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Aisha | Bookish Life

@pagesandcup

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🇺🇸 Classic books * Classic crime fiction * Book reviews * Agatha Christie * Book collector * Reader *

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Happy #mugmonday, despite the fact I keep thinking it’s Sunday… 😆 This cute mug is a Hobby Lobby find from several years ago. Their mug selections seem to just get bigger and better with each year. 😍

Do you have mystery series that you will always recommend to people? There are some great Christian mysteries out there, definitely more than there used to be. I think writing a book that is a mystery and interweaves biblical truths and faith can be tricky. I say this from experience! I’ve been working on a 1930’s mystery series for years. I would love for my work to impact others for Christ the way the Lady Trent Mysteries trilogy impacted me. When these came out (many moons ago) I had never read a Christian mystery that actually helped me grow in my relationship with God, while also being phenomenal mysteries!

Gilbert Morris was one of the best Christian fiction authors out there. He wrote 435 books in total. I mean, wow! This trilogy is the only mysteries he wrote though! I remember finishing these books and wishing he would write more mysteries (he was still alive at the time). Reading these books got me started in really searching out Christian mysteries, and have found some great ones.

Today’s #spookishbookishpages prompt is “Haunting”, and Lady Trent is definitely haunted by things from her past. It’s something she’s working through throughout the trilogy.

Have you found Christian authors who write great mysteries? I’m always on the hunt. 😉

#christianfiction #gilbertmorrisauthor #fall

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10/26/26. Note to self: Read more Wilkie Collins.

I thought I’d use today’s #spookishbookishpages prompt, Haunting, to feature Collins’s The Haunted Hotel as well as his more popular novels The Moonstone and The Woman in White. (Swipe left to see all the prompts.)

The Haunted Hotel is a combination of mystery, murder, and yes, a haunting, and although the novella isn’t at the same storytelling level as The Woman in White, I loved it very much when I first read it a couple of years ago for the Victober reading challenge. Both The Woman in White and The Moonstone are books I read in the very early days of my bookstagram journey 11 years ago, and both deserve a reread.

There are other works by Collins that I would love to read, but I haven’t decided what to read next. He was a friend of Charles Dickens’s, my favorite Victorian author, so I feel the need to read Collins’s works.

Have you read any of these books? If you’re a Collins fan, which book or short story should I pick up next? Let me know in the comments below.

#pagesandcup #victober #wilkiecollins #classicliterature A beautifully lit dark academia top-down flat lay featuring three editions of Victorian author Wilkie Collins's novels arranged on a dark rustic surface. Prominently displayed are a deep blue edition of "The Woman in White" with a flying bird motif, an vintage orange clothbound copy of "The Moonstone" illustrated by William Sharp, and a paperback of "The Haunted Hotel." The scene is nestled among vintage handwritten script papers, a glass pumpkin jar, a fountain pen, an inkwell, a wooden hand stamp, and rich orange plaid blankets with scattering autumn leaves.

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Today’s #spookishbookish pages prompt is “Craft”. I immediately thought of craft in connection with writing. We talked about honing your craft a lot when I was in graduate school. In fact, Noah Lukeman’s “A Dash of Style” was a book we went through in one of my writing classes. I wish I would’ve had this book throughout elementary school! Lukeman gives the absolute best teaching on punctuation! I’ve always struggled with commas. I want to use them a lot, and then sometimes I don’t use them enough. 🤣 I think this book should be used in every school, and be on every writer’s shelf. You can always use a refresh!

I picked up “A Novel Idea” several years before I actually read it. Once my dizziness caused me to stop working, I started sitting on the front porch with tabs and highlighters, and reading this fascinating book. This book is a compilation of writing advice from well-known Christian authors. As you can tell by the tabs, I enjoyed this book so much!

Do you study your craft, whatever it is? Do you read books about it, or do you use other sources?

#writingcraft #books #readmorebooks

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10/23/26. What do you do when you’ve read all of the stories in Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes canon? You read about the real-life doctor who inspired Doyle’s famous consulting detective.

The folks at @fsgbooks were kind enough to send me an advance copy of Lindsey Fitzharris’s latest book Sleuth-Hound: The Case of the Real Sherlock Holmes. (Out now.)

Synopsis: “Throughout nineteenth-century Edinburgh, the surgeon Joseph Bell was known for his extraordinary talent for detection and diagnosis. To the amazement of onlookers at the Royal Infirmary, he could read a patient’s ailments, occupation, and personal habits from a single glance. Though such deductive powers were all quite “elementary” to Bell, they had a profound influence on the medical student and budding writer Arthur Conan Doyle. Soon enough, Bell’s methods helped spark the creation of fiction’s most iconic detective.”

I started the book last night and will be reading it throughout the weekend. I’ve been a fan of Doyle’s since I first started reading his Holmes short stories back when I was around 12 years old. I even considered becoming a forensic pathologist at one time so I’m finding this book quite fascinating so far and I’m only in the second chapter. Just some advice if you’re on the squeamish side: the book looks at the medical field in the Victorian time period and it’s not always pretty. Proceed with caution. 🕵️‍♂️🔍

If you could successfully change careers, what would you pick today? Ten years ago, I would have said forensic pathologist, but today I’m enjoying being a retired journalist. Let me know in the comments below.

