Halloween Edition

October 22, 2021May 28, 2022 - Bunny 2 Comments

Hi Friends,
I wanted to do an ‘If You Like This…’ post, since I’m a fan of them myself. In this post, I recommend three spooky movies for you to watch if you’re a fan of three different (also spooky) books. I hope that made some sort of sense.

‘The Final Girls Support Group’ and ‘Final Destination’
This comparison might seem a bit odd, but it works, in a weird way. In ‘The Final Girls Support Group’ by Grady Hendrix, the last girls standing from mass murders start getting targeted once again. It seems like death has come back to get them.

Final Destination has that same aspect of death coming back around. A bunch of high school students avoid a plane crash, but soon enough they each start dying in the order they were sitting on the plane. They might not be a perfect match, but there is a similar theme between them.

‘These Witches Don’t Burn’ and ‘The Wicker Man’
I have to admit, I got some help from my husband with this one. However, I can see the comparison between the two. In ‘These Witches Don’t Burn’ by Isabel Sterling, two exes (who happen to belong to the same witch coven) come face to face with someone that is out to destroy them and their lives.

‘The Wicker Man’ follows Edward, who is drawn by his ex-fiancee to an all-female society of Neo-pagans. Unknown to Edward, he is in danger of being burned alive. These two don’t follow the same story-line, but both share a mystery element and other plot points.

‘Living Dead Girl’ and ‘The Quiet’
I think the main reason I put these two together was that they are both hard to take in. Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott follows a 15-year-old girl who was kidnapped by a sexual predator at the age of ten. She refers to herself as the living dead girl, and anxiously waits for the day when her abuser finally kills her.

In ‘The Quiet’, teenage Dot is sent to live with her godparents, Paul and Olivia, after her father dies. She learns that Paul has been having a sexual relationship with his teenage daughter, Nina. Dot learns that Nina hates that her father takes advantage of her and plans to kill him. The book and movie are both psychological thrillers that have a sexual abuse theme. Also, they both chill my bones to this day.

I hope that you have somewhat understood why I paired these books and movies together. Let me know if you would like me to do more of these kinds of posts. Give this post a like and share, and please follow to show your support!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

One Of Us Is Next // Book Review

October 21, 2021May 28, 2022 - Bunny Leave a comment

Title: One Of Us Is Next
Author: Karen M. McManus
Published: 2020
Genre: Young Adult/Thriller
Rating:

Synopsis
Come on, Bayview, you know you’ve missed this. A ton of copycat gossip apps have popped up since Simon died, but in the year since the Bayview four were cleared of his shocking death, no one’s been able to fill the gossip void quite like he could. The problem is no one has the facts. Until now. This time it’s not an app, though—it’s a game. Truth or Dare.

This is the companion novel to ‘One Of Us Is Lying’, which I have a review up for as well. In this book, we are following a new group of teens, one of whom is Maeve Rojas (Bronwyn’s sister, that we saw in book one), as well as appearances from characters in the previous book. A few characters had already been introduced in ‘One Of Us Is Lying’, which was a nice bonus. The plot walked the line between mystery and thriller. We follow this group of teens as they deal with a dangerous game of Truth and Dare. It was engaging, but then again I find that many Karen M. McManus books are (at least to me).

I enjoyed each character, and not one perspective bored me. There were a few parts that felt like unnecessary filler, and didn’t add anything to the story. However, it wasn’t common enough to be a problem for me. Overall, the story unfolded at a nice pace. I was happy to see that there wasn’t a best friends to lovers story in play. I am not opposed to that all, but it was nice to see the author go a different, less cliche route.

One of my favorite characters was Phoebe. She had a lot going on, and made some stupid choices, but was unapologetically herself. She didn’t hide her faults, and tried her best to own up to her mistakes throughout the book. Maeve was a solid character, and mini Nancy Drew, which is always fun to read about. Knox (Maeve’s best friend/ex-boyfriend) was the nice guy, but out of all of them, he was the least fleshed out. I didn’t feel like I got a true sense of his personality.

