Are you ready for Halloween? I am finishing up Thorn by Vena Cork which is a psychological thriller. It hasn’t quite spooked me but there is a certain darkness to it which makes for an entertaining read.

If you still haven’t found your spooky book to read for this weekend, check out some of NPR’s Devilishly Good Books. After I finish Thorn, I’m not sure where my reading will take me but I do have several scary books to turn to so we’ll see what I find.

Another book I recommend and is now being discussed is The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. The Slaves of Golconda read this one so head over to the blog or the forum for more info. Unfortunately I didn’t get to read it in time for the discussion but there’s always the next one.

This weekend is also the Texas Book Festival. Yee-haw! I love this festival and am hoping to attend although there is a part of me that’s a bit tired from all the family in town, me being out of town, etc. and a cozy weekend with books and crafting and maybe some scary films at night sounds good. So we’ll see what I end up doing.

For now I’ll leave you with a Halloween poem and more bookish talk soon. Happy weekend and Happy Halloween!

I SPOT
With yellow balls in autumn.
I light the prairie cornfields
Orange and tawny gold clusters
And I am called pumpkins.
On the last of October
When dusk is fallen
Children join hands
And circle round me
Singing ghost songs
And love to the harvest moon;
I am a jack-o’-lantern
With terrible teeth
And the children know
I am fooling.

Theme in Yellow by Carl Sandburg

I’ve been going to the bookstore but believe it or not I haven’t bought any new books lately. Well, I did buy a zine, Sleepercar by Theo Ellsworth and a fun journal at Journalfest but no books. Still, this is Casa de Bookgirl so you know new books have arrived anyway.

The first is a book I won in a giveaway Sandy had, The Spies of Warsaw by Alan Furst. I actually got this one last week but with the madness of going out of town and such I forgot to mention it. Thank you, Sandy!

I also received an ARC of the book Tattoo by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán. This is a mystery series set in Barcelona featuring private detective Pepe Carvalho, and ex-cop, ex-marxist and constant gourmet. Sounds quite original doesn’t it? I’m digging the cover of that one too. Reminds me of old noir books. By the way, if you are into book cover design, here’s an interesting interview with the designer.

The other books I got were via Bookmooch. After Les in Ne mention Losing Julia by Johnathan Hull I had to get my hands on it and luckily found a copy of it. Sounds like a very moving story. I then found L.A. Outlaws by T.Jefferson Parker which is a book for my mystery book group. And, finally the last book is also another mystery but this one of the international variety, Devil’s Peak by Deon Meyer.

And, you know, I did get a little coupon for 40% off a book at Border’s so maybe this weekend I will treat myself to a new book. I think I’ll go think about which book I’d like.