Horror Books

Not being unfamiliar with the corruption so heavily pertinent in our so called "War on Drugs" it was a pleasant surprise to find new things in this book that I didn't know before. I do disagree with what they feel an "adict" is, but that doesn't change that this is a very telling and touching little story. I ordered it so I could lend it to friends who are really just too damn lazy to read a full book and I figured if pictures were involved they just might find it o.k, I recommend it to anyone in 6th grade and above with any amount of knowledge on the topic.

"A Drug War Carol" may seem derivative at first blush, but it is a unique and entertaining vehicle that skillfully introduces the basic history of our misguided national crusade against drugs. It is also a good, non-exhaustive primer for those already familiar with the underlying policy debate.

The famous Dickens story is reworked into a modern tale where a Drug Czar is forced to contemplate the history of drug prohibition. He also witnesses the human toll that government policies have on people like cancer and pain patients. Unlike Ebenezer Scrooge, however, this Czar's "change of heart" is less than certain.

The historical record of the federal government's War on Drugs carries many of the same hallmarks of its current efforts: third-rate bureaucrats setting national policy; self-serving grandstanding by political leaders; doctors being jailed for providing treatment; the criminalization of addiction; a judiciary that sanctions the erosion of fundamental individual liberties; the wanton bureaucratic rejection of medical and scientific opinion; dubious efforts aimed at international drug control; and a media that is all too complicit in providing sustenance to government sensationalism. The institutional dynamics that were in play seventy years ago are still prevalent today.

Thankfully, the American public is no longer subjected to the naked racist appeals employed by "drug morality" advocates found here. Coke-addled black men raping white women and crazed Mexicans preying upon schoolchildren and executing people served as popular bogeymen. (The book overlooks the virulent anti-Chinese sentiment used to crusade against opium.) Instead, the Drug War now simply incarcerates a disproportionate number of racial minorities under a plethora of state and federal laws like mandatory minimum sentences, all under the "due process of law."

This "graphic novella" deserves a wide readership, especially among high school students, who are the principal targets of endless government propaganda and invasive practices like random drug testing, body searches and drug-sniffing dogs. The future is theirs, and that is why the federal government is finding novel ways to indoctrinate them and humiliate them into submission. Hopefully they will consider the examples of 1920's anti-prohibition advocates Pauline Morton Sabin and Henry Joy: Principled individual action can indeed make a difference.

When it comes to sharing my viewpoints on America's "War on Drugs", I have always struggled with replying to the simplistic catchphrases which seem to come from those who are blind to the destruction caused by this politically and economically motivated war. As such, it was with great pleasure to find this little gem.

Through a narrative employing Charles Dickens' classic storyline, "A Drug War Carol" comprehensively, yet succinctly covers the often ignored/suppressed history that gave rise to this immoral and self-serving--but significant--U.S. policy. From its inception during 1920s prohibition, the war on (some) drugs (and some users) has been waged with zeal and corruption, and in the process, has eradicated the Bill of Rights. In the past 80 years, our country (and many other countries which the U.S. can influence or control) have suffered, while arrogant and power-hungry politicians continually feed this monster with our tax-dollars, and in exchange, give us half-truths, exaggerations, or just outright lies.

Trying to explain this to others however, is challenging. This is simply because most of us have lived our whole life eagerly lapping up this propaganda.

I encourage everyone to buy as many copies of this book that you can afford and give it to friends and family. We need to wake up!!!

Also, for a richly detailed investigation into the origins and first 40 years of the U.S. drug war, see Douglas Valentine's "The Strength of the Wolf: The Secret History of America's War on Drugs". It is a facinating and compelling read.

This book reveals the truth around the WOD and who imposed the current devastating situation where much human dammage is related to prohibition and War on Drugs. I recomend the book and i'm sorry there is no chance of giving it six stars.
Joergen

I had seen this story in an online form, and was greatly impressed by the quality of the art. I was pleased to see that the print edition is even stronger. Highly recommended.

MUY BUEN LIBRO, OJALA ESTE ESCRITOR SIGA ESCRIBIENDO LIBROS COMO ESTE, NO PUEDES PARAR DE LEER HASTA EL FINAL, BUENISIMO!!

Pocos libros me han cautivado y capturado tanto como El Garante. Ya fan de la miniserie, me recomendaron que el libro traía lo suyo, y fue así! No pude parar de avanzar capítulo tras capítulo. Ojalá hagan una segunda parte, una precuela, y todo lo que se les ocurra. Buenísimo y gracias.
Mi única crítica, ... hubiera preferido que transcurriera en Buenos Aires en vez de New York, pero esto no le restó mérito alguno.

El libro es increiblemente, entrador, muy bien narrado, parece que uno esta en la historia, pues hay cosas que a uno le pueden haber pasado, se compenetra mucho en el tema, sin querer, pues uno no puede dejar de leerlo para otro dia, se lo recomiendo a todos, y espero que esta gente haga una pelicula de esto, que seguramente tendra mucho exito

It's a great book, you can't stop reading it. Great story, beautiful details, great ending.
You shouldn't miss it!

El mejor suspenso es el que me hace pensar, y El Garante tiene eso, además de una historia alucinante y una prosa rica y ágil. No podía dejar de leerlo, pero sufría cuando estaba cerca del final porque no quería que se terminara. Lo disfruté de punta a punta, casi sin respirar. Y cuando llegué al final, los pensamientos de Martin Mondragon seguían dándome vueltas en la cabeza. ¿Qué es finalmente un pacto? ¿Qué diferencias hay entre el bien y el mal? ¿El mal está tan lejos de nosotros o es parte de uno mismo? Este libro ya está destinado a convertirse en un clásico del género.

