Ghost Books

I am so particular about what Phantom books to read - this one is "fluff" but I dearly loved it! Just a nice happy story - thoroughly enjoyed it-thanks to Author for such a nice story.

Letters to Erik is a beautiful Story. I love the concept of the story - and it is a nice continuing story of the original book. The story is a nice read. I love the way that it ended. I will add this one to my collection of favorites.

I'm a long-time fan of Leroux's original novel, and this is the first other published book about Erik and Christine that I've ever read: it went far beyond my better expectations! The author is clearly a great knower of the original work, and her tale gives it the conclusion I always wished by both mantaining the main characters themselves, while making them grow and mature, in the case of Christine. The style of writing is nice and flooding, while enriched the operas original quotes well-used, and even the most apparently excessive and unbelievable plot-twists and coincidence just give to it a XIXth novel feeling. I particulary loved the author's telling of Erik's life, all of it well in the boundaries of what Leroux told us, and yet enriched, made more real, more alive... a great read! Only flaw in my personal opinion is that, well... it ended too soon: I wish I could have read a whole description of Erik and Christine's life together.

Being a Phantom Phanatic I loved everything about this book. The love that Christine had for Erik was beautiful and the same goes for Erik's love for Christine. I have read a lot of Phantom of the Opera books and I put this one up with Jody Leisure Minton. This is a book that I would read again and again as I have with Jody's book. This is truly a five star book.

I loved this book. I thought the author stayed very true to Leroux's book, and thought all characters stayed in character, except perhaps for Raoul. It could be seen that the author did a good deal of research before writing aswell which only true phans would recognise (=. I agree with the previous reviewer about the bedroom scene. it was tastefully done, and very romantic. The twist at the end was very amusing, and made me laugh. If you want to read a romance story about Erik and Christine that stays faithful to the original book, and adds more to the story, then this is the book for you.

At the beginning Kathleen the main character is working in the library when she hears a sound that surprises her. It was the book drop-off. She goes to get the books and sees the titles there all about death and torture. In one of the books all of the pictures are cut out. She also finds a book mark that reads "Horrors Awaite You, Beware". After that all the people close to her start falling fatal to tragic accidents. Who or what is doing this? Kathleen can count on only one thing, the killer will strike again. Her death is overdue...
I liked this book because it was very scary and kept me thinking. All the characters were very believable.

Kathleen works in a creepy moldy library in a bad part of town.The only company she has is Robin a mute and Miss Finch her
boss.Nobody likes cranky old Miss Finch including kathleen.Miss
Finch has to attend a siminar and leaves Kathleen and Robin in charge of the library.On a rainy long night of working someone
returns 5 grisly books.Then the usual scary things happen.Scary phone calls,Shadows in the night,the feeling of being followed,
people dying.The only reason I gave this book a 3 was because of the ending and who the killer turned out to be.

Okay I really enjoyed this book, I've had it for years and hadn't read it in a long time so when I found it with all the garbage in my garage, I was psyched to read it. I think I was 14 when I first read Overdue, I'm 22 now so I pretty much forgot everything so it was like reading a new book I just bought. Anyway I liked all the characters, I thought they were believable. Unlike R.L. Stine's Fear Street books, though he has written some good ones, Cusick writes much more detailed and gives a lot more story to her characters. I loved Robin, it's so sad what happens to him. My only complaint is that while I liked Kathleen, she was a moron at times. She knows someone is after her but she contuines to walk by herself in the dark on the streets. That just makes no sense to me. If I knew someone was stalking me, I sure as hell wouldn't walk alone. Let alone at night in a deserted neighborhood. I also didn't like how she strung Alexander along, it's obvious he likes her and she makes him believe she does as well but in the end she ditches him for Bran. Other than that, I was suprised at who the stalker was and the ending is good and action packed. A great book overall, not Cusick's best, Someone at the Door has that honor, but it's up there.

