It's Spooky Book Season!

What a lovely quote!

I am a scaredy cat, but I absolutely love a creepy story whether it's in the form of a movie, a television series or a book. I steer clear of anything that has to do with possessions or exorcisms. I don't want to end up inviting any spirits into my house or into myself; I'm crazy enough as it is.

When I began reading Help for the Haunted I was drawn to it because it sounded like an interesting psychological thriller and psychological thrillers are my favorite genre of book to read!

Help for the Haunted turned out to have spooky elements, which I wasn’t expecting. Each page became spookier and scarier as I continued reading. It would have been a good idea to stop reading the book altogether, because I was getting to the point where I didn’t want to turn the lights off when I went to bed. But the story was so good I couldn’t put it down! I just had to find out the truth of the situation. In the end, an unexpected twist left me feeling silly for the tricks my imagination played on me. That’s what great writing can do!

When I read this, I imagined myself in the Handmaid’s shoes. All of her freedoms had been stripped and she deeply craved any glimmer of normalcy. It made me think of some of the ridiculous arguments that I have with my husband. There are always crumbs scattered all over our kitchen counter after he makes one of his sandwiches and, no matter how many times I point it out, I still find sprinkles of coffee grains on the floor around the garbage can. I imagined how I would feel if he was removed from me and I was never able to nag him ever again. In the sentiment of LeAnn Rimes, I wouldn’t be able to breathe without him. I lived alone for a very, very long time, so although those little things about my husband might be annoying, it is also a huge privilege for me to find a mess that someone else made because it means that I’m no longer living this life on my own.

 

It’s never pleasant when trust is broken. When you realize what you thought was, isn’t. No matter if the trust breaking incident was big or small, it changes how you view your world; and each time you experience mistrust it chips away at your level of innocence. 

One of my struggles with experiencing mistrust is trying not to allow the actions of others to change who I am or to change how I trust and allow new people into my life. I'm still learning how to leave time for trust to develop and I'm trying to open myself up to the idea that trust can be rebuilt.

Books Featuring Dysfunctional Mothers

When you think of what the word 'mother' means to you, some of the words that might spring to mind are: comfort, support, peace, safety and love. The truth is that not all of us were blessed with traditional mothering. Some of us were unfortunate in experiencing a dysfunctional, abusive, neglectful, toxic, or narcissistic mother.

In my 20's I went through a period where I read a heap of books that featured dysfunctional family relationships. Reading about unusual family dynamics helped me to make sense of my own experiences, they helped me to heal and, let's be real, dysfunctional families are extremely fascinating.

In continuing to recognize mothers in May, I'm sharing a few of my favorite reads featuring mothers who had quite peculiar methods to their mothering.

 

THE FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC SERIES, BY V.C. ANDREWS

WHITE OLEANDER, BY JANET FITCH

PUSH, BY SAPHIRRE

LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE, BY LAURA ESQUIVEL

A CHILD CALLED IT (SERIES), BY DAVE PELTZER

I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS, MAYA ANGELOU

LYING IN WAIT, BY LIZ NUGENT

 

CARRIE, BY STEPHEN KING

GREY GARDENS - DOCUMENTARY FILM 

(This one isn't a book, but a documentary film and also a movie.)