Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury is an amazing writer of many great books. I picked a few of his more festive books, perfect for October and Halloween.

The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
About: Eight boys set out on a Halloween night and are led into the depths of the past by a tall, mysterious character named Moundshroud. They ride on a black wind to autumn scenes in distant lands and times, where they witness other ways of celebrating this holiday about the dark time of year. Bradbury's lyrical prose whooshes along with the pell-mell rhythms of children running at night, screaming and laughing, and the reader is carried along by its sheer exuberance. (from amazon.com)

The October Country by Ray Bradbury

About: Ray Bradbury's first short story collection is back in print, its chilling encounters with funhouse mirrors, parasitic accident-watchers, and strange poker chips intact. Both sides of Bradbury's vaunted childhood nostalgia are also on display, in the celebratory "Uncle Einar," and haunting "The Lake," the latter a fine elegy to childhood loss. This edition features a new introduction by Bradbury, an invaluable essay on writing, wherein the author tells of his "Theater of Morning Voices," and, by inference, encourages you to listen to the same murmurings in yourself. And has any writer anywhere ever made such good use of exclamation marks!? (from goodreads.com)

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

About: James Nightshade and William Halloway, and the evil that grips their small Midwestern town with the arrival of a "dark carnival" one Autumn midnight. How these two innocents, both age 13, save the souls of the town (as well as their own), makes for compelling reading on timeless themes. What would you do if your secret wishes could be granted by the mysterious ringmaster Mr. Dark? Bradbury excels in revealing the dark side that exists in us all, teaching us ultimately to celebrate the shadows rather than fear them. In Something Wicked This Way Comes, he deftly explores the fearsome delights of one perfectly terrifying, unforgettable autumn. (from goodreads.com)

All of these books are great for the fall season. I personally haven't read them yet, but they are on request at the library. I have seen The Halloween Tree cartoon, and Something Wicked This Way Comes Disney movie, which I highly recommend both for fun Halloween movies!

Its true, For A Rainy Day has now had over 1500 visitors...and no they were not all me! I've only had my book blog since June and already 7 followers and 1500 visitors! Its exciting knowing people actually read my blog! Here's to 2000 visitors and much much more followers to come!

New! Brains: A Zombie Memoir

Brains: A Zombie Memoir by Robin Becker

About: Since being cornered and bitten in his home by a swarm of zombies, former college professor Jack Barnes has found a new love: brains. Not just any brains, but “bubbly, bewitching, bedazzling brains.” While he may be a zombie (he ate his wife shortly after being turned), a classic, arms-outstretched, shambling zombie he is not. He has something special that the rest of the infected don't: self-awareness. That and his ability to write convince him to go to Chicago to find the scientist who created the virus responsible for zombification and, he hopes, end the war between the living and the dead. En route he meets a few “like-minded” undead compatriots, all with varying degrees of sentience, to help him on his quest: Joan, once a nurse, who is particularly skilled at patching up body parts; Guts, a young man who can still run with the best of them; pregnant Eve, whom Jack falls for after biting off her finger; and Ros, a spokesman of sorts, since he's still able to talk. Becker's humorous first-person narrative will have readers rooting for the zombie crew, and she keeps the action moving at breakneck pace. Smart, funny, weirdly uplifting, Brains is a most welcome addition to zombie lit. (from amazon.com)
I'm always in the mood for a good zombie book, and from the sounds of this one, its definitely a good one. Its interesting that the book is from the view of a zombie who, by the sounds of it, is smart, and can think for himself. Wouldn't that be terrifying, but he seems to be using his skills for good. Can't wait to read this one.

Neil Gaiman, A Cat?

Yes, Its true. Neil Gaiman will be playing himself on the PBS Kids tv series Arthur. I used to watch Arthur all the time when I was younger, and still do. Its such a great kids show and I love how they involve a lot of adult humor into their show. We will see Gaiman visiting Arthur's town of Elwood, where he inspires one of Arthur's female pals (the bookwormy Sue Ellen) to create a graphic novel.
“On October the 25th, I’ll be on PBS’s Arthur. I play a writer called Neil Gaiman. I’m a writer who’s a cat. You can be both.” - Neil Gaiman

Reuse Your Used Books

For those books you don't read anymore, ones you just can't bare to throw away, or maybe you just have too many. Here are some ideas to put your old books to a new use.

