Adam Nevill's Last Days Read-Along - Final discussio

Spoilers ahead. Enter if you dare.

Here I am...late again. October was bonkers. Then I learned about "October Slide" from a friend, and that explained a lot. I hope everyone had a fun Halloween. Everything went by SO fast!

Anyway...oh boy, what an ending! First we're led to believe that Dan is dead. I have to admit, I was dreading that happening. And finding out that Katherine's soul had entered the body of one of the children...the "immaculate child." I have to say, I suspected something like that. I remember wondering early on why that actor Chet was mentioned earlier on in the story, and at random other times, only to find out that Chet IS Katherine, was the "immaculate child." Diabolical! I could not get over how they were able to capture one of the Blood Friends, and then kill it with light and salt. Like Kyle said, the salt thing would have been a nice detail to know. The horrors they encountered when they finally entered the house were insane, and they were insane going in there with just three people. I often wonder about the choices of characters in horror novels/movies, but I guess if they didn't make these choices, there wouldn't be a story. lol In a way, I kind of found the ending to be a bit anticlimactic though I really enjoyed the book as a whole. Some definite creepy moments. I was glad to learn that Dan was indeed alive. One survivor among so many deaths. I can't say that Jed and Max's deaths were a regret. Jed was just an ass, and Max should have been more transparent about the whole thing, and he did start the whole thing so there's that...though someone else would have eventually come along. The tie-in of Stalin and his atrocities was fitting, as it explained the recurring of evil in the world, and how a lot of time it's largely due to enablers. 

Final thought, Kyle needed to remove himself from any suspicion of what happened at the mansion, but there's the movie footage he put together for Finger Mouse to release on the web. So, what do you think? Was he able to stop him from releasing it? Nevill left that one open. In my mind, he didn't stop it because someone would have to see it to be inspired to unleash evil in the world again, as evil, and history always have a way of repeating.

Thanks for joining me on this read-along. I hope you enjoyed the book. 

What are your thoughts? Please share in the comments.

Adam Nevill's Last Days Read-Along - Discussion Two

Possible spoilers ahead. Enter if you dare.

Well, well, well. Here I am on the 14th actually posting the discussion. Go me! It's late, I know, but still the 14th so... Anyway, as I mentioned in the update I posted the other day, I combined sections two and three so this discussion covers sections two and three. Just for clarification.

So, a lot to unpack here. What a terrible devastation was the last days at the Arizona mine. How utterly horrific. The murders of her closest disciples, and even her. The way they found the bodies in the "temple." And then the bodies out by the fence. Not only shot, but literally chewed on...by teeth that were not animals. That Katherine sure did have some weird shit going on. It still astounds me how people will just blindly follow something like that. Now we find out even more horrible things have happened, like rape of females and males. Also, the cases of some of these people being missing. As Martha said, probably taken out to the desert, killed and buried, or perhaps even buried alive. Yikes!

The part in Kyle's hotel room scared the crap out of me. Can you imagine waking up and hearing and then seeing something like that? And what are they? Well, not too long after this occurrence we start to find out.

I am so glad that Nevill brought this historical element to the story. I feel like it adds such depth, but also gives us a back story about what exactly Kyle is dealing with. Those terrible paintings, but even more terrible is the story behind them. It makes me wonder if something like that really happened, meaning the massacre of an entire town. I mean I know that went on in those times, but specifically, was there a sect similar to Lorche's that was burned out of existence by the Spanish Catholics? I'm definitely going to research it. 

Now that we know the back story, I'm hoping we will get more of an explanation. Maybe we will, maybe we won't, but I feel like this is another outstanding work by Nevill. 

Side note: The part in the paintings where Lorche and the Unholy Swine were "ascending" up in the air in the last painting. It reminded me of the end of the 2018 Suspiria remake. Not exactly like it, but that kind of supernatural depravity. Disturbing.

Looking forward to getting to the end and what we will find there. I think Nevill is pretty good at not leaving readers hanging. Let's hope it's the case with this book as well.

What are your thoughts? Please share in the comments.

Our final discussion will be posted on October 30. If you need to reference the reading schedule, click the link to the master post below, or in the blog menu at the top.

This post is part of Something Wicked Fall.

2026 Something Wicked Fall - Quick Update!

I just wanted to apologize for being rather ghostly of late. I will disclose now that I have a lot on my plate right now and I've been struggling with some mental health issues the past few months (incidentally, I have started therapy again). For this reason, I have decided to postpone the official launch of my YouTube channel until the new year. It's a busy season and it's only going to get busier with the holidays coming up. Probably not a good time to be a beginner and dipping my toes in when I'm dealing with overwhelm. A sneak peak into what has had my attention the past several days. Crafting with my sister last Monday through Thursday has really helped in the mental health department. Here's what we're working on...

We're almost finished. We just have to finish up the scenes in each room. As you can see, there is a skeleton yoga room on the bottom floor, left room. On the right is going to be the witch room, and the second floor, left room is the mummy/embalming room. It has been a lot of work, but we are enjoying it. Halloween is my favorite! Duh, right?!

Regarding the Last Days read-along, I got behind again. I've decided to combine discussions two and three so will plan to have that posted no later than the 14th. That's firm because the 15th is my birthday and I have a pretty busy birthday weekend planned which will include a lot of reading since Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon is on the 17th. Yay!

For those of you participating in the I Read Horror Year-Round reading challenge, I will have the third quarter update posted soon. I'm also failing miserably on that challenge this year as well. *sigh*

Now that I've shared what's going on in my life, how are things going in yours? Feel free to share. I'm always willing to listen. 

Thanks so much for being a follower of this blog, and for bearing with me. I appreciate it more than you will ever know.

Adam Nevill's Last Days Read-Along - Discussion One

Possible spoilers ahead. Enter if you dare.

First of all, thank you for bearing with me on my lateness. I had quite the week and just could not get caught up. I finally sat down this weekend and read the first section. Wow! Just what I would expect from a Nevill novel. Starting off with a bang with that prologue, and then not too long after, the creeping dread begins.

The first foray of Kyle and Dan into the house on Clarendon Road, the original headquarters of the Last Gathering, was definitely edge of seat. I can only imagine how scared they were. I was scared right along with them. They stuck around way longer than I would have. Also, the revelation that Max had been part of the Last Gathering. I thought he acted kind of weird. Makes sense that he would run a spiritual, new age type production company, though after his experiences with the cult, I wonder why? There is definitely something more about his involvement than he is letting on. At least in my opinion.

Onward with the creepiness...to Normandy and the dilapidated farm. Thinking about those poor children kept in the barn/temple with the dogs. How weird anyway. Kyle touched on it when he thought about how strange it was that Sister Katherine would want the followers to procreate when she mostly expected them to be celibate. A definite contradiction in the cult by-laws so to speak. I kept screaming in my head to Kyle. Why was he exploring that place by himself after Dan went off to help Gabriel? I knew something bad was going to happen there. But back to Kyle and his ill-advised solo mission inside the barn/temple and then Katherine's fermette. What exactly are these beings or figures he is seeing? Something nefarious for sure, and not sure what they're waiting for because they sure seem to be poised to do something. What, who knows? 

I just wonder what makes people want to stay in "cults" like that. Sister Katherine clearly was cruel and probably a lunatic. Even after they discovered she was living high on the hog while they were suffering, some of them still stayed. The psychological trauma after experiencing something like that had to be significant. Well, we witnessed it with the woman in the prologue, and also with Susan and Gabriel's obvious apprehension on returning to those places.

I have to say I'm intrigued AND creeped out. This is why I love a Nevill novel. He never disappoints.

What are your thoughts? Any ideas on the mysterious and creepy figures? Add your thoughts in the comments.

Our next discussion will be on September 30. I will try very hard not to get behind again. If you need to reference the reading schedule, click the link to the master post below, or in the blog menu at the top.