“I don’t understand why the world insists on stuffing kids into boxes we never asked for, and then gets mad when we won’t stay there.”

There was a bit of romance in this book, and I adored it. Maeve and Luis had great chemistry, and it was nice to watch their relationship unfold. But the pairing that I shipped most of all was Phoebe and Knox. They had some great moments together, so I could see them having real couple potential. Also, I liked that they were different, but grew closer as the book went on.

I am pretty bad at mysteries, but I did have my suspicions on where the plot was going. And, while I was sort of right, the ending shocked me. It was such a good twist, and the last chapter was amazing. I truly wanted to know what was going to happen next. I think a good book keeps you wanting more, which is exactly what Karen M. McManus achieved with ‘One Of Us Is Next’.

I would say that if you are in between fantasy books, you should give this one a read. It’s a good novel to pick up when you need a break from reading big, plot-heavy books. It’s an easy one to follow, and a fairly quick read. Don’t worry if thriller isn’t your preferred genre, it leans more towards the mystery side.

If you liked this review, then give this post a like and a share. Comment down below if you read this book, and your thoughts on it. Also, following the blog helps keep me going, so show your support!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Halloween Book Tag

October 20, 2021May 28, 2022 - Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
In honor of the spooky season, and Spooktober Day 2, I wanted to do a Halloween-inspired book tag. I found the ‘Halloween Book Tag’ which seemed like a perfect fit. There are only a few questions, but it was a good tag to get me in the Halloween mood, since it is getting closer.

1) Carving pumpkins- what book would you carve up and light on fire?
This was a hard one, since I don’t normally hate a ton of books. But one that comes to mind was There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins. I talked about this in my adaptions post, but I really didn’t care for this book. It probably isn’t my least favorite book, yet I thought it would be a good pick being that it’s a YA horror.

2) Trick or treat- what character is a treat, what character is a trick?
I like Jacob a lot from the ‘Cassidy Blake’ series. I think her would be a entertaining best friends and not just because he’s a ghost. As for the trick, I would go with Leda from ‘The Thousandth Floor’ she’s kind of a loose cannon and unpredictable.

3) Candy corn- what book is always sweet?
P.S. I Like You by Kasie West! This book make me happy. It is a lighthearted enemies-to-lovers contemporary story that was done perfectly. Kasie West is a queen when it comes to YA contemporaries. I really need to reread it soon.

4) Ghosts- what character would you love to visit you as a ghost?
I don’t want any of my favorite characters to die, but I’m going to say Bet from ‘Little Women.’ This might be a cop-out since she passes away in the book, but she’s so sweet and kind. I think she’d be excellent company even in ghost form.

5) Dressing up in costume- what character would you want to be for a day?
Probably, Bonnie McCullough from ‘The Vampire Diaries’, yep, it was a book series first. Bonnie is a psychic and witch, which is pretty awesome. Also, who doesn’t want to be around hotties like Damon and Stefan.

6) Wizards and witches- what is your favorite Harry Potter moment?
I don’t support J. K. Rowling in any shape of form, but I will go ahead and answer the question. I have only read the first two books, but my favorite moment would have to be in ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ when professor Lockhart lost his memory. That whole scene was funny.

7) Blood and gore- what book was so creepy that you had to take a break from it for awhile?
‘The Project’ by Courtney Summers. I think I mentioned before, or in my review, that this book was haunting. It isn’t a horror book by any means, but it creeped me out.

There you have the ‘Halloween Book Tag’! I tag all of my fellow book lovers to do this tag. If you do it please let me know in the comments below. Before you go share and like this post, and give the blog a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Scarecrow // Halloween Tutorial

October 19, 2021May 28, 2022 - Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
Happy first day of Spooktober! I am excited to not only be doing the ’13 Days Of Spooktober’ but also share another Halloween makeup tutorial with you all. This is a simple and cute scarecrow look. However, I feel like I should be singing ‘If I Only Had A Brain.’

