The Saturday Night Ghost Club

I stayed up way too late reading this last night. But I couldn't stop. I just continued reading with my jaw hanging open and my hand over my heart. I closed the book, closed my eyes, and said, "Damn, you had no business being this good."

I feel a weird sort of attachment to this book. I'm not sure if it's my basic childhood nostalgia or if it was that my heart was breaking for Uncle C. I know the story is told through twelve year old, Jake's eyes, but I found myself waiting for Uncle C to show back up.

Calvin is obviously the fun uncle, but with an underlying darkness surrounding him. He runs a shop called the Occultorium where he sells all things occult; phone's that can contact the dead, herbs, potions, all the witchy and wonderful things to connect you with the spirit world. It's there that Jake meets the Yellowbird's, Billy and Dove. They quickly strike up a friendship and form The Saturday Night Ghost Club, where they follow Uncle C into the depths of the unknown.

I'm sure you're thinking a ghost club sounds ridiculous, but there's so much more to the story than that. Jake grows up to become a neurosurgeon. Dove runs off to San Fransisco to become an artist. Billy heads home to see Slave Lake. But Uncle C, my heart is still breaking for him. He's still the quirky fun uncle, just less intense about the whole thing.

I loved how beautifully all of these stories fit together.

Easily in my top 10 favorite books of all time.