This post is part of Something Wicked Fall.

2026 Something Wicked Fall featuring a folk horror read-along + stories, movies, and more!

Today is officially fall AND spooky season here at Castle Macabre! Let's get this scary party started! This is our 9th year and, as expected, I'm excited to share the fun and the horror. 🎃

😈 Social Media - If you're on Facebook, we have a Seasons of Reading group and page, where we interact during readathons so I'll be sharing info there, and also on the Seasons of Reading Instagram, and in the Seasons of Reading Goodreads group. Castle Macabre also has a Facebook page and we're on Instagram here. Also, if you like Discord, join us on the Seasons of Reading Discord. There is a Something Wicked Fall channel if anyone is up for some live interaction. Here's the invite link: https://discord.com/invite/e6uAmXtGqA

👹 Folk horror read-along of Adam Nevill's Last Days (Factoid: Apple TV is making a new series titled Ascension, which is based on this novel!). We will be reading the book for the entire two months.

Discussions will be held on this blog. The dates for discussions and the reading schedule are below.

My edition: St. Martin's Griffin (trade paperback) edition, published in 2012, 531 pages.

Read-Along Schedule 

(some sections may be longer than others due to the length of some of the chapters)

• Start reading the first section on September 2
  Prologue - Chapter 8, pp 1- 154
  (Discussion post - September 16)
• Second section, September 17
  Chapter 9 - 18, pp 155 - 276
  (Discussion post - September 30)
• Third Section, October 1
  Chapter 19 - 25, pp 277 - 397
  (Discussion post - October 14)
• Fourth Section, October 15
  Chapter 26 - 30, pp 398 - 531 (end)
  (Discussion post - October 30)

💀 For the two months of Something Wicked Fall we focus on everything horror...Gothic (Best Gothic Books of All Time), Classics, Folk Horror (Goodreads Folk Horror List) and any other kind of horror (Best Horror Anthologies and Horror Collections - Single Author). This post will be the master post where we can post about what we're reading in the comments (or leave links) so be sure to bookmark it (I will also have Something Wicked Fall linked in the menu at the top of the blog).

👺 Horror movie/shows I'm a year-round horror girl so I watch an inordinate amount of horror movies and shows, and even more during spooky season, so I will be sharing my take on some of those, and will probably share a few book reviews as well. As always, I invite guest posts or reviews from anyone who would care to contribute. If interested, send me a message via the Contact Me button in the sidebar.

👻 FrightFall Readathon October all month long, at Seasons of Reading. Sign-up for the readathon will be open soon. 

I mentioned in my blogiversary that I've started a YouTube channel. Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to record my first video yet. I'm hoping to this week. My plan is to do some stuff for this event. I'm thinking I will for sure be reading aloud Shirley Jackson's The Lottery and The Witch. If you want to subscribe (free), here's the link: 

https://www.youtube.com/@castlemacabrehorror  

I promise I'll have a video up soon. I'm also very nervous so there's that too.

Don't forget...you can still grab the printable Halloween bookmarks I created a couple of years ago. Just download them by clicking the image below.

I believe I've covered everything. If you have any questions, feel free to comment, or contact me via the contact form (click the image near the top of the sidebar) No official sign-up for this. Just share that you're in by leaving a comment. You can join in as little or as much as you want.

Stay Wicked!!

Matheson's Hell House Read-Along - Final Discussion

Beware...spoilers ahead!

Now I remember why I thought this book was so scary on my first reading. The final third of the book is the scariest part in my opinion. Things come to a head with Florence, as she now seems to be possessed by Daniel, but is it really Daniel... The glimpses of horrific apparitions doing horrific things (the man cutting the woman's head off for instance) really added to the scare factor. 

