"Haunted" by Meg Cabot (The Mediator #5)

I have read just about all of Meg Cabot's YA stuff.  The Princess Diaries are among the books that I have bought on the day they came out and many of her books fill my list of favorite books of all time.  However, it took me a very long time for me to read The Mediator series.  I realize the reason for that now.  I had read everything of hers I could get my hands on (so not all she had written, just all the the library had and what I had bought [and as my town is seriously lacking in bookstores, a good chunk of my book buying takes place out of town, with the exception of the used bookstore of course]) when my school library got a copy of Haunted.  I had no clue that it was part 5 of a series.  So I didn't fully know what was going on or why.  It wasn't until I reached a scene about 2/3 of the way through (this time reading it, not the first time which was somewhere around 8 years ago) that I remembered that I had mostly read this book before.  So now that I am making my way through the series in order I am enjoying it quite a bit.

Suze can see and communicate with the dead (turn Odd Thomas into a teenage girl who is far more feisty and ready to kick ass at a moment's notice) only no one really knows this about her.  She lives in California with her mom, stepfather, stepbrothers and the ghost that just happens to haunt her bedroom (and who she happens to be in love with).  In this particular volume, Suze has to deal with Paul, a "shifter" that is a little too interested in Suze, horribly blistered feet, and the fact that her stepbrother is planning a major party while their parents are out of town.  Needless to say, Suze's life is pretty stressful.

These books are relatively different from most of Cabot's other teen books (well, those written at that time). This series isn't as girly as some of her other books and of course focuses more on the paranormal.  I don't like it nearly as much as I like The Princess Diaries or 1-800-Where-R-U series.  I think that readers who enjoyed Abandon will be into this series (and vice versa).  I do really like that Cabot covers a range of topics and genres in her books and doesn't just re-tell the same story over and over again.

The Complete Series
Shadowland 
Ninth Key 

Reunion 
Darkest Hour 

Haunted 
Twilight 

*so in getting all the links I needed for this post, I saw where The Mediator has been optioned for a movie. Not sure how I feel about this.  I have been rather disappointed by the adaptations of Cabot's other novels.  The Princess Diaries was alright, but the sequel really was a head shaker.  Missing was really good, if you forgot that it was based on a book.  Otherwise it just made no sense (and no Rob?  Really?).  And don't get me started on Avalon High was beyond disappointing for me.  I am totally willing to give a movie of The Mediator a shot, but I have extremely low expectations. What do you think?*

Happy Reading!

-Melly

"Ghost Stories of California" by Barbara Smith (and other ghost stories too!)

Trying to decide how to review a book of ghost stories is far more difficult than I expected.  Stories and books from this genre that I particularly enjoy and have collected over the years come from Lone Pine Publishing.  I picked up my first book of ghost stories during a trip to California where I appropriately purchased a copy of Barbara Smith’s Ghost Stories of California.  I found it while browsing the gift shop at the Winchester Mystery House and appropriately mysterious stories from there and more can be found within the book.  As with many books, I immediately began to read (and be a little scared).  Since that day I have picked up many other volumes including Ghost Stories of the Rocky Mountains (Volumes I and II), Ghost Stories of Arizona and New Mexico and (though I haven’t had a chance to read it yet) Ghost Stories of Christmas.  The books have various authors; some give historical facts as to what led to each place to be haunted and what has been witnessed there and some offer chilling tales to tell around the campfire, but wither way, I have yet to find one that I have not enjoyed.

I have tried other books of ghost stories over the years, but these still remain my favorite.  I am always pleased to find one when I am on a trip so that I can read up on the places I am about to visit to see if I may come across a ghost or spirit (however, I’ve had no such luck).  These are the types of books I prefer to read in the middle of the day, in a very well lit room.  However, on occasion, I have found myself curled up under a blanket, unable to sleep because the stories and legends are swirling in my head.  And this, at least in my opinion, is the sign of a great ghost story.