Thursday, October 29, 2009

Halloween Post 2: Spooky Books


This is BLT's second Halloween Edition post, if you've not heard about it, click on the pumpkin to the left! Or scroll down to see yesterday's Contest & Events post. Today we're exploring a list of bo
oks that are great for Halloween or anytime of the year; be sure to check out my reviews by clicking on the book title.....
The Parliament of Blood by Justin Richards

George Archer, Liz Oldfield and Eddie Hopkins have made a rather unfortunate discovery: vampires actually exist, and they really do feed on human blood. Using an underground labyrinth of tunnels beneath Victorian London, these sinister creatures intend on destroying the human race, and they’ll start by taking over the most powerful place in London: the House of Parliament.Through their research on ancient mysteries and a secret London Gentlemen’s Club, George, Liz and Eddie come up with a plan to beat the vampires at their own game. And they better do it soon, before they become the vampires’ next meal . . .


"I loved reading this book; it was scary because it had a realistic twist on vampires.....and politics."


Ruined: A Ghost Story by Paula Morris

Rebecca couldn't feel more out of place in New Orleans, where she comes to spend the year while her dad is traveling. She's staying in a creepy old house with her aunt. And at the snooty prep school, the filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she's invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey seems to give Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he's got a hidden agenda. Then one night, in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to talk to Rebecca, and to show her the nooks and crannies of the city. There's just one catch: Lisette is a ghost. A ghost with a deep, dark secret, and a serious score to settle. As Rebecca learns more from her ghost friend - and as she slowly learns to trust Anton Grey-she also uncovers startling truths about her own history. Will Rebecca be able to right the wrongs of the past, or has everything been ruined beyond repair?


"One of my favorite ghost stories to-date!"


The Stone Child by Dan Poblocki

Eddie Fennicks has always been a loner, content to lose himself in a mystery novel by his favorite author, Nathaniel Olmstead. That’s why moving to the small town of Gatesweed becomes a dream come true when Eddie discovers that Olmstead lived there before mysteriously disappearing thirteen years ago. Even better, Eddie finds a handwritten, never-before-seen Nathaniel Olmstead book printed in code and befriends Harris, who’s as much an Olmsteady as he is. But then the frightening creatures of Olmstead’s books begin to show up in real life, and Eddie’s dream turns into a nightmare. Eddie, Harris, and their new friend, Maggie, must break Olmstead’s code, banish all gremlins and monster lake-dogs from the town of Gatesweed, and solve the mystery of the missing author, all before Eddie’s mom finishes writing her own tale of terror and brings to life the scariest creature of all.


"Another favorite scary story."


Skeleton Creek (Book 1) by Patrick Carman

Strange things are happening in Skeleton Creek . . . and Ryan and Sarah are trying to get to the heart of it. But after an eerie accident leaves Ryan housebound and forbidden to see Sarah, their investigation takes two tracks: Ryan records everything in his journal, while Sarah uses her videocam to search things out. . .and then email the clips for Ryan to see. In a new, groundbreaking format, the story is broken into two parts -- Ryan's text in the book, and Sarah's videos on a special website, with links and passwords given throughout the book.


"Want to get scared this weekend? Pick up a copy of Skeleton Creek and it's sequel, Ghost in the Machine. You won't be disappointed."


Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell

Nothing ever happened in Ondine, Louisiana, not even the summer Elijah Landry disappeared.His mother knew he ascended to heaven, the police believed he ran away, and his girlfriend thought he was murdered. Decades later, certain she saw his ghost in the town cemetery, fourteen-year-old Iris Rhame is determined to find out the truth behind "The Incident With the Landry Boy."

Enlisting the help of her best friend Collette, and forced to endure the company of

Collette's latest crush, Ben, Iris spends a sum

mer digging into the past and stirring old ghosts, in search of a boy she never knew.
What she doesn't realize is that in a town as small as Ondine, every secret is a family secret.


"A spine-chilling story you won't soon forget."


Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

Blood and Chocolate chronicles the longings and passions of one Vivian Gandillon, teenage werewolf. Her pack family, recently burned out of their West Virginia home by suspicious neighbors, has resettled in a sleepy Maryland suburb. At her new school, Viv quickly falls for sensitive heartthrob Aiden, a human--or "meat-boy," as her pack calls him. Soon she is trying to tame her undomesticated desires to match his more civilized sensibilities. "He was gentle. She hadn't expected that. Kisses to her were a tight clutch, teeth, and tongue... His eyes were shy beneath his dark lashes, and his lips curved with delight and desire--desire he wouldn't force on her... he was different." But Vivian's animal ardor cannot be stilled, and she must decide if she should keep Aiden in the dark about her true nature or invite him to take a walk on her wild side.


"Some of my friends have read this book and recommended it to me; I've been waiting for it to find it's way back to library.....maybesomeday."

Peeled by Joan Bauer
Hildy Biddle dreams of being a journalist. A reporter for her high school newspaper, The Core, she's just waiting for a chance to prove herself. Not content to just cover school issues, Hildy's drawn to the town's big story— the haunted old Ludlow house. On the surface, Banesville, USA, seems like such a happy place, but lately, eerie happenings and ghostly sightings are making Hildy take a deeper look. And she suspects the editor of The Bee, the town newspaper, is more interested in selling papers than he is in reporting the facts to a frightened public.

Hildy's efforts to find out who is really haunting Banesville isn't making her popular, and she starts wondering if she's cut out to be a journalist, after all. But she refuses to give up, because, hopefully, the truth will set a few ghosts free.

Peeled is a classic Joan Bauer novel, featuring a strong heroine, and filled with her trademark witty dialogue, and problems and people worth standing up to.


"I like stuff about haunted houses so I'm exciting to read this one."


The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope

Newly orphaned Peggy Grahame is caught off-guard when she first arrives at her family's ancestral estate. Her eccentric uncle Enos drives away her only new acquaintance, Pat, a handsome British scholar, then leaves Peggy to fend for herself. But she is not alone. The house is full of mysteries -- and ghosts. Soon Peggy becomes involved with the spirits of her own Colonial ancestors and witnesses the unfolding of a centuries-old romance against a backdrop of spies and intrigue and of battles plotted and foiled. History has never been so exciting, especially because the ghosts are leading Peggy to a romance of her own!


"This one doesn't sound too too scary, but I like the historical backdrop.....can't wait to read this one!"



The House on Hackaman's Hill by Joan Lowery Nixon

A $10,000 reward for a missing mummy lures cousins Jeff and Debbie into an old mansion. But a raging snow storm forces them to spend the night and an evil ancient spirit might not let them see the dawn.


"Ooo, sounds creepy. I don't really like mummies, but the reviews I've read said this was a really good book."




Curse of a Winter Moon by Mary Casanova

In sixteenth-century France, ruled by a Church that overtaxes peasants and burns heretics, Marius must postpone his apprenticeship to care for his six-year-old brother, whose birth took their mother's life, and who the villagers, backed by the Church, believe will become a "loup garou" -- a werewolf.


"Been meaning to read this for awhile."


Don't Forget the Classics!



Dracula by Bram Stoker
Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Frankenstien by Mary Shelley



A Practical Guide to Monsters & A Practical Guide to Vampires are some fun books for anytime of the year.



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2 comments:

A Bookshelf Monstrosity said...

Great post! These all look really good. I've read Dracula but none of the others. I'm especially interested in Ruined.

Heather Zundel said...

Great list! And I love that you included new and old. Might I also suggest Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, and The Changeling Prince by Vivian Vande Velde? :)

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