Tag: ghosts

Ghosts of the Titanic by Julie Lawson

Ghosts of the Titanic
Julie Lawson
2012
168 pages

I plucked this title from the library shelves on a recent visit.  I was thinking of my students who just love anything to do with the sinking of the Titanic.  As I’ve written about in other posts it is always fitting to find out a book is worthy of its price tag before I buy it for the library.

I wasn’t sure this one was going to be with it until I’d made it more than half way through.  I often tell my students that the best part of the book doesn’t come until the middle of the book-good thing I took my own advice.  I struggled with the narration, which gave me little empathy for Kevin Messenger, the young man telling the story.  He seemed whiny and filled with negative energy and his relationship with his father is particularly difficult.  But I love stories that intertwine and this one does just that.  Mixed in with Kevin’s story is Angus Seaton’s tale, a 17-year-old seaman who was on the Canadian ship first on the scene to rescue Titanic survivors.  Through Angus’s early actions he forever connects his life to the Messenger family.  This insider look at those days immediately following the Titanic disaster are little known treasures of information and will delight my students.  The fact that this also becomes a real ghost story for Kevin Messenger will make this tale even more thrilling!

Random quote:

Angus had lost count of the number of trips they’d made to the ship.  Ten? Twelve? Back and forth to the ship, pulling hard at the oars or taking his turn at the tiller, breath steaming into icy clouds, the grim task never easing up.  More bodies to be numbered and recorded, more personal effects to be bagged and tagged.  He longed to be back in port, to tear off his clothing, peel away his skin, throw himself into something that didn’t scream of death. (36-37)

The difficult task of pulling bodies from the freezing water and then recording their personal items so they could be identified was a horrific experience for this group of seamen and one that affected many for years after.  Angus is overwhelmed and because of his weariness he ends up with an object in his pocket that should have been tagged for one of the bodies.  This object links him to the woman throughout his days and makes him crazy with grief, regret and her ghost.

Pick up this book to find out how Angus and Kevin are connected through time.

Happy Halloween.

Peaceful Reading…

The Little Stranger; A Novel by Sarah Waters

My book club picked this for its February read.  It’s a big book at 463 pages for such a short month but it took me less than a week to read it and for me, that’s pretty good.   It kept my interest and I rather enjoyed the lengthy English descriptions but I was left wanting.  Waters purposely never ties up the ends, which left me shaking my head.

The Little Stranger is a detailed story about an old house, Hundreds Hall,  and the Ayres family that lives within.  Our narrator, Dr.  Faraday, the son of a former nursemaid at the house, is called out to the house to examine a young maid and begins a relationship with the family members; Mrs. Ayres, her daughter, Caroline and her son, Roderick.  He’s a country doctor who grew up in the village and visiting the house as an invited guest and doctor is a bit of thrill for him, even though the house has not weathered well.  Something about the family (and the house) intriuges him and he continues his visits to have tea, treating Roddie’s war injuried leg and helping them through one catastrophe after another.  The house is driving the family members mad in one way or another and Dr. Faraday is like this outsider who has a front row seat to the show. 

This is where it gets a bit tricky.  Several incidents are described, leading readers to believe that the old mansion is haunted or cursed, which was creepy and exciting but never explained-just left me on the edge.  I wanted some loose ends tied up.  Part of the intrigue was that the house tormented each family member in a different way.  For Roderick, it played on his insecurities as a landowner/gentleman farmer.  For Mrs. Ayres, the mystery “ghost” was  Susan, the young daughter she had lost before Caroline and Roderick were born.  As for Caroline’s haunt-I leave it a” mystery”-because that one left me more well, mystified than the others.  You’ll have to read it for yourselves and post back to share your own explanations. 
And  Dr. Faraday has some odd pull to the house which did make me wonder once or twice if he was somehow involved. Why does the house never bother him?

Tomorrow night is our book club meeting and I look forward to discussing this story with everyone.  I sometimes try and bring a food item to match with the book.  Last month I brought Baking Soda Biscuits to share for The Widow of the South discussion but this book they don’t dwell on food much-they do drink a lot of tea and cakes but that didn’t seem as fun to me.  I purchased a copy of this from Alibris (a bargain @ $4.00)…just because the library copies were checked out (probably by other members of my bookclub) and PBS didn’t have it listed.    The book now resides on my husband’s side of the bed.  Creepy and mysterious is right up his alley. 

