#booksinthefreezerreadingchallenge2022

[mamanerd22]

#monthlyroundup Finished April with 14 books. Though to be honest several of those were novellas. I knocked out 3 books for my @booksinthefreezer Reading Challenge. I only have 1 book left for that one and I'll be finished with my 12 horror. Maybe I'll double up and try to do everything 2x. I also knocked 3 off my @bookriot read harder challenge and 1 of the #MRDRC22 . A few horror, quite a few #KindleUnlimited novellas and some audiobooks. Highlights of the month include Over The Top by @jvn Fast Pitch by @nicstone and Electric Idol by @katee_robert #AprilReads #horror #novellas #nonfiction #romance #thriller #middlegrade #BlackWomenAuthors #BooksInTheFreezerReadingChallenge2022 #BookRiotReadHarder2022 #nerdymama #nerdymamabooks #booknerd #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CdCOiP1rboP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mamanerd22]

Since I rediscovered my love of #Horror in 2020, I've been trying to branch out to different sub-types. @booksinthefreezer 2022 challenge has been the perfect opportunity to read more horror. I have to say I absolutely loved Bitter Root Volume 1 and I've already started Volume 2. The story of the Sangeryes family and their battle against the jinoo immediately sucked me in. The artwork is amazing and the story compelling. I'm completely invested in Ma Etta, Blink, Berg, Cullen, and the rest of the Sangeryes clan. The various articles at the end of the graphic novel only added to the story and emphasized #representationmatters #GraphicNovel #BitterRoot #RootMagic #RacismIsHorror #RacistsAreMonsters #blacklivesmatter #BlackHistory #SteamFunk #BooksInTheFreezerReadingChallenge2022 #nerdymamabooks #blackgirlsreadbookstoo #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CY-q6nZg_Fv/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

Cackle worked perfectly for the one word title prompt for my @booksinthefreezer Reading Challenge. This book is more like horror-lite because it deals with witches and some creepy crawlies but is missing the murder, mayhem and gore that often inhabits the horror I usually read. I wanted more from this book but I didn't dislike it. I think I just couldn't relate to Annie much because she so obviously defined herself by her romantic relationships and even when she became more independent I still felt like she relied on Sophie too much. What I did like is how it read like an origin story for the local witch everyone is afraid to cross and it came across as a female empowerment tale. Also Ralph the spider is an adorable sidekick and a nice departure from the witches and black cats trope. 3.25/5 #WitchyReads #Cackle #BooksInTheFreezerReadingChallenge2022 #OneWordTitle #VillianOriginStory #horror #readingprompt #spider #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #nerdymamabooks #booknerd #POCbookstagrammers #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc6V3rjr-DT/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mamanerd22]

*Spoilers* I can't say I LOVED The Troop because honestly fuck that book; it was traumatizing, but I appreciated it for being horrifying. So I figured I'd check out The Deep for one of my Books in the Freezer Reading prompts for a non-human monster. 🌊 The Deep started out okay. I liked the idea of an underwater research facility miles below the surface where something inhuman/unnatural is going on. I even appreciated the brother storyline. But to me, it felt like the book was trying to do too much. Clayton - Genius brother searching for the cure to a disease that is a mix of leprosy and severe Alzheimer's. Luke - Brother who is a veterinarian, his son disappeared without a trace years ago, and now he has nothing left to lose. Throw in a traumatic childhood with an abusive mother and maybe some brushes with the supernatural. I was with it for most of the book despite the extreme overuse of the word "gelatinous" (seriously, pick another adjective, my guy!). Also a scene with a baby and a millipead that made me shudder. 🌊 However, right about halfway through Part 5, I was starting to annoyed. Part 6 the book entirely jumped the shark and introduced the fact that the ambrosia wasn't the villain but these mysterious ancient entities used the ambrosia as bait to lure humans down into the deep so they could have someone help them reach the surface. These entities had been watching the brothers their entire lives and had orchestrated Luke's sons disappearance in order to use him as leverage. The ending was just bizarre. Good potential, didn't live up to it, though. 2.5/5 #TheDeep #BooksInTheFreezerReadingChallenge2022 #NonHumanMonster #horror #TheOceanIsScary #WTF #gelatinous #nerdymamabooks #BookReview #wompwomp #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #booknerd #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CcL0p-drBcb/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mamanerd22]

#monthlyroundup 15 books in March. 7 of these were audiobooks. My favorites this month were Dead Silence, Neon Gods, and Lore Olympus. I got in a mood to re-read a Dresden and chose Turn Coat. I also knocked out FOUR Book of the Month Books. Read 3 nonfiction including finishing Raising Kingdom Kids with my small group. group. I was really successful with my reading prompts this month. 2 Books in the Freezer prompts, 3 Book Riot Read Harder, 8 Mood Reader's Delight Reading Challenge prompts, and 2 books by Black Women. #MarchReads #horror #BooksInTheFreezerReadingChallenge2022 #MRDRC22 #BookRiotReadHarder2022 #20BooksByBlackWomen #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #romance #nonfiction #audiobook #LibbyApp #memior #fantasy #DresdenFiles #nerdymamabooks #booknerd https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb2mD0HLnuF/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

