Top Ten Tuesday: Holiday Gift Guide

This week's (a day late - woops!) Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is a holiday gift guide freebie. The ideas given were ten books to buy the YA lover in your life, 10 books to buy for your dad, etc. My list is going to be ten gift ideas a reader might like for Christmas.

Ten Bookish Items for the Reader in Your Life

1. A book subscription box: There are lots available, depending on your budget and where you live, and for different reading genres. I would say the minimum would be $25 USD per month. Most subscription services have one-month, three-month, and six-month plans - any of them would be appreciated by book lovers! The box I subscribe to is OwlCrate but there are so many more - a quick Google search will give you lots of options.
2. An Audible subscription: This would be based on your reader's preferences, some people don't enjoy audio books. Audible is a subscription site that sells digital audio books, which you download directly to your device - no need for CDs! Audio books are a quick way for readers to get through several books in a short amount of time. They also help them to be more efficient and multi-task, as they can be "reading" while doing chores or driving.
3. Magnetic bookmarks: Readers love bookmarks (so any will do), but the magnetic kind are particularly popular right now, and practical as they won't simply slip out. You can find lots of fun designs and awesome sellers on Etsy. One of my favourite Etsy shops for bookmarks is ReadandWonder.
4. Books: This may seem obvious, but not to everyone. I love books and reading, and my family knows it, but they rarely gift me books. Partially because they don't know what genres I prefer or what I might already have. However, I'm fairly certain that if you asked your reader for a list of title ideas, they would be happy to supply you with said list! Also, many readers enjoy having several copies/editions of the same book, so giving them a book they might already own isn't too big a deal. RockPaperBooks for example, carries classic novels with new modern art covers. They are gorgeous - any reader would be happy to receive one of these beauties!
5. Gift cards: Of course, gift cards can be given to just about anyone on your list. Some people don't like gift cards because they can be considered "impersonal," but they can be a really appreciated gift, especially for students or people on a fixed income. Personally, I enjoy receiving gift cards because for me, gifts are about the thought. If one of my loved ones didn't know exactly what to give me, but they knew I loved books and therefore gave me a gift card to a local bookstore, or a bookselling website I enjoy, I would still consider it a thoughtful and personal gift, and would be thrilled. For Apple users, you can also buy ebooks thru iTunes for Kindle, so an iTunes gift card would work as well.
6. eReader: This is a pricier gift item, and may be a matter of personal choice (some readers prefer to only read paper books), so you would have to know your reader's preferences. There are several eReaders and apps on the market today, the most popular being Kobo, Nook and Kindle, but again, a little research will go a long way.
7. Signed books: Maybe your reader has a favourite author? This gift idea would take some forethought and planning, but getting one of their books signed by their favourite author (with a personal inscription??) is sure to be a winner. How to get a book signed by an author: you have to go to a book signing event, or contact the author to ask if they offer book signing services. In most cases you will be required to send a copy of the book to the author along with a postage paid return envelope and a fee for the signing - it could get pricey. I've recently learned that some Barnes & Noble or Target stores in the US sell signed copies of books occasionally. So if you're lucky enough to live near one of these stores, this could be much more affordable option.
8. Reading accessories: This is again based on personal preference, but some readers like to use book lights for nighttime reading; Stick-It Notes or adhesive markers for marking favourite parts or quotes; pretty/interesting (and functional) bookends for their bookshelves (maybe they need a bookshelf!); a notebook for tracking their reading, or writing down thoughts & quotes, etc. The list could go on...
9.  Book cover items: By this, I mean items which are made to look like books, or have prints of actual book covers on them. T-shirts, posters, mugs, tote bags, phone cases, there are sooo many options! Redbubble or Society6 are good starting places. These are like Etsy (a single website housing many independent shops/artists), but seem to be a lot more art based, which is where your book covers will come in!
10. Fandom items: This is another gift idea that will require knowing your reader well. Do they love a particular book series that has a significant following? If so, there's a good chance there will be a myriad of fandom items your reader would enjoy. This could range from scented candles, to Christmas ornaments, to stationery, to jewelry... Lots of options are available for this idea as well. I, personally, am a big fan of Harry Potter, so I would be tickled pink to receive Harry Potter-themed items. HPGeneration has some really beautiful (if not pricey) items for this particular fandom.

Well there you have it! Ten gift items the reader in your life might enjoy this holiday season. Is there anything you would add? Which of these would be at the top of your list?