I want to segue a bit to the sexual elements of this story. They are very degrading to women. The house's effects on Edith pray on her guilt of perhaps she might be a lesbian. Which is a product of the time the book was written, I'm sure. Let's face it though. If the things that went on in that house were considered depraved (for the time period of the glory days of Hell House) then I would think it would be highly possible that there were some male on male situations as well. I feel if this book was written in the present day, there would be a more even portrayal of sexuality (depending on the writer I suppose as well), and probably even more depravity. Would the latter be a good thing? I'm not so sure I'd want to read that book.

I watched the film (The Legend of Hell House) last night and it really doesn't change much from the book, except as I mentioned previously, the women do not look like their descriptions in the book. Also, Barrett does not have a disability, and Edith's name is Ann in the film. The deaths of Florence and Barrett are different as well. And, of course, the sexual elements are toned way down. Not surprising considering it's a 1973 film and anything too strongly sexual back then probably would have received an X rating. I first saw the film when I was very young and I always thought it was scary. 

I still consider the ending one of the best of the horror novels I have read. The very ending of the film is the same (which was also one of the things I loved about the film). I did like in the book how the spirit of Belasco actually shows itself to Edith and Fischer before the final reveal. It made for a more menacing, satisfying scene (which does not happen in the film). 

I enjoyed my reread of Hell House, but I have to admit I didn't enjoy it as much as I did the first time I read it....which was about 15 years ago. I guess that shows how reading tastes can change over the years. I read so much horror now too so that could also explain my feelings changing.

What did you think of this section, and the book as a whole? Let me know if I failed to touch on anything, and add your personal thoughts in the comments (or if you posted on a blog or elsewhere, share the link and I'll stop by). 

Thanks for joining another Something Wicked Fall read-along. I can't believe tomorrow is the last day. I guess we will just have to look forward to next year. 

Wishing you a very Happy Halloween!

Matheson's Hell House Read-Along - Discussion Two

Sorry I'm a couple days late. Let's dive into what happened in our second reading section.

This part tricked me (even though I've read it before) into almost believing that Florence was making up Daniel Belasco. Then Barrett is attacked in the steam room. How could he still not believe there is more than just "energy" in that house? Stubborn man. Poor Edith being sexualized by the house. Fischer finally opened up to the forces of the house. But his fear made him close off again, and in his anger and fear, he accuses Florence of manifesting Daniel herself, but I don't think he truly believes it. The entry of Daniel's birth in the Bible in the chapel...does this prove his existence, or is it yet another trick? 

Manipulation is the key. It was the vehicle when Belasco (the father) was alive, and it's the vehicle driving everything that is happening in the house in the present. So, when Florence finally gives in to Daniel, is it really Daniel, or did Belasco (the elder) create him in order to vanquish Florence...or is it Belasco himself? What happens to Florence is horrific! 

For the life of me, I cannot remember if we finally get answers by the end of the book. I remember one detail, but it may be from the film, not the book, but I will wait to see if it plays out the way I remember. 

What did you think of this section? Let me know if I failed to touch on anything, and add your personal thoughts in the comments.

Our final discussion will be on October 30th. If you need to refresh your memory on our reading schedule, check out this post.

I'm still hoping to post more by the end of the month. Time has been getting away from me, and work for my job has increased of late, so I feel like I'm juggling at times. In case you missed it, check out my Banned Books Week post about Stephen King.

This post is part of Something Wicked Fall.

Matheson's Hell House Read-Along - Discussion One

My favorite horror novel, or at least a top five favorite, just as I remember it. A total feeling of unease as I'm reading. I don't know how he did it, but Matheson makes me feel like I'm there, experiencing what the characters are experiencing. 

I had to laugh over the paragraph below. I don't remember noticing it back when I read it the first time. This is Edith ruminating on page 21 (in my edition):

Still, she had to go. She'd face anything rather than be alone. She'd never told Lionel how close she'd come to a mental breakdown during those three weeks he'd been gone in 1962. It would only have distressed him, and he'd needed all his concentration for the work he was doing. So she'd lied and sounded cheerful on the telephone the three times he'd called--and, alone, she'd wept and shaken, taken tranquilizers, hadn't slept or eaten, lost thirteen pounds, fought off compulsions to end it all. Met him at the airport finally, pale and smiling, told him that she'd had the flu.

