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Erica Robyn Reads

a horror book review blog

Recent Posts

Indie Bookstore Day 2025 | Book Event

A tablet lies on dry grass and surrounded by dandelions in a natural outdoor setting. The screen displays the cover of the book Everybody Is in the Place by Emma J. Gibbon. The cover features a colorful, fantastical illustration of a female figure with glowing eyes and curved horns, holding something mysterious in her hands. Stars and swirling cosmic elements fill the background, giving the cover a magical and otherworldly feel. The title text is in bold, colorful letters across the top and middle, with the author's name at the bottom.

Everybody Is in the Place by Emma J. Gibbon | Book Review

Spider to the Fly by J.H. Markert | Book Review

[Wrap-Up] April 2018

May 1, 2018      Erica Robyn      22 Comments

Wrap-Up for April 2018

This month was a super busy one! Filled with wedding prep, work, birthdays, dental work, and other such things. We had an awesome time traveling back to my hometown for my Grandma’s birthday! We were only there for a day, but it was a great trip.

I also went to my first Fisher Cats baseball game! The view from the stadium was awesome! I can’t wait to go to another game when it’s warmer. Here are a few photos.

The view from the stadium:

From the box we were in (thanks again Jeff!!):

Mr. Tim Tebow of the Rumble Ponies:

We also went for our first hike of the year! It was really foggy, but it cleared up somewhat once we got to the top!

Now, let’s dive in to my monthly wrap-up!

My Reading Breakdown for April:

  • 5 Stars- 3
    • Collected Easter Horror Shorts by Kevin J. Kennedy
    • Sentinels of the Stone by T.L. Branson
    • Soul Render by T.L. Branson
  • 4 Stars- 3
    • But You Scared Me the Most by John Manderino
    • Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
    • Hug Chickenpenny: The Panegyric of an Anomalous Child by S. Craig Zahler
  • 3 Stars- 0
  • 2 Stars- 0
  • 1 Star- 0
  • DNF- 0

Monthly Musings:
  • Watching: 
      • Justice League (2017 Film)
        • The humor in this one was pretty funny, but definitely a stretch in many situations. The storyline was interesting enough, but my goodness, the CGI could use some work. It felt like the whole thing was super rushed. I definitely wouldn’t watch this one again and I couldn’t even recommend it to others. What a mess. 1/5
      • Murder on the Orient Express (2017 Film) 
        • This was a absolutely stunning film! All of the shots were so beautiful. Unfortunately this film just didn’t hold my interest. Maybe it caught me on a bad day, or maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had liked the book. But I just didn’t care for it this time around. 2/5
      • Beer Fest (2006 Film)
        • Oh my god. How did it take me so long to see this?! I LOVE Super Troopers, but I had no idea the same guys did this film until my fiancรฉ mentioned it when he was going through a list of movies he’s recently watched. I asked if we could watch it right then and there, and we did! This movie was so much fun! 4/5
      • Series of Unfortunate Events (Season 3, 2018)
        • SO PERFECT. The casting for each of the new characters in this season is just as spot on as the previous seasons. 
      • Sherlock Holmes- A Game of Shadows (2011 Film)
        • So much fun! I love the humor and the action. 4/5
      • Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011 Film)
        • I’m not sure how this one ended up in my Netflix queue… but phew! What an intense movie! I was so nervous the whole time. 3/5
      • Avengers: Infinity War (2018 Film)
        • OH. MY. GOD. 5/5
    • Playing: 
      • I’m still horribly addicted to Marvel Strike Force.
      • I’ve also been hooked on Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery. Though it’s definitely not my favorite mobile game. The energy barriers and how low the story is is already irritating me. We’ll see how long I stick with this one. 
    • Drinking:
      • I tried a new Spindrift, the strawberry one. It’s delicious!
      • Listening to:
        • Ember by Breaking Benjamin. This album is INCREDIBLE. It may just be my favorite BB album.
        • My Favorite Murder had a great episode featuring Patton Oswald and Paul Haynes where I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara. Now I cannot wait to read this book
        • [Audiobook Review] The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton, narrated by Michael Kitchen

