Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books that Include/Feature [insert your favorite theme or plot device here] (for example: unreliable narrators, coming of age, darkness vs. light, time travel, metafiction, a specific romantic trope, good vs. evil. cliffhangers, flashbacks, plot twists, red herrings, loose ends, stories within stories, meet cutes, symbolism, etc.) (submitted by Alice @ The Wallflower Digest)
I have chosen to do books where a house is almost one of the characters
Recently I read Happily Ever After where a woman goes to work in Templewood House and steps straight into a gothic novel. I had already decided to do this topic ever before I read this book but it seemed like a good opportunity to share a passage. This is the section early on in the book where Andi is being given a tour of the house.
We mounted an enormous staircase, carved in twiddly dark wood, curving like an impressive eyebrow over the hallway and up onto a galleried landing which branched off in various directions. "This is the most haunted part of the house," Hugo said, leading me off to the right along an upstairs corridor. Occasional glances through the huge windows told me that this wing of the house looked out over the gardens.
"I'm sorry?" As I spoke, the sun went behind a cloud and the wonderful roseate light died to leave us staring down a wood-panelled box into a murky dimness which was giving off a distinct smell of damp plaster.
"Oh yes. Whole place is riddled with ghosts of course, but this is the worst bit." Complacently Hugo set out, touching closed doors and naming as he went. "My room, the Green Room, Scarlet Room..." We rounded the end of the corridor and set out along another, which branched around to the left.
"Hang on, hang on, can we go back to the "ghost" thing please?" I'd stopped moving now, frozen into immobility on the landing. "The house is haunted?"
"Oh yes". Hugo sounded completely blase about the walking corpse potential. "Dreadfully, I'm afraid." Then he smiled. "No need for you to worry, though. Stay in your room after dark, don't go wandering around - it's all perfectly all right."
And then later when Andi asks what kind of ghosts
"And then there's the noises, footsteps and so on, occasional ghastly scream, that sort of thing, all very standard in a house this old. There's a ghost horse in the old stable block, but that's mostly disused now, and we haven't heard him for ages, and sometime something moans in the Morning room. I'll show you that in a bit."
Happily Ever After by Jane Lovering - I had to include this one seeing as I quoted from it above! Every chapter in this book has the name of a famous house from literature which is a fun feature! (my review)
Discovery of Witches series by Deborah Harkness - I am sure that the aunt's house is a bit magical! (my review)
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." What an opening line!
Inheritance by Nora Roberts - There were a few different books I could have chosen but this it the most recent one I read.
Thornwood House by Anna Romer - This is a gothic story with an Australian setting. (my review)
The House of Light and Shadows by Lauren Westwood - This was a recent read which features a house that is slowly revealing it's secrets (my review)
The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley - Never miss an opportunity to share a Kearsley book in these posts (link to joint review at Historical Tapestry)
The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell - Another house with secrets to be revealed!
Casa Paradiso by Francesca Scanacapra - This is a bit different in that the book tells the story of Casa Paradiso through a series of stories about the various owners. It covers several hundred years. (my review)
The Girl who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen - I feel like I could have chosen any number of SAA's books, but this one features wallpaper that changes according to your mood and baking! (joint review)
Can you think of any other books where the house is almost a character?
This is an interesting topic! I didn't really like A Discovery of Witches but the magical house was definitely a highlight!
ReplyDeleteRebecca is a great one too!
I went with unreliable narrators!
Rebecca would have to be top of the list for me!
DeleteI forgot about that wallpaper in the SAA book. I remember wishing I had wallpaper like that when I was reading about it.
ReplyDeletePam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/mature-citizens-of-the-world-books-featuring-mature-characters/
It would be fun to have that wallpaper wouldn't it!
DeleteI almost always feel like Paris is a character in stories set there. Very clever post.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely!
DeleteI love Rebecca and The Rose Garden! Have you read The Briar Club by Kate Quinn? The house is literally a character in that book and narrates some of the chapters.
ReplyDeleteI have The Briar Club but I haven't read it yet! Need to move it up my list now you have mentiohed that the house is a narrator!
DeleteThis is such a great theme. Rebecca is one of my favorite books of all time!
ReplyDeleteIt was a fun post to put together
DeleteI love this idea! That book sounds excellent. Quite spooky!
ReplyDeleteA Discovery of Witches was an average read for me. I love the TV series, but they don't really do the magic house which disappointed me.
Have a great week!
Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
My post:
https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com/2025/03/11/top-ten-tuesday-books-that-include-feature-multiple-timelines/
It wasn't that spooky a book but the quote seemed to fit the post perfectly!
DeleteI love this topic! Creepy houses are my favorite.
ReplyDeleteThere is something about them isn't there
DeleteRebecca - I was wondering if it would make your list!
ReplyDeleteRight at the very top of the list!
DeleteIt’s so interesting when houses become characters in books.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely is!
DeleteI love The Girl Who Chased the Moon - and I love your topic! Adding several of these to my TBR. Would also highly recommend The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright. My TTT
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendation!
DeleteClever topic! Let me see if I can think, off the top of my head, of some more -- Hogwarts; The House in the Cerulean Sea (it probably has a name); Thornfield Hall (the attic!); Pemberley -- I will have to remember this prompt and create a list like yours for it. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI thought about adding in the Cerulean Sea house. I will be interested to see your list if you do one!
DeleteLove a book where the house is a character!
ReplyDeleteMe too!
DeleteGreat choices. I would add, The House of Frank to this list, as well as Somewhere Beyond the Sea, the second book in the Cerulean Chronicles Series. Inheritance is a perfect choice.
ReplyDeleteI will have to take a look at The House of Frank. Thanks!
DeleteSuch a good topic! We Capture the Castle would be another.
ReplyDeleteYes! Great choice!
DeleteGreat topic! I would recommend The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright and The Serendipity by Emma St. Clair.
ReplyDeleteThanks for those two recommendations!
DeleteExcellent list! Love your topic! How about The Dutch House by Ann Pachett? ~ Carol @ ReadingLadies
ReplyDeleteOh! Good choice!
DeleteI love books where the house is a character as well! From your list, I've read: Discovery of Witches series by Deborah Harkness; Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell. I can highly recommend books by Kate Morton as she loves creating homes, manors and mansions with character and history. More recently, Starling House by Alix E. Harrow definitely fits this description.
ReplyDeleteI did think about having Kate Morton on the list but couldn't choose which one, so didn't end up adding one!
DeleteAwesome theme! I love books that feature old houses with ghosts, secrets, and skeletons in the closet (real and figurative). Great picks. I need to check some of these titles out. The only one I've read is REBECCA.
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT (on a Wednesday)!
Thanks for stopping by Susan!
DeleteOh, I love this! I especially love your picks. The first thing I thought of was horror books with haunted houses, but I like this direction too.
ReplyDeleteI don't read a lot of horror books so none on my list I'm afraid!
Delete