Keeping Busy...

...Or, trying to!  This summer wasn't exactly what I had hoped, but I'm determined to enjoy what is left of it. It was really hot, and then really cooled down, so I didn't do a lot of outdoor-sy things that I had planned.  So, I've been reading, reading...Trying to read two books per month.  I know that's not much, but it seems my attention span gets shorter with age!  :o  I would like to be able to read one book per week, but...

Anyway, what have I read?  As I mentioned in a post last autumn, I adore ghost stories.  I've been looking for more novels that are similar to Henry James' The Turn of the Screw.  Now, there are a lot of modern novels dealing with ghosts and the paranormal, but many, unfortunately, are erotica--and if there's one thing I can't stomach, it's erotica.  I just want to read about ghosts and get scared to sleep at night!  BUT!!!  I found one!  It was recommended by my library for me, as a personalized reading list I requested.  The Ghost Writer, by John Harwood.  Better than the main plot line were the Victorian ghost stories within.  John Harwood's writing really made me feel I was reading a glimpse of something from the Victorian era.  My favorite short story within the book was "Seraphina," about a man who is haunted by a painting of a beautiful lady.  Harwood can write such great Victorian-style ghost stories, I thought, that he could write a whole book of them.

And then, I found it.

The Seance, by John Harwood, is exactly what I have been looking for, for so, so long!  Wonderfully paced, expertly changing perspective, this is the ideal spooky, "gothic" ghost novel, in my eyes.  It was a book I couldn't wait to get back to when I had put it down, and one that I missed when I finished it, which only took six days (rare for me!).  And in the end of both of these novels, there is a logical explanation for everything.  They are like combination ghost/mystery/suspense novels.  Here is a great review of The Seance:  http://www.skrishnasbooks.com/2009/03/seance-john-harwood.html

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I'm also keeping busy with my cosmetics!  I have a Halloween collection I'm working on, which I'm planning to release in late September or early October.  So please check out my Facebook page if you're interested! :)