      • In the bookish community: 
        • The Woman in the Window is going to be a film!! I’m not so sure about Amy Adams being cast as the main character though…
        • I was mentioned in the acknowledgement section of T.L. Branson’s new book, Soul Render! I am still so blown away by this. <3
      • Looking forward to: 
        • Our wedding tasting is coming right up! I can’t wait to try out some bits of the menu so we can finalize our meals options. 
        • Saturday the 5th is Free Comic Book day! I’ve missed it for the last four years, so I’m REALLY hoping to make it this year! 
        • This month is also the annual taco tour! I’m not really that into tacos…but dessert tacos, now we’re talking! 
        • Getting my permanent crown put in. I’ve got a temporary one on now and it’s pretty sore…
      In Case You Missed It
      • 3 May Book Releases I Canโ€™t Wait To Read
      • The Sunshine Blogger Award
      • 5 Things I Like To See At Author Events
      • [Book Blogger Hop] Two Fictitious Towns I Would Love To Live In
      • [Book Blogger Hop] Honest Review Process Stress
      • [Wrap-Up] March 2018

      Thanks for reading!

      How was your month? Have any special plans for May? I’d love to hear about them in the comments section below!

      SaveSaveSaveSave
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      Here are a few more recent posts you might like:

      • Indie Bookstore Day 2025 | Book Event
      • Everybody Is in the Place by Emma J. Gibbon | Book Review
      • Spider to the Fly by J.H. Markert | Book Review

      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Lauren Stoolfire says

        May 1, 2018 at 11:35 am

        I've only ever been to one pro baseball game. One of the last played at the old Cincinnati stadium before it was demolished – and that was in 2002!

        I'm still waiting on my holds on Justice League and Murder on the Orient Express to come in. Hopefully I'll like them well enough.

        Yes, Avengers: Infinity War was awesome. But that end though! You could hear a pin drop (and maybe a few sobs) after that ending!!

        Reply
        • Erica Hatch says

          May 1, 2018 at 9:35 pm

          Oh nice! What a great opportunity to get the chance to go before it was rebuilt! I hope you have better luck with the movies, I'd love to hear your thoughts! And right?! AH!

          Reply
      2. Shooting Stars Mag says

        May 1, 2018 at 12:02 pm

        Ooh dessert tacos? Those sound yummy. And taste testing for your wedding sounds awesome. I think that would be my favorite part. ๐Ÿ˜‰

        I liked Murder on the Orient Express but it's a bit of a slow mover, for sure. As for Justice League – The Flash was my favorite part of that one. I still need to see the new Avengers, but I'm so glad to see you loved it!

        I'll Be Gone in the Dark is SUCH a good book. I actually have it scheduled for review later this month; though I had to go in and edit that the guy had been caught FINALLY, which is just amazing. I need to listen to that episode of My Favorite Murder.

        -Lauren
        http://www.shootingstarsmag.net

        Reply
        • Erica Hatch says

          May 1, 2018 at 9:48 pm

          Right!? I had an amazing chocolate one last year! ๐Ÿ™‚ 100% agree, The Flash was my favorite element of that movie! He was perfect! I can't wait to read your review about I'll Be Gone in the Dark!

          Reply
      3. Barb says

        May 1, 2018 at 12:51 pm

        Looks like you had an awesome month and I enjoyed the pictures. I need to take stock of what I got read. I'd say my favorite thing we watched was Lost in Space on Netflix. I enjoyed that series so much – much more than I thought I would. Hope you have a wonderful May!

        Reply
        • Erica Hatch says

          May 1, 2018 at 9:49 pm

          It was a crazy one!! ๐Ÿ™‚ OH! We started that series! We need to keep watching. Have a great May as well!

          Reply
      4. Angela Lawrence says

        May 1, 2018 at 1:58 pm

        Beautiful pictures! I can't wait to go on our first hike of the year.

        Totally agree about Infinity War – I'm still speechless!

        Reply
        • Erica Hatch says

          May 1, 2018 at 9:49 pm

          Thank you! ๐Ÿ˜€

          Reply
      5. Anonymous says

        May 1, 2018 at 2:58 pm

        I went on my first hike of the year Sat with my newly adopted doggie! We had a blast! I've been wanting to read The Woman in the Window…I definitely need to read it before it becomes a movie!

