Hi all!

I’m back with my third readathon of the year! I’m so addicted to them. Today I will be sharing my TBR for The Hocus Pocus Readathon, that will be taking place the entire month of October 2020. The official X page can be found here. It is being hosted by Alyssa at Pages & Ink & Tiffy at Tiffy E. Also, does anybody else love the film Hocus Pocus? I cannot wait to watch it for the billionth time during Halloween! Without further ado, let’s get into it!

HOW IT WORKS

For this readathon, you need to pick one of three teams to join: 1.) Team Sanderson Sisters, 2.) Team Undead or 3.) Team Trick or Treaters. Once you’ve picked your team, submit your details via this Google Doc. Similar to the Bookemon Readathon, you need to complete prompts and earn points for your team. Every single time you tick off a challenge, you need to record your points, so they can be tallied and added to your overall team score. The team with the most points at end, wins! 

MY TBR 

I decided to join Team Undead, because the prompts suit a lot of the books I want to read in October. They are definitely geared more toward the horror lovers. I am also super excited about the group novel, which I’ll share in a moment. Here are all the prompts for Team Undead and what I’ll be reading to complete them: 

1.) Group Book: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (15 pt)

I bought this book on Kindle. I had heard so many good things about it. It sounds right up my alley! Aiden Thomas is not only a Latinx author, he’s also the first trans man to have a trans book hit the New York Times Bestseller List! This is so amazing – exactly what the world needs right now!

Yadriel has summoned a ghost and now, he can’t get rid of him. When his traditional Latinx family have problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself before setting out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin.
However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy. Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened, tying up some loose ends before34 he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

Order a copy here.

2.) Binx: Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid – Read a book that has to do with family (10 pt) 

I chose this book because it revolves around a white family and a black babysitter. There are a lot of important issues about race, white privilege and discrimination. It’s important to continue reading from and amplifying black voices. Plus, it sounds very interesting and captivating.  

In the midst of a family crisis one evening, white blogger, Alix Chamberlain, calls her African American babysitter, Emira, asking her to take toddler Briar, to the local market for distraction. There, the security guard accuses Emira of kidnapping Briar and Alix’s efforts to right the situation turn out to be good intentions, selfishly mismanaged.

Order a copy here.

3.) Billy: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides – Read a book with a morally grey character (10 pt)

I picked this book because the main character shoots her husband in the face five times, but we don’t know why. Sounds morally grey to me! I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about this book. It’s been on my TBR for the longest time! 

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter, married to an in-demand fashion photographer, who lives in a grand house. One evening, her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot and Alicia shoots him five times in the face – then never speaks another word.
Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, heralds her the name: The Silent Patient.
Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist, who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband, takes him down a twisting path in the search for truth that threatens to consume him.

Order a copy here.

4.) Emily: The Carrow Haunt by Darcy Coates – Read a book about ghosts or the paranormal (10 pt) 

I selected this book because it’s literally a ghost/paranormal story. It’s also October’s pick for The You’ll Read Too Bookclub! I’m so excited! 

Remy is a tour-guide for the notoriously haunted, Carrow House. When she’s asked to host seven guests for a week-long stay to research the supposed phenomena within, Remy hopes to finally witness something spooky. Pretty soon, things start to go horribly wrong. A guest winds up dead, doors open on their own, red liquid seeps behind the wallpaper and a spirit medium wanders the halls at night, in a trance. These mysterious circumstances force Remy to consider the possibility that the ghost of the house’s original owner (a twisted serial killer) is behind it all.

Order a copy here.

STRENGTH: Beloved by Toni Morrison – You are now the ghost of Emily Binx. No one can see you, you get to be stealthy. You may double up on one prompt of your choosing. 

I’m going to double up on the Emily prompt; going for another paranormal/ghost story, to keep the spooky vibes going! This is another important story, written by black author, that discusses the darkness that is slavery. It’s also a classic novel by an author who has since passed. I’ve read many positive reviews. 

Sethe was born a slave, who escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later, she is still not free. She is held captive by memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. Sethe’s house has long been troubled by the angry, destructive ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone, is engraved with a single word: Beloved. When a mysterious teenage girl arrives, calling herself Beloved, Sethe’s terrible secret explodes into the present.

Order a copy here.

WEAKNESS: Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones – Unfortunately, Billy only has 24 hours until he must go back to his grave. You must have a 24-hour readathon. 

For my 24-hour readathon, I’m going for a shorter novel, because I have a toddler and mama needs her sleep! It’s also on my Kindle. 

This contemporary horror story, follows a teen prank gone very wrong. When all hell breaks loose, the victims must ask themselves: is there a supernatural cause, a psychopath on the loose, or both?

Order a copy here.

Bonus: For every 100 pages you read, you will receive 2 extra points for your team! 

Please let me know if you’re participating and which team you’re on. I will be sharing my wrap-up the first week of November.

Peace & Love xoxo