Polilla Writes

13 of the most terrifying books published

Posted on October 26, 2021 | 6 comments

Hey there, word lovers!

Since Hallowe’en is fast approaching, I thought this might be of interest to you. I found this list that was compiled by a library. They call it 13 Most Terrifying Books of All Time.

Pet Sematary – by Stephen King
The Island of Dr. Moreau – by H.G. Wells
The Cask of Amontillado – by Edgar Allen Poe
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Turn of the Screw – by Henry James
Frankenstein – by Mary Shelley
The Exorcist – by William Peter Blatty
Something Wicked This Way Comes – by Ray Bradbury
Silence of the Lambs – by Thomas Harris
Hell House – by Richard Matheson
Rosemary’s Baby – by Ira Levin
Dracula – by Bram Stoker
House of Leaves – by Mark Z. Danielewski

I will not read: #1 – Pet Sematary; #7 – The Exorcist (saw the movie years ago and that was enough!); #11 – Rosemary’s Baby.

I have read: #2 – Island of Dr. Moreau; #5 – The Turn of the Screw; #12 – Dracula (only in the daytime) – and they weren’t all that scary to me then. Well, except Dracula – which I enjoyed – although it kind of spooked me.

I plan to read: #6 – Frankenstein; #4 – The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Since I sometimes can be easily spooked, being a very visual reader (and I don’t like being haunted by the visuals), the others I’m not sure about: #3 – The Cask of Amontillado; #8 – Something Wicked This Way Comes; #9 – Silence of the Lambs; #10 – Hell House; #13 – House of Leaves.

What do you advise? Which ones have you read, and what did you think of them? Which ones would you suggest I avoid?

Stay safe and well. Thanks for reading … and Happy Musings!

6 Comments

Posted in Mostly About Reading

Tagged 13 of the most terrifying books published, a list of scary books, Books, books for Hallowe'en, horror, Horror novels, most terrifying books, reading, Scary books, spooky books to read

More brief book reviews: Our House is on Fire – by Malena Ernman; The City in the Middle of the Night – by Charlie Jane Anders; Big Burn – by Lesley Choyce; The Stationery Shop – by Marjan Kamali

Posted on October 7, 2021 | Leave a comment

These are brief reviews of four more of the books I’ve read in the 52BookClub challenge and the Indigo reading challenge.

Title: Our House is on Fire: scenes of a family and a planet in crisis

Author: by Malena & Beta Ernman, Svante & Greta Thunberg

Published: March 5, 2020

The climate change is a big deal – as in, CRISIS – and this Swedish family, specifically 15-year-old Greta, has made more of the planet’s population aware of the seriousness of it in the recent past – and ongoing.

This book is written mainly by her mother and is in scenes rather than chapters. Readers are taken through the past few years so that we get to know Greta, her family, and her cause. Her passion for saving our planet is real, the crisis is real, the need for change is real. There is not much time left to make a positive and effective difference.
I read this book for the Indigo 2021 challenge and used it for the prompt “a book about helping the environment.”

Title: The City in the Middle of the Night

Author: Charlie Jane Anders

Published: February 12, 2019

This is one of the strangest books I have ever read — and I had to finish it! It’s a story about a planet that’s dying, a society with strict, regimented rules and traditions, and a rebel named Sophie who is their unrealized way to change. This is a story to get pulled into and when it ends it leaves you wishing for more.
I chose this book for the Indigo reading challenge, prompt “A book by a trans* or nonbinary author.”

Title: Big Burn

Author: Lesley Choyce

Published: May, 1995

Although this little book was written in 1995, it is still valid today with regard to pollution of soil, water and air, and the ill effects that has on wildlife and human health.
Two teenagers meet and become great friends, while taking on a big business that is polluting the environment. Both their families have been deeply affected by the secrets and underhandedness of the companies they had been involved with, and it is time to do something about it.

I used this book for the 52BooksClub challenge, prompt #52 – featuring the environment.”

Author: Marjan Kamali

Published: April 6, 2021

This is such a beautiful and heart-wrenching story of young love in Iran during a politically tumultuous time in 1953. Teenagers Roya and Bahman are deeply in love but his mother fiercely disapproves, although Roya does what she can to please her. The day they are going to start a life together everything changes for them.
This story takes the reader through the early days of their relationship, and then decades later to an emotional ending and surprising twist. Excellent!
Included is a section Topics and Questions for Discussion. I used this book for the 52BookClub reading challenge, prompt #11 – “Book with discussion questions inside.”

Perhaps you have enjoyed one or more of the above books. If so, any comments on them?

Thanks for reading, and … now get lost in a good book! 🙂

Funny spam mail

Posted on October 2, 2021 | 2 comments

Do you get absurd or hilarious spam mail in your inbox? Here is one I think is quite funny.