You ever read a book and it reminds you of some of your favorite throwback scary movies? SA Barnes' Dead Silence is perfect for fans of Ghost Ship and Event Horizon. You've got a small crew in a remote untravelled portion of the universe who stumble upon a luxury cruise spaceship that's been missing for the past 20 years. Throw in a team lead with past trauma, and may or may not see ghosts. A Titanic like vessel that something nefarious obviously happened and a Ragtag crew that starts seeing things that aren't there... 🌌🛳 This book may not work for everyone but it was hitting the right notes for me. Claire Kovalik was independent yet vulnerable and she was giving me some bad ass heroine vibes. She may not be the most knowledgeable but she is a SURVIVOR. This book also had the corporate machinations that we are so fond of in SciFi like Alien and The MurderBot Diaries. I liked that in the beginning of the book there was a back and forth between the present and the past and we are trying to figure out what exactly happened. I could go on a bit but I'm gonna try to be spoiler free. Just check this one out if you're a fan of creepy SciFi. 5/5 #BooksInTheFreezerReadingChallenge2022 #HybridHorror #SciFi #InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream #GhostShip #EventHorizon #ghosts #DeadSilence #SABarnes #FiveStar #BookReview #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #nerdymamabooks #booknerd #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb0YRB3L4C9/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

#BookReview I enjoyed this novella. I listened to the audio, and it was a quick listen. That being said, it may just be because I was listening to the audio, but I didn't connect to the characters quite like I wanted to. The first half was a little slow for my liking; it didn't have the imminent dread I wanted from horror or Lovecraftian fiction. I think the second half was better than the first, but I think in general, I was expecting more and was left vaguely unsatisfied. That being said, I think it's a solid horror novella, and had the beginning been a little stronger, it could've been a 4-5 star for me. 3.5/5 #TheBalladOfBlackTom #DiverseBookstagrammersRead #LovecraftHorror #novella #BlackAuthors #HorrorWithBlackProtagonist #BooksInTheFreezerReadingChallenge2022 #nerdymamabooks #booknerd #blackgirlsreadbookstoo #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca0u1gbLZqB/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

#monthlywrapup FEBRUARY 2022 9 BOOKS 7/9 audiobooks 3 of those audiobooks I also read a portion of my print copies 2 BOTM books 1 graphic novel Last month was audio heavy cause I was doing parenting workshops via zoom 2x a week for an 1.5 hrs and I was reading the books/workbooks for those. Also still have the small group with my church. So I was overcommitted. In addition to reading the 800 page beast that is House of Sky & Breath in less than 2 weeks. I enjoyed CC2 but I'm not sure if I actually think the book is a good book. More like I was entertained while reading it because it was fun trash. 😜 Also I'm not gonna spoil the ending but #IYKYK Lots of YA this month. Finished out the Serpent & Dove trilogy and yall saw how I felt about those. Opal & Nev was amazing and I finished 3 books by Black Women this month. Hex was my lone horror read this month and it was okay. #FebruaryReads #YA #NotSlackingOmCrescentCity2 #romance #graphicnovel #BookRiotReadHarder2022 #MRDRC22 #20BooksByBlackWomen #booksinthefreezerreadingchallenge2022 #BOTMbooks #libbyApp #Nerdymamabooks #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CalWPwGLqb3/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

#BookReview #Spoilers I wanted to like this one. It started off strong. YA about a teenage BOY with a magic knife taking out harmful spirits? Yes please. However very quickly I became a little annoyed. Some of the dialogue was a little clunky and while I like Anna and her backstory the whole "I fell in love with a dead girl" thing was not done well. Other things were just kind of annoying like you have a teen supernatural horror with an obvious Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer knock off and a side character is named Will Rosenberg unironically. I mean there's even a BtVS reference at the end but the kids reference Ghostbusters more than that which seems like a generational gap. Also the whole cast of characters is white but then it's revealed that the actual bad guy is a practitioner of Voodoo/Obeahman. I'm undecided if I will take the time to listen to the 2nd book in the duology. But knowing me, I'll do it more to finish the series rather than because I'm actually invested. 2.75/5 #YAHorrorNovel #CanadianLit #booksinthefreezerreadingchallenge2022 #MRDRC22 #audiobook #spookyreads #nerdymamabooks #nerdybooks #LibbyApp #booknerd #BuffySnob https://www.instagram.com/p/CYz4FKpLOjD/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mamanerd22]

Picked this one up for @booksinthefreezer reading challenge. Serial Killers count as spooky right. Cause some of the things talked about in this book... *shudder* Honestly if Marcus Parks had written this book alone it probably would've been a 3.5/4 star book for me. The true crime/serial killer info and delivery is solid. Where this book loses it is in the "comedic asides" by Ben & Henry, which are more of the cringey white dude crude humor of trying too hard. I don't listen to the podcast but the audiobook definitely has a "podcast feel". I appreciated the facts but started dreading the end of chapter "letters" which involved an attempt at levity which always felt flat or was sometimes just icky. When I started the book I followed the podcast on Spotify so I could listen to some episodes later but the further I got into the book the less I enjoyed it. I ultimately unfollowed the podcast without listening to any episodes cause with the plethora of true crime/serial killer podcasts out there why waste my time on Last Podcast on the Left if it's like the book. I used to love My Favorite Murder podcast but the book Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered was like pulling teeth to get thru and The Last Book on The Left was the same way. Much better serial killer/true crime books out there to try other than this one. 2/5 #booksinthefreezerreadingchallenge2022 #SpookyNonFiction #MRDRC22 #ABookCoverYouDontLike #oneBookMultipleChallenges #SerialKillers #TrueCrime #nerdymama #nerdybooks #booknerd #POCBookstagrammer #LibbyApp #audiobook #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/nerdymamabooks/p/CYnat0wgVlU/?utm_medium=tumblr