Did I like the book? Yes.
Was I creeped out?  Yes, making it tough to read at bedtime.
I disliked the ending.  My only issue.
What I enjoyed?  The characters and the historical aspect.
Learning more about the class system in England kept me riveted:

Here’s a quote:

The story ran on, Caroline and Roderick prompting more of it; they spoke to each other rather than to me, and, shut out of the game, I looked from mother to daughter to son and finally caught the likenesses between them, not just the similarities of feature-the long limbs, the high-set eyes-but the almost clannish little tricks of gesture and speech.  And I felt a flicker of impatience with them-the faintest stirring of a dark dislike-and my pleasure in the lovely room was slightly spoiled.  Perhaps it was the peasant blood in me, rising.  But Hundreds Hall has been made and maintained, I thought, by the very people they were laughing at now. (25)

Sarah Waters website

Other interesting thoughts on the book:
Wordsmithonia’s review
A Girl Walks Into a Bookstore…
Things mean a lot…

Have you read other books by Sarah Waters?  I did enjoy her style.

Peaceful Reading…

Ruined by Paula Morris (2009)

What would it be like to trust a ghost? What would it be like to befriend a ghost, hanging out in the local cemetery? I actually live across the street from an old and beautiful cemetery and I can imagine it a little…I mean to say, I really have tried to imagine it, especially after I read Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book.
Rebecca Brown, a native New Yorker, is forced to spend some time in New Orleans when her father takes a long-term work assignment in China. An old family friend, Aunt Claudia and her daughter, Aurelia play host to Rebecca as she begins school at Temple Mead, an all-girl, old money learning environment which caters New Orleans daughters. It’s tough getting adjusted to a new school, and classmates as well as New Orleans society rules.  She’s not a major player and can’t figure out why anyone is concerned with her but she’s new and curious-worthy.  Rebecca definetly plays by her own rules.
One night Rebecca trespasses into the cemetery across the street and spies on some of the elite students-referred to as “them” by well, all the other students. These are the same students Claudia has asked her to stay away from, which makes them somewhat more intriguing and mysterious. While hanging around the oversized tombs, Rebecca meets Lisette, a young black girl with a torn dress. Rebecca finds Lisette more interesting than her other classmates at Temple Mead and after repeated meetings she uncovers a family mystery and several hidden secrets that tangle Rebecca in as well. Mixed together with a little romance from the handsome and off-limits, Anton Grey, the story is a pleasure to read. Anton and Rebecca’s porch swing kiss was a wonderful moment, exciting, then a major twist!!

My thoughts: I like a plot to make sense and this one does although there are some twists and turns that make me go “hmmm?”, why did the author choose that path…but nothing glaringly out-of-place. I loved learning about New Orleans history and it was a perfect time to read this with Mardi Gras approaching and the Saints just winning the Super Bowl. I’ve never been to New Orleans and this book is a reminder of how much I would love to visit this historic city.  There are many references to Katrina, which added a timely quality. I love the cover on this book but when I stared at it today I had to wonder who the girl on the front is supposed to be? Do they read the book before they pick the cover? It is definitely not Rebecca, Lisette or Helena? Add this to the many cover controversies circulating right now!

One of my favorite quotes:

“Lafayette Cemetery’s not a safe place,” her aunt told her. Unfortunetely. You should keep away.”    “Why?” Rebecca had a sudden vision of dead bodies reaching up to grab her, their stiff fingers dark with soil. p. 13

This sentence “stay out of the cemetery” reverberates for Rebecca on more than one occasion. This one was not too scary and I like friendly ghosts so it all worked.  One scene in particular took me back to Tom Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut -all masked and bizarre Mardi Gras style-see that image still shivers me while this book did not.  Thank you, Paula Morris for making it just- the-right-amount of creepy.