Products Used

L.A. Colors Truly Matte Foundation

L.A. Colors Translucent Setting Powder

Maybelline The Matte Bar Eyeshadow Palette

Revolution X Friends ‘I’ll Be There For You’ Eyeshadow Palette

Wet n’ Wild MegaLiner Liquid Eyeliner

Rimmel Ultimate Kohl Kajal Eyeliner (Black)

Mascara, Blackest Blackest

Wet n’ Wild Fantasy Makers ‘Smokey’ Paint Palette (Only used the black for outlining)

Wet N Wild Fantasy Makers ‘Pastels’ Paint Palette (Mixed both the blues to fill in the triangle)

Revolution X Friends ‘We Were On A Break’ Eyeshadow Palette (Used the bright orange shadow on nose and cheeks)

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick The Luscious Mattes (Shameless)

If you decide to do this look for Halloween or fun please let me know below. You can also share it with me on Twitter. Follow the blog to get notified about all my Spooktober post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

3 Books // 3 Adaptions

October 15, 2021October 14, 2021 - Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
Lately, there have been many book adaptations released. I have seen the trailers for each of them and wanted to share my thoughts. My opinion is from a readers standpoint, since I have read each of these books.

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus (Peacock)

This is a series coming to the streaming service of Peacock. I was very excited for this adaptation, since I was a fan of the book. However, I noticed many changes. Of course, most adaptations are modified, but something felt off about this one. There were a lot of character differences, which could turn out to be a good thing. However, throughout the book none of the main characters suspected each other. Sure, they had their doubts at times, but they stuck by one another for the most part. From the looks of the trailer, they aren’t as united. Still, I will probably be giving the first couple episodes a chance. Here’s hoping it surprises me.

There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins (Netflix)

If you read my review of this book than you know I didn’t enjoy it. Although, I wanted to give the movie version the benefit of the doubt. Yet the trailer looks as dull as the book. No offense to anyone who liked the book, because I know a lot of people did. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. Netflix does a lot of book-to-movie adaptations, but sadly I haven’t cared for many of them. But I might watch the film at one point since I do love my horror movies. And, I am genuinely curious to see if the story works better as a film.

I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan (Amazon Prime)

This is another series release, and after seeing the trailer I am highly disappointed in the direction of the show. I loved the original movies, because they were scary without being gruesome. But, I guess Amazon saw the attention the Gossip Girl reboot was getting, and decided to go the sexualized, glamorized route. It seems like some weird Gen-Z version of a horror series. I am not into it at all. Out of all the adaptations, this is the one I am least likely to watch.

Keep in mind that these are solely my thoughts on the adaptations. If you want to hear my opinions after watching them, please check out my Twitter. Lastly, you know the drill follow, like and share the blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Lucky In Love // Book Review

October 14, 2021October 14, 2021 - Bunny 2 Comments

Title: Lucky In Love
Author: Kasie West
Published: 2017
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary
Rating:

Synopsis
Maddie’s not impulsive. She’s all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment — She wins! In a flash, Maddie’s life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she’s talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun… until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn’t sure who she can trust.

Nothing is better than reading a young adult contemporary with a sweet story. I had low expectations going into the book, since the plot didn’t pique my interest much. But I did enjoy my reading experience, and liked the approach the author took on the story. I haven’t read a ton of ‘lottery winning’ contemporaries, but this one has definitely made my favorites list.

The main character, Maddie, was a solid female lead, but also more than a bit naive. She and I are similar in a lot of ways, like how she wanted to share the money with the ones she loved. She didn’t want people treating her differently because of the money. Most of all, she tried to fix things that weren’t really her problems to solve.

The one thing we for sure have in common is our need to plan literally everything. Like me, Maddie was trying to plan out every detail of her life. However, I think we have both learned that not everything in life can, or even should, be planned. We are also both major worriers, which can be very stressful. But by the end of the book you could see that she was growing and changing for the better, though she didn’t have to completely alter herself to learn from this experience.

Some of the characters made questionable choices and mistakes, but the situations were handled well, and resolved easily. Maddie’s family was being held together by duct tape and glue, but (realistically) money didn’t make their problems magically disappear. It did help some, but it also caused a few problems. It’s easy to think that money can erase all your troubles, but life is filled with struggles. Sometimes, money can make things worse, which the book addressed well.