Not to sound judgmental but give me a break. I realize this was published in 1971 and at the time, many men were not convinced about women's equality (something we are clearly steering back toward in the current social climate of our country. Egads!). Still though. Something I've learned in my almost 57 years on this earth...the best gift you can give yourself is learning how to be alone. Because if you don't have yourself, you have nothing. 

Okay, climbing down off my soapbox now.

I had forgotten the utter depravity of the Belasco/Hell House backstory. Wow. If you've never watched the film based on this book, The Legend of Hell House, you should watch it. I first saw it in the late 70s or early 80s and I've watched it many times since. I think it's an excellent film. However, I don't remember them going into such detail on what went on in the house. I plan to watch it again either during or after reading the book. I definitely picture the actors as I'm reading, even though Edith and Florence look quite different in the film from their descriptions in the book. 

As I was reading, I was sitting there thinking that I would not be in that house with only candlelight...and then going off to bed BY MYSELF in that pitch blackness...NO WAY. When Florence experiences the ghost/spirit who keeps having the bedclothes land over (his) body...nope, not happening. And then he utters BOO. That really threw me off. She didn't even scream. I would have at least screamed, or maybe fainted, or ran out the door screaming. 

What do you think about the poltergeist occurrence when all the dishes are flying seemingly on purpose at Barrett? Do you think it was done subconsciously by Florence because of her anger? I'm coming down on her side. I think the entity in that house is trying to divide them.

So, I'm thoroughly enjoying this reread. Just as unsettling as I remember. It's refreshing to read a horror story that is just scary in more subtle, less obvious ways. I love horror, but sometimes the blood and gore can be too much. Stories like this remind me of Edgar Allan Poe and similar authors. A more Gothic tone. 

What did you think of this first section? Let me know if I failed to touch on anything, and add your personal thoughts in the comments.

Our next discussion will be on October 12th. If you need to refresh your memory on our reading schedule, check out this post.

I've been slacking a bit with posts, but stay tuned. I'll be sharing my scary fall reading plans, and I'll do a short write up on the horror film, Weapons. 

This post is part of Something Wicked Fall.

2025 Something Wicked Fall featuring a Hell House read-along + stories, movies, and more!

September 1st is officially fall AND spooky season here at Castle Macabre. Commence with all things scary! This is our 8th year and, as always, I'm excited to share the fun and the horror. 🎃

👺 Social Media - If you're on Facebook, we have a Seasons of Reading group and page, where we interact during readathons so I'll be sharing info there, and also on the Seasons of Reading Instagram, and in the Seasons of Reading Goodreads group. Castle Macabre also has a Facebook page and we're on Instagram here. Also, if you like Discord, join us on the Seasons of Reading Discord. There is a Something Wicked Fall channel if anyone is up for some live interaction. Here's the invite link: https://discord.com/invite/e6uAmXtGqA

👿 Richard Matheson's Hell House read-along. We will be reading the book for the entire two months.

Discussions will be held on this blog. The dates for discussions and the reading schedule are below.

My edition is the Quality Paperback Book Club, through St. Martin's Press (trade paperback) edition, published in 2006. This is an omnibus edition containing I Am Legend, several short stories, and Hell House. Hell House in this edition begins on page 9 and ends on page 301. (I will probably read the short stories too. If I do, I will share in a separate post.)

Read-Along Schedule

• Start reading the first section on September 1
  Chapters - December 18, 1970 - December 22, 1970, pp 9 - 117
  (Discussion post - September 21)
• Second section, September 22
  Chapter December 23, 1970, pp 119 - 213
  (Discussion post - October 12)
  
• Third Section, October 13
  Chapter December 24, 1970, pp 215 - 301 (end)
  (Discussion post - October 30)

💀 For the two months of Something Wicked Fall we focus on everything horror...Gothic (Best Gothic Books of All Time), Classics, Folk Horror (Goodreads Folk Horror List) and any other kind of horror (Best Horror Anthologies and Horror Collections - Single Author). This post will be the master post where we can post about what we're reading in the comments (or leave links) so be sure to bookmark it (I will also have Something Wicked Fall linked in the menu at the top of the blog).

