Ghosts, ghosts, and more ghosts!

I recently read two middle grade ghost stories and watched a Netflix show adapted from a middle grade ghost series. Although, they upped the age a bit, so they’re teenagers. And it’s not even October! Ghost stories are good any time of year. Plus, it was my birthday month, so, busy busy time. 😀

Midnight at the Barclay Hotel by Fleur T. Bradley

From the publisher, Viking (Penguin Random House): published August 2020

When JJ Jacobson convinced his mom to accept a surprise invitation to an all-expenses-paid weekend getaway at the illustrious Barclay Hotel, he never imagined that he'd find himself in the midst of a murder mystery. He thought he was in for a run-of-the-mill weekend ghost hunting at the most haunted spot in town, but when he arrives at the Barclay Hotel and his mother is blamed for the hotel owner's death, he realizes his weekend is going to be anything but ordinary.

Now, with the help of his new friends, Penny and Emma, JJ has to track down a killer, clear his mother's name, and maybe even meet a ghost or two along the way.

This story begins by introducing us to the characters. It started a bit slow and threw me off but did not deter. It’s a mystery, ghost story, friendship and family story. All great ingredients for a fun book (IMO). AND there’s are twists I did not see coming. Which makes it even more fun! That’s a real feat to be able to do that. Each character is unique and interesting and the story flows from there. With excellent writing and illustrations, you just can’t go wrong.

I learned that this book is good for reluctant readers, too. It feels lower middle grade and easy to digest. Not sure why I’m using food references, lol. I’m glad my friend told me about this title. And when I got it from the library, the library gave me another suggestion, which is the next ghost story. Win, win.

Scritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie

From the publisher, Sourcebooks Young Readers: published September 2020

A ghost story about a malevolent spirit, an unlucky girl, and a haunting mystery that will tie the two together.

Claire has absolutely no interest in the paranormal. She’s a scientist, which is why she can’t think of anything worse than having to help out her dad on one of his ghost-themed Chicago bus tours. She thinks she’s made it through when she sees a boy with a sad face and dark eyes at the back of the bus. There’s something off about his presence, especially because when she checks at the end of the tour…he’s gone.

Claire tries to brush it off, she must be imagining things, letting her dad’s ghost stories get the best of her. But then the scratching starts. Voices whisper to her in the dark. The number 396 appears everywhere she turns. And the boy with the dark eyes starts following her.

Claire is being haunted. The boy from the bus wants something...and Claire needs to find out what before it’s too late.

Loved this story. It was spooky, haunting but not too scary, included really interesting Chicago history, and was quite gripping to read. Also had friendship issues, family issues and young love interest. That’s pretty darn cool. I’m also hoping this is the beginning of a series with these characters. That would be so fun. These characters are engaging and heartfelt and care about each other so much. It also shows that everyone has problems, no matter how perfect or put together they may seem.

This one felt more upper middle grade, was more serious and a bit scarier than the first book above. Both are worth reading and pretty awesome they came out one month apart in 2020.

The Netflix series I watched is Lockwood & Co. I LOVED these books by Jonathan Stroud. There are five in the series, and they are all fantastic. I was very excited to see it was coming to a screen near me. The first half hour, they talked so fast that I could hardly understand anything they said. Having subtitles on for that part would be helpful. After that, it was a normal speed of speaking. I’m not sure if knowing the books made it easier for me or not. I’d be curious what someone else thought who didn’t read the books. Unfortunately, I watched the series too fast and now it’s done. 😩 They could have done 10 or 20 episodes and that would be fine with me. I’m hoping they do a season for each book – at least! – and get them filming quickly. Need that Lockwood fix. This show is definitely scarier than the two stories above, but I believe it matches the books pretty well. The skull in the glass though, is super funny in the novels. At least, I thought so.  

If you enjoy ghost stories, you will like ALL of these. Boo!

