Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley

Young Edgar loves visiting his eccentric, Great-Great Uncle Montague even if it means going though the spooky woods to get there. For Uncle Montague is a very talented storyteller and has a story to tell about all the creepy odds and ends he has lying around his study.

I loved the goosebumpy feeling I had the whole time I read this book. The fact that each tale’s main character was a child made it even more spooky for me. I loved the gothicy feel each tale had and although the stories were short they were definitely potent and got their message across. As always, my main complaint with short stories... that they are just too short and right when I'm finally getting into the story they end.

Needless to say, I thought Mr. Priestley delivered with this group of stories. The underlying story of Uncle Montague and Edgar was, I think, the creepiest by far... but I won't give anything away. I loved the wordplay used, I think Mr. Priestley has a talent for using simple words and descriptions that definitely enhance his stories and make them far more sinister. Although I felt some of the stories ended quite abruptly, in retrospect, I think, this was what made me think of them well after I was done reading them.

I recommend that younger readers take the warning on the back cover seriously, as this isn't a book to be read alone or late at night... especially those who are faint of heart. If they are brave enough, then I definitely recommend a quick glance in the closet and definitely take a peek under the bed.

As the not-so-young adult I am, I found these to be deliciously creepy, spine-tingling and definitely worth the read.

Ruined: A Ghost Story by Paula Morris

When Rebecca’s father needs to travel out of the country on business for several months, he has no other choice but to leave her with her aunt Claudia and cousin Aurelia. She is none to happy about this - leaving the comforts of her home in New York City to live in post-Katrina New Orleans, where she is to start a new school for the reminder of the school year.

Upon her arrival, her aunt warns her to stay away from the cemetery across the road from their house. But Lafayette Cemetery doesn’t seem like a dangerous place to Rebecca, instead she can’t wait to make her way through its tombs. When a few of her classmates sneak into the cemetery at night she finds this the appropriate moment not only to spy on the snobby girls from her school, but also to venture through the cemetery. She not only gets lost in the cemetery but runs into a friendly girl, Lisette, who helps her find her way out of the cemetery in time without getting locked in or anyone finding out she was there in the first place. Lisette and Rebecca quickly become friends, but it doesn’t take long for Rebecca to realize that there’s something very different about her new friend... Lisette is a ghost.

Lisette is a ghost with a secret and she needs Rebecca’s help. But Rebecca soon find herself drawn into a multi-generation curse where danger lurks around every corner. Rebecca has made a pact to help Lisette - but can she trust Anton, the cute boy who tries to befriend her but is also one of the rich kids in town? What about aunt Claudia? How much does she really know?

Ruined is foremost a ghost story - but there’s also so much more to it. I absolutely loved Rebecca. She was a very refreshing character - brave, strong, not bothered by her lack of popularity and stood her ground when confronted by the “mean girls” of her new school. I liked that she wasn’t worried with how she looked or what anyone thought of her. None of that teen drama/angst about fitting in with the rich girls... I found her to be a very real voice. I also really enjoyed reading about post-Katrina New Orleans. When Lisette and Rebecca take a walk through town, you almost feel as if you are walking with them. All the details and stories along the way... I think this was my favorite part. I loved reading about the older New Orleans families, their homes and their traditions surrounding Mardi Gras.

I was intrigued from the start by Lisette's death - and the curse that ensued. It was a real page-turner for me... I just needed to find out what happened and how it would all end. There were a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming and that made for good reading. You were just never sure where the story was going. Did the rich girls really want to befriend Rebecca or did they have ulterior motives? Was Anton interested in more than a friendship or was he just playing with her? And what about Lisette? How much can you really trust a ghost?

I found this to be a very enjoyable read and would definitely recommend to anyone who likes ghosts, romance, quirky characters, history, all mixed together with the flavor of New Orleans.

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

Helen has been haunting people for over a century. She is used to her lonely existence... never seen, never heard, but in some ways she feels as if she has been a muse to her hosts (or the people she haunts), she has inspired them. She doesn’t remember much of her past life other than her name and her age and has always felt that something has kept her from heaven, but she just can't remember what it was. She refers to herself as Light, while she calls living human beings the Quick.

