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Erica Robyn Reads

a horror book review blog

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[Wrap-Up] November 2018

December 1, 2018      Erica Robyn      30 Comments

Wrap-Up for November 2018

Oh, November. This was a rather difficult month. 

I continued having some drama with updating my name, but I truly believe I’m nearing the end now! And I finally closed out my TD Bank account, which I was so thrilled to complete, especially after my horrible customer service experience at one of the local branches! I went to a different branch to close the account and the staff at that location was absolutely lovely!

I had a tricky time trying to vote thanks to the name change and bad information that was given to me from the staff there. Luckily in the long run it was just frustrating rather than an actual problem, so I am grateful for that. I got my ballot completed in the end and all but one person that I voted for made it into office, so of course I was so thrilled to see the results! 

And sadly, we lost one of the greats. RIP Stan Lee. <3

Without further delay, let’s dive in to my monthly wrap-up!

My Reading Breakdown for November:
  • 5 Stars- 8
    • A Little Tea Book: All the Essentials from Leaf to Cup
    • Are You Scared, Darth Vader? by Adam Rex
    • The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
    • The Cabin in the Woods: The Official Visual Companion
    • Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
    • Collected Christmas Horror Shorts 2 by Kevin J. Kennedy
    • Flying Broomsticks and Buns by L.M. Schukraft
    • Spider-Man, Spider-Man! by Marvel Press Book Group
  • 4 Stars- 2
    • Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
    • Aquicorn Cove by Katie O’Neill
  • 3 Stars- 1
    • Elevation by Stephen King
  • 2 Stars- 0
  • 1 Star- 0
  • DNF- 1
    • Gazelle In The Shadows by Michelle Peach
Monthly Musings-


Watching: 
    • The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix Series)
      • Alex and I finished up this series this month. I still enjoyed it, but I still absolutely hate the way it was filmed! 
    • Riverdale (TV Series) 
      • I continued watching this show as well and love it! Season two was certainly odd, and there were far too many things going on at once, but I still really enjoyed it!
    • Get Out (2017 Film)
      • The plot behind this one was very chilling. Unfortunately I found thinking about it more terrifying than actually watching the movie. With the hype around this one, I was expecting a lot more from it. Overall, not one for me. 2/5
    • Open Grave (2013 Film)
      • This was SO good! I loved the plot and how all of the characters had amnesia for the majority of the film. It was clear from the start that there was an outbreak of some kind, but I really enjoyed that we didn’t learn exactly what was going on until much later. 5/5
    • Dragon Ball Z (Series)
      • Alex and I got back into watching this series. We’re stuck in the Buu saga… my god that character is rough. But I’m loving all of the other characters and seeing them train to try to take Buu down. 

Playing: 

This month we had a great evening with our friends Matt and Megan where we played Joking Hazard. If you haven’t played this game, I definitely recommend getting a set! It’s hilarious!! We were laughing all night. Snag your Joking Hazard game here!


Drinking:
I’m still drinking the lovely Novel Tea that my friend Lindsay gifted me. This is one of my all time favorite book quotes, so I was so excited to see it on my morning tea!

This month I had a new-to-me cocktail that I cannot believe I haven’t had before! It was a Cranberry Moscow Mule and it was delicious!

    Listening to:

    • I’m still totally hooked on The No Sleep Podcast! Early this month, I reached season three…. and all of the lights in the office where I work were turned on just I heard the scream in the theme song for this season for the first time… What awful timing! I almost let out a screech! 
    • This month I also binge listened to the Audible Original Review Evil Has A Name: The Untold Story of the Golden State Killer. I highly recommend it if you’ve been following this case. 
    • I have been OBSESSED with this songs this month:

    • I’ve also been hooked on The Greatest Showman Reimagined album! The song below is my favorite from the collection, but they are all awesome! 

      In the bookish community: 

      • Erin Morgenstern, the author of the international bestseller The Night Circus, is publishing a love story in November of next year! The title is, The Starless Sea. I cannot wait to hear more about this!
      • Chuckles from Chuckles Book Cave shared my link in the Around The Blogs With Chuckles post. If you haven’t yet, make sure to check out this great weekly recap!
      • Roberta from Offbeat YA posted a great article about why commenting is so important. 