New Year - New Book - New Adult

I was so happy to be reading again and this was a good entry back in. I’ve seen this story called YA, but with the characters being a bit older, I thought it was New Adult. Unless that genre has gone away and it’s just Young Adult again. Either way, enjoyed it.

Begin Again by Emma Lord

From the publisher, St. Martins/Wednesday Books: available January 2023

As usual, Andie Rose has a plan: Transfer from community college to the hyper competitive Blue Ridge State, major in psychology, and maintain her lifelong goal of becoming an iconic self-help figure despite the nerves that have recently thrown her for a loop. All it will take is ruthless organization, hard work, and her trademark unrelenting enthusiasm to pull it all together.

But the moment Andie arrives, the rest of her plans go off the rails. Her rocky relationship with her boyfriend Connor only gets more complicated when she discovers he transferred out of Blue Ridge to her community college. Her roommate Shay needs a major, and despite Andie’s impressive track record of being The Fixer, she’s stumped on how to help. And Milo, her coffee-guzzling grump of an R.A. with seafoam green eyes, is somehow disrupting all her ideas about love and relationships one sleep-deprived wisecrack at a time.

But sometimes, when all your plans are in rubble at your feet, you find out what you’re made of. And when Andie starts to find the power of her voice as the anonymous Squire on the school’s legendary pirate radio station–the same one her mom founded, years before she passed away–Andie learns that not all the best laid plans are necessarily the right ones.

I liked this book: the characters, friendships, and the twist. It drew me in every time I picked it up. I was with them in everything they did and saw. I especially liked when the friends became family. That always speaks to me. And being a planner, I could relate. It was a really fun book.

One thing that drove me nuts was how often the word “wince” was repeated. There were others, but that was the biggest offender.

I haven’t read this author before and would easily pick up her previous works. Feel free to jump right in, the story is fine.

Holiday Haikus

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, happy holidays, and Happy New Year! That's a lotta happy. LOL

I really miss books. I will be happy to become engrossed again soon. In the meantime, I wish you all health, joy and love; whatever that means to you.

I have two haikus, because, why not? 💝 I encourage everyone to write a haiku now and then. It's fun.

Christmas Haiku

Anticipation

Tree lots, cider and cocoa

Frozen toes, warm smiles.

 

New Year’s Haiku

Reminiscing time

Happy, heartbreak, breakthrough growth

Future begins now.

Thanksgiving Haiku

Sorry I've been MIA. Seems this time of year there's always something going on. I remember saying in January that this year was going to be a year of big life events. DO NOT SAY THIS OUT LOUD. The universe will hear you and deliver! And it has, in spades. I have a laundry list of big life events that have happened, and it hasn't stopped yet. The most recent was my husband had surgery and was in the hospital for two weeks. Then a friend passed away, and that was a very tough funeral. The end of the year is just around the corner so it'll be a good time to say what next year will be about. Like, easy peasy skate through life stuff. One can hope - and then say it out loud. 

But I do have fabulous books to review and an incredible 2023 book release and author interview ahead.

So how about a Thanksgiving Haiku:

Cooking smells delight
Wafting over TV din
Filling heart and home

I know this isn't everyone's thanksgiving experience and the holiday means something different to everyone. Especially if you're Chandler from Friends.

Whatever it means to you, I wish you peace. 

You Need to Read This Book

When I read this book, I thought, if you read only one book this year, read this one. It’s one of the best books of the year. So many incredible elements and depth.

Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King

From the publisher, Scholastic: available September 2022

Award-winning author Amy Sarig King takes on censorship and intolerance in a novel she was born to write.

When Mac first opens his classroom copy of Jane Yolen's The Devil’s Arithmetic and finds some words blacked out, he thinks it must be a mistake. But then when he and his friends discover what the missing words are, he's outraged.

Someone in his school is trying to prevent kids from reading the full story.

But who?