Gabrielle Warwick decided that she needed some human contact. She decided to go to the bar. While she's sitting there pretending to drink her beer, her preternatural senses tell her that someone is watching her. It's time for her to leave.

She manages to make it to the parking lot, but no farther. The man watching her followed her. He tells her that he has to talk to her and that her life is in danger, a fact that she is aware of. The Adams Clan have been hunting down her kind for quite some time now. The man introduces himself as Preston Adams, one of the hated Adams Clan! He manages to get her in his car and she gives him directions to her sanctuary in the mountains.

Preston has been seeing Gabrielle in his dreams. He knew when his grandfather sent him afer Gabrielle that he wouldn't be able to kill her. He also knows that when he doesn't report in, his grandfather will send someone else after them.

Gabrielle is having a hard time accepting that an Adams would help her. She senses something familiar about him. When he touches her, her body reacts the same way that it did to Damon's touch. Damon was killed in the blood wars. After Damon's death Gabrielle vowed never to kill another human. She lives by killing some game and it has affected her. She's lost most of her vampiric powers.

The next morning, they manage to make it to the coast. Preston is going to his grandfather and see if he can make a deal to leave Gabrielle alone. When he gets there, he runs into his cousin Cece. Cece is about the only one of his family that he can stand to be around. His grandfather refuses his request and they get into a big fight. Preston tells his grandfather that either call off the hit on Gabrielle, or he will leave and never come back. His grandfather says goodbye.

Now Preston knows that his brother will be coming after them and he is a target as well as Gabrielle.

This is a fantastic love story. As Preston and Gabrielle face one danger after another, they also begin to realize that Preston is the reincarnation of Damon. Damon and Gabrielle promised eternal love to each other. Gabrielle has never gotten over Damon's death and knows that she will love no other. This is a great look into the Vampiric Society, as well as the Vampire Hunters. The characters are all very well rounded. If you like Vamp stories, this is definitely the book for you.

She's a vampire. He's a hunter. Enemies.

Gabrielle Warlick is an undead, a vampire. For years the Adams clan has hunted her kind. Gabrielle is lonely, despises what she is, and has already become different than her own kind. She is incredibly intelligent, with a quest for knowledge. Has she finally been trapped by Preston Adams?

Preston has been having dreams of Gabrielle for quite some time. Even though he's been sent to kill her, as he is from a family of vampire hunters, he just can't do it. He schemes a way to save her life. Is it fate that brings them together, especially because of Preston'?

Preston doesn't know what drives him to protect Gabrielle, but once he devotes himself to her, his loyalty is unwavering. Preston avoided the family "business" for as long as possible. His research has shown that vampires like Gabrielle are harmless to humans, and he will try to do anything in his power to save them from the hunters in his family. What is so different with Gabrielle? Will Preston succeed?

Preston and Gabrielle are enemies. It is disconcerting to them both that they have such a strong attraction to each other. How long will they be able to ignore it? The connection between Preston and Gabrielle is deeper than he'd ever thought. What is it about Preston that makes this so? It is amazing and unexpected!

One of the things that impressed me about ENEMY MINE is the tribunal. This was a very touching part of the book, with the differing vampires - the ones that partake of human blood, the peacekeepers and the rogue vampires - very intriguing.

When you pick up ENEMY MINE, you will read of love, honor, loyalty and a strong belief in fate. The story was not as I imagined it would be. It certainly is not just another vampire story. ENEMY MINE is a vampire story of soul mates, with a lot more.

Journey to safety and discovery is filled with terror and expectation. ENEMY MINE has a conclusion that I never imagined, even though I flew through the pages expecting things to turn out a certain way.

i have read several of jewel dartt book once you pick them up you cant put them down they hold you spell bound you cant wait to see what happens next and her style of writing is a pleasure to read you dont have to force yourself to get to the good parts never a boaring moment looking foward to her next book

Preston Adams comes from a long line of vampire hunters. Raised to believe that they are soul-less creatures bent only on drinking the blood of mortals, then killing them, he finds when the moment to destroy his first prey arrives, he can't [do away with] her. She is the woman he has been dreaming about.

For Gabrielle, life is merely surviving. Ever since the loss of her beloved, she has suffered through her existence, only her strong will to survive keeping her from joining him in the afterlife. When Preston kidnaps her, she finds that things are not always as they seem, for here is a hunter helping the prey escape.

When the Adams clan finds out that Preston is helping a vampire, they are determined to crush her, and him if need be.

On the other side, the vampire council doesn't care why Gabrielle is keeping company with one of the hunter clan. Either she kills him, or they will both be destroyed.

Running for their lives, with the help of Gabrielle's off the wall friends, Gabrielle and Preston find that dreams sometimes shadow reality, that old love's can be found again, and that things are never quite what they seem to be.

Vampires have always held a fascination for me; be they the bad boys of Bram Stoker or Anne Rice's books, the devilishly delightful ... objects of erotica, or the attempting to reform and loving creatures of romance. They are capable of such delightful things, able to be molded into the quintessential misunderstood being, capable of pouring so much love and passion into a relationship.

Jewel Dartt does well with capturing the emotions, the doubts, the yearning of the female heart magnified by a vampire's age. ENEMY MINE is a heart-warming, passionate novel of a love that survives death, and a testament to not judging by preconceived notions.