      Monthly bookish related haul:

      I’m so pumped about my haul this month! I purchased most of these for myself, but In This Ground was given to me for an upcoming book tour. The gloves I purchased from Storiarts to wear at work when the office is a little too far on the chilly side for me. 

      And then there’s the headphones… my god these are incredible! I started looking into bluetooth headphones after my earbuds started hurting my ears. I cannot believe it’s taken me this long to invest in a good pair of headphones. There’s no going back now! These had been absolutely incredible to wear at work when I am trying to stay focused while others are on the phones, or when I’m walking around the apartment cleaning, prepping meals, or other such things, or when Alex is gaming with the boys and I need a little soundproofing 🙂 


      Book of the Month:
      I skipped this month because I wasn’t loving any of the books this month. 


      Book Club:
      I also missed this months book club. They chose a book that I don’t have any interest in. I’m hoping to jump back into the swing of things with my group next month! 


      My favorite bookish photo this month:

      Looking forward to: 
      The Holidays! I love Christmas and cannot wait for Christmas Cookie Day and all of the other fun holiday celebrations.

        In Case You Missed It

        • [Book Photo Sunday] Books I’m Thankful For
        • 4 Brilliant Dedication Pages
        • Bookish Heirloom
        • [Book Photo Sunday] Bookish Sock Sunday
        • [Book Blogger Hop] Taking Notes While Reading
        • [Top 10 Tuesday] Bookish Items I’d Like To Own One Day
        • Bookish Platform Feature: BookThinkers App
        • [Book Photo Sunday] November TBR Shelfie
        • [Book Blogger Hop] Book Subscription Boxes
        • [Wrap-Up] October 2018

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

        Reader Interactions

        Comments

        1. Angela Lawrence says

          December 1, 2018 at 9:25 pm

          The name change stuff can get difficult. I waited so long to change my name on my notary commission – technically I was supposed to notify the state immediately! Oh, well. I'm really excited about Erin Morgenstern's new book, too!

          Reply
          • Erica Metcalf says

            December 2, 2018 at 1:36 pm

            Oops! haha I just need to work on all my medical updates next 🙂 And right?! I need to reread Night Circus again sometime soon!

            Reply
        2. Donna H says

          December 1, 2018 at 11:13 pm

          I really should get the tea book. I'm thinking of starting a tea garden I drink so much tea. I'm skipping the December meeting of my book club (we meet at the beginning of the month).The book sounded intersting but it is 900+ pages and I just didn't have time in Nov. for that long of a book. I wish we would have chosen it for our Feb. meeting as we don't meet in January so we would have 2 months to have it read. See what I read in November <a href="https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2018/11/novembers-reading-round-up-mondayblogs.html>Girl Who Reads</a>

          Reply
          • Erica Metcalf says

            December 2, 2018 at 1:38 pm

            Oh my gosh, a tea garden would be lovely!! Phew, yeah that's a long one.

            Reply
        3. Abby Miller says

          December 2, 2018 at 3:45 am

          Sounds like you had a pretty great November. I also watched The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina this month and liked it. I still prefer the original series, but didn't hate it. Hope you have a good December.

          Reply
          • Erica Metcalf says

            December 2, 2018 at 1:38 pm

            😀

            Reply
        4. Melissa's Fandom World says

          December 2, 2018 at 8:20 am

          awesome wrap-up!! Loved seeing how you also mention the music you're listening to and things like that! I used to do that as well on my old blog but totally forgot to do that this time around in my wrap-ups. Maybe I'll do this next month then. You've read a lot of 5 star books, that's awesome.

          Reply
          • Erica Metcalf says

            December 2, 2018 at 1:39 pm

            😀

            Reply
        5. chucklesthescot says

          December 2, 2018 at 12:28 pm

          I've just started drinking Green Tea as a start of a healthier diet. I'm easing myself in over the winter! I'm not really a tea person but with a bit of honey it tastes ok. Looks like you had a good reading month with book choices!

          We used to do a big gift exchange and decorations and everything as a family but now its just me and my dad we just don't get into the mood to do it anymore. We just watch a couple of films on dvd!

          Thanks for the shout out for my blog-much appreciated!

