Fear Factor

Clare:

I'm a wimp who loves horror movies. Confusing no? Basically I haven't seen very many and they always freak me out for LONG LONG after the movie finished. This is why I usually watch monster movies and disaster movies - all the fun none of the "OMFG WHAT". So I decided to let Veronika @ Regal Critiques pick out some horror movies for me to watch and rate the "fear factor" of them. This is, obviously, a fully flawless idea that cannot go wrong in any way.

The Conjuring

The DVD claims this was "the scariest movie of the year" which is already a forbidding start. For science I'm going to watch this with the lights off. For science or because I'm an idiot. We'll see.

After watching:

OK. Uhm. Right. So first off lights off was a bad idea. But also maybe a great idea because I was so very, very scared for most of this film. I started the film laughing which slowly devolved into me sending Vera messages along the lines of "WTF WTF WTF". Genuine jumpscares which I always love but not so many of them that they become predictable. There was even one where I fully expected a jumpscare and tensed up and then nothing. Which was almost worse. This is a full on haunted house and possession movie so felt like a classic. I did think Annabelle would have a larger role to play but kinda glad she didn't cause sheesh. Overall I definitely recommend this. But maybe don't watch it alone in the dark. Or do. Who am I to judge?

Insidious

Again with the lights off because I guess horror is just no fun unless you're properly scared.

After watching:

It had its moments but for the most part this wasn't that scary. The old lady sure was. Something about elderly ladies with veils and Victorian garb that is just mega scary. But funnily enough men with bright red faces and hooves make me think "circus" more than fear. There were, like I said, some actually scary moments but there were more times when I was bored than scared. I will give it props for a great ending though.

The Descent

This one actually wasn't recommended to me. This is the first horror movie I ever watched but I was very young when I watched it so thought I'd try again and see if it still scares the heck outta me.

After watching:

Yep. OK. This is still the horror movie I measure all other horror movies against. So tense, so terrifying and so, so dark. I'm majorly claustrophobic so the whole caving angle really adds a layer of extreme fear for me. If you love horror and haven't seen this I highly recommend it.

I've now successfully given myself lots of nightmare fodder and had a really good time doing it (weirdly enough). Have you seen any of these movies or do you have any more recommendations for me?

Halloween MASH

If you haven't played MASH before it's pretty simple! You have a few categories (like Job, Number of Kids, Type of House etc) and various options within those. You then work through the list according to a randomly selected number (crossing off whatever you land on until only one answer remains in each category) and the results are meant to tell you what your future holds. SUPER unscientific. We decided to do a Halloween movie variation and the results are how our personal horror adventure would pan out. We each picked options for each other (teaming up with Veronika @ Regal Critiques).

Ann:

Ann's options were picked by Veronika!

Ann's Thoughts: Pleased with my results because I survive but also - I get to hang out with Dean Winchester and who wouldn't be happy about that? I mean have you looked at him??

Veronika:

Veronika's options were picked by Clare!

Veronika's Comments: This was so fun, I especially liked thinking up the different outcomes, places etc. for Ann. As for my own MASH, I am quite satisfied with the results!? I mean, I survived, which is, obviously, the best option, but better yet, it was me all along!! *cheers* I would have been slightly more satisfied with an axe as my weapon, like Lizzie Borden, but overall, I'm really happy with my results.

Clare:

Clare's options were picked by Ann!

Clare's Comments: OK so firstly - feeling some animosity here Ann! I get NO CHANCE TO SURVIVE?? NONE!?? Everyone else gets to live and I get "torn limb from limb by my own doppelganger". Wow. Mona is a pretty awesome companion though and at least I didn't get Giant Caterpillar for my villain cause that would have been... dark.

Hope you enjoyed these as much as we enjoyed making them!! Let us know what you think of our results and wish me luck with my not-so-bright future? Happy Halloween!!!

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare), Facebook and Instagram to keep up with what we are reading.

Ann's Horror Stories

I recently entered a competition in which I had to write a story of exactly 100 words. This first story is one that I got published last year in a short story collection full of 'spine chillers after dark' stories. 

As I begin cutting, blood splatters onto my face. I smile with pleasure, he deserves this, after everything he’s done. I recall the torture I put him through first, his screams of pain, his begging for mercy, a mercy he never gave me. The bone in his leg snaps from the pressure of the saw and his leg comes away. I move onto his head, his mouth still open from his last scream, from when I finally ended his miserable life. I look over at the corner. She’s tied to a chair, watching me, crying and pleading. She is next.

