The book that started my fascination with reading was a ghost story. I read it while I was supposed to be paying attention in class, holding the paperback in my lap and slightly under they desk, and I am 99% sure the teacher saw me and chose not to reprimand me for it.
God bless that teacher.
Seriously.
Because I would not have fallen in love with the written word were it not for that little paperback novel. The book was Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn and it captivated my little 12-year-old brain. More than that, it scared the skittles out of me.
I still can’t swim in water where I can’t see the bottom.
If I can see seaweed or kelp or any of those underwater plants, I will plant my butt on the shore and there’s no getting me in the water.
I suppose this showcases the power of a well told story, since I am now a full-grown adult with a teenager of my own and that tale remains my go-to when people aske me which book made me love reading.
Now that I’m older, I can point to another book that has become a favorite ghost story. Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie has a lovely mix of romance and ghostly shenanigans and I absolutely adore it. I am a romantic at heart, so if you can combine a romance with a ghost story I will almost always love it.
Which is probably why The Haunting of Tessa Pines came to be.
That is my ghost story novel wherein a paranormal investigation goes horribly wrong out at an old abandoned asylum. Because of course I had to use an asylum. Sometimes you have to embrace the cliche.
So, if you’re hunting for a novel to read for Halloween this year, those are my three recommendations!
Happy Halloween, everybody!
AJMaguire 