        Reply
        • Erica Hatch says

          May 1, 2018 at 9:50 pm

          Wahoo!!! How fun! Congrats on the new addition! ๐Ÿ˜€

          Reply
      6. Jenny says

        May 1, 2018 at 4:43 pm

        Sounds like a crazy month. Iโ€™m impressed youโ€™re blogging while engaged. When I was engaged my blogging became non existent. Amy Adams??? I donโ€™t know about that.

        Reply
        • Erica Hatch says

          May 1, 2018 at 9:52 pm

          Yeah… oh my gosh. Wedding planning is BRUTAL. And yeah… I just can't wrap my head around that casting, but I'm sure she'll do a great job!

          Reply
      7. AJ Sterkel says

        May 1, 2018 at 5:48 pm

        I love your photos! The game looks like a lot of fun. I canโ€™t wait for the snow to melt here so that the hiking trails open up again. I hope you have a great May!

        Aj @ Read All The Things!

        Reply
        • Erica Hatch says

          May 1, 2018 at 9:52 pm

          Thank you!! ๐Ÿ˜€ I hope you have a great May as well!

          Reply
      8. Lindsi says

        May 1, 2018 at 9:54 pm

        The girls are almost old enough for family hikes, and I'm hoping we'll be able to pick those back up this fall. We used to carry our son in a harness when we went, but then the twins came and now it's a little more difficult. We could each carry one in a harness, but if the little guy gets tired it's hard to carry him while also carrying them. We take short walks, and my husband and son go occasionally, but I miss the family trips with the dogs.

        I still need to see the new Avengers movie! Congratulations on being mentioned in a book. It's happened to me once, and it was such an overwhelming and exciting feeling. I'm sure you deserved it!

        You've done a lot this past month, and while engaged?! It's crazy.

        Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear?

        Reply
        • Erica Hatch says

          May 1, 2018 at 10:07 pm

          Aww, I hope you're able to get hiking again soon! ๐Ÿ˜€ I'm sure the time will be here before you know it! Congrats to you as well for being mentioned in a book, that's so exciting! And I bet you'll love Avengers as much as I did!

          Reply
      9. Amber Elise says

        May 2, 2018 at 8:23 pm

        Weddings are so fun (and stressful, but a fun stressful), I hope you savor each moment!

        Reply
        • Erica Hatch says

          May 3, 2018 at 12:04 am

          ๐Ÿ˜€

          Reply
      10. Amy says

        May 3, 2018 at 8:09 pm

        I am DYING to see Infinity War, but I admit I googled the death list because I was so worried about my characters and I couldn't wait ๐Ÿ˜‰ And how I regret it… I'm so sad about them and I haven't even seen the film yet! Lol.

        I'm debating watching Justice League. The reviews have been so negative, and it doesn't sound good at all.

        I'm also quite surprised at the casting for The Woman in the Window! I think Adams is brilliant, but she's not how I picture Anna. It'll be interesting to see her take ๐Ÿ™‚

        Ooo wedding tasting! Enjoy!

        Have a wonderful May ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • Erica Hatch says

          May 4, 2018 at 10:46 am

          Oh my gosh, yes, Infinity War is so intense!! And the acting is just so so so good. I definitely couldn't really recommend Justice League… but it is worth a watch if you're not expecting much. The Flash is wicked funny! ๐Ÿ™‚

          Have a wonderful May as well!

          Reply
      11. Olivia-Savannah says

        May 5, 2018 at 10:08 pm

        Everything being four stars or up is such a great reading month! I am glad you enjoyed Infinity War as well as some of the lifestyle things you were doing. The stadium looked cool and I love that you shared photos ^.^

        Reply
        • Erica Hatch says

          May 5, 2018 at 11:23 pm

          For sure!! ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks for stopping by!

          Reply

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      Erica Robyn of Erica Robyn Reads
      Hello! Iโ€™m Erica, a Mainer living in New Hampshire who runs on hot tea, good books, and loud music. Join me as I seek out amazing horror tales and help support the indie horror community!
       

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