Monster Mash Book Tag

We are a few days closer to Halloween, so here’s the Monster Mash Book Tag! It was created by booktubers the Spine Breakers and is based on “Monster Mash” by Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & the Crypt-Kickers:

I found it over on Madame Writer last year and saved it so I could do it this year! 😄 Yes, I plan ahead sometimes. (*pats self on back*)

I was working in the lab late one night: What’s a book that kept you up at night?

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

I recently read this and although it starts out slow, I got so hooked that I’d stay up to get through more of it quicker. I just really needed to find out what’s going on, for the mystery to be solved.

It’s a Gothic mystery, historical fiction novel set in Mexico in the 1950s about a young woman named Noemí Taboada, who’s sent to the bleak manor her cousin resides in with her mysterious newlywed husband and his family. Noemí’s cousin had sent an odd letter that led Noemí’s father to believe the cousin may need psychiatric help that her husband is preventing. So Noemí visits her cousin to see what’s up.

My eyes beheld and eerie sight: What is the weirdest or creepiest shit you’ve ever read in a book?

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

Well, despite the humor in this book, it was creepy. For much of the story, the reader doesn’t know what the weird beings the protagonist sees in the woods are, so that was creepy. She didn’t know what they are or what their intentions are, and she went on staying in the house alone despite all the weird shit happening. I would have left. As soon as shit start popping, I’m booking. Done. Done.

Anyway, the Twisted Ones is a humorous horror novel about a young woman cleaning out her dead grandmother’s house and glimpsing weird stuff in the woods that surround it.

Get a jolt from my electrodes: Name a book that completely shocked or surprised you.

Nimona by Noelle Stephenson (illus.)

It surprised me that I liked it as much as I did. It was such a fun read! And sure, everyone raved about how good it is, but I thought they were all lying, lol.

It’s a YA fantasy graphic novel about a shapeshifter girl who becomes the sidekick of a supervillain.

The guests included Wolfman, Dracula, and his son: Name your favorite monster or villain from a book.

Zombies!!

Lol! The gif here is actually showing vampires from The Strain TV show, which I loved although some of its later parts sucked. It’s adapted from a trilogy of the same name by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan that’s about a vampire apocalypse that begins in New York City.

So technically, these are vampires but because of their sometimes mindlessness and need to chase humans to feed on their blood (and they do this to any human that crosses their path), I think of them as zombies. I love watching zombie movies and TV shows and am trying to get into reading stories about them. Don’t get it twisted though, I do NOT want to live through a zombie apocalypse. So hopefully 2020 doesn’t throw that mess at us too.

Whatever happened to my Transylvania Twist: Name a book that was super hyped when it came out, but no one talks about anymore.

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

This popped in my head because a friend read it a few days ago, but that made me realize that I don’t hear/see much about it in the blogs or booktubers I follow, although it received a lot of hype when it came out.

They did the mash: Name your favorite book that is a mash up of two or more genres.

The Book of Hidden Things by Francesco Dimitri

It’s about four friends who made a pact after graduating high school that they will always meet up in their Italian hometown once every year, but one of the guys doesn’t show up this time and the remaining three keep hearing rumors that the missing dude is mixed up in some weird shit, so they go look for him.

The story is well written and so atmospheric. It sucks you right in. It’s categorized as fantasy, but the fantasy is so light that some might call it magical realism or even horror. It’s right there on the border. I think it depends on what you think of the end, so I categorize it as fantasy.

It was a graveyard smash: What is your favorite horror novel?

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

It’s not my favorite. I just wanted to mention it because it has zombies. It’s a YA historical fiction novel set in the U.S. The dead began to rise shortly after the Civil War, so Black and Native American teens are trained to protect White people from zombies.

It was an entertaining read for me because a) I like zombies in stories and b) the protagonist is a badass, feisty, and all-around awesome young woman.

The scene was rockin’, all were digging the sounds: What’s your favorite song based on a book?

It’s not based on a book. It’s based on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk “We Should All Be Feminists,” which was adapted to book form and published. It’s also not my favorite. I just like it.

Tell them Boris sent you: What is your go-to book recommendation?

I don’t have one, so here’s a random book:

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

It’s the first novel in a middle grade fantasy series about a boy who visits another world where he meets people and creatures from African American folklore, like Anansi, John Henry, and Brer Rabbit.

For you, the living, this mash was meant too: Who do you tag?

Whoever wants to do this tag.

Bonus question: What is your favorite thing about Halloween?

Scary movies, costumes, and decorations

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AND THAT’S IT FOR THIS ENTRY IN MY BOOK TAG WEEK SERIES LEADING UP TO HALLOWEEN!

Consider yourself tagged if you want to do it too.

(And if you’re looking for book tags to do, here’s a long list of ones I’ve done so far.)

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