Quantcast

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Thunderstorms and Ghost Stories

Hi, all! Been a while. Hope you're still hanging around.

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. Crazy for various reasons. My bday just passed -- I got a few books, but I also got some new yoga stuff and Fear 3. My reading speed ebbs and flows all on its own, but with stuff like video games to distract me, let's just say that I haven't hit the TBR as hard as I should have lately.

I did promise you a review of Christopher Ransom's The Haunting of James Hastings and here I am to deliver! We've had crazy, crazy rain and thunderstorms of late (the only bad thing is that they're rare and the change in pressure almost always brings on a headache -- so I get my rain, but I have to enjoy it through a dull ache). All that has been super horror reading weather and with a super horror read to go along with it, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

James Hastings is a Ghost. Not a ghost, ghost. A version of Ghost. Because of his resemblance to the mega rap star, James's job is to throw off paparazzi and make appearances when Ghost can't. But when James's wife dies in a freak accident, he decides it's time to retire. Embracing his old self but consumed by the loss of Stacey, a year goes by with James drinking away the time. Then things begin to change. A new neighbor moves in next door and with her, James becomes convinced that Stacey may never have left. Strange noises in the house, Stacey's clothes and shoes reappearing. And it all goes downhill from there.

I loved this book! Ghost stories are super fun and Ransom threw in some twists and surprises in the plot that brought this book to a whole new level. If you can get your hands on it, I highly recommend The Haunting of James Hastings: perfect rainstorm read, great summer chiller, and one that actually had me looking over my shoulder in the middle of the night!

Rumor has it, Haunting is being released in limited edition this year in the States by Cemetery Dance as Killing Ghost. I don't have a release date on that, but keep an eye out. CD does great editions and if you're not inclined to try and order a copy from the UK, that'll be your chance to get your hands on it.

I think my copy of The People Next Door is on it's way from the UK. Can't wait!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thunderstorm - ghost stories. Sounds good to me. Well, the rain sounds really good. We are baking to a crisp here in Central Texas. And, yes, I get the whole barometic pressure headache too, but I'd love one right now.

Book sounds good. You say it will release here later this year. Sounds like a good winter read. Hope we'll have a little drop of rain by then.

Happy belated birthday!