Did you hear that?
That thump from above, that scratch-scratch-scratch at the door, the howl from outside? Maybe it was nothing, just your imagination. Or maybe it was something like what you’ll find inside these great spooky reads.
This time of year, you can practically feel the ghosts in the room, can’t you? You might have lots to talk about, once you’ve read “The Secrets of the Seance Society” by Lisa Perrin (Chronicle Books, $27.95).
In this book, you’ll learn about real historical people who claimed or claim they can talk to the dead.
Then, if you dare, read further and find out how you can do it, too.
But okay, you’re the kind of person who has to see to believe, so look at “The Goth Atlas: A Guide to
The World’s 500 Most Spooky & Macabre Places” by Malorie Mackey (Chronicle Books, $30). With this book, you can visit houses, museums, bayous, castles, cemeteries, and scary spots around the world – and you don’t even have to leave your living room. That’s because this book is absolutely packed with full-color photos of many of those locales.
You’ll probably want to grab “Hidden Haunts: A Creepy Collection of Forgotten Ghostly Places” by Conner Gossel (Castle Books, $24.99), as well. The chapters are shorter in this book, and the illustrations are in black-and-white charcoal, which just makes them scarier.
Alright, so you say you’re convinced. Kind of. You need more information, so pick up a copy of “A Curious Presence: An Exploration of Ghosts and the People Who Haunt Them” by Margo MacDonald (ECW Press, $19.95).
It’s a book of “cases” and hauntings, but it also teases apart the reality of a ghost, what it is, and why a spirit might come back to hang around on this side of the spirit realm. This book might help you understand why you see ghosts – or not – and it also takes readers to other parts of the paranormal world.
Of course, then you can take your ghost-hunting to the next level with “United States of Ghosts: A History of America’s Hauntings” by Richard Estep (Visible Ink Press, $22.95). It’s a book you dip into, with short stories from around the country and lots of photographs, just in case you need more convincing.
But okay, so you prefer your scares from a different plane, one that you can see with binoculars or a telescope, so look for “UFO Sightings and Alien Visitations: Facts and Falsehoods” by Kevin D. Randle (Visible Ink Press, $24.95). Are we alone in the universe? This book of other-worldly tales is for anyone who believes that answer is no.
If these spooky fall books aren’t enough for you, or if you need something else to scare you, head to your favorite bookstore or library. They’ll have lots of ideas for your seance, haunted house, or your late-night, scratch-at-the-window, reading pleasure.
Spooky books for adults by various authors. c.2026, various publishers $19.95 – $30. various page counts.
This story is brought to you by Rosedale Health and Wellness and Dudley’s Place.