A review by Darcy
Kathleen is a senior in high school and works in the city library. She has one real true friend named Robin. The kids in school make fun of Robin because he is slow and mute. She has one life long friend named Bran. Most of the girls in school are jealous of Kathleen because of that. When the head librarian Ms. Finch leaves town for a seminar strange things start to happen. People start disappearing and end up being found dead. Kathleen tries to tell Bran and Robin what's happening and they start to think that she is crazy. It all started when Ms. Finch left and a stranger came in. His name is Alexander and he uses the library to do research for a project for his classes in the college he goes too. Kathleen finds books with torn out pictures and mutilated pages. She finds more books that are actually clues of what happened to the missing people.

The characters are pretty believable. The character that I can mostly relate to is Robin. He seemed to be the most believable of all. Kathleen I thought was a little strange. I wouldn't have jumped to conclusions so quickly but I would be a little freaked out. Bran I didn't really like because he seemed to be flirting all the time and didn't really seem to care or pay attention to Kathleen's warnings or about the books being clues to the missing people. Ms. Finch I thought was a little crazy because if she killed people just to get the one she loves attention then she should be put in a mental institution. I really enjoyed this book and I recommend that everyone read it at least once. I was hanging on the edge of my seat with suspense. If you like horror books then you'll love this one.

Here is the description on the back of the book:
"It was after hours. Kathleen was preparing to close the library when somebody returned five grisly books about death. One was slashed. All were overdue. Then Kathleen found the bookmark with the deadly warning. Now people close to her are falling victim to tragic accidents. Someone is out for blood. Is it Robin, silent, shy, withdrawn? Is it Alexander, the dark, handsome stranger who haunts the library stacks and says he wants to help? Kathleen can count on only one thing: the killer WILL strike again--her death is overdue...."

Kathleen is working at the creepy old library in town during spring break while the librarian, Miss Finch, attends a seminar. Working with Kathleen is her good friend Robin, a shy, mute young man who always listens to what Kathleen has to say. Then one night someone drops off several long overdue books on murders and torture, with pictures cut out of them, and Kathleen begins to feel uneasy when she finds a bookmark in one of them that reads, "Horrors Await You. Beware." Soon Kathleen's friends begin to get fatally injured, and at every accident site, she finds a book that has to do with the way her friends are being hurt. Who is doing this? Is it Alexander, a college guy who has started hanging around the library? Is it Bran, Kathleen's hot lifelong best friend? Or is it Robin, silent and withdrawn?

The ending was really great, and I never guessed who the killer was. I'm so glad I read this; I almost didn't, because I thought the title was pretty stupid, but I was wrong! Definitely worth anyone's money!

This book was a very good book. There are plenty of times when I got confused, like about who told on Emily. All of my questions were answered later in the book. It was a great suspense novel.

I first read this book as a child in elementary school. I have since then read it at least once a year. BTW I am 30 and still enjoy it. A must have for any child.

It is hard to overstate how much excitement Angela Lansbury brings to the reading of this mystery book for children. Suffice it to say that at age 52 I enjoyed listening to it as much as my daughter, and would have purchased twenty more had they been available. The text by Barbara Brooks Wallace is also very well done, and very accessible for children's vocabulary while remaining exciting enough for an adult to enjoy without becoming bored. I highly recommend both the book and the audiobook for parents of both good readers and readers who need something a little spicier to get them interested and involved in the story. It concerns a young girl who has lost her parents and goes to live with an aunt in San Francisco. The trials and tribulations to which Emily Lucock is subject make up the the plot of the story, but the author is able to build both mystery and suspense into the telling. The audiobook format is especially terrific because of Lansbury's wonderful technique for building drama and suspense.

When I first saw the cover of this book I thought it would be one of those trashy, dull mysteries (Who stole the peppermint candy from the christmas feast?!?) then I saw the sequal, with it's pretty, intresting cover, and began to reconsider buying the first one (if only so I could understand the sequal). I started to read it and was amazed. It has an amazing plot, and is definatly one of the best books I have ever read, and I've read a lot of books. It is completely Dickensian without the slow-moving plot, and hard to understand language that most children find boring and discouraging. It is a wonderful Victorian Melodrama! I LOVE THIS BOOK!

