2026 Spooky Reading Part 1

Ya'll know I love a good ghost story or a book full of strange and unusual tales! For 2026, my spooky reading has taken somewhat of a backseat when it comes to my general reading selections. I've been focusing a lot more on certain social issues that are important to me, as well as books for my work teaching middle school. But, I've managed to squeeze in a few paranormal non-fiction titles that I wanted to share. Here's what I've read between January 1st and June 30th:

1. Hauntings and Apparitions, by Andrew MacKenzie (1983)

Although this is an older title, it's a Society for Psychical Research publication, and I found it to be an awesome little collection. Part of the book dealt with the history of the SPR and its methodology and evolving belief systems. The other part was a deep-dive into some of SPR's case files. Some of the stories I had come across before in other SPR works, but for the most part, it was an enjoyable read, both entertaining and educational. 

2. The Wisconsin Road Guide to Mysterious Creatures, by Chad Lewis (2011)

I always enjoy Chad Lewis' work, and even though I'm not super familiar with the Wisconsin area, I was really excited to read about some of the state's strangest monsters and other unexplained phenomena. I'm a long ways away from Wisconsin, but I really appreciate the format of these books, which make it easy to find locations accessible to the public. Who knows? One day I might go monster hunting out that way! 

3. Phantom Phenomena, by Darkness Prevails (2024)

I'm not gonna lie. I bought this book at Five Below on a whim, and was really disappointed. I'm pretty sure its AI-generated slop. If not, I sincerely apologize to whatever minimum wage intern was forced to churn out these stories.  It was a quick read and may be really fun for someone young just getting into the paranormal. That's all I say about it. 

4. Haunted Shores: True Ghost Stories of Newfoundland and Labrador, by Dale Jarvis (2004)

I don't live anywhere near this area, nor have I ever visited it. But, for whatever reason, I picked this book up and I'm glad I did. Although it seemed a little disjointed at times when it came to how the stories were organized, the stories were fun. It was a nice mix of historical background and storytelling. 

5. What Happens After Death--Scientific and Personal Evidence for Survival, by Migene Gonzalez-Wippler (1997)

Okay, so this one started off fantastic. I was scribbling notes and formulating ideas for topics to study more in-depth. And then, it went off the rails. The first half of this book is the 'scientific' part. It is a thorough and engaging look at the history of afterlife studies. The second half is a weird narrative of the author's communication with her guides...who aren't exactly what you may think they are. She goes on about past lives on other planets, time not being linear, and all sorts of strange and fascinating ideas. I was intrigued and read this section more like science fiction than fact. I can't quite wrap my head around it, but I'm trying to keep an open mind. 

6. Searching for Ghosts and Poltergeists, by Bill Breman (2011)

Although this book was meant for younger readers, there were some little hidden gems in here. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything I wasn't already familiar with. I found this book available to read for free on the Internet Archive and didn't realize exactly what it was at first. But, I can't resist a ghost book, even one for kids, so I finished it and added it to the list! 

7. A Ghost Hunter's Guide to the Most Haunted Places in America, by Terrance Zepke (2012)

This book got a little over-repetitive in its telling of each haunted location, but overall, I found it a light, fun read. I always enjoy hearing what haunted locations make the "Best of" lists for other people, and this was a fair sampling of some places with both the history and the haunted reputation to earn them a top spot. 

8. The Haunting of Bishop Pike: A Christian View of the Other Side, by Merrill F. Unger (1971)

Last year, I read Bishop Pike's book about the death of his son, the strange communications he began receiving after, and his quest to finding the answers to the question of what happens when we die. That book was extremely controversial, as was its author. This follow-up offers a Christian rebuttal to Bishop Pike's rather radical ideas. I was surprised that Unger wasn't more preachy about the topic, but this book still kinda gave me the ick. It was interesting, though, to read about the events that happened from another perspective. 

9. Humanoid Encounters 1 A.D.-1899: The Others Amongst Us, by Albert Rosales (2017)

I bought the first two books in this Humanoid Encounters series for a very specific research project a few years ago. I'm just now finishing up this chunkster. It is FILLED with strange, unexplained encounters with humanoid creatures, ranging from fae-type beings, aliens, mermaid, to who knows what else. This was definitely a fun read and I found a few more rabbit holes to go down in addition to my original project!

10. Freaky Stories About the Paranormal, by M.H. Seeley (2016)

This was another one of those books for kids that caught my attention while perusing the Internet Archive. I was actually really impressed with it. There was a wide range of strange and unusual topics covered in this book, and while the info was short and sweet, it was accurate and not dumbed-down for a younger audience. 

11. Haunted French Quarter Hotels, by Nicole Beauchamp (2025)

My sister always brings me back ghost books from her vacations, and this year's trip to New Orleans resulted in Haunted French Quarter Hotels! I can't say enough good things about this book. I loved the writing style. I loved the blend of historical research, personal experiences, and popular legend. And, of course, I love all things having to do with the French Quarter. My only complaint is that there could have been so many more stories and so many more places added to this book. 

Second Quarter Spooky Reading 2022

Another three months have passed, and I've added another eleven paranormal non-fiction books to my completed reading list! I'm pretty proud of that number! Even though I've technically had plenty of opportunity to read, sitting in hospital waiting rooms and doctors' offices, I've been too stressed out to really concentrate. There's nothing more frustrating than someone with ADHD, wanting to read and can't! But, like I said, I'm pleased with what I did accomplish.

As a paranormal investigator and researcher, part of my continuing education is staying informed about various aspects of the field, and how all those different topics work together. I'm constantly looking for ways to improve my work as a paranormal investigator, as well as gathering new ideas for blog posts.  Plus, sometimes I just like to read a good, spooky ghost story. 

