Happy Halloween...and thank you for joining me for Something Wicked Fall

I can't believe it's the last day of October...Halloween! Time sure did fly, as it does. I hope you have a safe and fun Halloween/blessed Samhain. The veil is thin!

I also want to thank everyone who participated in Something Wicked Fall this year, and the Last Days read-along, of which the final discussion post will go up before Halloween ends, though that might be Pacific time. lol

Some Halloween fun. The video is of the haunted mansion my sister and I created from a repurposed Barbie doll house. The rest are images of some of my Halloween decor...a few new additions.

Haunted village created from a repurposed toy castle, plastic Dollar Tree toy houses, and glitter pipe cleaners for trees. The scary characters I had on hand, plus skeletons, and various other items. The four larger jack-o'-lanterns were made using dried avocado pits covered with air dry clay and painted.

Gifts my sister made me for my birthday. She is so talented.

Midsommar Christmas tree topper!

My Samhain alter.

Merida. I didn't make her keep it on, though she probably would. She never seems to mind. Sweet girl.

My sister and I at the karaoke Halloween party last night. I'm the witch, of course.

Once again, Happy Halloween and thanks! See you next year for another Something Wicked Fall. In the meantime, keep reading horror! For those of you who participate in the I Read Horror Year-Round challenge, I will have the 2027 version posted soon. I hope you will join me again.

Blessed Samhain...Happy Halloween!

Hope your day...and night...are safe and fun! 

I'd like to thank everyone for joining me for this year's Something Wicked Fall. If you're sad it's over, like me, don't worry. A new edition of the I Read Horror Year-Round reading challenge will start on January 1st, 2026. The sign-up, with categories and a new BINGO card, will be posted before the end of the year. Stay tuned! Also, the Spring into Horror Readathon is in April so plenty of horrific fun to go around. 

The Yuletide Spirit Reading Challenge and Readathon starts Thanksgiving week (U.S.) over at The Mystical Lantern and Seasons of Reading. There are plenty of Christmas ghost stories (and Christmas horror) that would be perfect for the challenge if you like things scary.

Until then, stop by this corner of the horror-verse anytime. I'm sure I will have some horror book and movie reviews to post every now and then.

Stay creepy!

Blessed Samhain...Happy Halloween!

The 2022 Miller family jack-o'-lantern.

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Blessed Samhain...Happy Halloween

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Happy Halloween!

Be sure to check out the special Halloween guest post from Ryan at Wordsmithonia, along with a few of my favorite old school horror novels and their film adaptations, HERE.

Happy New Year and my 2011 Best of Horror/Speculative Fiction

New Year Happy Dance!

I only read about six or seven horror/speculative fiction titles this year which I know will increase in the new year now that this blog is up and running.  Out of what I read in the genre, these were my favorites, in no particular order, with the exception of number one.  You can click on the titles to read my reviews.

1.  Jane Was Here by Sarah Kernochan--gritty and honest, my favorite in the genre in 2011.

2.  Nightwalker by Lisa Kessler--I'm not a big paranormal romance fan, but when Lisa, who I had been friends with and had followed her writing journey (and reading her wonderful short stories) for a few years, finally got her first novel published, I had to read it.  I was not disappointed.  Lisa is such a great writer and the romance parts of her book are not so much in your face (like others).  Can't wait for the next book!

3.  Dust by Joan Frances Turner--zombies...with a conscience.  What else can I say?

4.  Danny Marble and the Application for Non-Scary Things by Jessica McHugh--a middle grade book with a great story that touched on themes of bullying and childhood fears.

5.  Bag of Bones by Stephen King--this was actually a re-read for me and this is one of my favorite books by SK.  If you haven't read it, you really should.  I looked so forward to the mini-series, which aired in December on A&E.  Unfortunately, it was a major disappointment.

Also, wanted to mention read-a-thon plans for this year:

Many of my friends and followers look forward to my four seasonal read-a-thons, which I started in the Fall of 2010.  My winter read-a-thon is scheduled for next month, A Winter's Respite Read-a-Thon 2012 (details HERE).  Since my Frightful Fall Read-a-Thon, which I hosted here in October, was such a success, I've decided to make my Spring Read-a-Thon a spooky themed read-a-thon.  That way I'll have two scary themed read-a-thons a year hosted at Castle Macabre.  What do you think?  What about a name...tell me which of these you like best in the comments:

Spooky Spring Read-a-thon at Castle Macabre

Spring into Horror Read-a-Thon at Castle Macabre 

Spring is Scary Read-a-Thon at Castle Macabre

If you have any other suggestions for a name, feel free to leave them in the comments as well.

Thank you for being a follower of Castle Macabre! I appreciate you all and I wish you a happy and prosperous (and scary...for you major horror fans) new year!

Merry Christmas!

Have a scary, Merry Christmas! Be safe and wishing good thoughts for the new year!

Happy Halloween!

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!