Ghosts of Greenglass House by Kate Milford 456 pages

This is the sequel to Greenglass House.  It's one year later and Milo is not in a great mood.  It's not snowing, his teacher makes unfair assumptions because of Milo's race, and worst of all, his parents' hotel has a guest that just won't leave and it's almost Christmas.  It certainly doesn't help that his friend, Meddy, who happens to be a ghost, hasn't appeared for nearly a full year and Milo doesn't understand why.  Milford is exceptional at describing settings and having completely character-driven plots.  Her dialogue between characters is so believable, you can actually hear the voices.  I love these books with their quiet, but intriguing stories unfolding within the pages.  I wouldn't recommend this for a reluctant reader, but if you have a kid who loves to read and get wrapped up in a story, this is an excellent choice. 

The Uninvited: The True Story of the Union Screaming House by Steven LaChance, 264 pages

Confession time: I'm OBSESSED with anything paranormal related. I have been since I was a kid, and it seems to get worse around Halloween time. I picked up this book because it sounded nice and spooky. It was definitely scary in some parts, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that this supposed haunting takes place in Union, Missouri! I would recommend this quick and spooky read for anyone interested in the paranormal, or just wanting a good scare!

Journey's End by Rachel Hawkins 286 pages

Welcome to Journey's End, a charming village on a coast in Scotland where there is a massive fog bank that just might eat you if you get too close to it!  Not exactly the best travel brochure tagline, but it makes for a really fun story.  I love the accents, the atmosphere and the mystery that this book had in spades.  Listening to it was nice, because the reader had a nice Scottish accent.  The three main characters were relatable, joining forces to solve a centuries-old mystery that starts out just as a fun bit of lore, but ends up being far more dire.  It never got terribly dark or scary, so it's fine for young readers, too.  I recommend this one for 3rd to 5th graders primarily, but anyone who likes the idea of a new Nessie-like legend should enjoy this.  I get the feeling it is the first of a series, and see lots of possibilities.  I listened to this one read by Saskia Maarleveld. 

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier 239 pages

This was such a great story.  The beauty of a graphic novel is that it is a really fast read, but you still get an emotional impact when it's done right.  Cat and Maya are sisters who have had to move because Maya has Cystic Fibrosis and a different environment was recommended.  Their new home town is rumored to be a favorite hangout for ghosts and the girls soon discover for themselves how true this is.  Maya is such a spirited kid and Cat is so fearful of the world, but anyone would be able to relate to them both.  It makes it hard to watch Cat shy away from a world that Maya would happily jump into with both feet if she were able.  As a slice of life story with a kind of fantastic twist, this is extremely satisfying.  I highly recommend to all ages, especially if you like graphic novels. 

The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein 329 pages

Chris Grabenstein is well-known for his Mr. Lemoncello series and for working with James Patterson on books like I, Funny.  You can imagine my surprise, then, that he could be such an effective and chilling horror writer.  This story is still very accessible to children, probably 5th grade and up would be the recommendation, but there were some very spooky bits.  This is the first in a series where the protagonist, Zach Jennings, not only sees ghosts, but interacts with them and solves mysteries with his super cool stepmom.  Grabenstein has proven that he can write exceptional stories for all ages.  I think teens and adults who enjoy a ghost story with personality and lots of atmosphere would enjoy this one, too. 

Coraline by Neil Gaiman 162 pages

In preparation for a cosplay of Other Mother, I listened to Coraline read by Neil Gaiman.  What a treat!  Coraline is an average girl, she enjoys wandering around outside and watching nature, she likes exploring inside, too.  In her new home, she finds a door that covers a brick wall, but is always locked.  Not one to leave a mystery unchecked...and hearing mysterious noises from beyond the door, she steals the key and opens the door.  The brick wall is gone, replaced by a hallway, incredibly old and pulsing with magic.  This hall leads to her "other" home, with her other mother, and other father and other neighbors and other resident animals.  Nothing is quite the same, some is quite distressing and all Coraline wants is to return to her real mother and father.  Other Mother won't hear of such nonsense and punishes Coraline.  In her temporary prison, she discovers ghosts of other children.  Coraline is determined to not only return home, but to rescue the ghost children and her parents all at once.  I highly recommend this story. It's just creepy enough and I love listening to Neil Gaiman read his own stuff.  By the way, the cosplay turned out great!

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, 343 pages

I listened to this book that was read by lots of people and many whom I recognized from Hollywood or other books I've listened to.  The story tells the tale of tale of the night after Willie Lincoln's burial in the Georgetown cemetery. 