A bowl of lovely red and white peppermints waits on a table in the parlor . . . but the residents of Sugar Hill Hall are not allowed to touch them. That image sticks with me after finishing the final pages of Ms. Wallace's delightful adventure tale of a young orphan and the dire situation she finds herself in. This Victorian story of dramatic suspense is a perfect story for young readers just starting to break into longer fiction and craving something with adventure and intrigue.

Young Emily Luccock has recently lost her parents, and she is now going to live with her Aunt and Uncle Twice at Sugar Hill Hall, a fine mansion in San Francisco. Emily remembers her visits to see her Aunt and Uncle fondly and is looking forward to seeing them again. But something has gone terribly wrong. Aunt Twice has become a timid woman forced to be a servant in her own home, and Uncle Twice is nowhere to be found. The entirety of Sugar Hill appears to be under the thumb of the icy and forbidding Mrs. Meeching, and Emily is made a virtual slave, working in the kitchen and cleaning the rooms of the despairing old men and women who reside in the rooms of the house. But young Emily is not about to give up without a fight. She's determined to bring sunshine back to Sugar Hill and to discover what has happened to Uncle Twice. With the help of Kipper, a redheaded boy from town, Emily pits herself against the frightful Mrs. Meeching, and all the secrets hidden in Sugar Hill Hall. Ms. Wallace has provided a rousing adventure story that kicks off from the first page and never slows down until the satisfying ending. The story elements aren't particularly original, but the author uses them to good effect with engaging writing that makes us care about our heroes and hate the villains as the story progresses. Emily, for all her apparent fragility, proves herself to be tough in spirit, and to have a caring heart for the plight of others. She's likeable without being overly sweet or too plucky. Kipper adds to the flavor and fun with his cheerful commentary and use of street slang.

While the story has its dark elements: murder, betrayal, cruelty, Emily and Kipper's adventure doesn't become too frightening either. The story remains just scary and exciting enough for enjoyment of 9-12 year olds, but doesn't become gory or chilling. The book itself is a short read--those who enjoy such books as A Series of Unfortunate Events and want more of the type would probably find this title to their liking. It's also a good recommendation for young readers who want something with action and adventure, but require something without any fantasy or supernatural elements to it. If I have any complaints about the story, its that I felt the secrets unraveled a bit too quickly and all at once towards the end of the story. After wondering for so long what is going on and what happened to Uncle Twice, readers are provided the answers in short order--just in time for the final confrontations. Despite this, I found myself enjoying the entire story--and I particularly liked how the element of peppermints framed the tale. For those who enjoy this stand-alone adventure, Ms. Wallace has written a follow up story with the further adventures of Emily Luccock titled The Perils of the Peppermints. Readers might also want to check out The Half a Moon Inn by Paul Fleischman and the Illyrian Adventure by Lloyd Alexander.

Happy Reading! Shanshad ^_^

This book is called Wrong Number 2 by R.L.Stine. I'm 11 years old in the 6th grade. I think people ages 11-13 would like this book. The book is about 3 kids going into a house looking for some money. But they find themselves downstairs in the basement. A man came in and lit a candle. Will they ever get out? I guess you will have to read the book to find out. I like scary stories. I liked the part when they were in the house in the basement. And when the man tried to run them over but they got away.

I loved the book Wrong Number#2. I am in the 6th grade and 11 years old. I think people ages 9-15 should read it. It is about two girls, Jade and Deena and these two boys Chuck and Farberson. Farberson got out of jail and went to go look for his hidden money. When he went to find it wasn't there. I love the book, it is a good book and at the end it is sad because someone dies. If you want to know how and who you will have to reed the book. And there is something scary. I did not like that part, you might. But the book was good. I hope you have fun with it.