Tag: Opposite Books Tag

Reading (and therefore review blogging) has been pretty slow lately, but I've been getting into book tags recently. I found this tag from Dreamland Book Blog by doing a random Google search for book tag ideas - kinda lame, I know, what can I say? :) Here is the list:

1. First book in your collection/Last book you bought.
2. A cheap book/An expensive book.
3. A book with a male protagonist/One with a female protagonist.
4. A book you read fast/One that took you long to read.
5. Pretty cover/Ugly cover.
6. A national book/An international book.
7. A thin book/A thick book.
8. Fiction book/Non-fiction book.
9. Very (way too) romantic book/Action book.
10. A book that made you happy/One that made you sad.

__________________________________________________________
1.
First book in my collection:
Who could remember something like this?! I have no idea. I was going to attempt to list the first books I remember reading by myself, but I can't even remember their titles, so...
Last book I bought:
The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith, for $1 at the thrift store.

2.
A cheap book:
My bff found me a copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling for $0.50, I think that's probably the cheapest book in my collection, even if I didn't pay it myself.
An expensive book:
Generally speaking, I don't buy books at full price, so this could be any book I did buy at full price so, for argument's sake, I'll say that was The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. Really good book, by the way.

3.
A book with a male protagonist:
I've heard people say it before, that in YA books, male leads are pretty rare, and I'm starting to see that more and more! An obvious choice would be Harry Potter, but trying to think outside the box... I'll go with Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, main character Clay. I loved that book so much. It's definitely one I'd recommend!
A book with a female protagonist:
Obviously this would be super easy, because there are so many!! But, again, trying to think outside the box... The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey. I really like Cassie. I haven't read the last book of the trilogy yet, but I've enjoyed the other two.

4.
A book I read fast:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, I'm pretty sure I read the whole trilogy in a weekend.
A book that took me a long time to read:
The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingelman. I liked the book well enough, but for whatever reason, I found it moved pretty slowly and so it took me a while to get through it.

5.
Pretty cover:
Assuming this is books I own, and not just books in general... I think probably I'd choose Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I think it's a beautiful cover, and it portrays the character very well. Plus it's my favourite book of the series so far (haven't finished reading them all).
Ugly cover:
I tend to pick up books based on their covers, so I don't own too many ugly books, except for hand-me-downs. I'll say my copy of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, seeing as it was very "well-loved" before I got it, so well-loved it has no cover.

6.
A national book:
I took this to mean a book written by an author from my country, Canada. In that case, I would have to, of course, go with Louise Penny. If I had to choose just one of her books, I guess I would go with Still Life, as it's the first of the series, and the one that got me hooked. :)
An international book:
I don't really consider the U.S. to be "international," so for a book by an author outside of Canada & the U.S., I'd have to go with The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern.

7.
A thin book:
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I just received the most beautiful copy ever in my November OwlCrate!
A thick book:
I have a single binding of all of Jane Austen's works (which I still haven't read yet!!), that's pretty huge!

8.
A fiction book:
If I Stay by Gayle Forman. It was such an emotional story and interesting point of view. I cried reading the book, but it was nothing compared to the mess I was after watching the movie later on.
A non-fiction book:
I feel like I'm always talking about the same books, but when it comes to non-fiction, what I have read leaves me with very few choices... The Tao of Martha by Jen Lancaster was a non-fiction I haven't mentioned on my blog before... It's not a favourite or anything, but it was a kind of funny and inspiring read. It's sort of like Julie & Julia, but the author used Martha Stewart as her example to follow for a year, vs Julia Child.

9.
A very (way too) romantic book:
In this instance, I'm going to say that romantic really means erotic, and would have to say 50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James. Yikes.
An action book:
The Fate of Ten by Pittacus Lore. Pretty much the whole book is a battle scene. It was action-packed, but really didn't hold my interest. It took me a long time to read, and I have little-to-no recollection of how it ended. The series is getting a bit drawn-out for me.

10.
A book that made me happy:
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I know I talk about this book all the time, but it is literally one of my  top three favourites. I hesitate to say absolute favourite, because who can choose, but... it's way, way, up there on my list. It makes me happy just to think about it. :)
A book that made me sad:
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. It's such a tragic story of love between family members, and an unexpected ending. I just can't imagine being put in any one of those family member's shoes. It makes me sad, but it makes me thankful for my family and that everyone is healthy.

