The Monster Mash Book Tag 👻 🎃

Hi friends, and a very happy Halloween to you all!

I hope that however you are spending your day/evening is positively spooktacular. I hope that you eat as much candy as your heart desires, watch as many movies your eyes can handle, and even have a little dance party to a Halloween playlist.

Whenever Halloween comes around, I can’t help but have flashbacks to how Halloween was celebrated in my elementary school. There was bingo, eating powdered donuts off a string (which, looking back now, is kind of a strange activity), and of course the Halloween parade.

Everyone at school, including the teachers and staff, would dress up on the final day of the week before Halloween. Then, we would all line up and walk around our school while Halloween music was booming through the PA system. It was a whole event. I mean, our parents would come in to watch this probably subpar parade of small children. But honestly, it was such a blast. And during this wondrous and monumental event, “Monster Mash” was a staple song; a staple song that I still love to turn up during the spooky season. So, when I saw Destiny do the Monster Mash Book Tag, I simply couldn’t resist.

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1. “I was working in the lab late one night” – What’s a book that kept you up at night?

Not because I was terrified or anything along those lines, but The Night Swim by Megan Goldin kept me up at night because I HAD to keep reading to find out what happened next. Certain chapters are structured like a true crime podcast, which made this book oh-so-addicting.

2. “My eyes beheld an eerie sight.” – What’s the weirdest or creepiest thing you’ve ever read in a book?

The ending of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia definitely takes the cake on this one. I don’t want to give too much away, but I’m positive that the way this story wrapped up is the absolute weirdest thing I have ever read. Even though it wasn’t my favorite read, I will gladly crown it with this title.

3. “Get a jolt from my electrodes.” – Name a book that completely shocked or surprised you.

I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m fairly certain my jaw is still hanging from the ending of Home Before Dark, even after having read it months ago. It’s just absolutely not at all what you expect, and I felt so unnerved. This one got under my skin in the best way possible, and it’s a fantastic thriller if you want to give it a try!

4. “The guests included Wolfman, Dracula, and his son.” – Name your favorite monster or villain from a book.

I will gladly admit that villains can be SO fun if they’re done well, and because of that, I have a few favorites. But, I recently met Death/Darkness/the Devil (call him whatever you want) from The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and he is an absolute monster. He is ruthless, shows no mercy, and pretty much only cares about what someone can offer him. I suppose that’s the logistics of his business, but still. A monster.

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

Have we just all agreed to stop talking about If We Were Villains? I mean, when this book first hit the bookish community, it was like you couldn’t go anywhere without seeing it. And now, I feel like I haven’t heard anyone talk about it in a long while. It’s been a bit since I’ve read it, but my head is still reeling; I feel like I need to talk it through to fully understand what even happened. Not to mention, it’s about students, Shakespeare, murder, and a potential wrongful conviction. What more do you need?

6. “They did the mash.” – Name your favorite book that is a mash up of two or more genres.

Perhaps this is cheating, perhaps not. I haven’t even finished Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas yet, but I’m very much enjoying it. I’m not even quite sure you can consider it a genre mash-up, but it is essentially an own-voices, culturally respectable, ghost-hunting, spirit-saving, oh-my-gosh-what-am-I-doing YA adventure, with a dash of paranormal. I also haven’t seen much talk about this book, so consider this a sign to read it.

7. “It was a graveyard smash.” – What is your favorite horror novel?

This is such a high title. So high in fact that I can’t help but talk about The Institute by Stephen King again. The Institute isn’t even true horror per say, but it’s certainly horrifying. It was actually so difficult to pick between this one and It, but something about The Institute really stands out. Sure, it’s absolutely horrid what happens to the kids in the book, but it’s also about resiliency and shows the lengths humans will go to for other humans (something I think we can all be reminded of in 2020).

8. “The scene was rockin’, all were digging the sounds.” – What’s your favorite song based on a book?

Even though I’ve yet to pick up this book, I will certainly cease this opportunity to tell you that you should probably listen to “1984” by David Bowie, which is based off of George Orwell’s novel of the same name, of course. The song itself is fantastic and eerily similar to the current world. And, for your viewing pleasure, I’ve included a live performance from the legend himself, back in 1974. (if you don’t want to watch the introduction, skip to about 1:25!)

9. “Tell them Boris sent you.” – What’s your go-to book recommendation?

I like to think that if someone were to come to me for a book recommendation, I cater it to what they’re looking for—whether it’s a stand-alone, a series, YA, adult fiction, thriller, contemporary, the list goes on and on. But, I suppose I will confess that I almost always try to recommend Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. So surprising, I know, because I never talk about this book *she said sarcastically*. I really do think that Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe has something for everyone, and I always discover something new when I go back and read it.

10. “For you, the living, this mash was meant too.” – Who do you tag?

Because it’s Halloween, I tag anyone else who finds this tag and really wants to do it! If that sounds like you, then consider yourself tagged!

11. Bonus Question: What’s your favorite thing about Halloween?

Truthfully, what I love the most about Halloween is the aesthetic and the “feeling.” Where I live, the colors of the leaves turn bright orange, red, and yellow; the air goes crisp (before turning horribly frigid); and, as stupid as it sounds, there’s almost a magic in the air. Sweaters, cinnamon donuts, cider, decorated houses, warm colors everywhere—I live for it all.

To show you a little bit of what Fall looks like for me, I’ve included some pictures I snapped when I traveled around the state a few weeks ago!

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There we have it guys, ghouls, and ninbinary pals!

Again, I hope you all have a fantastic Halloween and that it’s not as spooky as the rest of the year has been; that would be terrifying.

And, hopefully next time we chat, we’ll have a more coherent and compassionate president here in America.