One day while in class with the English teacher she has been haunting, she feels eyes on her. One of the students can see her!?! Billy Blake is the emo kid in the back of the room, does drugs, doesn’t do very well in class, nothing unremarkable about him at all. That is until a ghost named James takes over his body after Billy’s spirit leaves his body after a drug overdose. Billy (or really James) can now see Helen. He explains how Billy’s spirit left his body behind and he is now in that body.

As Helen and James begin to fall in love - there are obviously some issues with this relationship. Helen’s lack of a body being the biggest. Luckily for Helen, James has a knack for finding spirit-less bodies, and they find one body belonging to a girl named Jenny whom is also roaming around spirit-less. With both Helen and James having bodies they can now love each other more freely and also help one another discover details to their lives before being “light” but there are still many obstacles in their path - especially those of the lives of the two kids they are now inhabiting.

This was surprisingly very good. It was beautifully written, almost lyrical in nature. You become immersed in Helen and James, and their star-crossed lover-esque type relationship, from the start. You can't help rooting for their love and can only hope that they can somehow find a way to make it work.

Although this is classified as young adult novel, I think it is geared more towards older teens and adults. For starters, James and Helen are both in their late 20's so they might look like teenagers, but they certainly don't talk, feel or act like teenagers. Also, I will forewarn that there are some sex scenes (yes, more than one). But they were very tasteful - more like a fade to black, but still more than you normally find in your everyday YA novel.

All in all, reading A Certain Slant of Light was a joy. There are so many emotions infused in the storyline (i.e. hope, self-forgiveness, longing, love) that at times I wasn't sure if to laugh or cry (although I will confess that I did both). I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a ghost story that will leave you feeling haunted and have you thinking about it long after you have put it down.

My Rating: 

Giveaway Results: A Highlander's Temptation

And the winners of A Highlander's Temptation by Sue-Ellen Welfonder are:

Emma
scottsgal
Luvdaylilies
elaing8
Jane

Way to go ladies! Winners were chosen using randomizer.org. I will be e-mailing each of you. You have until Thursday to get back to me, if I haven't heard from you by then, a new winner will be chosen.

If you're still interested in more giveaways, check out my giveaways page [here]. More giveaways will be posted later today and throughout the week - so stay tuned.

What are you Reading on Mondays? (Week 10/19/09)

For everyone else's responses, please visit J. Kaye at J. Kaye's Book Blog. What am I reading this week:

Last week I read the following:

- Oh. My. Gods. - Tera Lynn Childs
- Ruined: A Ghost Story - Paula Morris
- A Certain Slant of Light - Laura Whitcomb
- Beastly - Alex Flinn
- Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror - Chris Priestly
- Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr
- A Marquis to Marry - Amelia Gray

I reviewed the following:

- Another Faust - Daniel and Dina Nayeri [review/giveaway]
- Dying to Meet You: 43 Old Cemetery Road - Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise [review]
- The Return - Victoria Hislop [review]
- Tall, Dark & Fangsome - Michelle Rowen [review/giveaway]
- The Magician's Elephant - Kate DiCamillo [review]

What are you reading this week?

Halloween Bookmark Giveaway

I have a special giveaway for you guys today.

This one will be short since I want to get these out to you guys by Halloween.

A close friend of mine, mixed media artist, a/k/a Artsy-Fartsy, co-worker of mine - Mireya De Jesus, has honored me with a few lovely, hand-crafted bookmarks in honor of Halloween. These are one-of-a-kind, hand-painted and exquisitely detailed.

I did take pictures for you guys to get a feel for them - but these pictures can never do them justice. They are beautiful - the colors are vivid and there are all these tiny details that unless you were actually holding one of them in your hand you would not be able to see.

If you're like me, any of these will be a treasure to your collection (because yes, I have a bookmark collection)... and proud of it. :p

I will do my best to get these out to you by Halloween - contest ends Friday, October 23. Open internationally.

To learn more about artist, Mireya De Jesus, you can see all her awesomeness at Flickr or you can e-mail her directly at mireya.dejesus[at]yahoo.com