Per usual, you can find my reviews on my Book Reviews page, and follow me on Good Reads to see EVERYTHING that I'm reading throughout the year. But, let's take a look at the spooky stuff I've read in April, May, and June of 2022: 

1.  Ghosts of the River Towns, by Rick Fisher: I picked this one up while I was a speaker/vendor at Dave Spinks' WV Monster Con, back in March. It's a short, fun read featuring a variety of haunted locations in Pennsylvania. 

2.  Monsters, Cryptids, and Mysterious Wild Beasts, by Jannette Quackenbush: You can never go wrong with a title from the prolific author on all things spooky, Jannette Quackenbush! This was another paranormal convention pick up---I got to see and chat with Jannette at the Hidden Marietta Paranormal Expo last January. I've reviewed this

3.  Otherworldly Encounters, by Novar Slevik. I also picked this one up during Monster Con. It's largely about UFO sightings and close encounters in the New England area. It's a really good, quick read full of interesting sightings. 

4. The Greatest Mysteries of the Unexplained, by Andrew Holland. This is one of those Bargain Books you can pick up for about $6 at BAM!, but it wasn't bad. Lots of very basic information about a wide variety of weird and paranormal topics, but well worth the read for some quick entertainment.

5.  Above Top Secret: The Worldwide UFO Cover Up, by Timothy Good. I was able to download a FREE ebook version of this for my Kindle via Amazon, and didn't realize that it was an actual book that's been around for a long time! Although originally published in the 1980's, there's still a lot of good information about ufology. 

6. The Appalachian Bigfoot, by Dr. Russell Jones: This is Dr. Jones' second Bigfoot book, and it was a really, really informative text about anything and everything you'd need to know about Bigfoot in Appalachia. I reviewed this one for the blog earlier this month, so definitely check out my post on that for more info! 

7. Disneyland of the Gods, by John Keel: John Keel is an interesting author, and his tongue-in-cheek style of writing can take some getting used to. However, it's so worth it! Keel was one of the greatest Fortean writers of our time, and this book was just a mish-mash of the strange and unusual. 

8. Haunted America: Dead But Not Gone in West Virginia, by Sherri Granato: Haunted America was another FREE ebook I downloaded from Amazon, and I'm really glad I didn't pay anything. It was short...VERY short, and didn't really offer anything that couldn't easily be found online, despite the fact that the author had personally visited the locations mentioned. I've read some of the author's other books and they were much better. This wasn't bad...it was just way too short to be considered a 'book.' 

9.  The Vampire's Bedside Companion, by Peter Underwood: I love Peter Underwood and have made my way through quite a few of his paranormal titles over the past few years. The Vampire's Bedside Companion is a unique mix of allegedly 'real' vampire encounters and lore, plus several works of vampire fiction from various authors. 

10. Paranormal Creatures, by Conrad Bauer: Another FREE ebook from Amazon! Conrad Bauer offers a ton of books on lots of paranormal topics, and this title was a nice little collection of some well-known and some lesser-known examples from cryptozoology.

11.  The Signet Handbook of Parapsychology,  edited by Martin Ebon: This is a hefty tome of essays, plucked from parapsychology journals and papers on a variety of parapsychology topics. It's taken me over a year to get through it all, but it was worth it. Entries were written by some of the 20th century's greatest parapsychologists on topics such as animal behavior, dreams, ESP, and afterlife studies. 

So let me know what YOU'VE been reading lately, or if you've read any of the titles above and have any opinions you'd like to share! Let me know in the comments below or find me over on Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State Facebook page!  You can also check out my First Quarter Spooky Reading and let me know what you think as well! Happy haunting! 

Spreading Spooky Cheer!

This is the season of giving. Christmas is right around the corner, and yesterday was #GivingTuesday, a day for you to donate to your favorite charities and nonprofit organizations. This year, I'm even lower on cash and energy than usual, but I still wanted to do something to give back. I might not have much money or time to donate...but what I do have is books!

Valley Park

I've actually been toying with this idea for a couple of months. I LOVE to collect paranormal nonfiction, and over the years, I've amassed a pretty huge library. I love scouring thrift stores, yard sales, and second-hand bookstores for great deals on used books...and of course, most of my family and friends know that if they're going to buy me a present, they can never go wrong with a ghost book!

But, occasionally I'll find myself with duplicates. Sometimes I'll be gifted a book I already own. Other times, I'll buy myself a book, not realizing that I already have it on my shelf. And, occasionally, I'll purposefully buy books I know I own if I find them cheap enough! For less than a dollar a book, it doesn't matter whether I own it or not...if it's paranormal nonfiction, it's coming home with me! 

Sherwood Circle

I enjoy having a few extra copies of books lying around so I can share them with friends, family, and even clients. But, sometimes I amass a few too many, and it's time to purge. So, today I gathered up my extra copies and decided to hit some area Little Free Libraries! If you're unfamiliar with the concept of Little Free Libraries, click on the link for more info. In short, these are awesome little structures that pop up in neighborhoods, parks, churches, and all sorts of other places. The idea is to 'give a book, take a book.' It's completely FREE, and you're more than welcome to help yourself with no obligation. When you're done reading, you may keep the book, return it to the Little Free Library, pass it on, or donate another in its place.  There are several in the Hurricane area, but the link has a map of all the registered libraries in YOUR area. Definitely check it out.

Anyway, I also threw in some shameless self-promotion and stuck a business card into each book. I figured that anyone who would be interested in the subject matter of the donated books would probably be interested in checking out Spectral Research and Investigation's website! It was a fun little outing, and I hope it inspires you to give what you can this holiday season, even if its something as simple as a battered old paperback about ancient aliens! Stay spooky my friends. 

Sable Point Apartments