job of getting into their characters lives and are very believable in their roles.

I could go on and on about why I liked the movie, but my best suggestion is to just watch it. You may fall into the "love" camp, or maybe even the "hate" camp. Whichever side you pick, come back to discuss! Share why you picked your camp in the comments. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Series I Want To Start

http://www.brokeandbookish.com/2014/10/top-ten-new-series-daisy-wants-to-start.html Click to see all the other Top Ten Lists!

10. The Wolves of Mercy Falls


 9. The Mortal Instruments


 8. Outlander


 7. Mara Dyer


 6. Beautiful


 5. The Raven Cycle


 4. The Precious Stone Trilogy


 3. New England Witch Chronicles


 2. The Archived


 1. The Arkwell Academy

Review: The House of Small Shadows

WOW!
Catherine is an appraiser who is asked to handle the estate of a famous taxidermist and puppeteer. Yes, that's right, stuffed rats and marionettes! Is your hair standing on end yet? There is so much going on at this estate, or is there? Is Catherine really experiencing all this, or is she just losing her grasp on reality? This is a wonderful gothic suspense novel. You might think you have it all figured out, and than again, you might be wrong! This one kept me reading late into the night. I was constantly reminded of House of Wax and Shutter Island. I happen to like both of those and the comparisons made the novel stick out in my mind. It takes a lot to unnerve me, and this story accomplished that, in spades! This is a perfect Halloween read and one that I won't soon forget. If you like your suspense slow-building, your houses haunted, and your butt on the edge of your seat, this is the one for you!!



Check out those creepy covers! YIKES!