Not surprisingly, Willie and his father, President Abraham Lincoln, are both struggling with Willie's death.  It was an interesting book.  And while I didn't love it I am glad I read it.

Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore 335 pages

At the end of the first book, Charlie Asher (beta male death merchant) finds himself without a body.  No worries, his new girlfriend has a solution...of sorts.  This book finds the death merchants in a state of unusual inactivity.  It seems the need to collect souls died with the Morrigan in the first book.  You know that's not going to hold for long though.  With his characteristic whimsy and goofiness, Christopher Moore turns phrases that will make you laugh out loud.  While I confess that I liked the first book better, I still really enjoyed this one and hope that someday Christopher Moore hires me to be his proofreader so that I get to read all his stuff without the irritating wait for it to hit the shelves.

The Curse of the Boggin by D. J. MacHale 242 pages

When supernatural phenomena start following Marcus O'Mara around, he discovers a key that leads to The Library, a place where all the stories of the living and dead are kept that will help him and his friends solve a terrifying mystery.  He will have to face a monstrous creature, a boggin, that has the ability to induce hallucinations that feel all too real.  Marcus needs all of his courage and wits to protect his family and the Library.  This is the first in the Library series.  A note from the author at the beginning makes it clear that all the other titles to follow may be read in any order.  The first one is the only one that needs to be read before others.  I really enjoyed listening to this one.  I think it would appeal to kids who like a bit of scary and a bit of mystery in 3rd grade and up.

Took: a ghost story by Mary Downing Hahn 264 pages

Mary Downing Hahn has a real knack for writing stories for young readers that are scary, but just scary enough.  Her most recent story is about a boy named Daniel and his sister Erica.  Their parents have fallen on kind of hard times and they are moving from Connecticut to a small rural community in West Virginia.  The house they find is a big old farm house that really gives the children the creeps.  They decide it's probably because it's so far away from everything, except the woods.  At first it's a bit of an adventure, exploring the woods and being somewhere new.  The kids they go to school with are not very welcoming and think that Daniel and Erica are snobs, simply because them come from Connecticut.  Already feeling completely disconnected from peers, they suffer an increasing loneliness even between them at home.  There's something in the woods that scares Erica and though their parents dismiss their fears, Daniel and Erica hear the stories their classmates tell of Old Auntie the conjure woman who steals children with the help of her pet monster.  Erica withdraws more and more into herself, confiding in and talking only to her doll.  When the worst and most unlikely thing happens, Daniel will have to use all his courage to try to find his sister.  I recommend this book to brave fourth graders and older.  It had some chilling imagery and could definitely cause some kids to have nightmares!

Famous Last Words by Katie Alender, 312 pages (2016-2017 Truman Readers Award Nominee)

In Famous Last Words, Willa is an angst filled teenage girl who has just moved to Hollywood with her recently remarried mom and her new famous movie producer stepfather.  As if starting a new school and making new friends weren't hard enough, Willa harbors a dark secret.  She killed her father.  Willa wants nothing more than to get in touch with her father and tell him how sorry she is for the fight they had and how she didn't mean to hurt him.  Though her spiritual attempts to contact her father never seem to work, Willa gets these crazy headaches and starts having visions of terribly frightening things.  There's a dead body in her swimming pool, messages on walls, and other things only she can see or hear.  Meanwhile, there's a serial killer loose in Hollywood who is targeting young actresses and reenacting famous death scenes and Willa starts to realize her hallucinations might be tied to the murders and that someone or something might be trying to send her a message. 

Of course, it's not all ghosts and murders in this story.  Willa makes a few new friends.  Marnie, a Hollywood kid like Willa, Reed, her stepfather's handsome young assistant, and Wyatt, a serious guy who is obsessed with the Hollywood Killer.  When Willa realizes the magnitude of the trouble she's in she needs someone to help her, but who?

I can't say much more without spoiling it.  I will say I never would have picked this up had it not been an award nominee.  Mysteries are fine, but ghost stories are not my cup of tea.  Fortunately for me this was creepy, but not too scary.  The story itself moved quickly and I stayed up too late finishing it last night and then stayed up even later watching something silly to counteract the creepiness.

A Curious Tale of the In-Between by Lauren DeStefano 226 pages

Pram was not so much born as rescued into the world.  She has never been told, because her aunts wanted to protect her, but her mother took her own life.  She was pregnant with Pram at the time.  Having skirted this border between life and death, Pram has always been able to see and speak with ghosts.  Her best friend is Felix, a ghost that inhabits a tree on her aunts property.  Forced to go to public school at nearly 12 years of age, Pram faces the prospect of being more among the living.  Fortunately, she befriends Clarence.  Clarence was once a very popular boy with loads of friends.  However, the sudden death of his own mother in a car accident has led him to withdraw into his own world.  Pram and Clarence recognize and appreciate something in one another that most people don't even want to see.  When Clarence's search for his mother's spirit leads them to Lady Savant, Pram comes under unwanted scrutiny.  With plans to use Pram's talents for her own interests, Lady Savant lays a trap.  This was a really great book that I would recommend to children who like a bit of meat in their ghost stories, probably for 3rd graders and up.