What i dߋ not realize is actually how you’гe not actually a
lot more neatly-liked than you might be now. You’rｅ so intelliɡent.

Yoս aⅼready know tһus significantly on the subject of thіs toⲣic,
made me individually consider it from a lot of numerouѕ angles.
Its like women and men don’t seem to be involved until it’s one thing
to accomplish with Lady gaga! Your personal stuffs great.
At all timeѕ handlе it up!

How about sharing some funny ones with me that you have received?

Thanks for reading, and … Keep Smiling!

2 Comments

Posted in Miscellanea

Tagged absurd spam, funny spam, funny spam mail, inbox spam, Spam

National Truth and Reconciliation Day

Posted on September 30, 2021 | 4 comments

Today – September 30, 2021 – is Canada’s first Truth and Reconciliation Day.

Here is the information I found about it:

“This solemn day has been established to honour the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families and communities, and to ensure public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools as a vital component of the reconciliation process.”

The inspiration for Orange Shirt Day (also September 30) came from Phyllis Webstad who is Northern Secwpemc (Shuswap) from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation (Canoe Creek Indian Band). On her first day of residential schooling at six years old, she was stripped of her clothes, including the new orange shirt she had picked out and her grandmother bought for her. She never got it back. The orange shirt now symbolizes how the residential school system took away the indigenous identity of its students.

What this day symbolizes hurts my heart. It is hard to grasp that children could be given no love or tenderness by adults, but instead were handled with cruelty and degrading, inhuman treatment – just because of who they were.

I’ve noticed that a few people around here have hung out orange t-shirts or orange somethings, so I attempted to shape a heart and hung it on my weathered deck railing.

There are many posts I want to add to my blog but this one takes priority today.

Have you done anything special for this important day?

Thanks for reading, … and keep in touch!

4 Comments

Posted in Miscellanea

Tagged Canada, First Nation, loss of indigenous identity, National Truth and Reconciliation Day, Orange Shirt Day, Phyllis Webstad, residential schooling

4 new brief book reviews: The Tale of Despereaux – Kate DiCamillo; Someone To Watch Over Me – Jill Churchill; The Pursuit of Happyness – Chris Gardner; White Fragility – Robin DiAngelo

Posted on August 2, 2021 | Leave a comment

Reading is my go-to thing, more than ever. Although I’m painting on Thursdays again I’m keeping up my close relationship with books. Here I’m continuing to tell you about the books I’ve read for the reading challenges. Perhaps you have read some of them.

Title: The Tale of Despereaux

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Published: September 9, 2008

This is the four-part sweet story of a teeny, tiny mouse – Despereaux – who fell in love with a human princess. Because of that, and not repenting of it, he was condemned to the castle dungeon where rats lived and mice died. Despereaux proved to be clever and brave, not only for himself but for the princess who was in danger. Enjoyable black and white illustrations.
In the 52books challenge, I used it for prompt “author with a 9-letter last name,” but it could also fit four other prompts.

Title: Someone To Watch Over Me

Author: Jill Churchill

Published: September 3, 2002

I read this book for an extra challenge prompt (author or character with a floral name) for 52booksclub, and found it to be quite enjoyable. A brother and sister – Robert and Lily Brewster – who were once wealthy, now lived in their uncle’s mansion after the Crash of 1929. Robert finds a man’s mummified body in the old icehouse, and soon after that another man’s body was found in the woods. New to the community, the Brewsters tried to help the police chief solve the mysteries.

Title: The Pursuit of Happyness

Author: Chris Gardner

Published: October 24, 2006

Having seen the movie starring Will Smith, I was pleased to have found the book. I used it for the 52BooksClub reading challenge, prompt #31 – Book that shares a similar title to another book. (The Pursuit of Happiness by Douglas Kennedy)
Chris Gardner lived through an unenviable childhood of poverty and abuse, shuttled from one family to another. His mother was the person he most loved, but who was not always able to be there for or with him. It was she who planted in him the desire to succeed in life, and the belief that he could succeed in a big way. This is his story of how that transpired, and it is told in an open, honest, raw way, foul language and questionable behaviour included. It is a true rags-to-riches story, and the promise of a boy-to-man to always be there for his future children.

**Title**: **White Fragility: Why it’s so Hard for White People to Talk About Racism**

Author: Robin DiAngelo

Published: June 26, 2018

This is a difficult book for me to review as it is told from the viewpoint of someone who teaches others how to define and expose racism that seems to be in everyone, and how to recognize it. She then explains ways to deal with it in oneself and when noticing it in others. It is rather like a textbook in content and presentation, but still is interesting, educational, and helpful.

I chose this book for the Indigo reading challenge for prompt “A book to build your antiracist reading list.”

So… have you? Read any of these, I mean? Or maybe they are on your TBR list? What are your thoughts?

Thanks for stopping in, and … Happy Reading! 🙂