It's October!

Yay! I'm in a pretty good mood today, in such a good mood that a change in the months feels like something to celebrate. Maybe I hit my head harder than I thought in French yesterday! Oh yeah, and in other news, I kinda sorta maybe got a head injury in French class yesterday. But that's a story for another post!
Ahem.
I love October.
And not just because my birthday is in October (It's also the Month of the Holy Rosary!). Though that might be a large contributing factor, anyways... I like the weather around here in October. It's very crisp and a little chilly, but not so cold as to be really uncomfortable. And the atmosphere feels generally a little more 'eerie'. Probably because Halloween, one of my favorite days of the year! Yes, I dress up and go out. Because I like to take advantage of free candy. And it's very fun to dress up. Last year I was Eponine, and this year I'm going as Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas. :) Unless I can't get a good tattery dress together, in which case I'll go as the (dark haired and brown eyed) Harriet Smith to Libby's Emma Woodhouse. Yeah, my sister is going as Emma Woodhouse, isn't that neat? And my little brother who was Enjolras last year is going as Indiana Jones. He has a thing for heroes that shoot a lot of people I guess. Hmmm, maybe we should look into that. XD
ANYWAY. Where was I? Right. The eerie atmosphere. I don't know, I just love it when things are a little weird and eerie. Plus, 'eerie' is just a cool lookin' word, n'est-ce pas? It's the time of year where my imagination kind of runs wild with itself, and it's also the time of year where I love to stay up late and read some [gasp] scary stories.
So! I thought it would be fun to have a reading list for October (yeah, and that last list... I don't really want to use the kindle app on my computer because reading for a long time on this thing makes my eyes hurt, so it looks like Toilers of the Sea ain't happening.), so here it is! I want to see if I can read all these creepy books by the end of the month. :)
1.) Frankenstein by Mary Shelly
I started this one, and I'm not that crazy about it. But it's a book I might not have otherwise picked up, so we'll just call it horizon-broadening.
2.) Coraline by Neil Gaiman
I love this book. It's very short and you can read it in a day. Also very creepy, but also kind of fun too!
3.) The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
I read the Wishbone version of this book when I was like, nine. And I was bored because there were no major lady characters. But I'm older and less picky now, so maybe I'll like it.
4.) Dracula by Bram Stoker
I read this one (didn't finish it though because I lost it) when I was fourteen, and I recall liking it... it's a little violent though. Seems to me that this is the 1800's version of a slasher horror movie and I'm not sure now I feel like it. But I remember that it was easy to read and follow (though I think that they killed off my favorite character.) so I look forward to this one!
5.) Brother Odd by Dean Koontz
I snuck another favorite on here. ;)

Oh, and before we go, here's a cool poem about October! My sister doesn't like it though because it kind of slams her birthday month. I admit that this poem is a little uppity, but the imagery is so pretty and the writing is great.

October's Bright Blue Weather by Helen Hunt Jackson

O SUNS and skies and clouds of June,
        And flowers of June together,
    Ye cannot rival for one hour
        October's bright blue weather;

 

    When loud the bumble-bee makes haste,
        Belated, thriftless vagrant,
    And Golden-Rod is dying fast,
        And lanes with grapes are fragrant;

 

    When Gentians roll their fringes tight
        To save them for the morning,
    And chestnuts fall from satin burrs
        Without a sound of warning;

 

    When on the ground red apples lie
               In piles like jewels shining,
    And redder still on old stone walls
        Are leaves of woodbine twining;

 

    When all the lovely wayside things
        Their white-winged seeds are sowing,
    And in the fields, still green and fair,
        Late aftermaths are growing;

 

    When springs run low, and on the brooks,
        In idle golden freighting,
    Bright leaves sink noiseless in the hush
        Of woods, for winter waiting;

 

    When comrades seek sweet country haunts,
        By twos and twos together,
    And count like misers, hour by hour,
        October's bright blue weather.

 

    O suns and skies and flowers of June,
        Count all your boasts together,
    Love loveth best of all the year
        October's bright blue weather.