At the end of last month, I saw an advertisement for the American Cancer Society‘s Read Every Day in October Challenge. And boy did I get excited. I enjoy the opportunity to read more, and this sort of challenge is something I can easily hold myself accountable for. Typically I read nothing but Halloween/Horror in October, but I had a few books on my faith that I wanted to read as well, which made for an interesting month. (I know there’s still one more day of the month, but I have plans to read the last two chapters of a book and then I will be complete.)
My horror choices this year were all about re-reads. I have a lot of new horror that I haven’t read yet, but to be honest, with this being my first Halloween after the death of my mother, I wanted to choose comforting things, books I had previously loved, to see if I loved them as much the second (or sometimes third) time around.
Children of the Dark by Jonathan Janz – 392 pages
My first read of this book was actually an audio listen, which I very much enjoyed, but honestly I liked reading the book much more. Mainly because I’ve heard Jonathan do reads of his stories in person and they were so good that anyone else reading his books, no matter how well they do, just don’t do them justice.
Exorcist Falls by Jonathan Janz – 279 pages
This book definitely worth a second read. I feel like there were things I missed the first read-through, and enjoyed this second one quite a lot.
The Nightmare Girl by Jonathan Janz – 245 pages
Once I started, I just couldn’t stop with Jonathan, one of my favorite authors of all time. His books definitely withstand the test of time, and this is one I highly recommend to everyone who hasn’t read it yet.
Harmlessly Insane: The Complete Collection by Evans Light and Adam Light – 589 pages
These brothers are great authors, and this collection is one of my favorites. It has a nice combination of the two, and their short stories are some of the best I have ever read. I needed some nostalgia and this definitely gave it to me.
The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red by Joyce Reardon – 277 pages
This is my third read of this book and honestly it gets better every time I read it. It goes hand-in-hand with Stephen King’s mini series from back in 2002 called Rose Red. While the mini series is about a college professor’s psychic investigation of an old house with a couple of her students, the book is the diary of the wife, Ellen Rimbauer, whose husband originally built the old house. I would highly recommend enjoying both. One answers questions that the other doesn’t, and vice versa.
And now to the books on my faith:
True Devotion to Mary by Saint Louis de Montfort – 176 pages
I have always felt a drawing to Mary, and a true relationship with her, and having consecrated myself to Jesus through Mary earlier this year, I was excited when I sat down to read this book. In fact, I wish I had read it before I consecrated myself. (Father Michael Gaitley‘s book was great, full of information, but this added a lot.)
The Road to Self Awareness by Ian Murphy – 237 pages
I found out about this book because I happened onto a blog post where someone was talking about it and how much they gained from it, and was so moved by the post that I bought it immediately without even reading the description. A lot of what he shares are things he learned during his weight-loss journey, realizing that he needed to take care of his whole self, rather than just parts of his self. The great thing about the book is that the advice given can be used for anything you’re trying to work towards, not just weight.
The Scriptural Rosary, edited by Reverend Victor Hoagland – 64 pages
This was a quick read and one that I have read many times since I first bought it. For anyone who says the rosary, it adds so much more to it. Literally. There is a scripture for each bead. It really made me think more about the rosary I was saying and helped me to focus more on what I was doing.
The Holy Rosary, The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception – 64 pages
This is another great rosary book, and a quick read. For each step of each mystery, there’s a meditation to think about while you are saying the Hail Marys that follow. It also includes how to say the rosary and the prayers that are said through it for those who are learning (or, like me, forget one line in the big prayers every time).
So… that’s a total of… 2,323 pages. Wow! Unfortunately I only received a $30 donation (from myself), but that’s $30 and I’m very proud of it.
Meghan's House of Books 