© Michelle Houston, 2003

Daughters of the night are expressly forbidden to love humans. The horror of the Blood Wars, when humans rose to fight the oppression and sacrifice to vampires, clearly demonstrated the dangers of the undead and human trying to coexist.

But there is one human who would not agree with history's lesson. Trained as a hunter, Preston Adams spent his entire life studying vampires. Indeed, his entire family, for many generations, has been devoted to the extermination of the undead. Nevertheless, Preston watches his victim, and comes to realize she doesn't fit the teachings he's received from his family. Gabrielle Warlock is different. She does not drink the blood of humans, despite the weaknesses her decision brings. Sacrificing everything, Preston vows to not only defy his family's order to kill her, but to become her protector.

Gabrielle is an outcast even among her own kind. A woman of ethics and strength, she is brought before the vampire Tribunal to withstand the charge of betraying vampires by consorting with a human. In exchange for her life, she must take Preston's life. As Preston and Gabrielle flee to preserve their lives, they must confront not only the enemy that should keep them apart, but also a past the binds them eternally.

Jewel Dartt's dark romantic fantasy explores the range of emotions that binds as well that which destroys, weaving a complex, rich tapestry of strength and beauty. Lovers of the paranormal take note, for this is definitely an author holding great promise. Indeed, this reviewer sincerely hopes to see much more of Dartt's children of the night and the hunters which persue them.

Why do I like this so much? Maybe because it is a classic? Hard to say why, just really enjoy how that is done, the cast of hunters, etc. It is the one I have multiple versions of, including a hardback annotated, so that certainly says something. The style, told in letters and journals to large degree just seems to work for some reason, when it can be horrible elsewhere. Highly recommended.

Apart from that, the Essential Dracula has annotations and notes for each page, which are quite interesting. If you just want to concentrate on the novel, you may find this setup distracting, so try a plain version just for that.

Tells how about a Dracula walking tour in London, and other fun things.

Loved the Stoker's two-dozen spectacular line drawings and some interesting background on Bram and the legends of his subject!
 

First of all, let me say that I give DRACULA, the novel, 5 stars. Unlike many "classic" works of literature, it holds up very well today. Stoker spins a web of suspense, romance and drama that has rarely been equalled in popular fiction.

And if you ever wanted to know more about Bram Stoker or his most famous story, The Essential Dracula is certainly everything its name implies. So why 4 stars instead of 5? Well, it mainly has to with the critcial asides that pepper the massive amount of footnotes in the book. As long as the editor sticks to illuminating historical facts about the time in which the story takes place, or offers helpful translations of words or phrases that are not part of our 21st-century lexicon, all is well. But he too often lapses into the role of critic, questioning characters' motivations or the logic of certain actions they take. Now, I'm not saying DRACULA is beyond criticism; it's NOT a perfect book. But I just feel too much time is spent on this, and it actually detracts from my enjoyment of the book.

The inclusion of the orginal first chapter, "Dracula's Guest," is a mixed blessing. For the hardcore fan, it's an interesting find. But it doesn't fit well with the rest of the story. Most jarring is the fact that, although it's told in first-person by Jonathan Harker, it's not done in the form of a journal entry, like the rest of the story. And I didn't learn anything that wasn't already included in Harker's first few journal entries to Mina.

On the plus side, I absolutely love the addition of recipes for the exotic meals on which Jonathan Harker dines. And the simple black & white illustrations are a welcome touch. Concise essays from famous (or supposedly famous...I haven't heard of many of them) fans speak to the novel's universal and seemingly timeless appeal.

If you can stand the absolute overkill of information, this is definitely a must-have. If Leonard Wolf will just "trim the fat," as it were, future editions might just be perfect.

"The Essential Dracula" is the latest edition of "Dracula" to be annotated with copious footnotes by renowned "Dracula" scholar Leonard Wolf. In 1975, Wolf published the first thoroughly annotated edition of the novel, called, appropriately, "The Annotated Dracula". "The Essential Dracula" has retained and augmented the thousands of comments and explanations offered in that book, but lacks "The Annotated Dracula"'s more than 100 illustrations, most notably full-page artwork by the artist Sätty. Instead, the artwork of Christopher Bing introduces each chapter in "The Essential Dracula". There are also small illustrations scattered throughout, but "The Essential Dracula"'s illustrations are more decoration than material. Don't be misled by the blurb from Ingram on the back cover that oddly refers to the 1975 edition's "100 photos, maps, and drawings", not to this edition. Comments on "Dracula" by 19 writers and artists are an interesting addition between the chapters. Leonard Wolf or his publisher have perfectly chosen a handsome, modern, black and red cover to announce this novel's arrival in the 21st century.

Leonard Wolf's copious footnotes provide the reader with an ongoing lesson in social history. He addresses every imaginable allusion in the text, sometimes with short essays. The notes are more elaborate and cover a broader variety of subjects than the footnotes in the Norton Critical Edition of "Dracula". Some intriguing notes include: recipes for the Romanian dishes on which Jonathan Harker dines, population demographics for Transylvania in the late 19th century, translations of old Mr. Swales' dialect, explanations of Victorian figures of speech, and the particulars of Victorian typewriters that Mina employs so frequently. Leonard Wolf's annotations are blessing to "Dracula" fans. My only reservation about them is that the notes in "The Essential Dracula" cannot be easily read. Unlike its predecessor "The Annotated Dracula", which placed its sizable notes in the margins, "The Essential Dracula"'s notes are truly footnotes. They are written in a miniscule font at the bottom of the pages. One cannot simply peruse the notes, as I so enjoy with "The Annotated Dracula". It is too difficult to determine what text is being referenced. So you really do have to read these notes as you read the novel, which I find impractical and not as enjoyable as studying them later.

