Nonfiction Ghost Books
Since I have worked for several years at Barnes & Noble Books and also work as a writer, I'm very particular in what books I recommend. When it comes to ghost books, I look for well-written, accurate books. I tend to dislike on principle books that contain collections of other people stories, especially if there is nothing to indentify either the location or the person. So, if you want my recommendation, look for the gold star
Notes: Although I don't typically enjoy first-person ghost stories, I find Rule's very entertaining. She obviously inherited her mother (legendary true crime writer Ann Rule) writing skills. Other ghost books by Rule that I recommend include:
- Ghosts Among Us: True Stories of Spirit Encounters
- Ghost in the Mirror: Real Cases of Spirit Encounters
- When the Ghost Screams: True Stories of Victims Who Haunt
Notes: This book might be a bit too simplistic for the avid ghost hunter or ghost lover, but like all the "Iditot" books, it has a great humor about the subject. Ogden is long-time ghost expert who is perfect to write this book.
Dinner and Spirits: A Guide to America's Most Haunted Restaurants, Taverns, and Inns by Robert WlodarskiNotes: Review coming soon.
Encyclopedia of Haunted Places: Ghostly Locales from Around the World by Jeff BelangerNotes: This book would have been much better had it been edited a little better. It contains stories written by various paranormal investigators, which means some of the stories are interesting while others are not.
The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits by Rosemary Ellen GuileyNotes: Unlike Belinger's Encyclopedia, this book is more of a ghost dictionary that offers information about various terms and locations.
The Everything Ghost Hunting Book: Tips, tools, and techniques for exploring the supernatural world by Melissa Martin EllisNotes: This book does exactly what it sets out to do: give a basic introduction to ghost hunting. It's a good book, but not one most experienced ghost hunters would enjoy.
The Field Guide to North American Hauntings by W. Haden BlackmanNotes: While there are parts of this book that are a bit hokey (such as its list of questions to ask ghosts), much of it is very informative and well written.
Ghost Hunter's Guidebook: The Essential Guide to Investigating Ghosts & Hauntings by Troy TaylorNotes: I have not read this book, but I am familiar with a bit of Taylor's writing and I've found them very thorough, well researched and well-written.
Ghost Hunting: True Stories of Unexplained Phenomena from The Atlantic Paranormal Society by Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson and Michael Jan FriedmanNotes: Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson (better known for their show Ghost Hunters) are smart. They know they are not writers, they are plumbers/ghost hunters. So, they signed on with writer Michael Jan Friedman for both of their books. This ensures the books are enjoyable and easy to read.
Notes: Review coming soon.
Ghostly Encounters: True Stories of America's Haunted Inns and Hotels by Frances KermeenNotes: This book is well-written and gives some practical information on the ghos s as well as how to visit the locations mentioned.
Ghosts Among Us: Uncovering the Truth About the Other Side by James VanPraaghNotes: Review coming soon.
Ghosts Caught on Film by Melvyn WillinNotes: This is a great book and one I think everyone should have sitting on their coffee table (if only for the coversation it will generate).
Ghosts Caught on Film 2 by Jim EatonNotes: I was disappointed by this book. It seems they couldn't find enough "ghost" photos and used photos of items that were not ghostly at all such as the "alien in the vacuum" (which was simply when summons dust ended up forming the image of an alien).
Ghosts of Gettysburg: Spirits, Apparitions and Haunted Places of the Battlefield by Mark NesbittNotes: This is the first of several Gettysburg ghost books that Nesbitt has written (and the only one I've read so far). I do recommend it.
Ghosts of the McBride House: A True Haunting by Cecilia BackNotes: Review coming soon.
Ghosts: True Encounters with the World Beyond by Hans HolzerNotes: Review coming soon.
Ghosts: Washington Revisited by John AlexanderNotes: The best Washington D.C. ghost book that I've seen.
Haunted Places in America by Charles A. CoulombeNotes: I like this book, although I've noticed some say the stories are too short and it seems too "guide like." Coulombe presents about forty different stories that includes the history of the location and supposive sightings.
Haunted America by Michael Norman and Beth ScottNotes: I've read all of Michael Norman and Beth Scott's books, and I'm a little disappointed to find entire chapters repeated in many of them. Therefore, I would only pick up one of their books and avoid picking them all up (as you'll end up rereading some of the same material. Other books by Michael Norma and Beth Scott include:
Haunted Castles of the World: Ghostly Legends and Phenomena from Keeps and Fortresses Around the Globe by Charles A. CoulombeNotes: Review coming soon.
Haunted City: Unauthorized Guide to the Magical, Magnificent New Orleans of Anne Rice by Joy DickensonNotes: Review coming soon.
Haunted Hikes: Spine-Tingling Tales and Trails from North America's National Parks by Andrea LankfordNotes: Review coming soon.
Haunted Inns of America: National Directory of Haunted Hotels and Bed & Breakfast Inns by Terry L. Smith & Mark JeanNotes: Review coming soon.
Haunted Nashville by Kim and Frankie HarrisNotes: I happen to know Kim and Frankie personally (I also work as a tour guide on their Nashville tour. However, I have no hesitations about recommending this book and believe it is the best book about Nashville ghosts I've found.
Haunted Places: The National Directory by Dennis William HauckNotes: This is one of my favorite ghost books. Although it does not give a lot of details, it is very comprehsensive and gives locations throughout the United States. My one criticism is that some of the sites are not "haunted" but locations where other paranormal (such as big foot sightings) have occurred.
The Haunting of the Presidents: A paranormal history of the U.S. presidency by Joel Martin and William J. BirnesAlthough this book is no longer in print (but available as an ebook for Kindle), it is worth tracking down if you happen to like a little history with your ghost stories. It is not strickly about ghosts, as it covers UFO sightings as well.
A History of Ghosts: The True Story of Seances, Mediums, Ghosts, and Ghostbusters by Peter H. Aykroyd and Angela NarthNotes: I haven't read this book, I have browsed it and think it should be very interesting. If you are wondering about the author, he is Dan Aykroyd's brother.
How to be a Ghost Hunter by Richard SouthallNotes: Review coming soon.
I Never Believed In Ghosts Until . . . by Editors of USA WeekendNotes: It's been a long time since I read this book, but I do recall that I found many of the stories very interesting.
Our Haunted Lives: True Life Ghost Encounters by Jeff BelangerNotes: Review coming soon.
The Myrtles Plantation: The True Story of America's Most Haunted House by Frances KermeenNotes: Review coming soon.
Notes: Review coming soon.
Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary RoachNotes: Review coming soon.
A Paranormal Casebook: Ghost Hunting in the New Millennium by Loyd AuerbachNotes: Review coming soon.
The Paranormal Caught On Film by Melvyn WillinNotes: Review coming soon.
The World's Most Haunted Places: From the Secret Files of Ghostvillage.com by Jeff BelangerNotes: Review coming soon.
Weird Hauntings: True Tales of Ghostly Places by Joanne Austin, Mark Moran and Mark ScuermanNotes: This is another book that contains stories written by a multitude of different people, so the stories are inconsistent. What bothers me most about it, however, is it's total waste of full-color pictures. Instead of being pictures of the locations, they are artsy pictures that have no real purpose whatsoever.
When Ghosts Speak: Understanding the World of Earthbound Spirits by Mary Ann WinkowskiNotes: Review coming soon.
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