Top Five Tuesday – Ghosts

It’s Top Five Tuesday which is hosted by Meeghan Reads, every week we’re given a book related topic and we choose our top five! This month is spooky themed for Halloween, this week we’ve got to pick our favourite books with ghosts in them.

1. The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

This is one of my favourite books, it’s narrated by the resident ghost at Birchwood Manor. She gives us glimpses of the lives of her favourite people who have lived in the house since she’s been there. She helps some of the residents and even saved a girl’s life. But she barely remembers her own name or the rest of her life, it’s incredibly sad.

2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

This is probably my favourite classic, when Cathy dies she haunts Heathcliff and visits the house at night. The atmosphere in Wuthering Heights is haunting in itself, the fog and isolation of the moors which surround the house. It’s a good Halloween read!

3. Lost Among the Living by Simone St. James

The ghost in this book is a young girl, when alive she was troubled by visions and she took her own life. When Jo first goes to Wych Elm House she is terrified by the ghost who moves her things and wakes her in the night. But she comes to realise that the girl needs Jo to reveal the truth.

4. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

I haven’t read this book but I’ve watched the tv series and it is full of ghosts! But it’s cleverer than a normal haunted house story. I loved all the characters and their strangeness and how they interacted with the house, I’ve never read a horror book before but I’m looking forward to this one.

5. The Memory of Midnight by Pamela Hartshorne

This is an interesting take on ghosts because the haunting is memories rather than an active ghost. Tess and her son Oscar move to York, Tess is eager for a new start away from her manipulative husband. But soon Tess starts seeing memories of a past that’s not her own. Meanwhile we meet Nell in Elizabethan times, she is also hoping to escape a horrible marriage.

What are some of your favourite ghostly stories?

The Folklore Book Tag

When Taylor Swift announced her surprise album a few weeks ago I was so excited! The album is so beautiful and probably my favourite from Taylor. I wasn’t tagged for this but I saw Orangutan Librarians post and really wanted to do it, I’m also glad I found a fellow Swifite!

THE RULES

Link to the original creator: Ilsa @ A Whisper Of Ink
Tag at least 3 people.
Declare the rules and list of prompts in your post
Thank whoever who tagged you and link to their post

“I hit the ground running each night, I hit the Sunday matinee.”

Such a great opener to the album, it’s uplifting but feels nostalgic at the same time.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

I read this book in June and I was so invested in it but because it’s a prequel I thought I knew roughly how it would end but I was still stunned and sad. The book also has a lot of folk songs in it and music is an important part of Lucy Gray’s life and her part in the Hunger Games.

“When I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone’s bed. You put me on and said I was your favourite.”

This is probably my favourite, it’s beautiful and poetic and it was the first song on the album that I listened to repeatedly. So many of my favourite lyrics come from this song.

The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

This books is so beautiful, it’s set in different time periods but in the same house. It’s partly narrated by a ghost who stays at the house and watches over the residents. We see glimpses into her life too and how she died. But it made me happy to know that she cared for the people that lived in the house and that she had found peace there but sad because her life ended so tragically.

“There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen. She had a marvelous time ruining everything.”

I love the story this song paints, a woman causing chaos in a rich town for fun.

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

This is such an incredible read, it’s set on a planet that scientists tried to terraform for humans to eventually live on it, but things went wrong and instead of monkeys evolving at an accelerated pace, spiders rule this planet. It’s not scary in any way, just very clever.

“I think I’ve seen this film before, so I’m leaving out the side door.”

Good duets are my jam! The harmonies and lyrics are so gorgeous.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Honestly, I have denied the existence of this terrible story since I read it. It’s not canon to me and I think most HP fans feels that way. It’s a screenplay but the characters that we know and love are not accurate, the plot is terrible, it might be better as a play but I found it almost insulting to read.

“And if I’m on fire, you’ll be made of ashes too.”

The underlying rage in this song speaks to me!