"The Essential Dracula" offers 3 Appendices. Appendix A is the legendary and entirely superfluous deleted first chapter of "Dracula", entitled "Dracula's Guest". Appendix B provides a selected Dracula filmography and a list of notable theatrical dramatizations. The filmography includes title, alternative title, director, studio, country, and leading performers for 71 Dracula films, 1920-1992, that feature Count Dracula but are not necessarily based on Bram Stoker's novel. Appendix C is a bibliography.

This book is an amazing classic full of romance, suspense, and horror. Everybody from 11 to 111 should read this awesome classic! Take my word for it,after you start this book, you won't be able to put it down(litterally!).

This is a great book for the very young who are just starting to read. The text has repetitive elements which makes it great for a child's sense of accomplishment. They continue to learn new words in each new spread, while also repeating some of the words that they have just learned in the previous spread! The text is fun to say out loud, too. The text describes the illustrations well, and the illustrations always have a little something extra to share about the story in them. You can find new little details in the artwork with each reading. Last but not least, the artwork is absolutely adorable - the illustrations are very funny, sweet and cute!! These characters are full of expression and charm. You can't help but enjoy this book - it will see a lot of repeated use with children who are just learning to read!!

A very cute book, beautifully illustrated. The author has a great sense of style and her illustrations are lush, but simple (sounds like quite a contradiction!).

"Ghost Eats It All!," by Janee Trasler, is a great example of pure Halloween fun. Aimed at the toddler set, "Ghost Eats It All!," features a greedy ghost and a quiet, resentful, hungry Frankenstein.

Ghost eats ice cream, an egg, an apple, pizza, candy, and cake in front of Frankenstein. Frankenstein becomes more and more hungry and more and more angry at Ghost's insensitivity, so he finally takes action, scaring Ghost away.

It's a simple tale, but toddlers will love looking at Frankenstein's facial expressions as he becomes increasingly upset by Ghost's selfish consumption of all the sweets. Perfect read-aloud fun for the 1-5 year-old crowd. Happy Halloween!

Intended for the very young, this book can be made enjoyable for the entire family by reading it aloud.
It's simple, cute but funny while delivering the message to share your food with your friends or else there could be consequences!

My son is 18 months old and loves books, so I picked this up for him at work.
It immediately became his favorite book. :)
The illustrations are adorable (I love poor ghost stuck outside the window) and the story is the perfect length for squirmy toddlers.
He looks at it by himself and yells "BOO!" when he gets to the page where monster scares ghost into sharing.
Cutest. Thing. Ever.

This book is great! this is a must read book for any body who loves ghost, fantasy, supernatural fun! A surprise around every corner awaits the reader! I am so happy to have purchased this book and add it to my own family library. We just have to wait until Jamieson Wolf gets another fun book out there for all of us to read! Well worth it for your own fun reading and for your book collection!
a five star rating from me! LOVE IT!

When I open a book by a new (to me) author, I try my best to go in prejudice-free, hopefully beginning my reader/writer relationship with a clean slate. In this case, however, upon receiving an e-book copy of Jamieson Wolf's The Ghost Mirror, I must admit to having labored under a smattering of preconceptions in spite of my best efforts. I knew from the bits and pieces I had read of Mr. Wolf's work that he's an excellent writer whose lyrical artistry with the written word is undeniable. I knew that "Mirror" is a ghost story aimed at teens and young adults, so I suppose I expected a nice, tidy, fairly routine little yarn, spooky but not overly scary ... an entertaining though not-too-challenging read. Much to my delight, it became abundantly clear from the very beginning that The Ghost Mirror was much more than I had bargained for. Entertaining and easy to absorb, absolutely --- but at the same time Wolf weaves a complex, often horrifying story in which night is day, where death may be mistaken for life, and where evil wears a deceptively kind face. Sounds a little familiar, doesn't it? Indeed, we encounter such uncertainties all too often in our own lives, and indirectly through the experiences of those around us.

Estranged from her parents for reasons she is at a loss to understand, thirteen-year-old Mave Mallory is rescued from an emotionally abusive home environment by her grandmother Mona, a lovingly tolerant, supportive woman with whom she shares a unique bond. Mave has been an outcast since birth, set apart physically by her black eyes and curly red hair, and spiritually by her innate ability to see ghosts. She's a source of fear and mistrust to her parents --- the situation reaches a breaking point when her socially oriented, cocktail party-going mother and father finally refuse to acknowledge her presence altogether.

Mave is taken to live with her grandmother, and while exploring the strange old house she befriends a young ghost with whom she is able to communicate through an old mirror in the attic. She is drawn to her new friend, and despite Mona's dire warnings she ventures too close to the mirror and is pulled through it into an unsettling parallel reality. On the other side, Mave enters a world where magic is an everyday convenience: a world peopled by mysterious, compelling characters who advise and guide her as she embarks upon a harrowing adventure revolving around Evil Incarnate in the person of the cruel, somewhat vampire-like Mr. Lavender. She finds herself inhabiting the role of potential savior, a responsibility that baffles her and for which she feels ill-suited.