“Weird is the new cool.”

One of the most important messages to take away from the story is that money can change everything. Maddie’s life was turned upside down, and she didn’t know who to trust. Once people know that you hold the keys to a fortune, suddenly everyone wants to be your best friend.

Truthfully, not all people will be responsible with a huge amount of money. Money just burns a hole in some people’s pockets. Maddie’s older brother was extremely grateful when she shared her wealth, but he was no financial genius. As much as Maddie wanted to save him from himself, she eventually realized that he needed to clean up his own messes.

The romance was so sweet. I don’t know if I can classify it as friends-to-lovers, but it felt natural. They got to know each other prior to the lottery winning, and it didn’t change their feelings for one another. I enjoyed seeing the love interest, Seth, help Maddie break out of her bubble and try new things. There were some bumps along the way, but I liked how things turned out.

This is another Kasie West book that didn’t disappoint. If you are looking for a quick read, or something to pick up when you feel a reading slump coming on then give this one a chance.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Dazzling Heights // Book Review

October 13, 2021October 13, 2021 - Bunny Leave a comment

Title: The Dazzling Heights (Thousandth Floor, 2)
Author: Katharine McGee
Published: 2017
Genre: YA/Sci-Fi
Rating:

Synopsis
New York City, 2118. Manhattan is home to a thousand-story supertower, a breathtaking marvel that touches the sky. But amid high-tech luxury and futuristic glamour, five teenagers are keeping dangerous secrets…

*This review contains information that might be seen as spoilers.*

After reading ‘The Thousandth Floor’, I couldn’t wait to see where the story was going to go. This trilogy follows multiple perspectives, and each character is hiding something. After book one’s insane ending, I wasn’t sure what to expect. However, the events that occurred in the first book weren’t a major plot point. It seemed that most of the characters were fine sweeping everything under the rug and moving on with their lives. Sure they were being blackmailed, but the fact that nobody considered going to the police didn’t sit well with me.

The plot of ‘The Thousandth Floor’ was incredible, and the characters’ story lines were engaging. This time around, they had far less depth. Avery was a favorite character of mine, but her love story went way too far. She borders on being possessive of her brother/boyfriend. Wyatt is one of my favorite characters, but I wasn’t a fan of him being paired with Leda. How was he was falling for her after everything she had done?

I did enjoy the addition of the character Calliope. She and her mother are con-artists, but you get to see the real Calliope behind the facade. Honestly, I would read a whole book just about her, and I’m genuinely curious to see where her story goes from here. Also, I liked that Avery had many sweet moments with Cord throughout the story and wish we could see that relationship develop more. What can I say, I love a good friends-to-lovers story.

The biggest problem with the plot was that the author wanted us to sympathize with a killer. I know it was an accident, but her blackmailing people and lying to the cops was her own doing. The character might have felt remorse for her actions, but didn’t want to take responsibility for them. The characters were way to quick too forgive and forget. In my book, they all have blood on their hands.

“Rich girls never left something expensive on the ground, unless they’d been the one to toss it there.”

Unlike the first book, a lot of the story was about how if you’re rich or have the right friends you can get away with anything, including murder. This time around no one seems to have any kind of moral compass. The characters are willing to commit crimes indiscriminately, provided it doesn’t ruin their lives, and that makes me dislike them all.

The story kind of let me down, which is probably why it took me forever to get through. I was hoping for more excitement, definitely more consequences. There was a cliffhanger ending, which is probably the only reason I’ll pick up the final installment. Things can only go up from here, right?

Leave your thoughts on this book in the comments below. Don’t forget to share and like this post, and show your support by following the blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Superhero Pop-Art Halloween Tutorial // Toss-Up Tuesday

October 12, 2021October 12, 2021 - Bunny 1 Comment

Hi Friends,
I have been wanting to get into Halloween makeup for a while, so I decided to take the plunge. I created a pop-art style Wonder Woman look. The look was fairly easy to create, but does take a little bit of drawing skills to achieve. The hardest part for me was doing the star and making the lines not too thick. Over all, I think that it turned out pretty good. The only thing I would change would be using more of a bright or glittery read to fill in the star.

