“The Haunting Of Hill House” – Shirley Jackson

So having not updated my blog since… January, I have a lot of things to add. Let’s begin first with a book I read earlier this year, “The Haunting on Hill House”. See, I had seen the movie “The Haunting” (Catherine Zeta-Jones et al circa 1999) and more recently the Netflix series and I said to myself, you have never read that book. So I read the book.

I like the way the book was written. Weirdly I felt more compelled by the show, not sure if it was because I had fallen in such love with the show or because I had had a few versions of the story running loose in my head. The book is a ghost story, for those of you who don’t know the tale. A Psychiatrist (psychologist? Paranormal investigator?) invites a few people he finds to have… connections to the paranormal in some way to the house for the summer to study the house. His goal is to see if there are any goings-on at the home, and to see if it is triggered by any of these special visitors (Eleanor, Theo, and Luke). As the story progresses there are unexplainable situations, internal revelations, and plenty to keep the reader interested.

I love ghost stories, I love the ideas of haunted houses. I think this book was good. I read it very quickly and it was enjoyable. I do however just find the Netflix show so absolutely chilling and beautiful that I can’t shake that I like it more. Perhaps had I read the original first… but alas.

A good spooky story for a chilly spooky night.

“Slow Dance in Purgatory” – Amy Harmon

Okay… so, backstory, I literally read this book because the cover of the sequel (and the title) reminded me of Dean Winchester (the love of my life) in an AU. So I was like “well might as well read them”. And then SHE DESCRIBED JOHNNY (the main boy) AS SMELLING OF SUNSHINE AND LEATHER. This is not only a beautiful description but LITERALLY the EXACT WORDS of how I described the scent of Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester) that time I hugged him (okay, that sounds creepy out loud…) but anyway. It was so specific and so perfect I fell in love a little bit more with this book and the characters.

So the premise of the book is that Maggie can see ghosts/spirits. She largely ignores this fact about her life. Until she sees Johnny. Johnny died in the 1950s in a tragic accident at the school, where he’s remained ever since. Maggie and Johnny form a friendship and a romance that transcends space and time but it’s destined to end in tragedy.

Honestly loved this book. Yeah, it’s cheesy I get that. Yeah I know I went in with a bias because of my love of “Supernatural” and everything not the show Supernatural. But come on! Ghosts. Tragedy. True love!? What’s not to get excited about? I love Maggie, her backstory and her traits. I love Johnny his tragedy and being. I love Gus and Irene and Shad.

Also the book ends on a cliffhanger. Like a pretty frustrating one so I was very glad the second book was already written. I’m currently reading it and dying.

I think this book is great for the sappy romantic and the occult lover. And if you’re both its a perfect combo!

I’ll let you know shortly how the second book is. . .