Even though his unreliable dad tells him to not get so emotional about a book (or anything else), Mac has been raised by his mom and grandad to call out things that are wrong. He and his friends head to the principal's office to protest the censorship... but her response doesn't take them seriously.

So many adults want Mac to keep his words to himself.

Mac's about to see the power of letting them out.

In Attack of the Black Rectangles, acclaimed author Amy Sarig King shows all the ways truth can be hard... but still worth fighting for.

 

It’s not just about censorship. Friendship, first crush, a father who isn’t who you’d like him to be, doing what’s right, finding courage, protesting, and truth. How very important truth is. And who wouldn't want Jane Yolen their book?!

Now, Amy Sarig King does not need my help selling books. She’s a force on her own with each book being unique and uniquely hers. But this is still one of the best books of the year. And that’s the truth.

Here’s another review of this book from Lynn Becker's blog. She always has awesome reviews.

LynnBecker Books Blog: August's Book of the Month--Attack of the Black Rectangles

 

Middle Grade Madness! Three Reviews

I'm so happy to be reading such great books. It's fun to post about them. I always appreciate a good recommendation. Yes, not all books are for everyone. That's the beauty of books, something for everyone. Same with films, art, music. It's awesome. 

The Callers by Kiah Thomas

From the publisher Chronicle Books: available April 5, 2022:

In the world of Elipsom, the ability to Call, or summon objects, is a coveted, crucial skill, revered among its people as both a powerful tool and an essential way to sustain life. But despite an elite family history, a phenom for an older sister, a best friend who is set to join the Council of Callers, and his mother's steely insistence that he learn to Call, Quin doesn't have the gift—an embarrassment made worse when his mother gets his sister to cheat for him on his Calling exam. But everything changes in a moment of frustration when Quin, instead of summoning an object, makes something disappear. And what's more, he quickly discovers that the objects Callers bring into their world aren't conjured at all but are whisked away from another world and a people who for years have had their lives slowly stolen from them. Now Quin must team up with Allie, a girl who's determined to stop this unfair practice, and decide whether he should remain loyal to his family or betray them—and save the world.

In a story that explores some of the most crucial topics of our time—our relationship to consumerism, the exploitation of natural resources, colonialism, and the consequences of wanting more than we need—magic is sought, and truth is found.

This was a fascinating read. How calling one thing takes it from another person/place. And the depletion of the earth/wares/crops. It’s a very satisfying circle how the story is intertwined. A great new perspective on resources and standing up for yourself when you feel you have no choice. The truth is what’s important. 

Freestyle: A Graphic Novel by Gale Galligan

This book was a fun read. Not knowing anything about Celtic mythology, it’s a pretty cool introduction to it.

From the publisher, Scholastic: Graphix: available October 18, 2022

Cory's dance crew is getting ready for a major competition. It's the last one before they graduate eighth grade and go their separate ways to high schools all over New York City, so they have to make it count! The group starts to have problems as their crew captain gets increasingly intense about nailing the routine, and things go from bad to worse when Cory's parents ground him for not taking his grades seriously. He gets stuck with a new tutor, Sunna, who he dismisses as a boring nerd… until he catches her secretly practicing cool yo-yo tricks. Cory wants to learn the art of yo-yo, and as his friendship with Sunna grows, he ends up missing practice and bailing on his crew -- and they are not happy about it. With mounting pressure coming from all sides, how is Cory supposed to balance the expectations of his parents, school, dance, and his new friend?

This has a very diverse and complex cast of characters. They all have a lot going on: friendship, dance competition, family expectations, school, yo-yo competition, not judging a book by its cover, standing up for yourself and what you really want. That might sound overwhelming but it’s not. It all fits perfectly in this graphic novel. The relatability factor is high – I could relate to all of them even if I haven’t been in that situation. The feelings were exactly right.

