I've missed a lot of round ups this year so thought I should post at least a couple before the end of the year.

Just the 10 reads for me this month, but only 1 comic was included so that's a plus.

Yearly Reading Challenge update - 122/140

Read in November - 10

Audio - 0

Novels/novella/short stories - 9

Comics/Graphic novels - 1

5*

4.5*

4*

3.5*

3*

Just gearing up for the end of the year now, I'm pretty much done with my Christmas shopping and only have to post a couple of presents off to Oz for friends. 

I'm working this Christmas which is shit and I've noted in my recent pay that it has STILL not been sorted which now makes it 6 months of management pissing around. 

In all honesty I don't think I can stay there full time anymore, I've really hit my limit and the frustration of several elements is driving me insane. 

Next year will bring a few changes work wise but I'm not quite sure what that will be at the moment. 

I'm off on leave at the moment and tomorrow I'm taking Boo to the vet to have her neutered so I'm feeling a little anxious about her having an anaesthetic. I'm sure Suzy will love this as it will give her several hours of peace and quiet.

Wow. I never watched the movie, so had no idea what "A Monster Calls" was about. All in all this was a very moving book that hits you in all the right places. I do wish the ending had tied things up a bit. However, I get that the author, Patrick Ness, realized he didn't need to spell things out for the readers. We know what comes next for Conor. 

"A Monster Calls" has 13 year old Conor waking up at 12:07 AM and talking to a monster. A monster that has emerged from a yew tree that sits in a church yard. The monster wants something from Conor. The monster promises to tell Conor three tales, and the fourth tale must be told from Conor to the monster.

You are going to feel for Conor. He is dealing with something that many children don't want to think about. His mother is sick and undergoing cancer treatments. It's been him and his mother since his father up and left them both to go to America and marry and have another family. Though Conor is being in the words of his mother and grandmother too perfect, he wants to do what he can in order to make things easier for his mother. However, it feels as if everyone around him knows something that he doesn't. When the monster comes to Conor to tell him his tales, you can picture the people in them. The prince and the farm maiden, the parson and the apothecary, and the man who was invisible. All of these tales will pale in consideration when Conor tells the fourth tale.

Conor's father is a weak man. I was hoping something terrible would happen to him while I was reading. His grandmother is so strong. I admired her and was glad that Conor finally saw what was going on with her. Conor's ex friend Lily gutted me a bit too. I can see why Conor was angry, but I wish that the two characters had more time with each other. 

The writing and illustrations that make up this book were very well done. The darkness that Conor feels and the anger end up feeling like very alive things. Him wanting to be normal and not have everyone treat him differently because of his mother made sense to me. Even though he takes things a bit far by allowing himself to be bullied. 

The flow was really good and I have to say the world building was top notch. 

The ending goes where you hope it doesn't. Have plenty of tissues nearby.

I read this for Halloween Bingo 2018, the cryptozoologist square.  

What a moving story. Poor Conor. I wish the book had ended differently. Or maybe if we got to see Conor a year later. However, I get why the author ended the book like he did.

I finished the first tale. The story is interesting. The monster that is sometimes a yew tree is interesting.  I loved the first take he told Conor.

Going to try to get to halfway point before I go to the Book Festival. It started to thunderstorm at about 11 PM last night and didn’t let up til around 2 or so. And then it started again around 5 AM. It’s not pitch black outside, perfect day for some scary reads.