World Book Night

Happy World Book Night!  I was given the opportunity to participate in World Book Night and am so thankful to the publishers and authors that came together for such a great event and allowed us to give away books for free.  The book I selected to give away was The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.  It's a compelling memoir about Walls’ tumultuous upbringing and dysfunctional parents.    

I was a little nervous to go around approaching strangers but it got easier once I realized people love free stuff.  Although, a few people were hesitant to accept a free book and one even asked me if I was sure it was free.  What really made my day was actually the first book I gave away.  A man was sitting on some steps eating a slice of pizza.  He was really friendly and accepted the book easily and then I was on my book giving way.  Thirty minutes later when I passed him he was already reading and didn’t even notice I was walking by.  When I passed him again about an hour after I first talked to him he was still reading.  It was a great feeling. The second best part of World Book Night was my mini Book Giver, McFly.  I'll definitely be signing up again next year.  Thanks World Book Night!

A Haunted Love Story by Mark Spencer

The best ghost stories are the ones that turn out to be true.  

Mark Spencer and his family are new in town and very much want to make the historic Allen House their home. Even though everyone in Monticello, Arkansas keeps insisting that it’s haunted.  Mark and his wife don’t believe the hype and quickly explain away anything odd that occurs in the house. That is until the day Mark is strangely drawn to the attic where underneath a floorboard lies Ladell Allen’s long lost love letters. The letters clarify Ladell's still unexplained suicide in the master bedroom of the Allen House back in 1948.  Since that day the Spencers have had numerous paranormal investigations that have identified at least six spirits that are roaming throughout the Allen House. Luckily, the book is very well written and Spencer keeps the scariness to a minimum. 

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

After going off her meds, Emerson Cole's visions of ghosts become even more elaborate.  She begins to see multiple ghosts at a time and even full scenes that she can't easily "pop" to make disappear.  When all the physicians, therapists, and witch doctors in the world can't make the ghosts disappear, her older brother hires a consultant from the Hourglass.  When Emerson sees Michael for the first time she can't help but believe he's just another ghost, albeit a hot ghost.  Emerson understands he's different than all the rest when he confesses he can also see the jazz trio playing in the corner.  Her life turns upside down when Michael explains that she's not seeing ghosts but rather her visions are a symptom of time travel and he needs her help.  This is a book for anyone who likes their paranormal romance with a sci-fi twist.  What won me over was the author finding ways to make fun of the teen romantic clichés.