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

Most of ASOIAF makes me cry but this book is probably the most emotional. Two words: Red Wedding.

“I’ve never been a natural, all I do is try, try, try. I’m still on that trapeze, I’m still trying everything to keep you looking at me.”

Another of my favourites, it’s so soft almost like a lullaby and again the imagery is perfect.

The Boleyn King by Laura Andersen

This is a historical AU where Anne Boelyn gives Henry VIII a son so he doesn’t have her killed. William grows up with Elizabeth and Anne lives to old age and at the start of the book Henry dies so it’s the perfect book for me!! I love all the new characters in it as well.

“Just like a folk song, our love will be passed on.”

The lyrics are so cute in this one, it’s also very relaxing.

The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton

Me and my sisters used to love these books, some of the copies we have were my Mum’s so they’re even more precious. I miss the Famous Five and their adventures, I think my favourites were when they went to explore the small island near their home, they had the whole place to themselves.

“But I can see us lost in the memory, August slipped away into a moment in time, ’cause it was never mine.”

So chill and gorgeous, it makes me want to sway along.

Atonement by Ian McEwan

This book is set mostly during the summer, on a hot summer’s day in 1935 the Tallis’ are having a dinner party but the evening takes a dark turn. I’m actually re-reading it at the moment!

“And my words shoot to kill when I’m mad, I have a lot of regrets about that.”

This is probably the most ‘me’ of all the songs, I feel very connected to it and it makes me quite emotional.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

This book is a tough read but it captures perfectly the isolation and loneliness you feel when depression takes over.

“You showed me colours you know I can’t see with anyone else.”

This song has beautiful melodies but I don’t connect as much to the story.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling

I remember when I first read this staying up late to finish it and being heartbroken by the ending so then I couldn’t really sleep. It definitely affected me for days, especially knowing that the next book would be completely different because Harry wasn’t going back to Hogwarts.

“And isn’t it just so pretty to think all along there was some, invisible string, tying you to me.”

This is a pretty song, I’m not sure I believe in fate but this song could convince me!

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

This book! I was struggling with anxiety and wasn’t feeling motivated at all even reading wasn’t as fun but then this book came into my life, it is phenomenal and one of my favourites ever.

“You’ll poke that bear ’til her claws come out and you find something to wrap your noose around.”

This reminds me of I Did Something Bad with the lyrics about witches, but it’s slightly less angry. I absolutely love it.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Katniss is a fierce and brilliant but also blunt and stand-offish. She’s Panem’s hero but she doesn’t want to be, the power and responsibility that comes with troubles her. The trauma Katniss suffers is awful but she steps up anyway to try to save everyone.

“Only twenty minutes to sleep, but you dream of some epiphany. Just one single glimpse of relief, to make some sense of what you’ve seen.”

This song is so beautiful and it makes me cry almost everytime I hear it.

Lost Among the Living by Simone St James

It’s set in 1921, Jo’s husband disappeared in WWI and she is still mourning his loss but she currently works for his aunt, travelling through Europe with her acquiring art work. When they return to England Jo sees her husband’s childhood home for the first time. She is also haunted by his cousin’s ghost. It’s a chilling tale, the whole atmosphere makes you feel cold and on edge.

“I’m only seventeen, I don’t know anything, but I know I miss you.”

The country feels of this song make me happy!

Brienne of Tarth and Jaime Lannister from ASOIAF

These two give me life, when they’re separated in AFFC but still keep thinking about each other, it’s adorable because they don’t realise how in love they are.

“But I’m a fire and I’ll keep your brittle heart warm.”

This gives me chill vibes and the lyrics are once again beautiful.

Tyrion Lannister from ASOIAF

Tyrion breaks my heart, he has been bullied and treated like rubbish his whole life by strangers and his family. I would definitely protect him with my life, Tyrion is incredibly clever and funny, Westeros needs more people like him!

“You knew it still hurts underneath my scars from where they pulled me apart.”

