Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books to Read if You Like Ghost Stories

It's time for Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's topic is Top Ten Books to Read if You Like a particular book or author.  For mine I've chosen ghost stories because I couldn't come up with a specific book or author and with Halloween right around the corner my mind has turned to things that go bump in the night in a not so creepy way.

1.  The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde - There is nothing spooky about this delightful story by Oscar Wilde about the ghost of an English manor that is suddenly taken over by an American family who aren't scared of ghosts in the least.  It's a longish short story and is worth tracking down.  There is also a movie very loosely based on the book starring Charles Laughton as well as several TV movie adaptations (one stars Patrick Stewart as the ghost and I feel like I need to track that down).

2.  Ammie, Come Home by Barbara Michaels - This one is considerably more creeptastic than the previous entry but in an indulgent way.  There's history, romance and detective work all rolled into one in this book about a Georgetown home haunted by a young woman, her Revolutionary War soldier fiance, and her loyalist father.  I really could have made a top ten list just of Barbara Michaels books.

3.  House on Blackberry Hill by Donna Alward - When Abby Foster inherits a crumbling family estate she uncovers family tragedy and a host of family secrets.  With the help of a ghostly inhabitant she begins to unravel the secrets as she restores the house.

4.  The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson - There's not one specific ghost in this eerie book by Shirley Jackson but it's definitely got a good creep factor.  If you haven't read it it's worth picking up either in print or audio.  While it gets billed as a horror book I think it's more subtle than that.  The 1963 movie is good and scary and will make you think twice about hanging a hand off the bed.  While the casting of the 1999 movie is spot on that's about the only good thing about it.

5.  Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas - This is probably my favorite contemporary from Lisa Kleypas and the ghost story element is both comical and poignant.  Read the first 2 books in the series to really enjoy this one but skip the 4th.

6.  Night of the Living Deed by E.J. Copperman - The ghosts in this book (and the rest of the series) are permanent fixtures and are actually pretty helpful when they're not being annoying.

7.  Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts - The family ghost may have her own agenda in this Memphis, Tennessee based trilogy.  The ghost story runs throughout all three books - Blue Dahlia, Black Rose, and Red Lily - and is fascinating.  Plus the characters and the stories are wonderful.  Just enough creep to have some atmosphere but likable enough characters to keep you from getting too jumpy.

8.  A Veiled Deception by Annette Blair - A cozy mystery series with a dash of romance, tons of vintage clothes, and ghosts are pretty hard to pass up!

9.  If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell - Another ghostly paranormal series and this one is one of my favorites.  It's hard to renovate a house if you keep running into ghosts who want you to solve their problems but somehow Melanie Turner makes it work!

10. Better Homes and Hauntings by Molly Harper - So I've heard that this isn't the best Molly Harper but I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't remember why I haven't picked up anything else by her!  This is light and fluffy with a house that needs to be restored and a good crop of ghosts and Declan who I was mostly in love with by the end of the book.

Do you have any ghostly reads coming up this October?

32 comments:

  1. I think it's so neat you've included Blackberry Hill on your list. Know who I thought of right away? Karen White and her Tradd Street series. I loved those!

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    1. I have the first one in the Tradd Street series and am really looking forward to reading it. I loved Blackberry Hill! One of my favorite reads last year.

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  2. I think it's so neat you've included Blackberry Hill on your list. Know who I thought of right away? Karen White and her Tradd Street series. I loved those!

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  3. Very timely list! The only oneI've read is The Haunting of Hill House.

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    1. I really enjoyed Hill House and really enjoyed listening to it.

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  4. Great list, Katherine! I second your listing of Ammie, Come Home. I read that first when I was in junior high, I think, and it set my scalp to crawling. Shivers! Have also read the Nora Roberts trilogy and liked it very much. I like the movie of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and I also like the cozy series by Alice Kimberly (aka Cleo Coyle - coffeeshop mysteries). It's about a bookstore and ghost. The first book is The Ghost and Mrs. McClure. The ghost is a private eye that was murdered in that building a long time ago. Fun series!