Recommended-YA Fiction
4/5 peaceful stars
So what is your creepiness level??
Even though this is a library book (UNI) it won’t count toward my library challenge-a friend had to check it out for me as my alma mater does not let alum check out from the Youth Collection-now there is a rule I would change if I was in charge!
Peaceful Reading…

Ghost Story

Book One, 43 Old Cemetary Road; Dying to meet you (2009)
by Kate Klise, illus. by M. Sarah Klise

The sister team of Kate and M. Sarah Klise created a charming ghost story through letters written back and forth between a cast of characters. The story line is fun and the cast of characters have names that will make children giggle. There is the writer, Ignatius B. Grumply (I.B.), who is trying to write a book after a 20 year absence in the publishing world. Anita Sale is the real estate agent who helps Grumply find a writing haven-at 43 Old Cemetary Road, of course. Grumply’s lawyer is E. Gadds and his publisher is Paige Turner. The broken down house at 43 Old Cemetary Road belongs to Professors Les and Diane Hope, who have fled the country to study paranormal activity on the European Continent, leaving their young son, Seymour Hope, behind at the house. This pun-filled cast is rounded out with the resident ghost, Olive C. Spence, and a private investigator, Frank N. Beans!! This book is only about 150 pages long, quick read and I think students will love it.

While not a scary ghost story I like the message of family is who ever makes you feel safe and Seymour feels safer with a ghost than with his own parents. This theme is cherished by many students who don’t live in typical mom/dad family situations. Seymour takes care of himself, even mows the yards for neighbors but he likes to have Olive and Ignatius around. This would make a wonderfully, quick read-aloud as well as an intro into letter-writing as well. The second book, 43 Old Cemetary Road; Over my dead body is out as well.
Find a copy of other well-written books by this duo right here.Here at Highland we have “Shall I knit you a hat; a Christmas Yarn“, a wonderful tale of sharing and giving for this time of year.
Find the book here.

Highly Recommended-Elementary Fiction (2nd-4th grade)
4/5 Stars
Peaceful Reading…

Ghost stories

I’ve never been a fan of scary stories because I get scared easily, really! The cover of The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein (2008) intrigued me as well as the title-everyone’s been at a crossroads before in their life. The inside flap says this:

Meet Zack Jennings. Average kid. He has a hard-working father.
A new stepmother. A new house. Even a new dog, Zipper.

Things are looking up for Zach.
Except there is this ghost. This really nasty ghost.

A ghost who kills
people.

And Zach is on his list.

Wow! Just reading that creeps me out. I had to give it a try though-I had ordered it for my school library based on the reviews but I had to see if it was good scary or just too much!! I was not disappointed and I pleasantly have not had any nightmares involving Zach or his ghosts.

Zach and his dad live in NYC and they are getting ready to move out of the city away from their memories of Zach’s chain-smoking mom, who seemed fairly evil in Zach’s flashback memories of her. Now Zach’s dad is remarrying a lively, young children’s author and moving to Connecticut. Zach is already freaked out cuz’ he thinks his mom is haunting him so when weird stuff starts happening in CT it just seems like normal now. The back plot of the story is this 50-year-old tragedy involving a bus load of folks, a creep in a Thunderbird and a bitter old woman, who thinks she owns the town. This tale is intricatilly-woven and a joy to read-even the haunting parts just because you want Zach to make it through all this. He has a happy life waiting for him. As I poked around Chris Grabenstein’s home page I noticed a sequel is out, The Hanging Hill. I’m going to put it on my Christmas list!! Click here for more Chris Grabenstein information.
P.S. Another great thing about this book is there is a friendly librarian character (Mrs. Emerson) who helps solve the mystery! Grabenstein adds many happy references to how helpful librarians, libraries are to everyone like this one:
“What do you know about the greyhound bus accident of June 21, 1958?” (asks Judy)
“I know how to find out more. After all, dear, I am a librarian.” (says Mrs. Emerson) p. 164
Ever so helpful, those librarians!!
Be Peaceful-Michelle
Peaceful Reading…

Teaser Tuesday


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!
Just do the following:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
My teasers:

He fully expected the
giant oak tree to start swinging its branches and tossing acorns at him. Maybe it would tear down the power lines and electrocute him.

p. 57 from The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein

Peaceful Reading…