Anna Book 1

ANNA:
Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

He Hunts The Dead, She Kills The Living, It Must Be Love!

It was a name scrawled in blood on yellowed parchment, delivered as if the ghost herself had sent an invitation from beyond the grave. Her name in blood called to him. She would be the next ghost he hunted; she would be the next to die by his hand. Anna.

Like his father before him, Theseus Cassio Lowood, better known as Cas, hunted and killed the dead. But it was only ever the dangerous ghosts, the ones that harmed the living that he went after. He travelled the world seeking only those who were more then just legend or local gossip, he had his sources, knew which were real and which we're just a figment of the imagination. But Anna, being only a name on a page, without even knowing if she was more then just a story, drew him. He knew that he would seek her out, real or no. Because somehow he knew she was real, she had to be, she was bloody real and she was waiting for him.

Anna, dressed in blood with eyes shinning black, is no ordinary ghost. She has killed any and all who have crossed her threshold, sparing no one who has stepped into her home. No one that is until Cas. For some reason Anna doesn't kill him, but Cas, being a ghost hunter, is going to kill Anna. At least that is the plan. But Anna is stronger then he ever imagined. A ghost more powerful, more vulnerable and more sentient then any other he has ever met. She is to be the final test, the last ghost he destroys before he is ready to face the terror that tore his family apart and took his father from him. That is if he survives Anna.
 

Anna Dressed In Blood is a vicious and bloody murderer, she is also a girl with a cruel and terrible past. Anna is a ghost with blood on her hands, however there is more to this story then just bodies being torn apart, uncommon friendships and dark magic. This is a gruesome and ghastly tale where love creeps up undiscovered until it is almost too late. A ghost story that will have you believing in all manner of horrors that go bump in the night, that conjures fears from the darkness and shadows and that shows that love is as strange as it is wondrous. A well written, engaging tale that will keep you up late into the night.

Kendare Blake Webpage

Kendare Blake @ Hachette Children's

On sale: 01 July 2012
Price (AU): $16.99
ISBN: 9781408320723
Recommended age: 13+
In a word: Anna
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
xx

Preloved

Preloved by Shirley Marr

A Borrowed Love!

With a head full of superstitions, a degenerated wishing fountain, a pack of Jason Donovans and a cheap crappy locket, Anna, the ever-present sidekick to the beautiful and shinning Rebecca, is for the first time in her life going to be the star of her own story.

Despite her mother's warnings against ghosts, Anna manages to attract the ghost of a good looking boy. The only problem, besides his annoying eighties attitude, is that no one else can see him and girls who are seen to talk to themselves are soon labelled a little crazy.

After making a promise to reunite her ghost boy with his true love Rebecca, Anna discovers there is more to this love story then first appears. A prelife, a prelove, will bring understanding and new life to a girl trapped by the actions of the past and closure for a boy trapped in the future.

Preloved is a story of a ghost trapped in time in search of his lost love, a story of a girl who is all but invisible to the world, a story of love, heartache and forgiveness. Packed full of ghostly superstitions, eighties references, witty confrontations and unrequited love this charming story is an enjoyable read.

Shirley Marr Webpage

Shirley Marr @ Walker Books

On sale: 01 April 2012
Price (AU): $18.95
ISBN: 9781742031903
Recommended age: 12+
In a word: Ghosts
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
xx

The Painted Bridge

The Painted Bridge by Wendy Wallace

Love Will Break Your Heart!
  

Anna Palmer married a man who she thought was honest and kind; he was after all a Reverend. However after being abandoned at Lake House by her new husband, committed to an asylum without either her knowledge or consent, she beings to see things a little differently. She was sure she wasn't crazy, sure that her husband was deceiving her. But it was true that she was seeing things that weren't real, true that it was common for husbands to have mistresses. Was she really losing her mind or was there something more going on?

The Painted Bridge was the only thing at Lake House that seemed real, solid. It was a symbol of freedom, a link to the outside world that would be Anna's escape. Only the bridge was an illusion, a facade, like so many other things at Lake House and if you weren't mad when you entered then you soon would be. A story that questions the sanity of women, the ethics of asylums, the merit of photography, the bonds of friendship and the sanctity of marriage. A suspenseful search for truth and love in a Victorian asylum, a deceptive tale of illusions and heartbreak in Victorian London.

Wendy Wallace Webpage

Wendy Wallace @ Simon & Schuster

On sale: 01 May 2012
Price (AU): $29.99
ISBN: 9780857209283
Recommended age: 18+
In a word: Illusions
Re-read it: probably
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
xx

Care and Feeding of Sprites

Care and Feeding of Sprites
by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black

Pet Owner's Guide!

  

A sprite is not your typical 'pet', and so caring and feeding a sprite is not something a typical pet owner may know about. But the first thing you have to have, the most important thing you must possess, when caring for a sprite is the sight to see your sprite. Otherwise you may as well just hang an empty cage, claim to possess a sprite and be done with the whole thing, because really who would know? But if you do possess the sight and have a sprite flitting about your home that you wish to care for, then this is the book for you.

Care And Feeding Of Sprites delves into enclosures, appetites, habits and the awkward question of asking your sprite what gender they are, a question that should really be avoided because really what business is it of yours anyway. A 'pet' that is growing ever more popular amongst the sighted, and strangely the unsighted, this invaluable book offers all you would need to know about the care and feeding of these delicate and conniving creatures. But be forewarned, caring for sprites is not for the faint hearted, hot tempered or unadvised as sprites have been known to bite.

Tony DiTerlizzi Webpage

Holly Black Webpage

Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black @ Simon & Schuster

(includes Full Size Glow int the Dark Poster)
On sale: 01 November 2006
Price (AU): $24.95
ISBN: 9781416927570
Recommended age: 12+
In a word: Sprites
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
xx

Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You

Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide
to the Fantastical World Around You
by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black

Open Your Mind To A World Unseen!
   

These are the beings that exist in dreams and haunt our nightmares. Creatures of myth, unseen and forgotten by humankind for so long. But they have not forgotten us. They hide in shadow, play in darkness, live beside us and all the while we go about our lives ignorant of their existence. But there are those who believe, and a smaller few who have seen. This book is their proof, their warning, these creatures are real, and though not all are to be feared they are all to be respected.

Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You offers detailed descriptions, depictions and dwellings of these unique and extraordinary creatures. A treasured resource that will be appreciated by both believers and non believers of the magical world. This essential tome will bring enlightenment, enchantment and entertainment to those brave enough to open its pages, not to mention opening your eyes to a world rarely seen, often wondered about and greatly misunderstood.

Tony DiTerlizzi Webpage

Holly Black Webpage

Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black @ Simon & Schuster

On sale: 01 March 2008
Price (AU): $39.99
ISBN: 9781416960959
Recommended age: 12+
In a word: Fantastical Creatures
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
xx