1. Create A Shelf...using hard cover books.
2. Hollow Out...A hard cover book for a secret compartment.
3. Make A Lamp Shade...Use your old book to illuminate your new ones.
4. Make A Book Wreath...Its beautiful and unique!
5. Use It For Your Artistic Side...This would not be my side. HERE are more artistic book ideas.
6. Make A Purse...For the fashionable bookworm in all of us.

New! This World We Live

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer

About: It's been a year since a meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth's climate. For Miranda Evans, life as she knew it no longer exists. Her friends and neighbors are dead, the landscape is frozen, and food is increasingly scarce. The struggle to survive intensifies when Miranda's father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and as Miranda's complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for his future thwart their relationship. Then a devastating tornado hits the town of Howell, and Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever. (from amazon.com)
I think I get in these weird book phases. First it was end of the world books, now I seem to be finishing book series. Maybe because I'm dying to read Mockingjay (that I still have no money to buy, its sad I know). I don't know why I haven't got this one earlier, maybe cause I've had so many other books to read, but I finally requested it from the library and will be reading the last book in The Last Survivor series very soon!

Review: Rebel Angels

Rebel Angels by Libba Bray
About:In this sequel to the Victorian fantasy A Great and Terrible Beauty, Gemma continues to pursue her role as the one destined to bind the magic of the Realms and restore it to the Order. Gemma, Felicity and Ann, use magical power to transport themselves on visits from their corseted world to the visionary country of the Realms, with its strange beauty and menace. There they search for the lost Temple, the key to Gemma's mission, and comfort Pippa, their friend who has been left behind in the Realms. Meanwhile, Gemma is torn between her attraction to the exotic Kartik, the messenger from the opposing forces of the Rakshana, and the handsome but clueless Simon, a young man of good family who is courting her. The complicated plot thickens when Gemma discovers a woman in Bedlam madhouse who knows where to find the Temple. A large part of the enjoyment of this unusual fantasy comes from the Victorian milieu and its restrictive rules about the behavior of proper young ladies, as contrasted with the unimaginable possibilities of the Realms, where Gemma has power to confront gorgons and ghosts and the responsibility to save a world. (from amazon.com)

Review: After being surprised of how good the first book was, I knew I really wanted to finish the series. So finally I got this book from the library and have finally finished it. This book took place the majority in London when the girls go back for Christmas. I think it was so exciting reading about them running through the London streets, attending balls, visiting asylums and returning to the other world. I liked how the characters developed more, you got to know them and understand the characters. It was also a lot more fast passed and thrilling. I found myself staying up later than I probably should have, not being able to put the books down. The second book is even better than the first. I am really enjoying these series, I really like the main character Gemma, and her best friends Felicity and Ann. You really get to know them better and their about their life and their pasts. Katrik was in this book more too, and I found myself just wanting them to get together. I mean they obviously like eachother, and Gemma is totally jealous when Kartik, as he becomes their coachman as to keep a better eye on Gemma since he's been told to make her seal the magic to his brotherhood the Rakshana, is talking to their maid Emily. And Katrik is obviously jealous of the hansom Simon, who is infatuated with Gemma. I just want Gemma and Katrik to kiss already! But I like how most of the story is in the realms and the girls are trying to bind the magic and find the temple! Oh man its just such a fun read! I highly recommend picking up the first book and starting this amazing journey.

School Books

Sorry for the lack of posts, I've recently started school and its been a hellish couple of weeks. I've either been at school for 9 hours or worked for 10, and if I'm not at school or work, I'm doing homework. So that is my reasoning for not being able to blog. And I believe its a very valid one. So while I haven't been blogging, I've still been reading. My books have just slightly changed for the next for months. Here are the books I will be reading...

French, Humanities, English and yet another Humanities book.

I know not quite as exciting as Suzanne Collins or Dan Brown, but they will have to do.