This song is gorgeous, I love the melody and it’s definitely one of my favourites.

Versions of Us by Laura Barnett

This is about those ‘what if’ moments and how three characters lives could have turned out if they had chosen different paths. It sounds right up my street, I love the idea of parallel versions of ourselves but it was quite difficult to follow and I had to keep reminding myself what was going on.

Rating the songs:

This is quite difficult because I love so many of them, I’ve gone from favourite to least, here you go:

cardigan

this is me trying

mad woman

mirror ball

epiphany

hoax

exile

betty

the 1

the last great american dynasty

my tears ricochet

august

seven

peace

invisible string

illicit affairs

I’m tagging anyone that wants to do this, I had so much fun making this post and listening to the album endlessly!

Top Five Tuesday – Books that have caused a hangover

A new Top Five Tuesday, the prompts are created by Bionic Book Worm. This weeks topic is what books have given youna hangover, I put a picture of tea as it’s my cure for hangovers (or anything really). I’ve never really thought about book hangovers before, but my definition is not being able to stop thinking about the book and its events, because it’s so emotional so on that basis, here is my list:

1. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling

2. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The book as a whole is so suspenseful but we have the worst shock towards the end of the book. I was so traumatised but the flash forward at the very end saved me from complete despair, it was so beautiful. But the shock this book gave me stayed with me.

3. A Storm of Swords by George R.R Martin

Three words: The Red Wedding. I will never get over what happened to my babies. I still ugly sob everytime I read that chapter, I re-read the book recently and put off this chapter for days! There are more surprising deaths in the book but this is the part that caused me the most pain.

4. The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

This book left me in a haze, a good haze. It ends with the knowledge that places hold memories and ghosts sometimes but that doesn’t have to be bad, it might be that someone is looking out for us. My full review is here.

5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

Saying goodbye to my favourite childhood characters was so tough! Mainly the last half of the book was the most difficult but when I finished reading the epilogue, I remember wondering how Harry’s life was in the nineteen years in between the last chapters.

What are some books that gave you a hangover?

End of the Decade – My Favourite Books from the Past Ten Years!

It is so strange to think we are at the end of the 2010s, it’s been a pretty dodgy decade in many respects but I have read some fantastic books! Most of the books weren’t published in the last 10 years but it’s when I discovered them.

1. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

The fullness and complexity of these books and the characters has kept me coming back to it, I’ve read the first three books a few times already. The more you read it the more in depth you see the story. I am so happy I’ve found ASOIAF, even if it does make me cry a lot!

2. Dominion by C.J Sansom

The book is set in the 1950s in Britain except the Nazis have taken over, we never fought them. It is one of the most terrifying and genius books I’ve ever read. It felt so real, I was so distressed! Our main character works for the government and is unhappy with the changes taking place so he joins the freedom movement lead by Winston Churchill. He feeds them important files but then he gets involved with protecting a Jewish scientist who has been locked in an asylum. If the Nazis find out where he is, the world is doomed. I strongly recommend this book, it’s incredible.

3. The Millennium series by Stieg Larsson and David Lagercrantz

This series is so brilliant and dark, it’s terrifying at moments but it always comes back to the characters and how genius they are. Lisbeth who has had to fight her whole life against truly evil people who are still out to get her and Mikael who thrives on exposing conspiracies, which has got him into trouble a few times.

4. The Book Thief by Markus Zukos

Just genius, narrated by Death as he tells us about his run-ins with Liesel as she discovers her love of reading. Her foster father teaches her to read, soon she is stealing books from Nazi book burnings. Liesel lives in Germany during WWII and her world is made more dangerous when her foster family hide a Jewish man in their cellar. This is one of the best books I’ve ever read, I’d never read a book that centred around the innocent German people during WWII before and this was written superbly.

5. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

These books have so many important themes about corruption and controlling governments and its such a chilling premise, children fighting to the death for the entertainment of the elite. As a reader it made me have a good look at our own media and how toxic it can be. Aside from that the characters are real and flawed and I love them.

6. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

This book is one of my favourites ever! It’s like my dream book with past lives/WWII but it’s better than anything I could have imagined. We follow Ursula through her life from birth to her many different deaths. In each life different choices are made. It’s such a magical book and so different from everything I had read from Kate Atkinson before, I’m so glad I found it!

7. The Long Earth series by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter

Sci-fi heaven, one day on Earth, hundreds of children disappeared at once, they moved to a parallel world with a devise that had gone viral on the internet. Soon adults realised what was happening and humanity was changed forever. Humanity spread out into the connected worlds where we made new homes for ourselves. In my favourite book of the series, scientists found a way to reach Mars and found its own string of parallels.

8. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

This book is about Esther Greenwood’s struggle with mental health, Esther has moved to New York to try and be a journalist but soon finds herself breaking down. It is so powerful and such an important book, I’m very glad I read it.

9. The Power by Naomi Alderman

Just epic! Through some strange evolution young girls suddenly gain the power to channel electricity through their hands. They can shock others, hurt them and kill them. They can also release the gift in older women. A shift is happening, no longer are men more powerful. The book follows different young women and one young man on their journeys through this fascinating time. But is life better under woman’s rule or are all humans inherently corrupt?

10. The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

I love this book so much! I read it this summer and fell in love with it. It’s a story about time and how precious stories are. How houses can hold memories forever but not always in a bad way, Birchwood Manor is a place of safety and comfort.

There we are, bring on the 2020s and all the books they will bring!

The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton Review

“All past is present.”

I absolutely adored reading this book, especially reading it in the middle of summer, it just made it feel more magical and I felt more connected to the events as most of the book takes part in the summer (many different years but all at the same house). The book starts with our main narrator, a ghost of Birchwood Manor, she tells us parts of her life and the ‘visitors’ who she connects with over the decades that have passed since her death. The clever language used during these chapters kept me guessing B’s story and even her name (which I won’t reveal)!

In 2017 we meet Elodie, an archivist who is about to get married. She lost her mother when she was six, she has few memories of her but she remembers a fairy story, about a house on a river, a safe space for those who needed it. At work Elodie sees a sketch of a house that brings those memories flooding back to her, along with a photograph of a beautiful young woman. She can’t stop thinking about how they are connected and why she feels such a pull towards them.

There is a lot of time jumping throughout the book, Birchwood Manor is home to a broken soldier in the 1920s, a family from London during the Blitz in the 1940s and it was a school for girls in the late 1800s. And our ghost sees all of this, meets all of them. A special few can see her and talk to her, I too connected with them, Elodie, Ada, Leonard and Tip are all quiet and clever. B’s story gripped me the most, I wanted to know what happened to her, how she died and before.

The whole book is so beautiful how all these people throughout are connected, their stories are woven flawlessly together. It’s a story about time and how precious stories are. How houses can hold memories forever but not always in a bad way, Birchwood Manor is a place of safety and comfort.

I’m just so glad I got to read this book, I have cried tears of joy and sorrow and right until the end I was surprised at how perfectly everything was tied together.

“I am the stars in the dark when you feel yourself alone.”

Quotes of the Week

I’ve had a good week, I’m close to finishing The Clockmaker’s Daughter (and all my quotes are from it) this book is so beautiful, I don’t want it to end!

“He’d lost his way, but hope still fluttered in and out of focus like a bird, singing that if he kept putting one foot in front of the other, he might just make it home.” – Leonard, The Clockmaker’s Daughter

This is so beautiful and I reminded me of Emily Dickinson’s poem “Hope is the thing with feathers, That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all.” Leonard was a soilder in WWI and has PTSD, he found hope in a heartbroken artist and the house he loved so much.

“All past is present.” – The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

When I first read this I thought about how old memories are present wherever we are, like ghosts, all the people that have come before us left their emotions floating in the air.

