Tag: lists

3 Chilling Books to Dive Into This Spring

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If like me you’re fully vaccinated and eyeing the upcoming summer months as a means to finally escape the lockdown inferno we’ve all been living in – then you may have been wondering what books you should throw in your beach bag as you head off to the nearest beach or holiday. For horror fans – these three books are a perfect mixture of creepy and chilling. So slather on some sunscreen and pull out of these novels for a thrilling ride.

REDDER DAYS BY SUE RAINSFORD

Twins Anna and Adam live in an abandoned commune in a volatile landscape where they prepare for the world-ending event they believe is imminent. Adam keeps watch by day, Anna by night. They meet at dawn and dusk.

Their only companion is Koan, the commune’s former leader, who still exerts a malignant control over their daily rituals. But when one of the previous inhabitants returns, everything Anna and Adam thought they knew to be true is thrown into question.

THE UNWELCOME BY JACOB STEVEN MOHR

Kait’s volcanic temper has already scared most of her friends away, and a bad breakup with her college boyfriend Lutz has left her crippled by guilt and painful memories. So, when she learns that her best friend Alice is planning a three-day sabbatical in a secluded mountain cabin, Kait jumps at the chance to tag along, convinced that rekindling their fractured friendship is the key to fixing whatever’s breaking down inside of her. She should have known… Lutz would never let her go so easily. After a chance roadside meeting, Kait’s jealous ex-boyfriend pursues her into the foothills, revealing the monster under his skin for the first time: a body-snatching inhuman entity capable of assimilating and adopting the guise of any human host. Lutz is determined to prove his twisted love to Kait, even if it means carving his monument to his devotion in the pilfered flesh of her closest friends. Now, with miles of snow-hushed Appalachia between them and civilization, Kait must unite her friends against this horrifying threat, and learn to embrace her own inner monster, before the shadows of her past swallow up her life for good.

SUMMER SONS BY LEE MANDELA

Andrew and Eddie did everything together, best friends bonded more deeply than brothers, until Eddie left Andrew behind to start his graduate program at Vanderbilt. Six months later, only days before Andrew was to join him in Nashville, Eddie dies of an apparent suicide. He leaves Andrew a horrible inheritance: a roommate he doesn’t know, friends he never asked for, and a gruesome phantom that hungers for him.

As Andrew searches for the truth of Eddie’s death, he uncovers the lies and secrets left behind by the person he trusted most, discovering a family history soaked in blood and death. Whirling between the backstabbing academic world where Eddie spent his days and the circle of hot boys, fast cars, and hard drugs that ruled Eddie’s nights, the walls Andrew has built against the world begin to crumble.

And there is something awful lurking, waiting for those walls to fall.

Which of these books are you looking forward to read?

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5 Bedtime Rituals For the Best Sleep Ever!

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Are you one of those people that slips out of your clothes to pull on your jammies and crash into bed? Or are you one of those people with meticulous rituals before hitting the sack? Whichever category you fall, these six bedtime rituals will help prepare your body for a more restful and good sleep.

sleep

Remove all your makeup.

I can’t begin to stress how helpful this is. Going to sleep with your makeup on, not only is it a minefield for gaining more acne if your skin is acne-prone or oily, but keeping dirt, grime, and chemicals into your sleep will also cause premature skin aging and dullness. For the best sleep, having clean skin is a must. And since the skin regenerates and heals during the night hours, this is when you want to use any acne topical medication or Vitamin C serum for cell turnover.

Drink Tart Cherry Juice.

I know we’ve always been told to drink Chamomile tea to best relax you and induce you to sleep, or to brew valerian root if you need something stronger. But what most people don’t know is that cherry juice is full of melatonin, the hormone that helps you fall asleep. For best results, drink a glass of this about an hour or two before you’re aiming to go to bed, and allow yourself to be lulled into a restful sleep.

Do 5-8 mins of Mild Stretching.

I usually spend about 10 minutes every morning doing stretches to help kickstart my morning and get my muscles to wake up from the night. Stretching before going to bed can also help by allowing the muscles to not get cramped while you sleep. I usually combine a mixture of yoga and ballet stretches, because they’re the most effective in getting your muscles warmed up without having to necessarily break a crazy sweat before hitting the sack.

Brush & Floss Your Teeth.

This should be a given, but you don’t know how many people skip this essential night time ritual. Not only is this helpful to deter bad breath and cavities, but it also allows you to have that clean feeling in your mouth. And having a clean mouth allows for a better sleep as you won’t have bothersome chunks of food stuck in your teeth or the lingering taste of whatever you ate before going to bed marinate the inside of your mouth. A clean mouth isn’t only good for your oral hygiene, but a must for a goodnight’s sleep.

Listening to Soothing Music Before Bed.

Now I’m not saying you have to listen to nature sounds (but if it works for you, go ahead and do it!), but you can choose from instrumentals, to songs with lyrics. Years ago (back in the day when music compilations were a thing), I had made a mix for myself with songs that would better lull me to sleep. What were some of my picks? Not what many would consider “soothing” but nonetheless did the trick for me. Natalie Imbruglia’s Pigeons & the Crumbs, Silverchair’s Across the Night, and The Smashing Pumpkins’ Appels & Oranges. Kind of like Pavlov’s dogs, my brain began associating the songs on the mix to sleep, so as soon as I’d put it on my brain would get into sleep mode. Don’t believe me? Try it.

What are some of your bedtime rituals?

By: Azzurra Nox