Ghost stories

So, it’s been a while.

The last half of last year was a bit of a write-off, which put me right off writing. But I’ve had a lovely holiday, and now I’m refreshed and in a better frame of mind.  I’ve dived back into my writing, which I’m happy to say is going swimmingly (okay, enough with the puns already!)  I think it helps that I’ve come back with a plan, a schedule and concrete goals, which has made it slightly easier to just DO, instead of thinking about doing.

What I’m able to do, whether times are good or not so good, is read.  Sometimes trends creep into my reading.  Occasionally they arise from deliberate choices, but often they just happen.  Lately, it seems to be ghosts, whether literal spooks or just the haunting memory of a loved one.  I’m taking this as a positive sign that my little ol’ ghost story will be picked up this year.

So, here’s the rundown on the ghostly stories I’ve read this year:

What the Raven Saw – Samantha-Ellen Bound

I’ve riffed on this little gem before.  This time I read it for my book club’s theme of music.  I still love the crabby old raven who, despite not wanting to get involved, ends up helping the living and the dead who constantly disrupt his solitude.    

The Sky is Everywhere – Jandy Nelson

Lennie, named after John Lennon, is struggling to come to terms with the death of her sister.  She’s also falling in love.  No ghosts in this sweet story, just an ever-present memory.  I love how the intermittent poetry ties in beautifully at the end.  Read the gorgeous full-colour version if you can get your hands on it.

The Ghost Bride – Yangsze Choo

By far my favourite ghost book read this year.  This story is based on a rare Chinese tradition of marrying the dead (sometimes to other dead, occasionally to the living).  When the Lim family request Li Lan to marry their dead son, she has an opportunity to lead a rich and comfortable life.  But before that dreaded event happens, Li Lan finds herself hovering between life and death and must travel to the Plains of the Dead to search for a way back into her body.  Dotted with characters from Chinese folklore, The Ghost Bride is unique and fascinating.

Crandall’s Castle – Betty Ren Wright

When Charli’s uncle buys a rundown old mansion with the intention of turning it into a B&B, Charli is excited about helping with the project.  Her excitement soon turns to horror when she sees the shadow of a cradle rocking and hears singing in a room upstairs.  But how will she get the adults to believe her when her cousin and the psychic girl his family has taken in refuse to back up her story.  A spooky book for middle-grade readers.

And then, one day, her earthbound sister finally realized

she could hear music up there in heaven,

so after that, everything her sister needed to tell her

she did through her clarinet… Jandy Nelson ‘The Sky is Everywhere’