When you read The Ghost Mirror, you hold in your hands the work of a master storyteller. Here, author Wolf spins a multi-layered tale that captures the reader from the first sentence, and gathers momentum at a head-spinning rate as one mystery after another is unraveled. At the same time, a good deal of The Ghost Mirror's appeal (its wonderfully fantastic plot and vivid Through The Looking Glass imagery notwithstanding) lies in an unmistakable modern world connection. Below the surface, the book anchors itself in our everyday existence as it deals with such subjects as parental abuse and blind, destructive prejudice whose origin fades into antiquity. This is accomplished in a fashion that makes us, the unsuspecting readers, part of a scenario that engages us through a misty aura of fantasy, but it is behind that hazy mask that the true ghost in the mirror resides.

I highly recommend this book --- its pages offer plentiful enjoyment for readers of all ages, and I, for one, anxiously await the upcoming sequel. There is much more of this story remaining to be told, and I can conceive of no writer more up to the telling than Jamieson Wolf.

I just finished reading Jamieson Wolf's The Ghost Mirror and I must say I got to the last page much too quickly. This is one book I hated to see end!!! This book is destined to be a classic read for generations.
Wolf's characters quickly found a place in my heart--I wanted to jump in and help Mave on her journey through a magic mirror. Before I finished the book, I found myself glancing at my own mirrors wondering if I could somehow make my way to the same magical world .
If I had to compare The Ghost Mirror to any other book, the closest I could come is to say it is a blending of The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland, brought together with a twist of magic only Jamieson Wolf's mind could bring into being.
I am anxiously awaiting the sequel to this wondrous tale.

Mave Mallory's parents are afraid of her and pretend she does not exist, so her grandmother, Mona, takes Mave to live with her. Mave sees spirits in her grandmother's house. Her grandmother tells her not to "pay them any mind." She also tells Mave that she has magic in her, but warns her not to touch the mirror that whispers to Mave in the attic. She tries to obey. But when a ghost girl she has befriended is pulled into the mirror, Mave has to save her. She suddenly finds herself cast into another world, a world where she is feared and not welcome and recognized for what she is--the last witch.

Mr. Wolf paints a lovely picture of this alternate world, using symbols for water, air, Earth, and fire. In this new world, Mave meets Mr. Lavender, an evil man who draws the souls out of his victims--the children. And he is very interested in Mave. Why? Who is the young boy, Euwan, who is eager to help her? Why does a crow watch her?

Told from multiple points of view, Ghost Mirror is a dark story that grips the reader from the opening scene with Mr. Lavender to the final pages, where Mave discovers the magical powers within her and must use them for her survival. Some scenes are too intense for younger readers, but readers from age fourteen to adult will eagerly follow Mave's struggles to discover the truth about herself.

Listen to the Ghost
Secrets I Have Kept

Reviewed by Ian McCurley (13) for Reader Views (9/07)

The story begins when Mave, a red-haired, black-eyed 13-year old girl is being criminally ignored by her parents and is taken to live with her grandmother. Her grandmother lives in a sprawling house on top of a hill. The house is populated by not only Mave and her grandmother, but also many ghosts. She befriends one of these ghosts, and one night, Mave is called to the attic to discover that her ghost friend is being kidnapped by a mirror. Jumping into the mirror after her, Mave finds herself in another magic-filled world in a town called Elements. She discovers that she is a witch and is hated for it. She also discovers that the town of Elements is only populated at night, and that during the day, the sinister Mr. Lavender is stealing children and eating their souls.

"The Ghost Mirror" is creative and dark. It has a distinctly Canadian writing and editing style. The storyline flows, but leaves several plot holes. The characters are creative but lack depth.

"The Ghost Mirror" is for readers 14 and up who enjoy reading about witches and like fantasy. "The Ghost Mirror" is very dark. I enjoyed it because it was a light and captivating read.

Well, if you are familiar at all with this type of writing, then you cannot have helped but cross paths with M.R.James. If not, don't expect the obvious skeleton in the closet or the cliche' distant howling at the moon. James will succeed, with your help,in placing you in the empathetic position of strongly identifying with the narrator, or a helpless secondary character in his story. Suspend time and disbelief and be welcomed to his world. You'll be powerless to resist so be well prepared. Turn ALL the lights on and forget a good night's sleep. Not going to happen. Your identification allows James, through masterful writing ,to transport you to the very center of what you instinctively know will be one of the most subtle yet frightening literary experiences of your life. Believe me, you'll be so glad to be able to remind yourself afterward that this is just a collection of "stories". There will be lingering after-effects however and you'll never forget these stories once you've read them. You'll be reached and overpowered on a very primitive psychological level, just as the characters in James' stories have been. The surviving characters recover from their experiences at the end of the stories....but are never again the same. Neither will you be....

Montague Rhodes James (1862-1936), Vice-Chancellor at Cambridge, Director of the prestigious Fitzwilliam Museum, and later Provost of Eton, was possibly the world's greatest authority on medieval manuscripts. He is thought to have studied nearly twenty thousand documents. He also wrote ghost stories.

Ghost Stories of an Antiquary was published in a limited edition in 1904 and reprinted nine times in the next decade. He subsequently published three other collections - More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1911), A Thin Ghost and Others (1919), and A Warning to the Curious (1926). M. R. James greatly admired the supernatural fiction of J. Sheridan LeFanu and thought of himself as simply a follower in LeFanu's footsteps.

