Sunday Sundries: RIPPPPPPP and other updates

Happy Sunday everyone, wut wut!

I am actually writing this ridiculously early because my weekend is going to be pretty packed,  but let's just pretend I'm there with you at whatever point on Sunday you're reading this. But not actually with you, like, in your house because that would be creepy without an actual invitation and stuff.

Anyway, now that I've made things super awkward...

Let's talk about bloggish internet things and goings on! I am obviously going to discuss RIP in a minute, but FIRST I want to talk about #readmyowndamnbooks.

Oh hey, remember when I talked about this on the 1st January and then never mentioned it again? Well, I actually HAVE been pretty much following it to the extent that 31 out of the 46 new reads I've had this year were books that have been on my shelves since December last year. For me, this is really good, especially considering the fact that last year that number was 7 (although by this point last year I had basically done no recreational reading so that doesn't really count) and combined with the fact that I've been pruning my shelves, I think I've been doing fairly ok.

But fairly ok just doesn't cut it! Although I've been reading my own damn books like nobody's business, I've also been buying and acquiring books at basically the same rate. At last count I have 353 unread books, which is more or less the same amount I had at the start of the year, and you know. Womp womp.

So this is it, now. I am pledging. From now until the end of the year, I'm not buying any more books. That's right, I'm initiating a book buying ban and dammit, I'm going to read my own damn books if it kills me (which, you know, it won't). This is a financial decision as well as a saving the floorboards one, but dammit, I just want to read the books I have so that when I do buy new ones, I'm really excited to read them and don't feel vaguely bad about it because of all the unread books I still have. And, y'know, Christmas really isn't so far away or anything, so it's fine.

And now onto some real business! Some books I have owned for quite a while that all deserve to be read. It's time, of course, for RIP! I may have stated enough times that it's my favourite book blogging event of all, but in case that didn't get through to you,

IT'S MY FAVOURITE BOOK BLOGGING EVENT OF ALL!

Hosted by Stainless Steel Droppings, the aim is to read scary ass books over September and October and essentially have a gay old time. The most involved Peril is reading 4 books over the two months, and well. *cracks knuckles* I think I can handle that.

BEHOLD, THE SCARES!

The picture quality is pretty terrible cause it was a gloomy day, what can I say, it's fine because I wanna discuss the pile anyway! It's a mixture of books I've owned for ages and books I've just bought/received, and in the spirit of #readmyowndamnbooks, I'm going to give precedence to the books I bought before this year. But, ya know, it doesn't do to be TOO rigid in ones actions, does it..?

Anyway, the books! From the top:

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris- Had for a while because I felt like I should read it, am much more enthusiastic about it after seeing the movie last year (SO. GOOD.)

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane- I tried to read this once and then got bored. I realise this doesn't bode well, but it means that I either have to read it or decide its not worth it and get rid of it. Either way, it leaves less books in my house and I'm good with that.

A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin- I loved Rosemary's Baby. I loved The Stepford Wives. I don't really know anything about A Kiss Before Dying except that it came in a three pack with those two books, so it could really be worth a try.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn- I started reading this immediately after finishing Sharp Objects, and immediately realised that I basically wanted something really different instead. Now though, it could be time to have a read.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier- This was a late addition to the pile, but actually the one I want to read the most (in fact, I'm going to start immediately after I finish this post!) It's a reread, and is just the right amount of unsettling and gloomy to fit in perfectly with September.

The Collector by John Fowles- I'm sensing a theme here, but I started this book once and never finished it either! Again I believe it was a mood thing, so hopefully with the weather and whatnot, I'll be in the exact right mood for it this year.

Blindness by Jose Saramago- I'm always in the mood for a dystopia and this one sounds especially terrifying. Possibly the book I want to read the most, after Rebecca.

The Haunted Hotel by Wilkie Collins- Wilkie is always, consistently, the right choice. Yasssss Wilkie.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury- I don't really know anything about this either except Sci-Fi, but it's Ray Bradbury and Stephen King endorses it on the cover so it can't be bad!

Beloved by Toni Morrison- Pretty sure I tried to read this once and couldn't get into it either... It's ghosts, right?

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill- Firstly, look how teeny it is and perfect to carry in my bag! Secondly, the stage show scared the crap out of me so I am all over this.

The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates- I literally bought this cause Stephen King wrote a review for the New York Times saying how good it was AND I wanna see how Joyce Carol Oates does scary. That was about 3 years ago, but hey, better late than never, right?

Affinity by Sarah Waters- Lesbian ghosts, right?

Frog Music by Emma Donoghue- This isn't supernatural but it is crime-y I believe, and I also find it really hard to be motivated by historical fiction, even when it's Emma Donoghue. Is RIP the catalyst I need? Well, maybe.

Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix- It's horror. In Ikea. The book is so cool in terms of layout and I've wanted it for so long and Ellie JUST sent it to me and yeah I might have to read it. Like, now.

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye- I've heard many things about this and Charlotte just sent it to me and I wanna reeeead about a victorian murderer who is inspired by Jane Eyre, but again, it's new. Of course I wanna read it. So we'll see.

So, yeah. It's a big pile but I am going to have a lot of reading time in September/October so we shall see how well I do. Notably missing are any Stephen King books, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to be reading his stuff too, so if Halloween comes and I've only read Rebecca and some Stephen King, then please try not to be too surprised!

Now tell me- are you taking part in RIP? Are you also not buying new books until 2017? What's going on with everything everywhere?