Early Fall Reading

    I have to be the most unobservant person in the world, or at least the most forgetful. I read two books this week that have been on my list of books to read for a while now; Jinx by Meg Cabot and Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie. I either didn't know, or had forgotten that Jinx was about a girl who might be a witch, or maybe just really unlucky. And then Maybe This Time is a ghost story. Which I remembered, but I guess wasn't taking seriously. After reading them both, I kind of felt sorry that I didn't save them for October reading. But just kind of.


    Jinx is the story of Jean, a girl fleeing Iowa and a relationship gone bad. Sent to live with her aunt and uncle in NYC, Jean has a little trouble adjusting to her new life and to her cousin Torrence who is nothing like the girl she last saw five years ago. Things do not improve when Jinx befriends Tory's long time crush and refuses to join Tory's "coven." Tory mistakenly thinks that she is the great witch of the generation foretold by their ancestor, Bronwyn. It quickly becomes obvious that the real power is Jinx, and not her cousin, and Tory will go to any lengths to steal the power that is Jinx's birthright. It's a fun story with a little bit of spooky flavor. Five of six toes. :)

    Maybe This Time is a little like The Haunting mixed with High Spirits. Spooky for real, but still fun. I actually felt myself getting a little bit creeped out reading it late at night in a quite, dark house. I am maybe a bit of a wimp when it comes to these things. Subtlety frightens me much more than gore and screaming apparitions ever can. A rocking chair that rocks on its own? Chill inducing. Exorcism-esque horror scenes? Not a bat of an eye. Maybe This Time is definitely subtle. The ghosts haunting Archer House and the two young orphans who live there, don't even become openly hostile until the end. But they don't need to be hostile to be creepy as hell. The only thing that kept me from turning on extra lamps is that I feel confident that I've developed a camaraderie with the ghost in my own home. I trust "my" ghost, and after several years of cohabitation I'm not afraid of it anymore. (I am totally serious. I believe in ghosts. Don't you?)

    But the story isn't all ghosts all the time. There is a nice, steamy romance simmering on the back burner, a sweet story about the children finding family and learning to trust again, and plenty of lighthearted elements that keep the story firmly out of the horror genre. A horde of family, friends, journalists, and paranormal professionals that descend on the haunted house to either help or hinder provide a great helping of comic relief.

   Another great thing about Maybe This Time? Every time you think it's over, you discover that it really isn't. There's a double surprise ending that will have you hoping for a sequel. (And while there is no publication date, it looks like there might be just such a story in planning stages.) I've never read any of Jennifer Crusie's work before this, but I'm definitely going to pick up a few more of her books. I thoroughly enjoyed Maybe. Six toes!