This next story is another one I wrote for a competition but didn't end up using, however, I thought that I would post it for you all to enjoy.

I walk through the door not knowing what to expected. The door slams behind me making me jump. I hear a noise and start to walk towards it thinking it is Jamie. Where is he? I reach the top of the stairs and see a shadow moving around in the bedroom. I walk into the bedroom and see someone stood over by the window, I move towards them and they turn around. I see his face, it is covered in burn marks the skin peeling away, a sinister smile appears on his face as he sees me. He isn’t Jamie!

Hope you enjoyed my Halloween Horror Stories!!

Would Our Faves Survive a Horrror Movie??

I don't know about you but I have found myself wondering whether I would survive a horror movie (the answer is a resounding NO I would definitely not). So just for fun Ann and I decided to take a selection of our favourite fictional characters and rate their chances in a horror movie situation!

Ann's Picks:

Jace (The Mortal Instruments)

Would do well in horror movies that DONT involve ghosts or zombies - because in his world they are not believed to exist and he wouldn't know how to deal with them. In other situations, however, I think he would do very well. He is well-trained and very skilled in combat!

Harry, Ron, Hermione (Harry Potter)

Hermione would be amazing at this. She would research whatever creature they were up against and then plan everything so failure would be impossible.

Ron would die.

Harry is very resilient so he stands a good chance. He managed to stand up to the Dark Lord many times with just a simple spell so I'm sure he could handle anything that came his way!

Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies)

Regular Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth doesn't stand a chance. But P&P&Z Lizzie!? She would do amazing in a zombie apocalypse - she would have her family fighting with her and she is well-trained. However I feel she would be less likely to succeed in other horror movie situations as she is lacking the knowledge.

Clare's Picks:

Gus and Hazel (The Fault in Our Stars)

I'll be honest - Turtles All the Way Down is staring at me right now so John Green books are heavily on my mind which inspired this pick. But I actually love it. OK so Gus would be useless but hilarious in any kind of horror situation. I can just see him throwing random wisdom at the poor monsters as they (increasingly bewildered) try to kill him. Hazel might fare better, but I think she stands a good chance of sacrificing herself if it would save someone else - especially Gus.

Frodo (Lord of the Rings)

I'm 90% sure that on his own Frodo couldn't survive a stroll to the shops. But with the whole LotR fellowship behind him? Totally. Sam would just carry Frodo right out the other side through the credits.

Westley and Buttercup (The Princess Bride)

Possibly one of my all time favourite books. OK so Westley is down for definite survival. 100%. The monster should run from him, he is not to be defeated. Buttercup.... I don't know. I was going to say her chances of survival were low but LOOK HOW FIERCE SHE IS! There's no way she would go down without a fight at the very least.

There are so many characters we didn't choose because their survival was so obvious (Katniss, Kaz, Inej etc.) but overall I'm pretty happy with the survival chances of (most of) our favourite characters! Let us know if your faves would survive and if you agree with our verdicts!!

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare), Facebook and Instagram to keep up with what we are reading.

How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse (Featuring our Brother)

I'm sure we can all agree - the Zombie Apocalypse is right around the corner. You've seen the movies, you've read the books but are you truly prepared? I know I'm not, which is why I have enlisted the help our little brother Robert, the zombie expert, to come up with some quick and simple rules that will help you ready yourself - and I found some examples from my favourite zombie stories!

1. Find a Base

Robert Tip #1: Get somewhere high

You do NOT want to be surprised. Surprise zombies are the worst zombies. Any advantage you can get is good right? In The First Days by Rhiannon Frater the ones who survive are always up high. In forts, on hills, on top floors of apartment buildings. If you can see them coming they cant surprise you!

2. Don't Waste Ammo

Robert Tip#2: Only shoot them in the head NOT anywhere else

Kind of an obvious one I'm sure but the ONLY way to kill the undead is the head. Ammo is not a never ending resource - this is the apocalypse guys. Of course you could go all wise (Like the above Walking Dead gif) and use a sword. This also comes under Robert Tip #3: If you have a knife make sure you stab them in the head and make sure they are dead.

3. Don't Let Them Get Close

Robert Tip #4: Do not get bitten anywhere on your body

Sure this seems obvious but in how many zombie movies does someone get bitten and then try to cover it up in the hopes that they wont turn. If you get bitten - it's over. So simply do not let them get close. This circles back to rule number 1 as well - get up high, don't let them close.