The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat & Joanna Cacao

From the publisher Scholastic Graphix: available September 6, 2022:

Trying out for middle school cheerleader means: performing in the giant school gym, with the whole school watching, and risking total humiliation. If Christina can make it through this, she can make it through anything. ​​​​​​​ As one of the only Asian American kids in her small Texas town, Christina just wants to fit in. Luckily, her best friend, Megan, who is Iranian American, can totally relate. The two girls have always been inseparable and relish creating elaborate fantasy worlds together.

But middle school is a reality-check, and suddenly popularity is way more important than playing pretend. ​​​​​​​ When cheerleading tryouts are announced, Christina and Megan literally jump at the chance to join the squad. But does fitting in actually equal belonging? Will they survive the terrifying tryouts? And most importantly, will their friendship withstand the pressures of heated competition and rivalry? ​​​​​​​

Hilarious and heartfelt, The Tryout is Christina Soontornvat's personal story, sure to make you laugh, cry, and cheer!

This story is about friendship, racism, family generations, working hard and wanting something so badly, and what do you do if you don’t get it. How you deal with that – grieving it, figuring out what’s next. And just maybe, it turns out better than the original plan. It’s something we all go through, whether in a big or small way. That pain and hurt and coming to terms with what happens in life.

Young Adult Review with a wee bit of horror 😲

First, I wanted to say Happy Canada Day and Happy July 4th - I hope your holiday weekend is fun and safe!

Second, let's get to the boooook! I have been reading SOOOO many good books! I can’t wait to post them all. I’m trying to go in order with a couple at a time even though I really want to list them all. Soon. I’ll pace myself. LOL

The one today is young adult. I don’t think I’ve ever read a horror novel, nope, not even Stephen King. So, I wasn’t sure what it was supposed to be like. I read fantasy and love that. Read some sci-fi. Is horror kind of a combination? I have no idea. And I’m sure I’m way off base.

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

From the publisher, PUSH, a Scholastic Imprint: available May 2022

From Ryan La Sala, the wildly popular author of Reverie, comes a twisted and tantalizing horror novel set amidst the bucolic splendor of a secluded summer retreat.

Mars has always been the lesser twin, the shadow to his sister Caroline's radiance. But when Caroline dies under horrific circumstances, Mars is propelled to learn all he can about his once-inseparable sister who'd grown tragically distant.

Mars's genderfluidity means he's often excluded from the traditions -- and expectations -- of his politically-connected family. This includes attendance at the prestigious Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy where his sister poured so much of her time. But with his grief still fresh, he insists on attending in her place.

What Mars finds is a bucolic fairytale not meant for him. Folksy charm and sun-drenched festivities camouflage old-fashioned gender roles and a toxic preparatory rigor. Mars seeks out his sister's old friends: a group of girls dubbed the Honeys, named for the beehives they maintain behind their cabin. They are beautiful and terrifying -- and Mars is certain they're connected to Caroline's death.

But the longer he stays at Aspen, the more the sweet mountain breezes give way to hints of decay. Mars’s memories begin to falter, bleached beneath the relentless summer sun. Something is hunting him in broad daylight, toying with his mind. If Mars can't find it soon, it will eat him alive.

I like this book and think it’s light horror. There are some gross parts but like movies with gross parts, I put my hand up, or in this case, skim over any grossness. I know I’m a wimp – I’m okay with that.

The opening sequence is mind-blowing. This novel is gripping and engaging. The characters make you feel like you might know what they’re like, but there are great twists and turns, so you realize you can’t judge a book by the cover. The story plays with your mind making you wonder what’s real. It keeps you guessing.

And what’s more fun than a summer camp novel?! I can totally see this being a movie.

What’s also fun is the chapter headings and how they continually get more warped; similar to what’s on the cover. The six sections gathering more flowers – could that be bee related???

I still think of this book even though I read it weeks ago. There’s something about it that gets under your skin, like a bee sting, perhaps? Sorry, I don’t seem to be able to contain myself. But the characters stay with you.

There are a lot of layers in this book, and now I definitely want to read La Sala's Reverie!