Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to mark your completion of the October challenge for the prompt: "a ghost story." You can join in with the group read of The Graveyard Book, or pick a different book to satisfy this challenge.

Please include the following:

Title:
Author:
What kind of ghost was in this story?
Would you recommend?

No other posts in this thread please.

I have read three books thus far this year that satisfy this prompt:
1) Them Bones
I really enjoy this series and am anxious to continue beyond this first installment.
2) The Things She's Seen
This uses a combination of at least two different Australian aboriginal myths. I just didn't feel the realistic components blended all that well with the mythological ones...
3) Emlyn's Moon
This book was "okay." I thought it might be a bit scary for children, but that's just me. I will not continue to read others in the series.

Title: The Haunting of Hill House
Author: Shirley Jackson
What kind of ghost was in this story? The usual kind? Not sure how to answer that question.
Would you recommend? I didn't love it as much as I hoped I would. I would still recommend reading this classic.

Milena wrote: "What kind of ghost was in this story? The usual kind? Not sure how to answer that question ..."

LOL I was thinking: scary ghost? Friendly ghost? imaginary ghost?

Thanks for the clarification. Scary ghost, in that case.

Title: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
Author: Josephine Leslie

What kind of ghost was in this story? A friendly, even romantic, ghost of the sea captain who lived in the house.

Would you recommend? Yes! I loved this book and I was amazed at how fantastic it was. Why don’t more people talk about this book??

Milena wrote: "Thanks for the clarificawtion. Scary ghost, in that case."


🙂

Sometimes it’s tough to come up with a good question for the monthly topic.

Nadine wrote: "Milena wrote: "Thanks for the clarificawtion. Scary ghost, in that case."


🙂

Sometimes it’s tough to come up with a good question for the monthly topic."

I hope you didn't think I was being critical. And you made me laugh.
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir sounds really good, your description really makes me want to read it.

Nadine wrote: "Title: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
Author: Josephine Leslie

What kind of ghost was in this story? A friendly, even romantic, ghost of the sea captain who lived in the ho..."

Have you ever seen the movie, with Rex Harrison and Gene Tierney? It's charming. I have the book, too, but I haven't read it yet.

Title: The Secret of Crickley Hall
Author: James Herbert
What kind of ghost was in this story? There was a malevolent ghost and then a bunch of kid ghosts
Would you recommend? Absolutely. It was a real page turner without being too scary and the characters had lives outside of being haunted.

I'm going to try The Graveyard for this. But earlier in the year I read Lincoln in the Bardo . I also read , so I've sort of covered this topic.

Bardo's ghosts tend to be melancholy--pitiful and sad. Ghosts of an Antiquary,is absolute horror stuff, but it's less about the ghosts themselves then about what awful things happen to people who encounter them.

A Kindle version of The Ghost and Mrs Muri is ridiculously expensive for a Kindle. But I adore the movie version...

Title: Beloved
Author: Toni Morrison

What kind of ghost was in this story? A scary baby ghost

Would you recommend? It was a very interesting story. I started the audiobook read by the author the day after she passed away.

Title: The Hollow Boy

Author: Jonathan Stroud

What kind of ghost was in this story? A variety of them. The premise of the series (this is book #3) that for some reason the dead are back and threatening the living. Kids can see and stop them but will age out of the ability (obviously it's YA). There are plenty of scary ghosts in this one (though it goes without saying book one would be a better place to start. I love the series)

Would you recommend? I'd recommend the whole series. It's a bit older YA but it doesn't skew so young that adults can't connect with it.

I just finished The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. it was a spooky ghost story without being bloody or gory. Great for reading on a dark and stormy night!

Title: Anya's Ghost
Author: Vera Brosgol

What kind of ghost was in this story? A friendly ghost that may have unfriendly purposes.

Would you recommend? Absolutely! It's a quick read and I really liked the story and the drawings.

Title: The Clockmaker's Daughter
Author: Kate Morton
What kind of ghost was in this story? A benevolent ghost stuck in her history loop trying to guide future guests to resolve the mystery of her death.
Would you recommend? No, I'd pass on this one.
My Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Title: Archivist Wasp
Author: Nicole Kornher-Stace

What kind of ghost was in this story? Lots of them! The main character is hired by a ghost to find his long-lost best friend (also a ghost). The two of them travel to the ghost realm to conduct their search. I guess I'd characterize the ghosts as "human" ghosts - they're the same people they were in life, for better or for worse.

Would you recommend? Yes! Probably my favorite book of the year. It's dark and emotionally compelling. I'd classify it as fantasy rather than horror (the real horror is people being terrible to each other).

Title: To Be or Not to Be: A Chooseable-Path Adventure
Author: Ryan North
What kind of ghost was in this story? One of the path's starts with the reader playing as Hamlet's father...who quickly becomes a vengeful ghost. The ghost of Hamlet Sr. also makes appearances along the other paths (you can also start as Ophelia or Hamlet).
Would you recommend? Yes! Especially if you loved choose-your-own-adventure books as a kid (**raises hand**) or if you'd enjoy a funny reimagining of Hamlet by William Shakespeare.

Title: The Visitors Book
Author: Sophie Hannah

What kind of ghost was in this story? It's a compilation of ghost stories, so there are friendly sweet ghosts, and friendly ghosts up to no good. Most are pretty neutral - what makes them all a little creepy is how they are related to or how they affect the protagonist.

Would you recommend? Yes! I'm biased because I love almost everything Sophie Hannah writes. That said, this is not a scary collection so much as a group of stories that make you think "Ah, clever - didn't see that coming". Some are beautifully written, and make you contemplate mortality or alternate levels of reality.

Please include the following:

Title: The Graveyard Book
Author: Neil Gaiman
What kind of ghost was in this story? Lots of old, friendly ghosts.
Would you recommend? I didn't like it at first and was about to quit, but fortunately I stuck with it and loved the end.

Title: First Grave on the Right
Author: Darynda Jones
What kind of ghost was in this story? All kinds but the poltergeist was the most notable.
Would you recommend? This was a decent urban fantasy book, so if it's your genre then try it out.

Title: The Turn of the Screw
Author: Henry James
What kind of ghost was in this story? There were two, both villainous, potentially from Hell.
Would you recommend? Yes, it wasn't scary but the atmosphere was creepy and the plot moved along at a good pace. I could see why it's a classic!