          Reply
          • Erica Metcalf says

            December 2, 2018 at 1:40 pm

            Green tea took me awhile to get into! There's definitely kinds that taste much better than others, so I definitely recommend trying a bunch of different ones until you find one you like 🙂

            And of course! 🙂

            Reply
        6. AJ Sterkel says

          December 2, 2018 at 3:44 pm

          Sorry about the name-change frustrations. That sounds like a hassle. The She Shed graphic made me laugh. I hate political ads and the stupid She Shed ad. Have a great December!

          Aj @ Read All The Things!

          Reply
          • Erica Metcalf says

            December 2, 2018 at 3:47 pm

            It sure is! I'm sure it could be much worse, but for an already wicked busy person… all of the stress is very unwelcomed. Oye!

            Have a great December as well! 🙂

            Reply
        7. Jovita @ Inky Impressions says

          December 2, 2018 at 7:47 pm

          Wonderful month Erica. Too bad about all the name change hassle, good thing everything is almost completed. I agree, Bose headphones are the best. I have a difficult time wearing the larger noise cancelling for long periods but love them. I use the Bose sport ones when working out.

          I'm not much of a tea drinker, but do we have plenty in the house. My daughter loves tea, she and her English friends get together and visit tea shops in town.

          Enjoy all your new reads and have a lovely week.

          Reply
          • Erica Metcalf says

            December 2, 2018 at 8:16 pm

            Thank you! 🙂 Have a lovely week as well!

            Reply
        8. Deanna Reads Books says

          December 2, 2018 at 11:04 pm

          Is that the paul holes podcast?!?

          Reply
          • Erica Metcalf says

            December 2, 2018 at 11:07 pm

            YES! SO INTERESTING!!!! I definitely recommend it!!

            Reply
          • Deanna Reads Books says

            December 6, 2018 at 1:07 am

            HOT FOR HOLES!!! I have to check it out.

            Reply
          • Erica Metcalf says

            December 6, 2018 at 10:38 pm

            😀

            Reply
        9. Tânia says

          December 2, 2018 at 11:37 pm

          I'm so sorry about the drama you're having with changing your name. Bureaucracy loves to give headaches! I didn't know Erin Morgenstern was releasing a new book next year. And, I have yet to read The Night Circus. Maybe this is the push I need.

          Wishes of a happy December!
          Tânia @MyLovelySecret

          Tânia @MyLovelySecret

          Reply
          • Erica Metcalf says

            December 3, 2018 at 2:46 am

            I'll certainly be happy when it's over! 🙂 And oh, yes!! I would love to read your review!!

            Reply
        10. Amy says

          December 3, 2018 at 7:14 pm

          I'm obsessed with Panic!'s The Greatest Showman album!! So so good!

          I'm still debating whether to watch Sabrina….I've heard a lot of mixed opinions and it honestly isn't my kinda thing, but the hype has me intrigued!

          Reply
          • Erica Metcalf says

            December 4, 2018 at 11:33 am

            RIGHT?! I can't stop listening to it! Yeah… I enjoyed the overall story but I can definitely see why lots of people don't like it.

            Reply
        11. Shaz says

          December 3, 2018 at 10:07 pm

          Sounds like you had a great reading month, Erica. I love tea as well, especially green tea. Happy December!

          Reply
          • Erica Metcalf says

            December 4, 2018 at 11:32 am

            😀 Happy December to you as well!

            Reply
        12. Cora Tea Party Princess says

          December 4, 2018 at 10:36 am

          You read so many awesome books in November!
          I love a Moscow Mule, so I'll definitely give a cranberry version a go.
          Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/

          Reply
          • Erica Metcalf says

            December 4, 2018 at 11:29 am

            😀

            Reply
        13. BiteIntoBooks says

          December 6, 2018 at 6:16 am

          I'm a big Christmas fan myself. I hope you have a splendid Christmas 🙂

          Reply
          • Erica Metcalf says

            December 6, 2018 at 10:38 pm

            😀 You as well!

            Reply
        14. Olivia-Savannah says

          December 17, 2018 at 11:03 am

          Yay for voting and finally having been able to close that account. You read so much last month and I happy to see the majority of the books in the 5 stars section. And also, yay for being able to love the new Greatest Showman Reimagined 😉

          Reply
          • Erica Metcalf says

            December 17, 2018 at 11:31 am

            😀

            Reply

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        Hello! I’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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