The Greenglass House by Kate Milford 376 pages

The Greenglass House was one of my favorite books I've read lately.  It was quieter, more thoughtful, than many of my recent reads.  The story centers around a boy, Milo, who is of Chinese descent, but has only ever known his adoptive parents.  He loves them very much, but has always wondered what his other family may have been.  This creates some guilt for him and he tries not to think about it.  It's Christmas break and Milo finishes his homework early so he can enjoy his break to its fullest, without surprises or distractions.  Milo also likes things to go as expected, no surprises is the best way to go as far as he's concerned.  However, the very unexpected happens.  Guests begin to arrive at the inn his parents own, and where they all live.  Furthermore, the guests all seem to be very mysterious about why they are there at all.  Milo begins a game with a young girl where he has to use stealth, ingenuity and smarts to outwit a thief.  This was such a great story.  There were stories within the story and it just had a really great feeling to it.  It was constructed as well as any adult mystery and I would recommend it to anyone of any age.

The Cabinet of Curiosities: 36 tales brief & sinister by multiple authors 486 pages

This collection of short stories is really cool.  It is presented to the reader as a physical manifestation of the stories.  They will be housed in drawers, closets, and entire floors of the Cabinet of Curiosities.  Each section is comprised of several stories with a somewhat common theme.  The authors were Claire Legrand, Katherine Catmull, Emma Trevayne and Stefan Bachmann.  Some of the stories were very dark indeed.  They were all quite enjoyable, though.  I think that this would really appeal to kids who are outgrowing Goosebumps and want something that is creepier, more imaginative and entertaining.  I can think of many adults who would enjoy it, as well.  On the whole, I highly recommend this one to anyone who likes to walk in the shadows now and then.

On a side note, some covers I've seen say 40 tales rather than 36...I'm curious about those missing 4 stories...

Close to Home by Lisa Jackson 424 pages

This book is full of chills and thrills.  Sarah McAdams has returned to the shores of the Columbia River in Oregon to restore the old family Victorian home.  She brings along her 2 daughters who, to say the least, are not thrilled at the prospect.  Young Gracie is open to the spirits who dwell in the house, while teenage Jade can only focus on the boyfriend she left behind in Vancouver.  Between the lurid family histories, the ghosts inhabiting the house, the teenage girls being abducted from the streets, and Sarah's reconnection with the various characters from her past, family and otherwise, this book will keep you entertained until the end.

The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore 326 pages

Someday, if my dream comes true, Christopher Moore will ask me to be his proofreader.  That way I will get first looks at all of his books and I won't have to wait until they are published!  I love his books so much. This one, like Fool was inspired by some pretty heavy Shakespearean works.  Fool was kind of a retelling of King Lear from the fool's perspective.  Serpent has Pocket (the fool from Fool) back for more crazy, witty antics (and some pretty gnarly revenge involving a man-eating sea serpent), but inspired this time by The Merchant of Venice and Othello.  Only Moore could weave two completely different stories (make that three, because there was another work that inspired him for this one) and make it not only make sense, but have you giggling at others' demise.  I have never been disappointed by Moore, I just greedily wait for the next book.  Write faster, Christopher!!!

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon 314 pages

There’s no way to tell what The Winter People is about just by reading the blurb on the jacket. It’s just as well because I might not have read it otherwise. And even though I got an inkling of where it was headed early on, it didn’t matter because by then I was hooked. The Winter People moves back and forth between 1908 and the present moment.

Sara Harrison Shea kept a diary in which she recorded the events of her life including a monumental loss she suffered in 1908 and the decisions she made because of it. Decisions that reverberated through the years and touched or altered countless lives some in horrific fashion. 

In the present moment Ruthie wakes up one morning to discover that her mother has disappeared without a trace. While searching for clues she uncovers a gun, wallets belonging to people she has never met and Sara's diary. During that same time period, Katherine loses her young son to leukemia and then several months later her husband to a car accident. While trying to come to terms with her losses she finds some missing diary pages and a map in his belongings, items that will eventually lead back to Sara. Eventually these three stories intersect in a way that has lasting consequences on all three.

I was enthralled and on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book. What an excellent read!