Products Used
Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define Foundation

Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless Powder

Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer

Profusion Blush Palette

e.l.f. Highlighter, White Pearl

Urban Decay’s Naked Heat Eyeshadow Palette

Wet n’ Wild MegaLiner Liquid Eyeliner

Mascara, Blackest Blackest

CoverGirl Colorlicious Melting Pout Lipstick, Tan-Gel-O 120

Movie Checklist // Halloween 2021

October 10, 2021September 30, 2021 - Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
In addition to seasonal reads I’m a big fan of seasonal movies. There are so movies that I always have to watch in October. I’m sharing my Halloween movie picks for the family, teens and horror fans.

What is your favorite October movie? Leave a comment recommending me a Halloween movie to watch this year. Don’t forget to like and share this post, and follow the blog to get post notifications.

Bridge Of Souls // Book Review

October 8, 2021October 4, 2021 - Bunny 2 Comments

Title: Bridge of Souls (Cassidy Blake #3)
Author: Victoria Schwab
Published: 2021
Genre: Middle-Grade/Paranormal
Rating:

Synopsis
Nothing can prepare Cass for New Orleans, which wears all of its hauntings on its sleeve. In a city of ghost tours and tombs, raucous music and all kinds of magic, Cass could get lost in all the colourful, grisly local legends. And the city’s biggest surprise is a foe Cass never expected to face: a servant of Death itself.
Credit: GoodReads

I was sad to finish off this trilogy, but excited to see how things would end. In my opinion, the previous books were slightly different from each other, but followed a similar format. The first book was spooky and interesting. While the second book was gripping, it was quite sad as well. I was curious to see where this book would fall.

For me, the story was a bit underwhelming. As the reader, you could tell that the author was trying hard to make the story spine-chilling and exhilarating, but something about it didn’t work. I wasn’t as invested in the plot, and characters like with the other books. In this book, we aren’t following a ghost mystery, but being chased by a soul eater. Personally, I missed the simple story of helping a ghost move on.

One of my major issues with the book was Cassidy’s personality. In the earlier books I had nothing against her, but this time around she thoroughly annoyed me. It is possible that I was more critical this time around, with it being the final book. But she acted reckless and immature throughout the book. She wouldn’t listen to anyone putting others lives in danger.

“Once, I stole from Death. I’m ready to do it again.”

I was glad to see that Lara was back, since she is my favorite character. Not only do I love her accent, but her intellect as well. As always, Jacob is a treat and adds the much needed comic relief. I did feel as if we didn’t see many of the side characters in this book. Cassidy and Jacob were alone a lot of the story until Lara joined them. I could be wrong, but I remember Cassidy’s parents being more prominent in the other books.

One thing’s for sure Schwab had a way of bringing each city to life. This time around we are in New Orleans, yet the author didn’t utilities the city as she did with Scotland and Paris. The only thing that was talked about was New Orleans cuisine.

Don’t get me wrong, the book wasn’t all bad. I do enjoy Schwab’s writing and storytelling. However, the energy in the story was off, and it didn’t read like the first and second book. The ending to the series was satisfying, but there was something missing in the plot.

These are good middle-grade ghost stories that I can see fans of Neil Gaiman enjoying. The author left the series somewhat open-ended, so she might revisit these characters in the future. If you asked me to name my favorite book out of all three, I’d pick ‘Tunnel of Bones.’

Let me know if you have read the Cassidy Blake trilogy. Did you like the final book? Please like and share this review. Don’t forget to follow my blog for more bookish content.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Books With Bunny

Let's Talk Books And More

Author: Bunny

If You Like This // Halloween Edition

One Of Us Is Next // Book Review

The Halloween Book Tag

Scarecrow // Halloween Tutorial

3 Books // 3 Adaptions

Lucky In Love // Book Review

The Dazzling Heights // Book Review

Superhero Pop-Art Halloween Tutorial // Toss-Up Tuesday

Movie Checklist // Halloween 2021

Bridge Of Souls // Book Review