In the interesting introduction to this Dover edition E. F. Bleiler writes that the "evil that dieth not, but lieth in wait" is a common theme in these chilling stories. This evil that dieth not is best left undisturbed. The curious ones, those seekers of forgotten lore, often discover that knowledge comes at a high price. And the reader may find that sleep comes less easy.

I quite enjoyed this short collection and I am sure that it will appeal to any reader of Victorian ghost stories. A few may seem somewhat familiar as undoubtedly the tales of M. R. James have long served as a source of inspiration for later stories and screenplays.

The stories in this collection include Canon Alberic's Scrap-book, Lost Hearts, The Mezzotint, The Ash-tree, Number 13, Count Magnus, Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You My Lad, and The Treasure of Abbott Thomas.

The ghost stories of M.R. James (MRJ) are widely considered to be the best supernatural literature ever written. "Ghost Stories of an Antiquary" was his first collection of short stories to be published (Arnold 1904) and is a fine introduction to this chilling, scholarly author.

However, you might want to spend a bit more money and buy the "The Penguin Complete Ghost Stories of M.R. James." If you completely succumb to the refined but potent horror of this author's writings, only "A Pleasing Terror" (Ash Tree Press 2001) will then do. This book contains all of MRJ's supernatural literature, including story fragments that were never completed, biographies, bibliographies, commentary, and his fantasy novelette, "The Five Jars."

"Ghost Stories of an Antiquary" consists of the following stories:

"Canon Alberic's Scrap-book"--The original title for this story was 'A Curious Book,' and it is one of 'the' classical MRJ invocations of a scholar who unwittingly opens the wrong book and pays horribly for his misadventure. This story and the following "Lost Hearts" were originally read aloud at an 1897 meeting of the Cambridge Chitchat Society, a literary gathering which met for "the promotion of rational conversation."

"Lost Hearts"--This story is unusual for MRJ in that the ghosts participate in an actual physical assault on the villain who had murdered them. It is narrated in the third person by a little boy who is orphaned and goes to live with his elderly cousin at Aswarby Hall (an actual estate in Lincolnshire, now largely demolished). Slowly he begins to realize that there were two other children who had lived with his cousin before him.

"The Mezzotint"--A collector of topographical pictures purchases a mezzotint that shows a view of a manor-house from the early part of the eighteenth century. The picture slowly evolves through a story of murder and revenge from beyond the grave.

"The Ash-tree"--If your Bible falls open to the verse, "Thou shalt seek me in the morning, and I shall not be" do not, I repeat DO NOT sleep in Sir Matthew's old bedroom next to the ancient ash-tree. This story is a unique reworking of the "executed witch's revenge" theme.

"Number 13"--A scholar settles into a Danish hotel to research the town's ecclesiastical history and learns more than he ever wanted to know about a bishop who sold his soul to Satan.

"Count Magnus"--Another story (along with "Number 13") that may have had its origin in MRJ's trips to Scandinavia. Mr. Wraxall, the scholarly hero of this tale dooms himself by reading a forbidden treatise of alchemy and expressing a wish to meet its long-dead (or not so dead) Swedish author. This tale is definitely not for the faint-hearted, especially the scene in the mausoleum of Count Magnus, when the locks start popping off of the sarcophagus.

"Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad"--A Professor takes a golfing vacation on England's East Coast, and agrees to take a look at the site of an ancient Templars' preceptory for an archeologically-inclined friend of his. He scratches around in the ruins and finds a whistle with a Mediaeval Latin inscription on it that can be translated (according to Jamesian scholar Jacqueline Simpson) as: "O thief, you will polish it, you will blow it twice, you will regret this, you will go mad." I think this is the first M. R. James story I ever read, and it terrified me. I can't remember how long I had to sleep with the lights on after reading it.

"The Treasure of Abbot Thomas"--Mr. Somerton deciphers a text from the medieval Latin 'Sertum Steinfeldense Norbertinum,' and an inscription in the painted-glass window of a private chapel, then goes on a treasure hunt to Germany. What he finds, and what throws its arms around his neck while he... All I will further state is that if you should happen upon a German well that has seven eyes carved on one of its stones, under no circumstances should you climb down into that well, most especially not after dark.

If you don't find "horror" fiction frightening, this is for you. These stories scare everyone. This edition also has a very charming cover.

noone could evre make as much out of the traditional ghost story than MRJ. angles, details, objects. by changing one thing, focusing on something else, etc., james shows the potential in the classic elements. he doesn't stretch it too far, and he doesn't have to. he plays around with subtle changes, but his writing is serious. great descriptions, excellent at details, james is considered the ghost story master by a great many. check out how he carries out the details in Canon Alberic with the mysterios book, the descroptions in Ash-tree, the mysterious lurking fear in Count Magnus, or the plot in Oh whistle.....

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to a 10-year-old. It was a straightforward-enough story, and children are not known for their discrimination. That said, as a librarian who reads a great deal of children's literature, I was very underwhelmed. The characters were wooden and fairly two-dimensional, the story competent but clunky, and I saw every single plot 'twist' coming.

Instead, I would highly recommend Vivian Vande Velde's ghost stories, Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn, The House With a Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs, The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix (more fantasy than ghost story) and King in the Window by Adam Gopnik.

Death affects people in many different ways. Children also have a range of emotions when a loved one is facing a serious illness such as cancer. I still remember one of my former students drawing pictures of a large cross next to his mother right after she died. That was his way of coping. In the book GIVING UP THE GHOST, Sheri Sinykin weaves in the emotions of a young girl who's mother is in remission from cancer, going to help a great-aunt who is dying, and the ghost of a young girl. All these elements work to make a very compelling story.