4. Zombies Are Not Your Friends

No Robert tip for this one because this is all me. I've seen Warm Bodies, I know that makes it look like they can be cured with love? But they can't. Zombies are not your friends. And if you're friends are now zombies - they are not your friends.

5. Squad Goals

We're all better with friends. And if you have a badass zombie fighting team at your back? Your chances just went up. Plus you look way cooler. Just look at the Bennett sisters. Look at them. So stylish yet deadly.

And if you want some more Zombie tips check out these movies for some great rules to live by:

Zombieland (Actually has rules in it - also hugely funny)

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (For pure badassery and fun)

The Rezort (Its dark, it questions humanity, it genuinely made me jump - I also reviewed it here)

Warm Bodies (OK NOT rules to live by, remember to ignore it. But it IS a good movie)

Resident Evil (AND the games - will give you great examples of how to survive)

Dead Rising: Watchtower (Another one based on a game and it was actually way better than I expected it to be)

AND the Books:

This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers (My absolute favourite and will give you strong feelings about Squad building)

The First Days by Rhiannon Frater (A little shaky in places but a really strong example of survival and some great characters)

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (OK I actually haven't read this yet BUT I am reading it this Halloween and everyone always recommends it)

Alice in Zombieland (Sadly has very little to do with Alice in Wonderland - misleading title - but the zombie fighting is pretty cool)

Enrule by Holly Sparks (Again this is actually one from my Halloween TBR. I met the author at YALC this year and she was so nice, and this sounds incredible)

I hope between us Robert and I have managed to prepare you a little for the inevitable Zombocalypse. Good luck out there and hope you're all having a wonderful Halloween month so far!

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare), Facebook and Instagram to keep up with what we are reading.

Clare Reviews: Odd & True by Cat Winters

Title: Odd & True

Author: Cat Winters:

Pages: 368

Format: E-Arc

Source: Received via Netgalley

Rating: 5/5

Blurb: Trudchen grew up hearing Odette’s stories of their monster-slaying mother and a magician’s curse. But now that Tru’s older, she’s starting to wonder if her older sister’s tales were just comforting lies, especially because there’s nothing fantastic about her own life—permanently disabled and in constant pain from childhood polio.
In 1909, after a two-year absence, Od reappears with a suitcase supposedly full of weapons and a promise to rescue Tru from the monsters on their way to attack her. But it’s Od who seems haunted by something. And when the sisters’ search for their mother leads them to a face-off with the Leeds Devil, a nightmarish beast that’s wreaking havoc in the Mid-Atlantic states, Tru discovers the peculiar possibility that she and her sister—despite their dark pasts and ordinary appearances—might, indeed, have magic after all.

If you know me you'll know how much I love Cat Winters' novels. So it's pretty obvious that this was one of my most anticipated reads of the entire year and I was very excited when I got approved for it on Netgalley. And it did not disappoint at all. If anything this was more impressive than I had even expected.

Od and Tru were two of the most wonderful characters I have ever read. They were very different from each other - Od was the more obviously outgoing one but she had a lot of trauma to work through as well. Which means that, as a reader, you are constantly doubting her sanity and how much of what she says actually happened. Tru on the other hand was initially more sheltered but was so, so strong and independent and I absolutely adored her. She had an inherent goodness to her that never waned no matter what happened and I really admire that.

Their relationship was one of the strongest parts of the story. Sister relationships will always intrigue me because I have such an amazing sister. And I loved how utterly devoted to each other Od and Tru were whilst also arguing and disagreeing a lot. It felt very realistic and natural and so I was rooting for both of them more than ever. I not only wanted them to come through individually but also to have a strengthened relationship. Which definitely happened - with a lot of obstacles on the way!

The monster hunting/psychological element of the book was my absolute favourite though. Never before have I read a book that so skilfully played with my sanity. I jumped back and forth between "its all real" and "its all make believe" so many times and I had no idea how it would end up. I do think the ending was the best possible ending, I was very happy with how everything was resolved and wrapped up. And the epilogue was very special and precious.

I know this is a book I'll be re-reading often - especially now I've got myself a finished copy as well! It may even be my favourite Cat Winters book so far. And it makes me incredibly excited for whatever she may write next. It may not fit every Cat Winters fan because it is very different from her other novels in a lot of ways - but it is still her wonderful writing and evocative storytelling, gorgeous scene setting and of course amazing characters.

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare), Facebook and Instagram to keep up with what we are reading.