_________________________________________________________________

That was kind of fun and challenging! I'm not actually going to tag anyone, just do the challenge if you're up to it. Feel free to share a link to your post in the comments below, I would be happy to read your opposites. :)

Hello Thursday

Hello Friends,

It doesn't always have to be about books, right? Well, today it's not. Today it's just me chatting about what's up.

I've been trying really hard to get a post published this week, but it's just not happening. I have lots of ideas and so many drafts on the go, but I've just been really busy for the last few weeks and haven't had time to complete anything, and this week is especially crazy. I've been preparing for a Christmas craft sale taking place this weekend...

About a month ago, I heard that there was a possibility of a trip (through an organization I've travelled with before, to a country I've been hoping to visit) next fall that I really want to attend. So even though it's early days and they haven't officially announced the trip yet, I decided I had better start doing what I could to raise funds as soon as possible. Because, while I do have enough currently in my savings account, I'm already planning a trip to Florida this spring with my best friend, and that's going to end up taking a lot of my savings.

In the past, my most reliable methods of fundraising have been bake sales and Christmas craft sales. Since it was just in time for Christmas, I decided to go for it. I started whipping up some of my polymer clay tree ornaments, and found a sale that still had an available spot at a reasonable price and reserved.

I don't have a ton of stuff made up, but I've prepared five each of six different designs, plus a few others. Hopefully my table won't look too bare, and people will buy, buy, buy! :)

Around here, so far anyway, polymer clay is a pretty rare medium to see at craft sales. It's all about knitting, weaving, jewelry-making, toll painting, and card-making in these parts. At any given craft sale you will find at least one artisan selling these wares. So I do have unique-ness on my side. The style of my ornaments does not appeal to everyone, certainly, and I know that (in this area) the prices aren't necessarily what people want to pay for a Christmas ornament (however, I have priced similar sized polymer clay art online and they are about three times the price of mine...), but hopefully it will go well. I usually do pretty well, but I'm not going to the same sale I usually go to. I've never been to this one before, so I don't know how much traffic there will be, or if it's a big-spender crowd or not (most likely not).

So, anyway... all that just to explain my lack of bookish posts on the blog this week. I'll get caught up next week, at some point, I promise.

Until then, wish me luck at my sale! I'll see you all soon.

Book Review: Dark Places

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

So I had written a couple of quick reviews when I first finished this book, but I'd like to expand a bit.

I was introduced to Gillian Flynn's writing a couple years ago when I read Gone Girl. I found it extremely captivating and the very essence of a thriller, so I had pretty high expectations for this book, and I was not disappointed.

To summarize, the story is about Libby Day, a woman whose family (mother & two older sisters) was murdered when she was 6 years old, and her brother was accused and convicted of the crime. She's grown up in the limelight of that crime, hating & fearing her brother, and living off the settlement money and donations sent to "little baby Day" by the public. But 25 years later, the money's run out, and it's time for Libby to grow up, face her fears, and learn what really happened that fateful night.

The story flips back and forth between the present and the days leading up to the murders. In the present, it's always from Libby's point of view, but the flashbacks are told from various points of view: the mother, the brother, etc. That makes is a bit hard to follow, but also adds interest as you try to piece together what happened.

Libby was my favourite. She is bratty and annoying from the start, make no mistake. I wanted to shake her and say, "Get over yourself and just do something!" a lot of the time, but I guess that's sort of the point, because as the story unfolds, she engages more and more and begins to come to life. I also pitied her her lot in life, and was rooting for her the whole time as she made new discoveries and ventured outside of her (many and irrational) comfort zones.

From the first page, I was absolutely gripped by the story. I read it over the course of a weekend, which is pretty fast for me. I think Gillian does an excellent job of keeping just the right amount of creepy thrills without it being overwhelming, scary, or horrifying. Not to say that the murders depicted weren't horrific, and I did get a bit squeamish with some of the descriptions, but it wasn't enough to turn me off of the story.

The ending was really not what I was expecting, at all. I had my ideas from the beginning of who the killer might have been and why Libby was spared, but I didn't suspect the outcome. Once it was presented, of course everything made sense, and I remembered all the little clues we'd been given throughout the book.

I highly recommend this book for lovers of thrillers, mysteries, crime fiction, etc! Gillian is a master at these, and I'm very much looking forward to reading her other titles.

