Slade House by David Mitchell

By the time young Nathan and his mother have found the mysterious entrance to Slade House, the reader already feels uneasy on their behalf. Nathan is an adolescent, perhaps autistic, and very sensitive to his surroundings. His mother, eager to make a good impression on the mistress of Slade House, Lady Grayer is impatient and bossy. And it is her impatience that puts them both in danger. Nathan can sense that something is not quite right in Slade House but his mother, so concerned with appearances, ignores his apprehension. As a result, they fall victim to Jonah and Norah, the immortal twins who dwell in Slade House. They are Anchorites, malevolent beings who will never die so long as they inhale the souls of others on a regular basis. Every nine years, a vulnerable person is lured to Slade House on one pretext or another. A shape-shifting twin will flatter and intrigue the victim until the trap is spring and there is no escape. Author David Mitchell's story ranges from 1979 to 2015. Each of the five victims is vulnerable in his or her own way and dies accordingly. Slade House is an eerie tale of soul vampires and their victims. Prepare to be frightened.

The Returned by Jason Mott

This book is about the life of Harold and Lucille Hargrave whose world is turned upside down with a knock on the door.  Their son died 50 years ago and he has now returned from the dead.  At eight years of age Jacob is exactly how Lucille remembered him.  All over the world loved ones are returning from the dead.   What would you do if your loved one was back from the dead?

Lucille and Harold live in the small town of Arcadia and with so many people returning it is difficult to find room for all of them.  The Federal Bureau of the Returned starts to take over the situation and many of the townsfolk are not too happy.  One of the struggles that everyone is having is that they do not know why people are returning and if it should be considered a miracle or a warning of something to come.

This was a really good read and really made me think more about life and death.  The author’s note at the end of the novel really gives a food feel for why the author wrote this story.  This is a good read for anyone who is interested in the afterlife.  Or if you are curious as to what the world could become if all our loved ones returned.    

Want to read more about the returned? Jason Mott wrote some short stories as prequels to The Returned they  are in e-book form and can be found through the library.  They are, “The Choice,” “The First” and “The Sparrow.”   These short stories give more background information on some of those that were returned in his novel, The Returned.

Jason Mott’s Novel is being made into a television program called, The Resurrection.  It premiers on Sunday March 9 @ 9/8c on ABC.  Check out more about the show here: http://abc.go.com/shows/resurrection

Check out The Returned @ the library!

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

This remarkable debut novel tells the tale of gifted magicians Celia and Marco, opponents since childhood in a game whose rules are unknown, all set on the stage of a circus that appears as mysteriously as it vanishes, always at night.   The catch is that Celia and Marco's roles as opponents are kept from them - and when they finally encounter one another in the black and silver world of the Night Circus, they fall deeply in love, each without knowing the other's darkest secret.  If you loved the films The Prestige and The Illusionist and devoured the circus-y bits of Water for Elephants, this extraordinary, magical read will delight and surprise you. The Night Circus is coming to a library near you on September 13th!

Overbite by Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot doesn't disappoint in this sequel to Insatiable!  Dark and hilarious, Meena Harper is back battling vampires for Manhattan and her heart - her ex-boyfriend, Lucien Antonescou, head vampire and prince of darkness, is still in love with her.  But so is Alaric Wulf, Palatine guard and vampire killer extraordinaire, who's spearheading the hunt for Lucien.  And then there's the fact that someone turned another of Meena's ex-boyfriends into a vampire and sent him after her, and a whole bunch of tourists are missing from New York - and Lucien claims not to know anything about it.  Which he should, since he's the overlord of all things evil.  If you've read and loved all the Sookie Stackhouse books and are looking for something new, check out Insatiable and Overbite!

Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

From Blue Bloods series author Melissa de la Cruz, Witches of East End is an enchanting summer read that's perfect for the beach!  Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid are witches, forced by an ancient agreement to supress their powers, but when they decide to bend the rules a bit, the town of North Hampton, Long Island is about to experience a summer of magical mayhem.