Category: Name That Book Request

Request #237

 I am looking for a series of books I read when I was in Middle School around the 1990’s, probably published before then. It was about a group of ghosts, at least four or five, who went around investigating things that happened, including why people died, mysteries involved around the living, and at least one where a ghost who had moved on to the next realm was affecting the current ghostly realm out of vengeance. Would love to find the books again, but I do not remember the names of any of the books as I have read hundreds of books since then. They were just some random finds one day when I got bored and was sent to the library to find a book at the middle school in North Carolina.

Request #236

 I read it in 1997, but I don’t think it was newly published. It was children’s (probably today it would be YA). In any case, it was in my elementary school’s library. I think the author’s last name was near the beginning of the alphabet. I think it had “bride” in the title.

It’s a historical fiction set in the West. The main character is a girl (teenager?) who is an orphan and lives with her aunt and uncle. They’re not abusive, but they’re not nice either. They force her to marry this old man. Their wedding night he dies and she’s left a widow. The book is about her growing up and realizing that she’s actually got power – that she doesn’t have to let her aunt and uncle dictate her life, that she’s wealthy now (the husband was wealthy I think) and that she can do what she wants. There might have been a hint of romance at the end, but I don’t remember.

Two scenes I do remember: the night after the husband’s funeral? or the night after he dies? the aunt and uncle come over and try to force her out of her bed to sleep on the floor and she’s like “no, this is my house, my bed, you’re not forcing me to sleep on the floor while you and your kids who are younger than me sleep in beds.”

The other scene is her buying fabric to make a new dress and she sees this white fabric with ivy on it and wants to buy it and at first I think the shopkeeper is saying that she should still be in mourning, and either it’s been a year and she says so or she says that they weren’t even married a full day so she’s not a mourning widow. In any case, she buys the fabric and feels good about it.  Bargain Bride by Evelyn Sisley Lampman solved by Lost Classics Reader Sashutch! 

Request #235

So my granddaughter is trying to find some books to read I was trying to remember some that I read when I was 12 so that would have been around 1985 or so all of the books the titles are just one singular name of a girl they’re were either 4 or 5 books . It was about yhese girl who became friends. All the books were connected but each book was about each individual girl if you could please help me I’ve went down to rabbit hole on this thank you. The title of each book was that girls name. I feel like one of them was heaven or maybe raven. I know thats not alot to go on. One of the girls was a runaway.

Suggestion from Lost Classics reader Charlotte: sounds like late Virginia Andrews books- The Runaways series. The girls were called Brooke, Crystal, Raven and Butterfly. The poster may be mixing it up with the Casteel series also by Virginia Andrews where the protagonist is called Heaven.

Request #234

Hoping someone remembers this book, I read it in the late 90s but I feel like it would’ve been published in the 80s. I only have a few vague memories…
A girl goes on a camp, meets this popular group of beautiful girls and they sneak out at night to go to a bar or something and hang out with handsome guys. Then after a while, the girls tell her they have to sacrifice her to a mythical beast (a sentinel maybe?) And that’s how they’ve stayed young and beautiful for so long…
The book was a small paperback, black and had a white horse on the front who maybe had red eyes???
Hope someone can help, it’s been driving me mad

Request #231

I’m looking for a possible coming of age possibly published in the 80s or 90s about a young girl and the things I remember most is her having a little sister, and that she had a birthday where she got to get her ears pierced as well as a kayak/canoe from her dad, either the boat or the paddle was red and engraved and she was thrilled with it. She also often paddled out to this little mini island and there may have been something about glass somewhere? There’s one part where she comes down the stairs one morning after getting her ears pierced and her mom asks how they are. They’re res and throb a little and she either comments that it’s normal or says something else but I don’t remember it lasted long.

Request #230

I think this book was part of a school book club.. it was a 1980s YA book about teen girl who dates a new boy who everyone likes. However he is inconsiderate and does not call her when he says he will. She goes away with his family and he and his father go out (Maybne fishing) and dont call or come home when they are supposed to. Sheis worried but the boys mom is not. When they finally arrive the boy and his father act like it is no big deal. She ask the mom how she feels and says that she is used to it and that parties hard but when her husband is in the room he makes everything fun so it is worth it. The girl decides this is not for her and breaks up with the boy. He doesn’t seem concerned and calls once after but she doesn’t answer. She later sees him dating another girl who looks at her triumphantly.

Request #229

I’m looking for a young adult book about a boy who does photography. He’s bullied at school and he has a gallery of his photos at school. One day he walked in and his photo has a bunch of slurs scrawled across. Everyone in the room at the time Iof the incident goes to detention. It’s a group of diverse people like the popular girl, the jock, the nerd and the outcast. They slowly become friends. And at the end they find out it wasn’t anyone in the room but some other kids. Suggestion: Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender