Week 20 Reading: “How to Kill a Rock Star”

This week we’re tackling our 20th book – I can’t believe we’ve gotten so far in a few short months! Keeping with January’s “New” theme, I chose a book that is “new to me,” and also falls under the genre “contemporary” (meaning modern, or new). This week we’re tackling How to Kill a Rock Star by Tiffanie DeBartolo.

You might have a hard time finding this one. Libraries might not have it yet, but it can be found at book stores. If you’re anxious to read along, you can find the eBook of How to Kill a Rock Star by clicking on the link. I hope you’ll read along, because I’m very excited about this book.

I have had this book sitting on my shelf for about a month, and have been anxious to read it. I won it in an online drawing from a great book blog, The Book Bosses. A HUGE thank you to the ladies over there, who hooked me up with a personalized, autographed copy of this book, direct from Tiffanie DeBartolo herself. I felt so honored that I wanted to read it right away, but I couldn’t quite make it fit with the “Holiday” themed reading of December.

The description on this book is rather vague, but it looks like it will contain romance and rock n’ roll – two very good things. I’m not usually a fan of romance (as I’m sure you are well aware of by now), and I usually go more for classics than contemporary, but I’m so excited to read this book (in case you haven’t gotten that by me saying it 100 times in this blog post already)! I hope you’ll be able to find it – try checking used book stores, your local book retailer, or if you have an eReader, you should be able to find a compatible eBook version of it.

Happy Reading.

October Reading

The end of September is rapidly approaching, and with it the first month of my 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge is coming to a close! It’s hard to imagine that: 1) I’ve actually kept up with my schedule so far; and 2) It’s almost Halloween!! Cannot wait!

Speaking of Halloween, the holiday was the inspiration for the book selection for October. That’s right – October’s theme is “Halloween” (surprise surprise)! Now, I didn’t want to just pick horror novels, so I dug deep (and asked for inspiration from some great friends) and came up with a list of books I’m happy with. So, without further ado, here is October’s book selection!

Sept. 29 – Oct 5. – Frankenstein – Mary Shelley

• This novel is a good crossover between September’s “Movie/TV” theme, and October’s “Halloween” theme. Shelley’s classic horror novel has been adapted into dozens of different movies, and her monster has been played by everyone from Boris Karloff to Robert De Niro. In 2014, Aaron Eckhart will don the bolts in “I, Frankenstein” (the verdict is still out on that one…). What better way to start off our Halloween month than with the real story?!

Oct. 6 – Oct 12 – The Mist – Steven King

• Here comes a really embarrassing admission: I have never read a Steven King book before. Not once. I’ve seen plenty of the movies (I love horror films), but never picked up one of his books! I should probably be rewarded for this feat considering that it’s almost impossible to avoid his book with how many he’s written, but… it’s just never happened for me (my mother is probably gasping in horror at this point because I know she encouraged me to read The Stand at different points in my life… sorry, Mom). Why did I choose The Mist? Well, if I’m being honest, it was the only one at the used book store that I hadn’t seen the movie adaptation for, and I was anxious for a new scary story!

Oct. 13 – Oct. 19 – Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – Seth Grahame-Smith

• Well, we finally have our first comedy book on our list! This “biographical horror story” tells about Abraham Lincoln’s secret life as a vampire hunter! Did you know he not only created great social change in America, but also rid our country of vampires? Join me in reading all about his heroic life! This should be a good break from the horror novels, and bring some “light” to our Halloween theme! This book was  a recommendation from a friend (thanks Shannon!!!), and I can’t wait to give it a shot!

Oct. 20 – 26 – Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil – John Berendt

• This book is our first non-fiction on our list, as well as our first mystery story. It tells about a group of society ladies in Georgia who are somehow connected to a shooting that is being investigated … but is it murder or self defense? To be honest, I wouldn’t have picked up this book if it weren’t $2.50 at the used book store (and the lovely cover art and intriguing title helped, too). I’m not much into non-fiction or mystery, but I have been surprised before!

Oct. 27 – Nov. 2 – Guilty Pleasures – Laurell K. Hamilton

• I’m always excited for recommendations from friends, and this was the first book my wonderful friend Katrina handed me when I told her about my book challenge idea. Guilty Pleasures is the first in a series of books called “Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter Novels” and revolves around the heroine’s attempts to rid the world of vampires – in a time when vampires are protected by the law. I always love a strong female lead. Apparently there are some strong sexual undercurrents in this novel. To be honest, I was thinking about incorporating one of the Sookie Stackhouse (“True Blood”) novels into this challenge, but Katrina’s recommendation that I give Anita Blake a chance won me over. I’m sure the title give enough of an idea what kind of “smut” to expect.

So there you have it, folks. My carefully prepared list of “Halloween” themed books for the month of October. I hope this gives you enough time to get to the library, find the ebook, hit up the used book store, or find a friend who can loan them out to you! I can’t wait to read these books with you, and start getting into the Halloween spirit!