Thirteen-year-old Davina is scared of many things. One of her biggest fears is that her mother's cancer will return.

That summer Davina and her parents go to help her elderly Aunt Mari with in-care home hospice care. This only increases Davina's fears. And to make matters worse is Emilie, the ghost of a 19th century young Creole girl who lives in her great-aunt's deserted plantation. Emilie wants Davia to be her friend. But Davina finds Emilie to be spoiled and unpredictable. While her aunt's health deteriorates, they both grow closer. Aunt Mari tells stories of sudden ends and regrets. Also she tells Davina she needs to help Emilie in order to release her spirit from Belle Foret.

I love how the author deals with death in this story. Especially with how a teen would feel about ovarian cancer. I felt the emotions of Davina were very realistic. Another thing I liked was how Davina wasn't afraid to be with her aunt even when she knew she'd die. Together they helped each other face their fears. Davina also learns a valuable lesson from Emilie, one that sets both of them free.

This story addresses a paranormal theme in a whole different light. I loved the premise of a haunted Louisiana plantation with secrets. I recommend this book to those who are looking for a paranormal story with a twist. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Davia, a thirteen-year-old girl, is haunted by Emilie, a tortured,
mean-spirited ghost. Davia tries to piece together the circumstances
surrounding Emilie's death while also comforting her beloved Aunt
Mari who is dying. Davia and her aunt hope to release
Emilie's spirit, but they must do so before Aunt Mari passes into the next world. Davia
discovers that Emilie had hopes of becoming a doctor. Emilie's
nineteenth century parents, however, had other plans for her. How did she escape her fate?

"Giving Up the Ghost" is an appealing ghost story as well as a
realistic account of the emotional trauma of watching a loved one
die. Having gone through the death of my mother recently, it was especially relevant for me. Others will also find themselves thinking about some of life's most difficult questions.

Sheri Sinykin has written a very important book--the book I wish I'd been given to read when, as a young adult, I experienced for the first time the death of a grandparent. On the surface, "Giving Up the Ghost" works just fine as a ghost story, and young readers will appreciate it as such. On a deeper level, however, it explores the fundamental questions all kids are confronted with when faced with the loss of a loved one: How do people die? What should I expect if I'm helping to care for someone who is terminally ill? What happens after someone dies? Although never didactic, the book provides some solid information. And finally, protagonist Davia and her family will impart reassurance to Sinykin's readers: that it's OK to ask questions, it's OK to be afraid, it's OK to let someone go, it's OK to forgive yourself and others. I found myself thinking about this book long after turning the last page.

Nearly every family has an eccentric member who seems odd to the rest of the clan. However, not many of us will be called to their bedside as a nursemaid when the individual is dying. That's what happened to Mr. and Mrs. Peters and their daughter Davia when they decided to care for Mrs. Peters' great-aunt Mari. Arriving in the humid, summer heat of a former southern plantation, Davia is surprised to find her relative living in a converted barn. Aunt Mari refuses to live in the big, haunted mansion on the vast estate. With her list of fears in hand, Davia and her family, including a self-righteous cat named GG, take up residence at Belle Foret.

Not only is the family expected to cater to the whims of an old woman who cannot be pleased, Davia is also expected to befriend Emilie, the ghost who haunts the grounds where she lived and died more than a hundred years before. Aunt Mari cannot "give up the ghost" and cross over in peace until Emilie does. However, the ghost has a secret that must come out in order to cross over and find peace in the afterlife. "Save me!" Davia must uncover the secret from the prankster spirit and help her forgive herself--a very tall order for two teenaged souls.

Davia is only fourteen, but mature for her age. She is not only dealing with the imminent death of her newly acquainted relative and the needs of a teenaged ghost, she is also coping with the aftermath of her mother's cancer treatment. Is her mom really in remission or is there something her parents aren't telling her? This book delves into the emotions of this brave, young girl and gives an example of how to deal with death by facing reality head on.

Sheri Sinykin did an excellent job with telling this story from Davia's point of view. Her writing style is top-notch. I was engaged from the first page and could not put this book down. I hated to see the end because I had fallen in love with every character--even old Aunt Mari and the cat that decided to become her best friend.

If you are facing the death of a loved one or are assisting with the care of an aging family member, Giving up the Ghost is a must-read. Although the book is geared toward a teen reader, any adult can appreciate its solid foundation and grown up treatment of a topic that most people fear.

This book review written by Yvonne Perry www.yvonneperry.net

Sure the book is a little quirky, but as a life-long, multi-generation Vermonter, I've heard true stories from the Northeast Kingdom that make the events in this book seem downright tame.
Vermonter dot com approved and heartily endorsed. Joe Citro's books share an honored spot on our book shelf!

I loved Citro's prequel to this, Shadow Child, and was equally impressed by this follow-up. The novel takes off from where the last one ended...Eric Nolan, the protagonist in Shadow Child, has been incarcerated in a mental asylum for the past five years. A new family has moved into the old house on Tenny's Hill Road...Sheila, Dan and Will, and all find themselves drawn into a menacing web of ancient evil. Only this time, Eric Nolan resolves to put an end to the horrors, and escapes from the asylum. The rest of the story deals with how the portagonists deal with the evil that permeates the forests and hills of Antrim, Vermont. Just as in Shadow Child, Citro weaves a spellbinding tale of supernatural evil, a tale that is tightly woven with chilling atmosphere, and thrilling suspense. I can't wait to read his other offerings!

