Beading, Mixed Media, Mosaic thingy

I'm getting back into my Beading mixed media.  It is so relaxing.  Currently I'm working on a Cross for Christmas.

It will take a while. This type of work takes a few weeks.  But it should be ready for Christmas.  The last time I did something like this, It took quite a while.  But I love the results.

October Reads

Although October is not over, I don't think there will be much more reading.  As it is October, I've read some Horror. I usually don't read horror books (outside of Stephen King) during the year.  I read everything else. 

Bird Box by Josh Malerman ★★★★
Creatures have invaded the earth, there are a few survivors.  They must not look at the creatures so they live in isolation, blindfolded.  Will there be anyone left?

When I read about this book, I thought it might be interesting, it definitely sounded different.  And this Josh Melerman is a musician, not a writer.  This was a solid effort.





 Insomnia by Stephen King ★★

Ralph Roberts used to be an ordinary guy - until insomnia robbed him of sleep. Now he's no longer ordinary - he can see horrible things happening to the people of Derry, Maine. He can see how, one by one, they are turning into monsters straight from hell. (Goodreads.com)

I plan to read every Stephen King book.  It was this books turn. I didn't like it.  I didn't think it was scary, I thought it was too long and all over the place.  I didn't care about the protagonist.  Not a stellar effort for the King of Horror.




The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving ★★★

You know, Ichabod Crane, the Headless Horseman, nothing new here.

I don't recall reading this one, not even as a kid.  I knew the story, but it was nice to listen to the audio book.  Lots of imagery in this.  I enjoyed it.  Not very scary, toward the end is when the action starts, but that is an acceptable storytelling tactic.  Nice to read something that doesn't dwell on death and gore through the entire book.




The Troop by Nick Cutter  ★★★★

Boy scouts and their Troop leader are camping.  A stranger with a shocking appearance comes along.  No boy scout could ever be prepared for what was about to happen.

Unlike The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, this book is full of gore and death.  However, it is compelling.  There is some animal cruelty issues mentioned that animal lovers seem to have a problem with.  I'd like to think I'm pretty jaded and have seen/heard/read it all, but some of this stuff had me squirming.  This is in the realm of Psychological Horror.  Although it is not the usual thing I read (because of the excessive gore) this book was well done, and very readable.


CURRENTLY READING

Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge

Halloween, 1963. They call him the October Boy, or Ol’ Hacksaw Face, or Sawtooth Jack. Whatever the name, everybody in this small Midwestern town knows who he is. How he rises from the cornfields every Halloween, a butcher knife in his hand, and makes his way toward town, where gangs of teenage boys eagerly await their chance to confront the legendary nightmare. Both the hunter and the hunted, the October Boy is the prize in an annual rite of life and death.  (Goodreads.com)

 

What A Little Makeup can Do.

I haven't worn make-up in over 20 years.  After the kids came, life got busy, and makeup took a back seat.  I've decided to start wearing it again.  I decided to do a before and after photo...man, do I look different.  I didn't realize it when I was younger.  I wore it because that is what we did.  I didn't have to look younger. But I see now that I do look younger with it on.  Not to mention a little hair dye.

...countdown to the holidays

It is never too early to start planning what I will watch for Christmas.  Thank goodness for It's a Wonderful Movie blog.

Although we are still in October, so it is all about horror. Unfortunatley, I've seen many of the stuff worth watching.

I prefer the older movies:

Though there have been new ones on my list.  I recently saw a great Netflix instant watch horror movie that I found to be pretty good:
The Awakening

I also saw Oculus which was OK, I was bracing for the worse, but it was not that bad.

On the box front, I've only finished one so far:
Bird Box by Josh Malerman
This is the kind of stuff I like to read, creepy, psychological mind F**ks with an ending that was decent, but could have been better, but it was the kind of ending that leaves it open for possible sequals. 

And one of the best movies (horror or otherwise) I"ve seen in a while.....

Very good retelling or expansion of the story.  Mixing Stoker's story with the whole Vlad the impaler thing.  Not to mention, the lead was pretty hot.