Let me know if you've read Dark Places and what your thoughts were!

Top Ten Tuesday: Movie Freebie

This week's Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, see the list of future post subjects here) is a movie freebie. I wanted to do my favourite book-to-movie adaptations, but I couldn't think enough to remember which movies were books first, and which books I'd actually read... So instead I'll be listing my top ten favourite movies of all time, that I could think of while I was writing this list (I love so many movies, it's really hard to pick favourites). And so, in no particular order, I give you my Top Ten Tuesday Favourite Movies:

1. Tuck Everlasting - I adored this movie, it was my #1 for a very long time, and I haven't watched it in years, but I still consider it top ten. I know the moral is supposed to be that immortality is not what it's cracked up to be, and that Winnie made the right choice, but it always just made me sad and annoyed with her, because I'm pretty sure I would have made the "wrong" choice.
2. Sherlock Holmes - I adore Sherlock Holmes. The BBC show Sherlock? Definitely top 5. But the Sherlock movies featuring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are definitely some of my favourites. The mystery, the music, the acting, the costumes... Beautiful.
3. Stranger Than Fiction - This is one of my favourites because of the whole concept it presents of literary characters being real and subject to the author's whims. Plus there's a super cute love story.
4. Because I Said So - I'm not sure what exactly it is about this movie that I love most... but it's got a great cast of actors, there's polka dots in every scene, one of the main characters is a baker so there are beautiful cakes everywhere, there's a love triangle... So many points to love!
5. Zootopia - I love animated movies so much, so I knew I had to list one, but which to choose? The two most recent ones I saw and loved were Zootopia & The Secret Life of Pets, so it was a toss-up between the two. But I just watched Zootopia again a couple weeks ago, so it won. Flash the sloth is my favourite - hilarious!
6. Alice in Wonderland - the Tim Burton ones, featuring Johnny Depp. Tim Burton is the perfect director for a movie such as Alice in Wonderland, because everything he does is weird and a little bit creepy, and that is exactly what Wonderland needs. The Cheshire Cat and Mad Hatter are my favourite characters.
7. Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets - I've been watching the movies as I finish the books, but the last 2 I've watched have been awful representations of the books and have been a real disappointment to me. The first movie remains a favourite, and I've re-watched it several times (in fact, I think I'm about due to watch it again....)
8. In Time - I adore stories about time (time travel, immortality, reincarnation, etc) so this is right up my alley. And the whole concept of time being currency is crazy and insane and I love it.
9. Inception - Dreams have always been a source of intrigue for me. I have some pretty weird ones sometimes, or I did as a teenager anyway. The idea of being able to influence your dreams, to bring other people in with you, to go deeper into the recesses of a mind through dreams... very intriguing stuff.
10. Life As We Know It - I'm a sucker for a good rom-com. I love everything about this story (except of course for the deaths that set the whole thing in motion), and found that the main actors had a good chemistry. Super cute feel-good movie that always makes me happy.

Tag: Harry Potter Spells

Hello Readers,

Hello! Today I will be sharing with you the “Harry Potter Spells Tag”. I was tagged by my friend Paige at This is Paige From Book Club (you can read her post here), which she adapted from a BookTube video. There are ten questions, each derived from a spell found in JK Rowling's Harry Potter series.

Here we go!

1. Expecto Patronum: A childhood book connected to good memories.

The Amelia Bedelia & Encyclopedia Brown series. These were some of my favourite books in elementary school, and so I have some very fond memories of picking them out of classroom library shelves to devour, and of course, being so excited to spot them in the Scholastic catalogue!

Amelia Bedelia was a maid always misunderstanding instructions because she was always interpreting English literally - these books introduced me to a silly character who was constantly making mistakes, but always made the most of it and still came out the lovable hero in the end.

Leroy "Encyclopedia" Brown was a 10-year-old boy detective. His father was the local police chief, which gave Encyclopedia a unique look into crime solving. He had his own little detective agency where his peers would come to him with mysteries which he would solve (and you were given the clues so you could also try to solve them). These books introduced me to mystery and crime fiction, my favourite genres! I also had a crush on Encyclopedia Brown - what little girl wouldn't crush on a smart, handsome, kind, mystery-solving boy detective?!