The part of the book i read from Wrong Number Two was very good. The kids I think would like this book are 10-14 years old. Also kids who like mystery And suspense stories would like this book. I am in 7th grade when I read this book.This book was about 3 kids who get trapped in a killers world. Then after a year the killer got out of jail. One of the kids went back to find money the killer had hidden. Then the other two kids go to the killers house to go and get him but the killer is on his way. So, after they get there and get him they go to leave but the killer is standing in the doorway. I don't want to give too much away so read the book to find out what happens. I liked this book because it was a mystery and suspense book. That is what wrong number 2 is about.

The story I read was Wrong Number 2. It was about three teenag kids, Deena, Jade and Chuck.They had an enemy, Stanley Farberson. Farberson was a murderer and he killed his wife. Now he was put in jail and Deena and Jade are in school. Chuck is in college. One night Deena and Jade came home from school the phone rang Jade asked if she could answer it. Deena picked up the phone 'Hello' she said no reply. 'Hello' she said again. Then a low voice answered 'Is jade there' a man with a scary said.Then he hung up the phone. As soon as Jade walked in the room Deena said ' A man was looking for you' .'Then he hung up' Deena said. 'Oh well'. So all night Deena and Jade were talking about the basketball game they were going to on Friday. At one thirty a.m. Deena went up to here room and went straight to bed. At three a.m the phone rang 'Hello' Deena said. The same man called and he said 'I already called your friend'. This Review Was Written By Ashley Estrada

Can it really be Mr Farberson on the line? He has to still be locked up after trying to kill Jade and Deena last year. Maybe the calls are just someone's idea of a sick joke. But who else could possibly know the things the caller knows?

Then they realize that someone is nearby, watching them, close enough to know their every move. Someone who desperately wants revenge. Someone who wants to reach out... and kill them..

I have all 9 books in English and every one is wonderful. I too would love to purchase the next three if they were translated to English. I saw two books in German about 15 years ago when I was in Germany. One was titled Angelique und die Verschung which my dictionary translates as Temptation, and the other was Angelique und die Verschorung which translates as conspiracy. I don't know if the second is a new one but it sounds like it might be. Since I don't speak German either, I did not buy these books but have been looking for a translation.

I have the 1st nine of the Angeliquie books in my library and would never part with them. She is a captivating heroine and the history that is woven with the the characters made me thirst for knowledge about history. Sergeanne Colon is a spectacular story teller. I wish I was able to read French, I'd go and snap up the next 3 in the series that I never knew existed! If you can find this series in the used bookstore, go for it!
I wish someone would translate the the last 3 books or even make a mini-series of movies out these books.

Phew! I just finished re-reading the Angelique books (more than 30 years later)and what a rousing, great ride through history and across continents. Not wanting the story to end when I finished the first seven, I ordered the next two available online. This series is often categorized under "romance." In the cover blurbs, Angelique is compared to other literay heroines. Don't be fooled by these misguided attempts at promoting the books - to date, no other historical novel matches Sergeanne Golon's work in detail, complexity and presentation of a great love story. Well-developed characters. Timeless depiction of political,ethnic and religious conflict. Proved in-depth research by the depiction of 17th century geography, social mores, weaponry, clothing. The Golons do ascribe negative attributes to the non-European characters, with frequent use of pejorative terms like "savage." What saved this from diminishing my reading pleasure is that the writers artfully used the characters' voices to speak the common prejudices of the time. Besides, the story contains a host of stupid white men, who are fanatical, superstitious and murderous. Because "Ghosts" is weak in story movement, vis-a-vis, the previous books, I gave it a 4-star rating. Standing alone, I would have given it three stars, however it must be read as a "chapter" in a 5-star collection.