👹 Horror movie/shows I'm a year-round horror girl so I watch an inordinate amount of horror movies and shows, and even more during spooky season, so I will be sharing my take on some of those, and will probably share a few book reviews as well. As always, I invite guest posts or reviews from anyone who would care to contribute. If interested, send me a message via the Contact Me button in the sidebar.

👻 #FrightFall Readathon, October all month long, at Seasons of Reading. Sign-up for the readathon will be open soon. Reader's Imbibing Peril (R.I.P.) is going on right now as well. This year, they're doing a buddy read of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I read it a few years back...it's really good.

🎃 In case you missed it last year, I created some printable Halloween bookmarks for you guys. If you would like to download them for printing, just click the image below.

I believe I've covered everything. If you have any questions, feel free to comment, or contact me via the contact form (click the image near the top of the sidebar) No official sign-up for this. Just share that you're in by leaving a comment. You can join in as little or as much as you want.

Stay Wicked!!

Stephen King's Fairy Tale Read-along - Final Discussion

This is going to be a short post. I know I'm already late. I apologize. My head is not in a good space right now so developing thoughts is proving to be difficult at the moment.

I will say...I LOVED this book! I was already enamored of the ties to fairy tales and The Wizard of Oz. Adding in the Lovecraftian Cthulhu vibe added just the right amount of horror to make this a dark fantasy, and I'm impressed.

Wrong-o about Charlie's mom being from there (lol), but correct about what was under Flight Killer's robes. Yuck. Kind of bummed that Charlie and Leah could not be together, but it wasn't that kind of fairy tale. I thought the ending was quite appropriate actually. So happy that Radar lived, and Charlie went on to live a good life...and protected Empis from being discovered by our treacherous world and destroyed. 

What did you think? Let me know if I failed to touch on anything, and add your personal thoughts in the comments.

Thanks so much to those of you who joined our Something Wicked Fall read-along. If you're participating in the I Read Horror Year-Round challenge, I will be posting next year's challenge before the end of the year (and I might have something extra this year). Stay tuned!

Stephen King's Fairy Tale Read-along - Discussion Three

Now we've arrived at the horrific part of the book. Many have said this book is not really horror, but the section we just read was pretty scary in my opinion. Those Night Soldiers, and Lord High (Kellin) are pretty terrifying. Not to mention the ghastly Flight Killer (Elden). What exactly does he have hiding under that massive caftan? I'm picturing something almost like Cthulhu. Could King be venturing into Lovecraftian territory here? How about this? "Don't ever say that name! Do you want to wake what sleeps in the Dark Well? The Dark Well sounds very much like where Cthulhu came from in Lovecraft's story, or maybe it's the representation of Hell.

This prince business. What do you think? Did the world change him, or is there something more to this? I have a theory. What if Charlie's mother came from Empis? We don't know much about her. Surely if people from our world could get to their world, people could certainly get to our world from there. It may be a far-fetched theory, but is it possible that his mother could have been one of the "whole" offspring of one of the "randy" royals? 

I have to say, I'm pretty excited to find out how this ends. Also, forgot to mention how wonderful it was that Radar is young and whole again. Maybe she will save the day, or at least help. 

Wanted to also mention that I've learned that this book is getting a 10 episode series adaptation from A24. If they do it right, it should be awesome. I was impressed with the adaptation of The Outsider (one of my favorite King books). You can read the article here.

What did you think of this section? Let me know if I failed to touch on anything, and add your personal thoughts in the comments.

Our final discussion will be on October 31st. I moved the date because I've been so behind. I apologize. October, November, and December are always so busy for me. I'm sure many can relate. If you need to refresh your memory on our reading schedule, check out this post.

