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@piedpipercalls.bsky.socialOct 12, 2026, 2:00 AM

You will note that I don't have seven books here for you. I did say that I was going to fail this challenge. My partner's Mom is staying with us for the long weekend so I am doing obligatory family stuff, but I might be able to read a little extra next week.

#31booksin31days #booksky #minireview

@piedpipercalls.bsky.socialOct 4, 2026, 6:29 PM

I may be part of a niche audience that LOVES digging deep into syntax. I loved it. This book felt like taking a seminar on King with a focus on editing. You get a glimpse into the conception of some of his early books and how they changed for publication.

#booksky #31booksin31days

A graphic with a dark purple watercolor background, with a sketchy white rectangular border with oblong white dots. It has a tiny picture of the cover of Monster in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King by Caroline Bicks It says: piedpipercall's October 2026 31 Books in 31 Days* Day 3 Nonfiction? More likely than you'd think. *Michaela will most likely fail this challengeA graphic with a dark purple watercolor background, with a sketchy white rectangular border with oblong white dots. It has a larger photo of the cover of Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King by Caroline Bicks. It says: "After Caroline Bicks was named the University of Maine's inaugural Stephen E. King Chair in literature, she became the first scholar to be granted extended access by King to his private archives, a treasure trove of manuscripts that document the legendary writer's creative process- most of them never before studied or published. The year she spent exploring King's early drafts and hand-written revisions was guided by one question millions of King's enthralled and terrified readers (including her) have asked themselves: What makes Stephen King's writing stick in our heads and haunt us long after we've closed the book?"A graphic with a dark purple watercolor background, with a sketchy white rectangular border with oblong white dots. This has a smaller photo of the cover of Monster in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King by Caroline Bicks in the top left corner. Five gold stars. It says: Warnings: Graphic: Bullying, confinement, death Moderate: Gore, Physical Abuse, Violence Several times, while reading, I had the thought, "This is such a literature major book." The author is a literature professor, so that makes total sense. I'm not sure that the average reader delights in learning about single word changes between drafts of a novel or loves to dive into syntax and prose quite like English majors. Even if others won't have the same sense of giddiness that the author or I would when looking at these line changes, it still offers something that we don't often get: a look into the writing process of one of the biggest authors of our time. I think most people believe novels are born whole cloth from the mind of an author; inspiration strikes and words appear on a page, little changing other than edits of spelling or grammar. What most people miss are the rounds of structural editing between that initial draft and what the book eventually becomes. TLDR; This is a great read for fans of King, but especially for fans of the craft of writing in general.
@piedpipercalls.bsky.socialOct 3, 2026, 4:58 PM

Can it be considered still going strong when it's only been two days?

On StoryGraph I gave it 4.5 stars, but I'm opting to use whole stars for the graphics, and it leans toward five. I can't wait to see what @ghohmeyer.bsky.social thinks of this one when we chat next week.

#31booksin31days

A graphic with a textured red background with a sketchy white rectangular border with oblong white dots. It says: piedpipercall's October 2026 31 books in 31 days day 2 Feminist Fairytale retellings but make it modern and group therapy *Michaela will most likely fail this challenge It has a small image of the cover of How To Be Eaten by Maria AdelmanA graphic with a textured red background with a sketchy white rectangular border with oblong white dots. The top left has a larger image of the cover of How to be eaten by maria adelmann It says: "In present-day New York City, five women meet in a basement support group to process their traumas. Bernice grapples with the fallout of dating a pyschopathic, blue-bearded billionaire. Ruby, once devoured by a wolf, now wears him as a coat. Gretel questions her memory of being held captive in a house made of candy. Ashlee, the winner of a bachelor-esque dating show, wonders if she really got her promised fairy tale ending. And Raina's love story will shock them all."A graphic with a textured red background with a sketchy white rectangular border with oblong white dots. A smaller image of the cover of How to be Eaten by Maria Adelmann. 5 black stars It says: Warnings: Graphic: Body Horror, Blood, Murder Moderate: Self Harm, Sexual Content, Toxic Relationship, Eating Disorder Minor: Pregnancy, Abandonment I think some people might take issue with the ways that this book maintains the fantastic elements of the original fairy tales in what is otherwise a very dark and gritty modernization. I am not some people. I think that choice allows for readers to ask whether those fantastic elements are psychosis, minds desperately trying to cope with trauma, or simply magic. I think each of those readings is valid and adds to the theme of the text. This book asks the reader to interrogate the way in which both the media and "the audience" (both in the story and the reader themselves) commodify women's trauma. It was especially poignant to read following the news cycle this past week. It is a hard read in a lot of ways, but a poignant reminder that survivors live on to see how others view their story, and that can be just as, if not more, traumatizing. I have so much to say about this one; luckily Gretchen and I will be doing a full joint review next week.
@piedpipercalls.bsky.socialOct 2, 2026, 6:00 PM

Started my #31booksin31days challenge by reading an ARC I missed (well, soft DNF'd it at ~20%) back in May. I was frustrated for most of this book, but it's hard to tell how much of that is my own weariness with gothic horror and how much was the book itself.

#horror #booksky #gothic

Dark brown rough paper texture background with a white sketchy rectangular border with regular ovular blobs along it. The top left has a cover photo for She Waits Where Shadows Gather by Michelle Tang. It is primarily red with black text, and has a branch of a mango tree with two rotting mangos dripping dark liquid. The closer of the two mangos also has a large black bug sitting on it. The rest of the space is covered in text that says: "Avery and Carlos Tam have built their lives on logic, not legends. Carlos, the host of a hit reality show that exposes paranormal hoaxes, has made a name disproving the supernatural. But when they travel to his ancestral home in the Philippines, darkness clings to every corner. The mirrors are shrouded. The housekeeper won't stay in the house alone. And no one will speak of the tragedies the family has seen. Some inherit memories, others inherit monsters."The same dark brown rough paper texture background with a white sketchy rectangular border with regular ovular blobs along it. The top left has a slightly smaller cover photo for She Waits Where Shadows Gather by Michelle Tang. It is primarily red with black text, and has a branch of a mango tree with two rotting mangos dripping dark liquid. The closer of the two mangos also has a large black bug sitting on it. The text on this states: Warnings: Graphic: Infertility, Suicide Attempt, Car Accident Moderate: Greif, Body Horror, Child Death, Dead Animals, Insects Minor: Murder, Death 3 stars Was it a bad idea to start this challenge off with another gothic haunted house story when I just made a video where I talked about being burnt out on gothic haunted house stories? Most certainly. Would this have been better if I was excited for the subgenre instead? Maybe? The author made the choice to hide something for plot twist reasons that left me thinking there were major characterization issues for most of the book. Knowing why doesn't take away how frustrating that experience was, unfortunately. Outisde of that it was a decent haunted house story. If you enjoy encroaching infestations, seances with a touch of possession, and oppressive generational trauma, then this is worth a read. -Michaela
@piedpipercalls.bsky.socialOct 2, 2026, 5:36 PM

I miss making little review graphics as I did for my rainbow TBR challenge. So, while I'm endeavoring to read more books in a month than I have in years, why not add more to my plate by sharing my thoughts with you?

I'll tag the posts with #31booksin31days so you can mute me if I clog your feed.

A graphic with an orange watercolor background, a white sketchy rectangular border with regular ovular blobs, and white text that says: piedpipercall's October 2026 31 Books in 31 Days* I've been craving a creative outlet. One way to do that is to turn my mini reviews into fun little graphics. Hopefully you enjoy my endeavor to catch up on my annual reading challenge and get some recommendations along the way. *Michaela will most likely fail this challenge