Richmond Public Library: Haunted Houses And Things That Go Bump In The Night

Press release from the Richmond Public Library:

Meg Raymond

2021-10-08

As the days get shorter and the weather gets cooler (please, let it get cooler!) I want to spend even more time nested in at home reading.  It’s October, so I want to read darker, scarier, books.  Maybe books about … ghosts.  Or haunted houses.  I live in a little house built in the 1940s.  The previous owner died in the house, but I’ve never seen (or felt) a ghostly presence.  Which is, actually, quite a relief.  I prefer my hauntings to be found between the pages of a book!

Enter these haunted houses … if you dare.  Fiction sure to make you jump at any creak or strange noise in the night.  Check out the booklist Haunted Houses.

BONUS TITLES:

These books are not yet published, but we’re waiting with delicious anticipation:Shadow House by Anna Downes (April 2022)Under Lock and Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian (March 2022)Resting Place by Camilla Sten (March 2022)

Maybe you don’t love haunted houses.  Or fiction.  Maybe you want true ghostly tales.  Try some of these nonfiction titles:

Ghost Dogs of the South by Randy RussellA book about the magical relationship between people and dogs that can defy death and return from the grave.

Ghost Hunters:  William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death by Deborah BlumAt the end of the 19th century, James (brother of Henry) embarked on a determined, lifelong pursuit of scientific evidence of the existence of ghosts.

Ghostland: an American History in Haunted Places by Colin DickeyDickey embarks on a journey across the continental United States to decode and unpack the American history repressed in our most famous haunted places.

Ghosts: a Natural History: 500 Years of Searching for Proof by Roger ClarkeDescribes the history of ghost-hunting and searching for proof of spectres, spirits and ghosts.

Ghosts Among Us: Uncovering the Truth about the Other Side by James Van PraaghPerhaps the human fascination with the supernatural stems from the fact that most of us, at some point in our lives, have experienced something we couldn’t quite explain. 

Haunted Richmond: the Shadows of Shockoe by Scott BergmanHistoric, haunted, chilling tales of the town of Richmond, told by one of Virginia’s most respected paranormal investigators.

Haunted Richmond, Virginia and Haunted Richmond II by Pamela K. KinneyRichmond is chock-full of haunted places.  These interesting and scary stories will transport you beyond, to a Richmond that most mortals never see.

Haunted Virginia: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Old Dominion by L. B. TaylorJust one of the many books by Taylor blending Virginia history with truly ghostly tales.

A History of Ghosts: the True Story of Seances, Mediums, Ghosts, and Ghostbusters by Peter H. AykroydAykroyd spent his childhood watching his family’s parlor séances through the crack of a basement door. Here…he tells the strange and delightful story that inspired his son, Dan, to make the mega-hit, Ghostbusters.

Life with the Afterlife: 13 Truths I Learned About Ghosts by Amy BruniBruni, a paranormal investigator, has spent years studying the otherworldly. She that recognizing that ghosts are people can help us move from fear to empathy for them.

Spooky South: Tales of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, and Other Local Lore by S. E. SchlosserPull up a chair or gather ’round the campfire and get ready for thirty-eight creepy tales of ghostly hauntings, eerie happenings, and other strange occurrences.

The following titles are eBooks available from Hoopla. You will need your Richmond Public library card to access Hoopla .  Don’t have a library card?  Find out how to get one here.

Haunted Clark County, Virginia by Michael D. Hess   

Haunted House by Virginia Loh-Hagan

Haunted Virginia Beach by Alpheus J. Chewning

Haunts of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Highlands by Joe Tennis 

Virginia Legends & Lore by Charles A. Mills

Ghosts and haunted houses not to your liking?  Check out the RPL Readers page for more suggestions.  Or, if you’d prefer a hand-crafted, “bespoke” book suggestion list, try The Bookologist service.  You will need an RPL library card to access.  Don’t have one?  Find out how to get one here.

This press release was produced by the Richmond Public Library. The views expressed here are the author’s own.