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A
Ghost in My Suitcase
 by
Mitchel Whitington, 2005
This is a refreshing and delightful book written by
someone who is obviously as intrigued by ghosts as
many of us "ghost aficionados"! He
spent much time and money traveling to every state in
the country to visit a haunted location- most of them
inns or hotels. Mr. Whitington's chapters convey
his enjoyment and enthusiasm and make this a fun read
as well as a travel resource. I guess if I had
to come up with some shortcoming, my only nit-picky
one would be that I would have liked more photos,
especially since he visited each site in person.
241pp., a small photo for most entries.
Dinner
and Spirits
 by
Robert James Wlordarski and Anne Powell Wlodarski,
2001
I bought this book because of its
impressive length and amount of content: over 500
pages, and over 500 haunted locations in all 50
states. Unfortunately, each entry is quite brief and
the entries are summaries of others' research and
writeups. Although the authors give credit and
citations, the descriptions are dry and sterile with
no sense of personal involvement or excitement.
On some double page spreads parts of as many as four
sites appear. If you want a "telephone
book" of locations, this will do it for you, but
my advice would be to go to the authors' cited sources
directly for books that will give you more indepth
descriptions and also convey a sense of
enthusiasm. 541pp, no photos.
Cape
Encounters
 by
Dan Gordon & Gary Joseph, 2004
The authors of this book tracked down many personal
accounts of weird experiences that happened to
residents of Cape Cod, MA. Most of the tales are
told first person, and the reader gets a feel for the
person relating the account almost as much as learning
the facts of the encounter. If you're looking
for real chills, not every entry will satisfy you, but
there is a wide variety and the book is
entertaining. The book is paperback, 208
pp. No photos or illustrations.
Ghosts
of Old Louisville
by
David Domine, 2005
This
is a well written and interesting book about a unique
neighborhood. The area of Old Louisville KY,
filled with Victorian structures was destined to fall to
developer's bulldozers in the name of modernization when
the whole area was made a protected Preservation
District that covers several square miles. Mr.
Domine has scouted out many ghosts who remain as well,
and has written an entertaining book about his
neighborhood which includes his own firsthand experience
when he moved there. After each chapter the author
adds some information about a historical site that
relates to the episode described, and is also
haunted. Worth reading for the history and
tales, this book has 191 pages and
photos.
Fear:
A Ghost Hunter's Story
by Kriss Stephens, 2004
Ms.
Stephens was the paranormal investigator used by the show
Fear on MTV. In this book she covers varied sites,
from her haunted childhood home to Gettysburg, and back to
her native New Orleans. I found the most interesting
chapter to be about her MTV show related
experiences. Toward the end of the book, some write-ups
began to feel repetitive to me. I must say that this
author gets the prize for most photos included in a book.
Regarding the photos, though, I really would have liked
captions for them and also tired of seeing shot after shot
of an orb. I know some people think they are
spirits, but I am of the camp that believes they are dust,
dirt or insects. In spite of some of these
shortcomings, though I did enjoy this book overall, and
liked Ms. Stephens relaxed style of narration. This
book is 234 pages.
The
Ghost Next Door
by
Mark Alan Morris, 2003
This
is a refreshingly simple and entertaining book of true
ghost stories collected by the author from people he
knows. Most of the narrative is in the words of the
subject of each tale, so each story has its own
"personality." There are no photos,
but I didn't feel a need for them. The chapters are
short, but are to the point and not filled with extraneous
history or details just to add pages. The book is short,
and I would have liked a few more stories (who doesn't
always want more?!) but I would still recommend it.
It's 100 pages of text with several blank pages at the
end. Maybe you could use them to record your own spooky
encounters!
Haunted
Highways: the Spirits of Route 66
by
Ellen Robson and Dianne Halicki, 1999
If
you're even thinking of traveling along Rte. 66, this book
is for you. It has (not coincidentally?) 66 listings
of spooky stops you can make as you travel. This guide has
great maps, both general of the whole Route, and for each
state so you have a very good idea of where these sites
are. Each ghostly entry is 2-3 pages, with a good photo,
description and directions. The book is paperback, 190pp
including an index.
Dixie
Spirits
by Christopher
Coleman,2002
This
book presents tales that are of interest for their
supernatural content, while blending in an appealing
folklore/historic slant. Not only ghosts are
covered, but voodoo, witches, Native American
tales/legends and even an entry about
werewolves. Organized by state, the book is
278pp, and does not include photos.
Haunted
Inns of the Southeast
by
Sheila Turnage, 2001
This
is one of those guide books that is not only very helpful
to find a haunted inn to visit, but is fun just to read or
browse through. Each entry is not long, but is
interesting and the author includes many, many
places. Her region covers from Louisiana/Miss. over
to Florida, and up north to Virginia and Tennessee.
