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[Image by SplitShire from Pixabay]

Do you feel that? There’s a chill in the air and everything smells like pumpkin. Halloween is just around the corner and while your friends might be prepping their bloodiest costumes and scoping out haunted houses, you’re just hoping no one drops a bucket of pig’s blood on you. We get it. Scary isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time. Which is why we’ve put together this list of slightly spooky stories where something’s just a little off – paranormal books that will get you in the Halloween spirit without keeping you up all night.

[TV still from Inhumans, ABC Studios, Walt Disney Television, and Marvel Television]

Marvel is certainly not afraid of experimenting, especially when it comes to the latest small-screen addition to their cinematic universe, Inhumans. The new series officially premiered Sept 29, and a shortened version of the first two episodes were released in IMAX at the start of the month as well. It was an interesting move, for an interesting series concept: a group of genetically-enhanced royals who live on the moon, embroiled in family intrigue as one of their own takes the throne for himself.

The series features quite a large central cast, with multiple members of the royal family front and center, and each with their own distinct powers and personalities. We're taking a look at some of these fascinating new superheroes and the kind of books they would be found curled up with on a quiet evening in the Attilan library.

Halloween is right around the corner, and if you are no longer in your 20s, here’s something really scary: the ‘80s and ‘90s are now costume themes!

That’s right, this year two of the most popular themes for Halloween are the ‘80s and ‘90s, and that means almost unlimited nostalgic costume-options, no matter how you like to rock the 31st.

Mother nature has not been kind to the Latino community in recent weeks. An earthquake devastated Mexico, two major hurricanes flooded Texas and Florida, and a third deadly hurricane has left Puerto Rico destroyed and without power. And it’s Hispanic Heritage Month. So if you’ve already given to the relief efforts and you want to remind yourself of the rich Hispanic culture you are supporting, consider watching a few films based on novels by Hispanic writers. (Odd coincidence—it seems the ‘80s were a good decade for Latin novels.)

Last time: Strange origins and surpise meetings.

Next time: Dracula's type.

Line your life (and your cupcakes) the Geeky Hostess way. Find out more about Tara Theoharis, the founder of The Geeky Hostess—a geeky baking and party accessory brand and blog! Tara gives us the scoop on how she transformed her geeky passions into a business by creating geeky baking and entertaining products. Read on!

Hey Tara! What inspired you to create The Geeky Hostess and can you tell us a little bit about its evolution since 2010?

I originally started The Geeky Hostess as a geeky party/lifestyle blog. I wanted to "level up" my cooking and entertaining, and thought a blog would hold me accountable. The blog started at a time when there wasn't much for geeky women out in the world. I was one of the original "geek girl" lifestyle blogs and I've been thrilled to see that community grow over the years! 

As the years went by, I wanted to do more with the idea of sophisticated geeky parties/recipes, and I created a line of geeky baking and entertaining products. This started with a line of sprinkles in 2014, and I now have a line of literary and gaming-inspired cupcake liners. 

We absolutely love your cupcake liners. Is there a Geeky Hostess product that has a special place in your heart?

Thanks! While I absolutely love the literary liners, my favorite has to be the dice liners. I love creating interactive/themed recipes for my game nights, and these cupcake liners allow me to use cupcakes instead of dice. Players can pick one up and look on the bottom to see what number they "rolled"! 

If you could invite three fictional characters to dinner, who would they be? And what would the theme be?

I think I'd have to host a tea party potluck for some of my fave princesses: Belle, Jasmine, and Cinderella. They can each bring a favorite small bite and a favorite dessert with them, and we'd spend the evening sampling delicacies from their kingdoms while finding out if being a princess is all it's cracked up to be. 

On your blog, you have some great recipe ideas. What are your top tips for making geeky recipes your own?

1) There are plenty of ways to make a recipe from your favorite fandom. You can create a replica of something they eat (like The Doctor's Fish Fingers and Custard), you can create a meal based on the world of the fandom (like a tavern meal from Dungeons and Dragons), or you can create something based on a name, pun, or inside joke (like Banana-na-na-na-na-na-na Batman cupcakes). Figure out what calls to you most and use that as a starting ground for your recipe!

2) Don't make too much work for yourself! You don't need to make an item perfectly from scratch if you don't normally cook. I try to make my recipes approachable to everyone. There's no shame in using box-mixes or doctoring store-bought versions if that's what your time and skill level allows! And if you're putting together multiple recipes for a dinner or a party, pre-make as many things as possible so you're not a frazzled, sweaty mess when everyone shows up. 

3) Make changes to suit your tastes! If you've ever read the comments on a recipe, you'll know that everyone makes substitutions. Don't be afraid to experiment with other flavors or swap out a certain ingredient you don't love. A recipe is no good if you don't like it!

If you were to offer one piece of advice to Quirk’s Geek E. Girls, what would it be?

Whatever you want to do in life: start. You don't have to be perfect, you don't have to go big, but don't give up on your dreams because you're too scared to try. Put your first piece of writing, photography, or demo online. Sign up for a class. Watch YouTube tutorials. Find a friend with similar interests and hold each other accountable. 

When I started The Geeky Hostess, I had never made cupcakes, and had definitely never manufactured any products. But I was willing to start somewhere, and in the process learned so much.