I have read all nine Angelique books in a row, it took me 2 weeks and now I am stuck awaiting their triumphant entry into Quebec. Please, if there is any kind soul of a translator out there in "bookland", we must go on reading the impossible traumas of this adventuress and intimate of kings and beggars. I am half in love with the Count de Pyrac myself, and cannot decide either which dress Angelique should wear upon her arrival in that glittering city, Quebec, among the nobles and notables of the French court and Indian hierachy. Is Piksarett still guarding his captive. Is the Jesuit father really after Angiligue's downfall? Will the King ever see her again? I want each and every person who can inform me about Angelique's further adventures to contact me ASAP. RAIN

I am very lucky to be french, and have read them all. Including the ones not yet translated in english of course.
To the reader what dress wonders who Angelique wears for her great arrival in Quebec: She wears the ice blue dress, and a white fur coat over it.
I have started reading these books in 1960, and still enjoy reading them again and again.
They made me love Versailles, wish to know more about King Louis 14th, and about New England, where I live now.
Never dare going up to Gouldsboro, being afraid to spoil the idea I have in my mind's eye!
I hope that they will be printed again and translated, so a whole generation of readers can enjoy them.

Very exciting. Loved Cobra - great character. Also liked the father. Let's have more.

This is the second of Lieb's books I have read and have the third one on order. His tying in of history along with fiction is well done. His development of characters is also a great work. I will read all his books and hope for more

this book sneaks up on you, captures and enthralls. a few pages in you are hooked, then the author carries you to the end like a lover. amazing.

This is a very good story and I spent about full time reading it until I was done. Cobra is the main character, a long distance shooter/assasin, but a good interesting fellow. I enjoyed the tie in to JFK and the life of Cobra (I would have loved more details, at least another 100+ pages more). Tolliver is the other main character and a man of problem that makes it to the White House. The only thing I did not care for was the book's layout, it started in 1963 for a few chapters than jumped to 1999 and while going to 2000+ it interspersed chapters filling in some of the years between. I like more sequential stories, but it still was very good and I highly recommend it.

This is an exciting book. You have a hired killer who took part in the original Kennedy assasination. The other character is a Texas Governor named Justice Tolliver who moves to the Presidency. The hired killer named Cobra has an interesting biography and an impressive list of hits. The President and his first lady are as wild as they come. They have shady land deals, the President was also a draft dodger. This book has every kind of scenario that you could ask for. The plot is outstanding as well. This will be one of the better books that you will read this year. You will be wondering if Cobra is sucessful in his newest assignment. You this book. It is a thriller.

I read this book when I was younger and I loved it, but then I lost it. I got it on amazon for a decent price, and read it again. It was a pretty quick read, but it is scarier when you are younger.

I read this book a few years back, and the only word I can use to describe it is, AMAZING!!!! This may be one of R.L. Stines best pieces of literary work yet. I started reading the first book at nine o'clock pm, and figured I would just finish the rest the next day, and then the second book the day after that, and so on and so forth. No, I stayed up the whole night reading all three books I was that captivated by it. I highly recommend this book, it's also a fun book to read to your siblings.

I loved this book from 6 years ago i havent read it since but i know what its about. The Fier family and the Goode family have it in for each other and the mysterious murders don't even start there.. there are deep dark secrets from hundreds of years before that slowly become unraveled and also become regreted. This is the best Fear Street novel i've ever read and i dont mind reding it over & over.I just can't believe how so many spirits can take over an entire family's lives!!!!!The book is really creepy, & you can sometimes feel like you're there wanting to tell a person to do the right thing.I read it so long ago, & I remember faint details & names but i do recall the strong intensity of the book that didn't let me put it down for days until i finished. I was only eleven but i'm seventen now, and i really have to buy this book again!!!!!!!

i read this book a long time ago and i still love it!!! i would recommend this book to anyone, even if its not your reading level. its so entertaining and you almost feel sorry for both families.

I read this book when I was 13 and became totally enchanted by it. I lost the book, and ended up buying used for $20.00, but when I read it again, I was able to understand and totally wrap myself into it, and read faster than I did before. 19 years old and reading these books, cheap little thrills. I wouldn't reccomend this book to anyone younger than 13 because of the strong violence that occurs. Other than that, if you love the dark-side..read it.

Though it may look like your average children's book do not be fooled- these are some of Edgar Allan Poe's finest (darkest) short stories brought to life by Gris Grimly's beautiful illustrations. I purchased this book as an introduction to Poe for my 13 year old goth nephew and he adores it.