Guardian Angels is one of those rare books that lives up to the cliche "page turner". I rarely read novels in a single day but this book was so engaging and entertaining I read it in a single sitting. It has everything a good horror novel should have. Chills, thrills, a neat plot, and likeable, smart characters. Highly recommended. When are you going to write a new book, Mr. Citro? Don't leave us hanging any longer!

Great book by a really great author. I don not usually like sequels but this is the exception to the rule. The Gentrys are spooky and then you add a character like Joe Grant to the mix and it really makes it scary.

Mr. Citro never fails to entertain but, this is a case of not quite meeting the high standards set by his other books.

The story is good and the re-appearance of Eric Nolan (central character in Citro's previous book set in Antrim, Vermont: Shadow Child) makes readers of his previous book feel "in-the-know" and part of the story even more.

This story also brings back Citro's most frightening and malevolent antagonists: the Gentry. These are his best invention as it is so easy to picture their child-like laughter in the reader's head and it is amazing how the warming sound of children's laughter becomes so forbodding in this context.

However, Mr. Citro seems to have found it necessary to bestow upon the Gentry new and more unbelievable powers. That is the problem, they do become unbelievable. We accepted their limited (but fearsome) powers in Shadow Child but, with their added powers, any victory by the untrained and average citizens seems so far-fetched that readers may find themselves wondering how the Gentry could have lasted centuries to fall to this group of people.

Finally, on a prudish note. Mr. Citro's repeated descriptions of the thirteen year-old girl's (Mona Grant) developing body (described clothed, partially clothed, and nude during sex) made even me uncomfortable. I caught myself forgetting that he was describing a girl barely in her teens and when I remembered, I felt a bit on the dirty side. I see the point of these references and I do understand that there is a "coming of age" aspect to the book (especially as regards Mona and Will) but, it was still a bit gratuitous for me.

On the positive-side (and please, don't let my tendancy to "criticize first, and praise second" dissaude you from the overall enjoyment that is this book) Mr. Citro gets you to accept his characters quickly (ecpecially the returning characters of the Police Chief and Eric Nolan). Also, he completely immerses you into Antrim, Vermont and give return readers a welcome impression of returning to a favorite spot (given what occurred when last we saw Antrim in Shadow Child, this is an accomplishment). He does his usually wonderful job of conveying locales and moods as well as rapidly lighting a hatred of the Gentry that makes the reader more apt to allow hatred of the Gentry to bond the reader to the protagonists, regardless of their skeletons in the closet or seeming lack of a chance.

Read this book on a summer night when the windows are open and you can allow yourself to wonder, just for a second, if such things really do happen. If you're lucky, you'll scare yourself just a bit, if you are really lucky maybe a child will laugh within ear shot at just the right/wrong moment in the story.

Enjoy this book but, to truly appreciate Mr. Citro and HIS Vermont, read some of his other fictional work (especially Shadow Child).

This is a great book for people that like ghost stories. Some of the stories are good and some of them are dumb. A good story is the one about the hidden driver.Some of the ones that are bad is the one were some people hear a noise and they think that it was a ghost. It is kind of a hrd book to under stand, but over all it is a good book. The book is about Chris Woodyard going around Ohio and finding ghost stories. I have read a similiar is called the Bone Collecter. It is about a murder that kill people and leaves a bone clue.I think that you should at least read one of the hauted ohio books.

Haunted Ohio is a book that has many different stories in it. It has some stories that are really scary and some that are just weird. There is this one really cool story about this little girl that sits by her own grave and cry's .And in another story there was an old man that had done something really bad to this girl and had gotten her pregnant and the man had taken the child and hid it from its mother. A few days later the woman died and she is still looking for her child today.

I liked this book a lot because of all of the different stories in it so you're not just reading about one thing so it makes the book a little more interesting. One thing that I didn't like about the book was that some of the stories are kind of boring.

Woodyard's fun and just-scary-enough series about true hauntings in the Buckeye state has kept Ohioans entertained for a decade now. These reports on supposedly haunted sites throughout the state combine anecdotal evidence along with results of investigations into the alleged presences. Over the years this series has taken us from Cincinnati's infamously ghost-infested Gothic masterpiece, Music Hall, to the defunct (but still howlingly paranormal) century-old state prison, Dayton's most spirit-filled graveyard (where a boy and his dog are often seen among the dozens of reported spirits) and even the tale of a ghostly wolf often seen in the mountain country of southeast Ohio. This is good stuff! Read it on a breezy October night by candlelight or read it at high noon in July, it works for any occasion!

HAUNTED OHIO 4 is a book full of short stories about ghosts. These stories are true, as told by the people who experienced them. These hauntings are from all over Ohio. There are stories about pets that come back to haunt, ghosts who leave things such as money, and ones who take things like macaroni.
I liked this book because it really makes you wonder if ghosts are real, and if there really could be haunted places. One thing I didn't like about this book was that there is too much extra detail, which lets your attention drift away from the book.
In my opinion, HAUNTED OHIO 4 is a good book that should be read by anyone who likes ghost stories.

This is an excellent book for someone who loves a good ghost story. The reason I like this book is because it's true. Haunted Ohio IV is a sacry, but very good book. It chills you and excites you at the same time. Not good for bed time reading, unless yuo want to have nightmares. An excellent book. A must for anyone who likes a good scare