2. Expelliarmus: A book that took you by surprise.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn. I like thrillers, but I don't actively search for books in this genre because sometimes they're just a bit too creepy for me. Unless I'm in the mood for that kind of thing. This book was definitely creepy, and just what I was looking for at the time. The ending actually took me by surprise. Maybe I'm just not a person who analyzes what I'm reading; perhaps I would have divined the ending ahead of time if I had analyzed a bit more. But happily, I didn't, so I was able to enjoy the surprise ending!

3. Prior Incantato: The last book you read.

Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter. I received this book in the October OwlCrate box (read my unboxing post here). The cover art was just beautiful, and the synopsis was too intriguing, I just had to dive into it right away! It was good, but a bit different and much weirder than I was anticipating. It's neither for the faint of heart, nor those who don't like fantasy.

4. Alohamora: A book that introduced you to a genre you had not considered before.

Facing Terror by Carrie McDonnall. This was the first biographical story I ever read which wasn't required reading. The book was given to me as a High School graduation gift by somebody from my church. I love hearing people's stories and real-life adventures, but I don't typically enjoy reading them. I did, however, enjoy this book, and have gone on to read several other biographies and autobiographies. It's still not a favourite genre, but I'm not completely turned off by them.

5. Riddikulus: A funny book you've read.

Hm, I've never really considered this question before, but now that I think about it... I don't think I've read very many "funny" books. I suppose that the Shopaholic books (or anything else by Sophie Kinsella) are amusing to a degree, but as for an outright laugh-out-loud book... I don't know!

6. Sonorus: A book you think everybody should know about.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I love magic, mystery, romance... and this book contains it all! I don't like to tell people too much about it, just trust me... it's amazing. I can't tell you how many times I have recommended this book. I don't know if the people I've recommended it to have actually read and/or enjoyed it, but that's another story... Haha!

7. Obliviate: A book or spoiler you would like to forget having read.

As much as I enjoyed reading the Twilight Saga at the time, the movies absolutely ruined the books for me. So much so that I never ended up reading the last book of the saga, and have no intention of doing so.

8. Imperio: A book you had to read for school.

So many of the books that I had to read in school became favourites; it's hard to choose one... So instead I'll just list the ones that were particularly striking in my memory: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (the first book that made me cry - and the movie adaptation was every bit as good as the book!), The Giver by Lois Lowry (the first book to introduce me to the dystopian genre), Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (just a really impressive story that has stayed with me).

9. Crucio: A book that was painful to read.

I will someday try to go back to finish it, but earlier this year when I tried reading Winter by Marissa Meyer... painful. Hopefully it was just the time when I was reading it. I had been looking forward to finishing up the series, and enjoyed the other books, but I literally had to force myself to read the parts that I did, and eventually just gave up.

10. Avada Kedavra: A book that could kill (interpret as you will).

Sadly, I could not interpret this as anything other than literal, and therefore simply could not think of a single book to fit the description. Sorry, Paige! I did my best!


Since I have nobody to tag, I'll leave it at that. If any of my numerous and adoring readers (haha!) decide to take this challenge, please share the link to your post in the comments below so I can go enjoy your interpretation of the Harry Potter Spells challenge!

Top Ten Tuesday: Recent TBR List Additions

Hey everyone! This week's Top Ten Tuesday (as hosted by The Broke and the Bookish) is books I've recently added to my To-Be-Read list! This is a pretty easy one as I seem to be constantly picking up books, or reading about books I'd love to read!

If I haven't mentioned it before, my TBR is huge. And it's not so much a list or pile, as it is an ever-growing entity. But there are a few books that have migrated there in the last little while, so I've divided my list into books that are on my To Be Read list which I do not own, and books which were on that section of the list, but which I've recently acquired.

Five Books I Now Own & Must Read

Perfect by Rachel Joyce - It wasn't specifically on my TBR or To Buy list, but when I spotted it recently at a book sale and recognized the author, I couldn't leave without it.
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling - As I've mentioned often, I have been reading through the Harry Potter series this year, for the first time. I've basically just been reading the books as I bought them, and haven't really had the money lately to go buy the last 2 books new, so I've been waiting. But I managed to find The Deathly Hallows at a used book sale for $4, and my best friend found The Half-Blood Prince for $0.50!! This counts as one because... because I said so. :)
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - I actually had an e-version of this book on an e-reader that was gifted to me, so when the poor thing died, I lost all the books that were on it. I happened upon it at a book sale recently. 
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson - I had seen this one on Indigo several months ago and added it to my wishlist, it just sounded interesting. The cover of this one caught my eye, and when I realized it was one of my wishlist books, again, had to have it!
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis - This book is among the first images I pinned on Pinterest a couple of years ago, but have only just now managed to find an actual copy.