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    1. I forgot about The Ghost and Mrs. Muir! It's fantastic it. I have the movie recorded but it's been years since I've read the book or watched the movie.

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  5. I thought I'd read everything Barbara Michaels wrote, but I don't remember Ammie, Come Home! Will definitely have to add it to my to-read list. The Haunting of Hill House is another one I want to read.

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    1. You must read Ammie Come Home!!! It's loosely connected to Shattered Silk and A Stitch in Time and they're all really good.

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  6. I found this week's topic really hard. I find it difficult to recommend based on authors for some reason. I haven't read any of these but will so check some out since it is perfect timing for some scarier reads!! Great list!!

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    1. I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggled with this topic! I stated at a blank screen for ages!

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  7. I have a serious soft spot for ghost stories. I'm not sure why, because in general I do not like scary things. But I love a good ghost story. I've read The House on Blackberry Hill (Bc of your rec, and it's also on my TTT this week too), and Better Homes and Hauntings. I liked Better Homes, but it isn't my favorite Molyl Haroer. You should definitely read more of her books because they are just so much fun.

    I need to check out those Nora Roberts books now.

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed Blackberry Hill! It was one of my favorites. I think you'd like the Nora Roberts. I reread the trilogy recently and really enjoyed them.

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  8. Great picks! I've seen the Patrick Stewart adaptation! :)

    Check out my TTT.

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    1. I really want to see the Patrick Stewart adaptation! I love the story and it'd be great to see him in it.

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  9. Okay, so I love spooky and I haven't heard of half of those so there goes the tbr pile again..your killing me. :) Oh and I love The Canterville Ghost movie that has Patrick Stewart in it! :)

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    1. I haven't seen the Patrick Stewart version but I want to! Glad to have contributed to the TBR madness. Mine is absolutely weeping.

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  10. I'm gonna have to check out Blue Dahlia. Have you read the Inn Boonsboro Trilogy also by Nora Roberts? Such a wonderfully romantic series around a haunted inn. My TTT

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    1. I have read that trilogy! I really want to reread it though because I really enjoyed it.

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  11. This is a perfect list just in time for October. I'll be checking these out! Great list this week.

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  12. I do love ghosts. Another great series with ghosts is Heather Graham's Krewe of Hunters.

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    1. That was definitely on my list but I couldn't pick just one!

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  13. This is just in time for Halloween! It made me think of a few of my own ghost books!

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    1. I love ghost books! I hope you list some of your favorites as I'm sure I'm missing some good ones!

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  14. I love ghost stories and you have a great list!

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  15. I'm terrible with ghost stories, haha. Too chicken. The only 'ghost story' I've read recently is probably the Anna Dressed in Blood series by Kendare Blake.
    I might check out that Oscar Wilde book though, I do love his stuff! Also, I didn't know Lisa Kleypas did ghost stories, ha! Awesome list, Katherine!

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  16. Perfect timing for Halloween. I think I'd love to try the Oscar Wilde one, it sounds great. I don't read a lot of ghost stories but come the end of the month, I know I'll want to! It's a must for getting into the 'spirit' of Halloween! :D

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  17. I don't read too many ghost stories because I don't like scary books. I like your! list because these don't sound like super scary books Great list, Katherine.

    I've read some of Barbara Michaels and I agree you could make a whole list just with her books. I read some of her books because I like Elizabeth Peters books so much, but found I don't like her Michaels' books very much because most of them have a creepy vibe...lol

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  18. I have read The Canterville Ghost and The Haunting of Hill House. Those are great choices. I didn't do a Top Five Friday because I couldn't come up with enough book alikes in one theme. I wish I had thought of doing something like this. :)

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  19. I'm a freakin' wuss. I do not like creepy books. And I definitely do not watch scary movies. I can scare myself just fine with only my imagination. That being said, I do tend to pick up a few creepy reads every October. I think you kind of have to. But I gravitate more towards that creep factor not so much a horror or scary book. Little less help overloading my imagination.

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