#pagesandcup #sherlockholmes #lindseyfitzharris #fsgbooks #nonfictionbooks An atmospheric, close-up dark academia flat lay showcasing the advance reading copy of "Sleuth-Hound: The Case of the Real Sherlock Holmes" by Lindsey Fitzharris. The book sits on old handwritten letters alongside a black-and-white portrait of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a classic fountain pen, an antique typewriter, and a silver metal magnifying glass. Surrounding the center are vintage editions of Sherlock Holmes novels, including a green clothbound volume of "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," casting cozy shadows across a warm orange blanket background.

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10/22/26. Ladies and gentlemen … My “Steph made me read these” pile. 👻

Oh yes, it’s @bookishsteph1’s birthday, and we’ve been book buddies here on the ‘gram since 2015. So today, I thought I’d share a stack of ghost stories and spooky books that Steph thought that a chicken like me would be able to handle just fine.

And you know what? I’ve enjoyed every one of her recommendations. Yes, some were more creepy than others (and there are more books that wouldn’t fit in the frame), but I did just fine. That’s probably because I NEVER read ghost stories and creepy tales of horror after sundown. Ever. 😂🫣

Happy birthday, Steph! Please head over to her page to wish her the absolute best day.

Have you read any of these? Let me know in the comments below.

Day 22 of #spookishbookishpages with @bookishsteph1 and me @pagesandcup —> Supernatural

#pagesandcup #spookybooks #gothicfiction #bookishfriends A darkly atmospheric dark academia photo featuring a stack of nine gothic ghost stories and supernatural thrillers resting on a rustic wood surface. Visible spines from top to bottom include "The Woman in Black," "The Haunting of Hill House," "We Have Always Lived in the Castle," "Something Wicked This Way Comes," "The Silent Companions," "Wicked Spirits," "Ghosts from the Library," "The Fox and the Devil," and "Starling House.”The stack is beautifully styled next to an antique typewriter, old handwritten script letters with a fountain pen, a large vintage clock face, a brown ceramic cup with a white candle, an orange plaid blanket, and dried autumn leaves

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10/21/26. Jane Austen with a side of spooky.

Well, that’s what I call this section of my bookshelves since my Austen collection started encroaching on the shelf where I keep some of my (moderately) spooky books.👻

I need new shelves, but that’s currently not in the budget. And no, I’m not ready yet to whittle down the multiples. So, I continue the game of finding new storage locations around the house for my maximalist-but-thinks-she’s-a-minimalist library.😆

Tell me about the most unique storage area for your overflow books. I’m not sure if it’s unique, but I have some books under the bed of our guest room. Those will probably be the first to be donated once I’m ready for a big purge. Let me know your spots in the comments below. 👇

Day 21 of #spookishbookishpages with @bookishsteph1 and me @pagesandcup —> Skeleton. Not technically a skeleton, but you do see the skull on the cover of Northanger Abbey, right? 💀🤫 Swipe left for all the prompts.

#pagesandcup #classicliterature #janeawesomewednesday #janeausten A stunningly organized four-shelf dark wood bookcase displaying a luxurious collection of classic literature editions. The shelves beautifully mix various elegant editions of Jane Austen's works, including custom spine designs, with a collection of gothic classics like "Dracula" and "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." A small, smiling white ceramic ghost figure sits tucked perfectly into the third shelf alongside detailed cover illustrations.

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When I think of Anne, and the Anne series, I associate them most with fall, even though the first time I read the series it was summer. Lol There are some cozy Christmas times in the series too, but fall seems to be Anne’s season.

The #spookishbookishpages prompt for today is “Green”. It made me think of this particular edition of Anne of Green Gables, from my collection. It’s such a pretty, happy cover.

Have you read the Anne series? What season do you associate with Anne. What do you collect multiples of?

#anneofgreengables #lmmontgomery #fall #cozyvibes

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Happy #mugmonday!! This mug always makes me smile. The little Woodstock ghost is so cute.

Whenever I think of poison, I think of Agatha Christie. Agatha Christie worked in a dispensary during WWI and gained a lot of knowledge about poisons. Agatha put this knowledge into her books, beginning with her first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles.

Today’s #spookishbookishpages prompt is “Poison”. I thought this annotated edition of The Mysterious Affair at Styles was a great choice! It even has a bottle of poison on the cover!

Have you read this book or a lot of Agatha Christie? I still have quite a few to read. Do you like to get annotated editions? I love the behind the scenes and history that annotated editions have. What books do you think of with the word “poison”?

#matchyourmugmonday #classicbooks #snoopy

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10/19/26. An unboxing and why I reread classic literature that may not have captured my full attention the first time around. (Swipe left for a closer look.)