5 Books I Do Not Yet Own

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco - It seems as though everyone on The OwlCrate Society has been raving about this book and the cover is gorgeous and I just want to read it!!
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard - The cover of this book caught my eye when it came out in paperback this summer. I saw it in a display at Indigo and drooled a little, but I have yet to buy it.
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - My best friend tells me this is one of her favourite books and that I must read it, so obviously I have had to add it to the list. :)
Miss Peregrine's trilogy by Ransom Riggs - It's not just because of the movie! But the movie coming out reminded me of my interest in these books. I actually didn't realize it was a series until everyone started talking about them in anticipation of the movie.
The Maze Runner series by James Dashner - I was recently looking into these as a potential gift idea for my (13 year old) nephew, and started thinking "Hey... maybe I'd like to read these..." And I did love the movies, so...

Book Reviews: The Mermaid Chair & The Vanishing Season

Continuing to review the books I've read over the course of this past year, here we have The Mermaid Chair and The Vanishing Season. Enjoy!

from Indigo.ca

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

The Mermaid Chair was an intriguing title and a fun cover that I happened upon at a yard sale. I recognized the author, so I thought I would give it a shot. It was not as good as I had hoped, but I was still pretty hooked. Really interesting characters, and a lovely chemistry between them. But I find that sometimes titles can be misleading. There was indeed a mermaid chair in the book, but I didn't feel it had as much significance to the story as the title implies...

Jessie  is suffering from empty-nest syndrome and realizing that she's not sure whether she still loves her husband or not. Then she gets a call asking her to come home, to help take care of her eccentric mother who has been making questionable decisions. Jessie grasps the chance to get away from her own life. While she tries to help her mom sort through the reasons behind her strange behaviour, Jessie also tries to sort out her own feelings. But then she meets Brother Thomas, and her life suddenly becomes very complicated.

It was a good read, - a sort of self-discovery and love story - but took me longer than anticipated to read because it wasn't as interesting as I thought it might be. I don't think I would recommend it, just because I didn't love it. But it was good.

 

from Indigo.ca

The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson

 

**SPOILER WARNING: I tried not to, but I think I may have inadvertently spilled some figurative beans with this one.**

I found this book at Chapters, marked down to $5. The cover and title appealed to me. It sounded like a pretty interesting concept:

Girls started vanishing in the fall, and now winter's come to lay a white sheet over the horror. Door County, it seems, is swallowing the young, right into its very dirt. From beneath the house on Water Street, I've watched the danger swell.

The residents know me as the noises in the house at night, the creaking on the stairs. I'm the reflection behind them in the glass, the feeling of fear in the cellar. I'm tied—it seems—to this house, this street, this town.

I'm tied to Maggie and Pauline, though I don't know why. I think it's because death is coming for one of them, or both.

All I know is that the present and the past are piling up, and I am here to dig. I am looking for the things that are buried.

From bestselling author Jodi Lynn Anderson comes a friendship story bound in snow and starlight, a haunting mystery of love, betrayal, redemption, and the moments that we leave behind.

It's more or less a ghost story, told by the ghost. That is to say, it's narrated in the first person, from the point of view of the ghost or spirit (we're not quite sure which). It's about three teenagers in a small town: the brainiac new girl, Maggie; her neighbour, the eccentric rich girl, Pauline; and Pauline's best friend, Liam. It's a story of first love, of backstabbing friends, of broken hearts... but it's also a story of bravery & nobility & doing the right thing, and of moving on...

 

The ending is strange. It's simultaneously satisfying and dissatisfying. For good measure, at the climax we're sure that two of our main characters are going to die. Someone does die, but not who we're expecting. In the end we finally find out what/who is telling the story, but it's rather disappointing.

 

We're given the impression that there's a serial killer on the loose and so one of the girls might surely become a victim and die in that way. Then there is Pauline's carefree lifestyle, being sure that she will die young because her father did, which makes us think she will most likely be the casualty. There are also hints that maybe the ghostly narrator is someone who lived in Maggie's house hundreds of years ago, which was my preferred idea. But none of these were true, which was disappointing for me...

 

I liked the book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes Young Adult and creepy reads.