This post is part of Something Wicked Fall.

Stephen King's Fairy Tale Read-along - Discussion Two

Wow! Things really developed in this section of our read-along! I am really loving this book. As a lifelong lover of fairy tales, and The Wizard of Oz, and yes, Something Wicked This Way Comes (which is the actual inspiration for this yearly Something Wicked Fall event), I think how King has woven these themes into the story is fantastic. 

We found out what was in the shed! So, is Empis another dimension, or a world beneath our world? The weird feeling experienced just before exiting the tunnel leads me to believe it's the former. Theories?

Stories with animals are always so hard for me. I'm constantly thinking Radar is going to die before Charlie can get her to the sundial. But seriously, how absolutely terrifying it all sounds. This Hana he is warned to watch out for...I can only imagine how horrible she is. A giant (or giantess?), but what does she look like? I hope we get a good description, or a picture at the beginning of a chapter. Side note: I've been enjoying the illustrations too.

And who is this Flight Killer? I can't wait to find out. I just keep hoping Radar is going to make it, but I'm also trying to shield my heart from the inevitable. If only pets could live as long as we do. It's just heartbreaking.

I must circle back to Charlie though. I mean, how brave can he be? I guess he is like the prince in all the stories. And did you notice how Woody said the prince should have blond hair and blue eyes, and then later, Charlie notices his hair looks lighter in the mirror. Hmm.

A final thought on this section. The poor people of Empis and their afflictions. How awful. And while the royals, the Gallien, escaped the grey, they still were cursed...blindness, mouth closed up, no ears to hear. What evil overlord is responsible? Gogmagog? Flight Killer? I'm equally excited and apprehensive to find out. 

What did you think of this section? Let me know if I failed to touch on anything, and add your personal thoughts in the comments.

Our next discussion will be on October 13th. If you need to refresh your memory on our reading schedule, check out this post.

This post is part of Something Wicked Fall.

Stephen King's Fairy Tale Read-along - Discussion One

What's in the shed?! I guess we will find out in the next section...maybe. Yikes. I found myself feeling quite emotional in this first section. Charlie losing his mom, his dad's alcoholism, meeting (saving) Howard Bowditch, and Radar. Knowing the impending deaths of Howard and Radar. Somehow Radar makes me particularly sad. Pets have such short lives. Anyone who has them knows just what I'm talking about. Of course, she hasn't died yet, but it's inevitable, isn't it? Maybe I'm thinking there is something magical in the story that will save her. Naive, right? 

Stephen King always meanders along with his stories, but I'm never bored. Maybe it's just because I know his writing so well. There is always a feeling of impending doom under the words, no matter how mundane the details may seem. He's great at coming-of-age stories, as we know. Also, friendships, whether it be a group of friends, or a teen and an elderly man. My mom and I were discussing the latter and she said maybe he had an elderly friend when he was a teen. I've never heard that, but as they say, write what you know. Of course, people can "know" a lot of things so I myself don't put too much stock in the phrase.

I guess this is all I can really think of to say at this point. Regarding the gold...anyone else thinking there might be a leprechaun involved? It did cross my mind. Pot (bucket) of Gold. I guess we shall see about that as well going forward.

What did you think of this first section? Let me know if I failed to touch on anything, and add your personal thoughts in the comments. 

Our next discussion will be on September 29th. If you need to refresh your memory on our reading schedule, check out this post.

If you haven't already, be sure to stop by my Friday the 13th post. I created a fun gift for my followers and friends. 

This post is part of Something Wicked Fall.

Stay spooky!

Something Wicked Fall - Happy Friday the 13th!

The rare and auspicious day who some may deem bad luck, but us witch-y folk see it as a lucky day...and, of course, horror fans rejoice. Friday the 13th movie marathons and more horror to boot. What's not to like?