When I first read Robert Louis Stevenson’s Victorian classic The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde back in 2019, I must not have been in the right mood because I gave it a simple 3-star rating. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I decided to reread that story of dark transformation this month and ended up bumping up its rating to 4.5 stars and wrote in my updated Goodreads review: “I don’t know what I was thinking seven years ago.”😆🤷🏻‍♀️

Do you reread classic literature that you may not have loved the first time around, or do you prefer to move on?

While we’re talking classics, I thought I’d share what came in the September book box from @theliterarybookclubbox . The featured book was the stunning Chiltern Classics edition of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which is what prompted my decision to reread it.

Also included in the box were:
📖 A mulling spices packet and a bonus Birthday Cake bonbon
📖 Pumpkin Spice artisan marshmallows
📖 Flower bouquet punch needle kit
📖 Hand-dipped beeswax taper candles
📖 A swag bag containing a bookmark, sticker, and bookplate
📖 A jacquard hair bow clip by The Rifle Paper Company

Thanks to the team at @theliterarybookclubbox for sending these beautiful items my way.

Day 19 of #spookishbookishpages —> Poison (technically it was more of a potion that was used in the transformation, but you get the idea. 👻)

#pagesandcup #victober #victorianliterature #classicliterature A darkly atmospheric flat lay focusing on the Chiltern Classics edition of "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson, showing its intricate black, gold, and orange geometric foil cover. The book rests on vintage handwritten script letters alongside a large illustrated art card featuring a mysterious potion vial, a vintage typewriter, a glass bottle stopper, a business card for The Literary Book Club, and a white candle in a holder.

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10/18/26. Do you know what’s more frightening and nightmare-inducing than a stack of classic ghost stories and spooky books? Looking up the cast of characters of the book you’re currently reading and being presented with a bunch of spoilers in the list.😱🤦🏻‍♀️

Oh yeah… I was completely enjoying Riley Sager’s The Only One Left and even got up to Chapter 20 when I decided I could use a character list to keep track of who’s who. So I did what anyone would do and did a Google search. Well, not only did it list the names of the characters and what their roles are in the book (i.e. sister, narrator, gardener, housekeeper, etc.), but it also revealed major spoilers. As in, identity spoilers. As in, the mystery has been solved so what’s the point?😱🤦🏻‍♀️

But I can’t DNF Riley Sager! He’s my newest favorite author of suspense and thriller novels. (I just “discovered” him in August after reading Home Before Dark.) So, I’ll go on reading the book and I’m going to tack on an extra star rating to whatever I end up giving the book at the turn of the last page. But I’m giving Google zero stars for this nightmare.😡👎

What would you do if you came across major spoilers in a book you were reading? Let me know in the comments below.

Day 18 of #spookishbookishpages with @bookishsteph1 and me @pagesandcup —> Nightmare

#pagesandcup #thrillerbooks #rileysager #suspensebooks A darkly atmospheric dark academia flat lay. Centered on an antique wood desk covered in vintage handwritten script letters is Riley Sager's thriller novel "The Only One Left," featuring a vibrant orange cover with a black mansion silhouette. Standing upright behind it is a row of black and dark-spined gothic horror classics, including "Ghostly Tales," "Ghosts from the Library," "Wicked Spirits," "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe, "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley, and "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson. The scene is cozy and framed by a dark typewriter, a fountain pen, a ceramic candlestick with a white candle, an orange and black plaid blanket, and dried autumn oak leaves.

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I have been wanting these special editions of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and thought maybe I could get one at a time when Amazon has sales. But, during, whatever this last big sale on Amazon was called, the box set and individual books had great sale prices. My sweet parents got the box set for me! I’m so excited! They even came with a map. 😍

I’ve missed the last two days’ prompts of “Ghost” and “Classic” for #spookishbookishpages and realized this box set works for them and today’s “Purple” prompt. 😁

Ghost-
The ghosts in The Lord of the Rings have an interesting, detailed story that goes back in the history Tolkien created for the world he created (he was pretty much a genius). As cool as the book version is:
Aragorn finds the Dead Men of Dunharrow and calls upon them to help him, which will set them free. They psychologically scare the Corsair pirates into jumping overboard, giving Aragorn the ships to get men from Gondor to fight in the Battle of Pelennor Fields. Aragorn then frees the ghosts from their curse.

On the other hand, the film version is so visually exciting! Peter Jackson’s time restraint brought him to give the ghosts the ability to physically fight. He had them, with Aragorn leading, fighting at Minas Tirith. Aragorn, followed by this huge army of ghosts coming over the hill and wiping out the bad guys is just one of those moments that gives you chills. 😍 And, that, my friends is as “scary” as I go with ghosts. Lol

Classic -
There’s no doubt that this trilogy is considered a classic. These are the kinds of books that are interesting and relevant to each generation, while also being something that you want to revisit over and over. An added element to Tolkien’s writing is that you can spend a lifetime learning about the depths of the world and characters he created!

Purple -
The colors of these editions are so beautiful! I love how they interweave them by having the colored sprayed edges. The purple is so pretty. 😍

#thelordoftherings #tolkien #classicbooks #readmorebooks

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