Ghosts I Have Been, Richard Peck, 1977
My favorite quote: “The truth is too much for some people and too little for others.”
Notable characters: Blossom Culp, the girl who sees ghosts; Alexander, her friend and partner-in-crime
Most memorable scene: Blossom’s visions of the sinking of the Titanic
Greatest strengths: It’s historical flavor
Standout achievements: The prose is surprisingly beautiful. It pulls you right along the same way good poetry does
Fun Facts: After cutting his teaching career short to be a writer in 1971, Richard Peck went on to write and publish a book every year for the next 41 years
Other media: N/A, although the first book in the Blossom Culp series, The Ghost Belonged to Me, was adapted into a film of the same name in 1976
What it taught me: A good book is a good book, regardless of its intended age-group or audience. I appreciated story as much in my thirties (if not more) than I would have in grade or middle school
How it inspired me: Peck is one of those authors who makes me want to be a better writer myself. His prose is both simple and pretty … and make no mistake, that’s not easy
Additional thoughts: I would have loved this book as a kid, and I remember seeing it around a lot at school, but somehow, I never got the chance to read it. I even managed to check it out at the library once, but for reasons I don’t remember, it just never happened. So, when I got older, I figured I owed it to my childhood self to track it down, and I’m glad I did. I loved it so much I bought every book in the series … and as many of Peck’s standalones I could get my hands on … and they’re all pretty awesome
My rating: 4.5 of 5
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
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Published by Alistair Cross
Alistair Cross grew up on horror novels and scary movies, and by the age of eight, began writing his own stories. First published in 2012, he has since co-authored The Cliffhouse Haunting and Mother with Tamara Thorne and is working on several other projects. His debut solo novel, The Crimson Corset, was an Amazon bestseller. The Black Wasp, book 3 in The Vampires of Crimson Cove series is on its way. Find out more about him at: http://alistaircross.com
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In collaboration, Thorne and Cross are currently writing several novels, including the next volume in the continuing gothic series, The Ravencrest Saga. Their first novel, The Cliffhouse Haunting, was an immediate bestseller. Together, they hosted the horror-themed radio show Thorne & Cross: Haunted Nights LIVE! which featured such guests as Anne Rice of The Vampire Chronicles, Charlaine Harris of the Southern Vampire Mysteries and basis of the HBO series True Blood, Jeff Lindsay, author of the Dexter novels, Jay Bonansinga of The Walking Dead series, Laurell K. Hamilton of the Anita Blake novels, Peter Atkins, screenwriter of Hellraiser 2, 3, and 4, worldwide bestseller V.C. Andrews, Kim Harrison of the Hollows series, and New York Times best sellers Preston & Child, Christopher Rice, and Christopher Moore.
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Currently, Thorne & Cross are hosts of Thorne & Cross: Carnival Macabre, where listeners can discover all manner of demented delights, unearth terrifying treasures, and explore the dark side of the arts.
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