228pp, includes photos and a nicely done index.
I
Never Believed in Ghosts Until... :...
I
Never Believed in Ghosts Until...
Collected by the Editors of USA Weekend,1992.
This
is an absolutely wonderful book which resulted from a
request by USA Weekend magazine for reader's own ghost
stories for a halloween issue. They received more than
five hundred stories but only had room to publish six.
They took 100 of the best tales and compiled them in
this book. The stories are varied, chilling and told
in as many styles as there are entries. One of my
favorites.
Green
Mountain Ghosts, Ghouls & Unsolved...
Green
Mountain Ghosts, Ghouls & Unsolved Mysteries, by
Joseph A. Citro. 1994.
This
book covers all kinds of oddities in Vermont, not just
ghosts. It is organized by type of story, with major
headings such as: Vermont's Ghostly Gallery, Here
Monsters Dwell, Alien Skies, and Lingering Mysteries.
I found this book well written, intriguing and fun to
read. In 1996 Mr. Citro published another book,
Passing Strange which covers all kinds of strangeness
throughout New England and was also very entertaining.
Ghosts
of the Northeast
by
David J. Pitkin, 2002
This
396 page book covers all kinds of hauntings including
houses, inns, colleges, apartments, lighthouses,
cemeteries, restaurants, military sites and inanimate
objects. While the book seemed slightly weighted toward
coverage of upstate New York, all areas of the Northeast
are covered. Whether you are looking for places to
visit, lots of interesting and spooky tales to entertain,
or both, this is a worthwhile book with tons of entries.
It also has a thorough index and lots of photos.
Lighthouse
Ghosts : 13 Bona Fide..
by
Norma Elizabeth and Bruce Roberts, 1999
This
book presents well done writeups of 13 haunted
lighthouses, from Michigan to the Atlantic Coast down
to Florida. Detailed directions and contact info are
provided. Excellent photographs accompany each
chapter. The authors' love of and respect for
lighthouses is apparent and contagious. 144pp.
Coast
to Coast Ghosts
by
Leslie Rule, 2001
Organized
by type of ghost, Ms. Rule covers a wide breadth of
hauntings (including the house she grew up in). Chapters
include ghosts of children, animals, schools, the Gold
Rush, and watery sites among many others. She visited each
place, and each entry conveys her personal
interest. The writing and photography (which she
does herself) are very good and there are interesting
sidebars throughout the book. This would be a nice book to
curl up with on a gray weekend day. 249pp with
photos. Ms. Rule is currently working on a second
book.
Welcome
Inn
by
Ed Okonowicz, 1995
This book is part of a series by Mr. Okonowicz called
Spirits Between the Bays covering hauntings in the
DelMarVa area. Although his volumes are thin, they are
well written, entertaining and have interesting
content. Welcome Inn has twelve chapters describing
haunted inns. 90pp. Drawings of sites. Note: Another
entry in this series, Possessed Possessions, is a
worthwhile read.
Haunted
Houses of California : A Ghostly...
By Antionette
May, 1990, 1993.
This
book is organized by geographic area. Ms. May does her
own investigating and combines history, witness
reports, and her own impressions in her coverage of a
variety of sites. She also frequently has a psychic
accompany her, notably Sylvia Browne. I liked this
book very much. It is 231 pages and has many photos.
My only (small) complaint is that a map page for each
of her regional chapters with locations pinpointed
would have been nice.
Haunted
Ohio : Ghostly Tales from the...
Haunted
Ohio (series), by Chris Woodyard, 1991.
This
series by Ms. Woodyard consists of four books. The
accounts in the Haunted Ohio books are entertaining
and interesting. The author is a "ghosthunter"
and many of the episodes are places she has explored.
Her chapters are organized by type of haunting, such
as haunted clothing or college ghosts. In Haunted Ohio
II she has a chapter on haunted inns and taverns,
including the Buxton Inn which many people are curious
about. Her books have no photos, and run close to
200pp.
Haunted
Lakes : Great Lakes Ghost...
by
Frederick Stonehouse, 1997
In
this book Stonehouse writes about all sorts of
paranormal phenomena of the Great Lakes. After many
years of compiling maritime history about the lakes,
Stonehouse realized he had amassed many odd tales and
set them down in their own volume. He writes about
haunted lighthouses, ghostly ships, sea serpents,
superstitions and more. This book is very well
written, with interesting tales and information about
what life was and is like on the lakes. The book is
almost 200 pages, with photos, an index and a
bibliography.
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