I was hoping there would be a Friday the 13th film series marathon on at least one of the streaming services, but unfortunately I could not find one anywhere. I guess it's because they're going to be playing the movies in theaters (?). Oh well...it is what it is. I did find the 2009 Friday the 13th remake on Max. It wasn't terrible. I might even watch it again myself. Jared Padalecki (Supernatural) is in it so that's something anyway...lol. Also, one of my favorite horror films is also streaming on Max. Trick 'r Treat (also 2009). I highly recommend it if you haven't already seen it. I have seen it many times. It's a great one for rewatching. Never gets old.

Below are some graphics from Fangoria with all the streaming horror films streaming in September and there is a TON!! So you can definitely find something scary to watch this Friday the !3th.

As promised, I have a special treat for you today. I created some spooky fall/Halloween bookmarks that you can print out at home. You can print them out on card stock, or if you don't have it, you could print them out, cut out cardboard to size, cut the bookmarks out, and glue them on. 

I hope you like them! Just click the link below the image to download to your device for printing.

Click to download: https://tinyurl.com/swf-bookmarks

💀💀💀

What are your Friday the 13th plans? What will you be watching, or reading? 

Don't forget...the first discussion for our read-along of Stephen King's Fairy Tale will be posted here on Sunday, September 15. Here's the schedule again, and the kick-off post for the event, just in case you missed it.

This post is part of

2024 Something Wicked Fall featuring a Stephen King read-along + stories, movies, and more!

It's September 1st so it's officially fall here at Castle Macabre and spooky season starts NOW! I can't believe this is our 7th year...and we have a Friday the 13th in September this year. I might have some goodies for you on that auspicious date. 🎃 Update: Visit my Friday the 13th post here to grab the free gift I made for you!

Everything on the agenda is on the button above, but I'm going to share more details below. If you're on Facebook, we have a Seasons of Reading group and page, where we interact during readathons so I'll be sharing info there, and also on the Seasons of Reading Instagram, and in the Seasons of Reading Goodreads group. Castle Macabre also has a Facebook page and we're on Instagram here. Also, if you like Discord, join us on the Seasons of Reading Discord. There is a Something Wicked Fall channel if anyone is up for some live interaction. Here's the invite link: https://discord.com/invite/e6uAmXtGqA

👿 Stephen King's Fairy Tale read-along. We will be reading the book for the entire two months.

Discussions will be held on this blog. I will put a new post up the day after each reading section ends. We will read along according to the schedule below.

My edition is the Scribner (hardcover) edition, published in 2022. 599 pages.

Read-Along Schedule
September 1 - 14 - Ch. 1 - 9, pp 1 - 153 

(Discussion post September 15)
September 16 - 28 - Ch. 10 - 16, pp 155 - 295 

(Discussion post September 29)
Sept 30 - Oct 12 - Ch. 17 - 24, pp 297 - 450 

(Discussion post October 13)
October 14 - 26 - Ch 25 - Epilogue, pp 451 - 598 

(Discussion post October 31)

💀 For the two months of Something Wicked Fall we focus on everything horror...Gothic (Best Gothic Books of All Time), Classics, Folk Horror (Goodreads Folk Horror List) and any other kind of horror (Best Horror Anthologies and Horror Collections - Single Author). This post will be the master post where we can post about what we're reading in the comments (or leave links) so be sure to bookmark it (I will also have Something Wicked Fall linked in the menu at the top of the blog).

👹 Horror movie/shows I watch an inordinate amount of horror movies and shows during the season so I will be sharing my take on some of those, and will probably share a few book reviews as well. As always, I invite guest posts or reviews from anyone who cares to contribute. The more the merrier!

👻 #FrightFall Readathon, October all month long, at Seasons of Reading. Sign-up for the readathon will be open soon. Reader's Imbibing Peril (R.I.P.) is going on right now as well.

I believe I've covered everything. If you have any questions, feel free to comment, or contact me via the contact form (click the image near the top of the sidebar) No official sign-up for this. Just share that you're in by leaving a comment. You can join in as little or as much as you want.

Stay Wicked!!