“One generation passes to the next a suitcase filled with jumbled jigsaw pieces from countless puzzles collected over time and says, ‘See what you can make out of these.’” – Birdie, The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

Adults don’t know what they’re doing either, a chilling realisation! As a child we think everyone has it all sorted out we trust the adults in our lives to guide us but it doesn’t always end well as Birdie will tell you! This also reminded me of ASOIAF quote “It all goes back and back,” Tyrion thought, “to our mothers and fathers and theirs before them. We are puppets dancing on the strings of those who came before us, and one day our own children will take up our strings and dance in our steads.”

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Quotes of the Week

This week has been super hot, I’ve tried to sit out in the garden with a book as much as possible! Here are my favourite quotes of the week:

“She was clearly intended to be the pawn in this game. But I am a queen, she thought. Able to move in any direction.” – Juliet Armstrong, Transcription by Kate Atkinson

This quote is so empowering, definitely going to add it to my mantra for when I start spiralling.

“She always left a gathering, no matter how intimate, feeling depleted as if she’d accidentally left behind some vital layers of herself she’d never get back.” – Elodie Winslow, The Clockmakers Daughter

This summed up being an introvert so perfectly. I love having meaningful and deep conversations with people but big groups or dull conversations are like hell, I just feel awkward.

Hope you have a lovely summer weekend!

Top Ten Tuesday – Summer TBR

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday topic by thatartsyreadergirl is the top books on my Summer TBR list. It’s the summer! Although it really doesn’t feel like it at the moment, the weather is rubbish!

1. Transcription by Kate Atkinson

I’m reading it at the moment and absolutely loving it! We follow Juliet’s story through WWII when she joins MI5 and then through the Cold War.

2. Guards! Guards! By Terry Pratchett

A dragon has taken over Ankh-Morpork, and is burning or eating everything in sight. The City Watch are in disarray and even the Wizards haven’t got a clue what to do. I’m really looking forward to this one, the City Watch are my favourites also dragons!

3. The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

Kate Morton’s books are always great summer reads. This book is set in the summer of 1862 in London, a group of artists spend the summer in a beautiful manor on the Thames. But by the end of their time there one woman has been shot dead and a family heirloom is missing. In the present day, a young archivist finds drawings of the manor with a photograph of a beautiful woman, will she be able to uncover the truth?

4. The Shadow Sister by Lucinda Riley

This is the third book in the series and I’m really looking forward to finding out more about Star and her roots. These books are so well written, they really take you on the sisters journeys with them.

5. The House At Riverton by Kate Morton

This will be a re-read and a wonderful pick for the summer. This is Kate Morton’s first book it’s set in the 1920s/30s and it’s been a while since I read it so I’ve forgotten what happ, it’ll be nice to fall back in love with the book.

6. Sunday Morning Coming Down by Nicci French

The seventh Frieda Klein novel this leads straight from the end of Saturday Requiem which ended dramatically with Frieda finding the dead body of a policeman under her floorboards. Frieda is sure her stalker Dean Reeve is behind it but he’s been (supposedly) dead for seven years.

7. Nightflyers by George R.R Martin

I saw this book in a shop a little while ago and I didn’t know George had written any space books, I’m so excited to read it.

8. The Virgin’s Spy by Laura Andersen

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and meeting some of the knew characters. The Tudors are so fascinating, Elizabeth I is on the throne and her daughter has finally been allowed to join the court in London.

9. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson

Another re-read, I’ve started reading the Jackson Brodie series again and this is the second book. Jackson is a private investigator and former police officer. This time he’s in Edinburgh and witnesses a brutal attack on a man stuck in a traffic jam.

10. The Day of the Dead by Nicci French

I think this is the last Frieda Klein novel which makes me sad! I didn’t want to read the blurb because it might have spoilers from the seventh book! But I know however they decide to end it it’ll be a brilliant read.

So there are my Summer TBRs, I don’t think I’ll make it through all of them but we’ll see!