This is a must have for any Poe fan!
You may already own the stories here, but it's worth it for the art alone. The classic stories combined with Gris Girmly's artwork are truly amazing.
There was one particular image I recall from reading The Fall of the House of Usher that was such a loving tribute to Vincent Price it really moved me. In fact, I ended up writing Mr Grimly an email to tell him how much I appreciated his work and to ask about the possibilty of a companion book which he hinted was in the works. You can tell he is also a fan of the material.

Gently abridged seems to be the phrase of choice associated with this book...and it is an apt choice indeed. In this volume we have four classic Poe tales "gently abridged" for readers 12 and up. The age range shown on Amazon is 9-12 and while some 9 year olds might "get" these stories, they will probably be best appreciated by slightly older readers as there is a lot of subtlety to the work. Gus Grimly's magnificently macabre illustrations help bring the text to life and help draw the reader into the story. The four stories covered here are: The Black Cat, The Masque of the Red Death, Hop-Frog and the Fall of the House of Usher. This volume would make a fine introduction to Edgar Allan Poe's work for young readers and would certainly be welcome as a collectable item for those who love picture books and/or are fans of Poe's work already. Grimly's illustrated version is almost manga like but still retains the readability of a regular book...so really the best of both worlds and a format that young readers are likely to identify with and enjoy. I give it 5 stars and two thumbs up. A great introduction to Poe for young readers and a fun read for those of us who simply enjoy Poe's work and like illustrated versions of classic texts.

I purchased this book along with several others along the same vane for my Grand Daughters. age 2 and 4 to eventually enjoy as I know they will. I am their Gran Pa and are really looking forward to reading it to them when they are old enough. Great illustrations which go great with a twist of the tale....

You've never seen Poe like this before, the nighmare world he creates in his ingenious horror stories comes to life with madly grinning figures trapped in a landscape of sweltering oatmeal colored skies and stark, grasping trees. Gris Grimly breaks through the cliche of Poe illustrations with his brilliant use of color and humor that embodies the manic glee of the doomed that characterizes Poe's most chilling tales.

The photographer has really captured the feel of Ellis Island. A visit to the island is a must for people visiting New York. Whether this was the first stop for your ancestors on their arrival to the new world, or they came through other ports of entry, I think the general experiences were the same. All the feelings of expectation, fear, joy or the disappointment of making such a long journey only to be detained or turned back while in sight of the "promised land" are tangible in Stephen Wilkes' images.

As an artist, I purchased this after my artist friend showed it to me, to use as a guide for selecting particular colors and/or color combinations in abstract paintings. It is amazing that the light in the photos has been captured as it truly was--not altered or enhanced with SW to convey a particular mood. Everyone I have showed this to has been propelled to stop and look through every image in the book--it draws you in as you flip through the pages. The colors portray emotion. Content is one of a kind. Highly recommended.

I found this book to be stunning and thought provoking-I wondered about how frightened and angry immigrants must have been to be treated in such a way after what they went through before.

The pictures speak of the passing of time with such a quietness. One can only imagine the complete opposite when Ellis Island was a sea of humanity speaking and crying and hoping while glimpsing NY's famed skyline so nearby. So many hopes realized, so many unfulfilled.

I Love this book, the pictures are beautiful, the design and layout make the pictures and quotes very moving. As a photographer I admire the quality of the work, and the bright vivid prints. I love that most of the images are full pages, sometimes spread across two pages, with small text labeling the room, or part of the property. There are no frames, page designs, or paragraphs to take away from the imagery. For more information and details the photographer includes a section of thumbnails with descriptions, stories about the room, or the shooting conditions, or even bitd of history. The thumbnails and text are at the back of the book with an arial shot and map showing the layout of the buildings. It really helps to peice together the history of Ellis Island. The quotes including add to the emotion behind the images, and I like that they were on parchment paper, so that you can see the pictures behind it. The books are being enjoyed by me and my mother, who is very interested in the hostory of Ellis Island, while I enjoy it for the photography. Great book to own, everyone should have a copy.