Mythology Books

I have other books on Appalachia folklore, and this is at the top of the list. It's fun, colorful, and gives you the creeps! Like the late Charles Edwin Price, Randy Russell and Janet Barnett have compiled a rich array of stories from East Tennessee; the perfect book to read -- whether to yourself or to others -- on those "dark, stormy nights."

This is a great book I love ghost stories and think they are really good I read this book about 5 times and was scared eveery time! (a REALLy good book will do that u know!!)

First of all, I like ghost stories rooted in history and place. All 25 stories in this collection are wonderful examples of folklore and of the people of the Cumberland and Blue Ridge mountains of Tennessee. You can almost touch the trees in the forest and hear the water moving over rocks. Did you know you can tell your future by counting the number of seeds in an apple? One story here tells you how. More importantly for me as professional storyteller, I found the authors had a very good ear for dialogue and *voice*. I havealready used two of the stories, Footprints in The Snow (Pigeon Forge)-- and the title story Granny Curse, and both met with very good success! Great for reading aloud -- but don't read them alone at night.

I enjoyed reading this book and I found the artwork to be most interesting. This book explains two of our strangest creatures, the flying squirrel and the bat, who can fly although they are not birds. The excitement builds up as the birds find a way to make wings for the little animals, no bigger than mice, to prepare for the ball game. The action of the game itself is quick and intense, as the animals and birds battle it out. Can you guess who wins? You'll find yourself cheering for Bat as he dips and dives for the ball, but watch out! Bluejay drops the ball just at the crucial moment. I give this one an A+ for enjoyment.

I am happy to find a book that describes the game of stickball the way it was originally played here in the southeast. We Cherokees called the game "the little brother of war" in the old days. Even now our villages near the Cherokee Reservation in North Carolina play against each other in the traditional was, by setting up goal posts at both ends of the ball field. You will hear the teams taunting each other just as described in this book. Thanks to the writer and the artist for helping to keep our culture alive.

What more could you ask from a picture book? The Great Ball Game of the Birds and Animals is a wonderful tale that explains how the bat and the flying squirrel came to be. Duvall's version of this story sticks closely to the original Cherokee legend with expanded imagery and character development. Like all great stories, this one teaches a lesson for human beings. Jacob's beautifully detailed drawings will hold the imagination spellbound as the story unfolds in crisp black and white. This book won the 2003 Oklahoma Book Award for Design and Illustration. I am proud to own a signed first edition that I obtained while visiting Tahlequah, Oklahoma during the Cherokee National Holiday. I highly recommend this book to art collectors and readers alike.

An hilarious folk tale told in the vernacular. "Oh law!" Must be read it out loud for maximum hilarity and it'll "witch ye sure." My 4 year old loves it so much she has learned to read it, hillbilly slang and all. There aren't many children's books this delightful. I just wonder why it was allowed to go out of print, and why it hasn't won any awards.

The Green Gourd is hilarious. I enjoyed reading it because the dialect was fun to do. The kids adored the silliness of a "witchy green gourd" chasing the old lady and "fumping" everything on the way. We both loved the illustrations. I love this book so much that I'm going to see if I can locate a used copy (it's out of print). Someday I'd like to read it to my grandchildren.

This children's book is so funny, that it is hard to read out loud. My children loved the story, of an old country woman who needs a gourd and picks one before it's ripe. It is bewitched and proceeds to "fump" her and anyone & everything else in its path.Each time the fumping episode occurred, I laughed out loud and my kids asked me to read it to them each night ("one more time, one more time!!!" Expect to be delighted as the illustrations are beautiful, too.

I thought this book was an enjoyable one. Well written and only a little bit off on some of the American information, which I guess can be forgiven. The stuff attributed to the Aztecs, were really Maya, but I guess that's a common misconception. Other than that very interesting and a different outlook on plants and our shared history with them. I would definitely recommend it and will keep it in my library.

The most beautifully written and illustrated book of it's type that I have ever come across. Don't miss this one!

Ever since I researched my book "Tales of the Trees" I've been fascinated by the uses humans have made of plants throughout history. It's not just the practical uses - wood to build our houses, wheat, cabbages and apples to eat, oak for our ships - plants have had strong spiritual value too. Our religions have given us the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden, the Ceiba tree of the Mayans, the Bodhi tree (fig) or Tree of Enlightenment of the Buddhist religion and "Yggdrasil' (ash) the Norse world tree whose roots reached the Underworld and whose branches reached the heavens. Then there were the sacred oaks of the Druids - don't get me started.
Michael Jordan (no, not the athlete) has put together a masterly piece of research into the uses, practical and spiritual, of trees, plants and herbs of all kinds, in civilizations around the world. The book is well illustrated, using many of Jordan's own photographs.
In his overview of great writings about herbs Jordan quotes Charlemagne's definition of a herb "The friend of physicians and the praise of cooks." The oldest existing record of the use of herbs in medicine comes from Babylonian times, some 1700 years before Christ. The Chinese, however, were probably the first people to write "herbals" or documents about the uses of herbs.
A Greek philosopher, Theophrastus, was the first European to take a stab at classifying plants in 372 BC. His work strongly influenced other botanists for almost 2000 years. As recently as the 18th century the use of herbs in medicine was very hit or miss. Some pain killers, such as salicin, from the willow, were well-known and effective. Other nostrums relied on superstition - haemorrhoids were treated with a plant called Lesser Celandine because its roots were the shape of haemorrhoids.
It wasn't till the early 19th century that pure drugs such as morphine and quinine were extracted from plants. Meanwhile from time immemorial housewives had been growing herbs in their gardens and treating their family's illnesses with lore learned from their mothers and grandmothers. The church and paid physicians were not happy about this so they resorted to burning a few "wise women" as witches.
But Jordan does not restrict himself to actual real plants, he has a whole chapter on "Plants of the Imagination" which looks at plants featured in legend and mythology. In the Middle Ages it was said that a Barnacle Tree existed whose fruits matured into birds. In England it was said to grow at the edge of the sea and its fruits were barnacle shellfish. When these matured and fell off they split open, grew feathers and became Barnacle geese.
In his conclusion Jordan looks at gardening throughout the ages and ponders the possible effects of global warming and climate change on our "Green Mantle". He is hopeful that a new respect for our land and our environment is emerging and that the plunder of the Green Mantle is becoming less acceptable. Yet we are still losing plant species throughout the world. The Sahara desert is encroaching on vast areas that once were green; the forests of South America are being slashed and burned at an insane pace.
Jordan is hopeful, as I am, that our headlong race to destroy our Green Mantle may have been checked slightly. We have more knowledge now and even a little more understanding. We have made some small steps towards preserving our plant heritage. Will it be enough to counter the forces of ignorance and greed?

The intuitive travel journal combines nearly psychic visions and intuitions of current (and even long past) events with today's down-to-earth, cultured traveller through her trekking in Wales and a small area of Ireland. The resulting dialogue remains with the reader in a pleasant manner long after the last page has been consumed. The finish came too soon I was sorry the stories ended. This reader hopes the author will again be led to other areas of this ancient land and compelled to record her impressions, document her footsteps and publish a sequel.

Pamela captured the essence of what real history is about...the personal stories of people that were there creating them. It was so refreshing to read a personal account of a present day individual who investigated places, events and people by listeneing to the sounds and images that came to her over a period of 25 years.

Having been a history major in undergraduate school I understand the personal journey to investigate how people interacted, made choices and effected events from the past....Pams personal journey to travel to the places where events unfolded brought it to an even more exciting comparison...It became ancient personal as well a present day personal....

Reading the book was like having a daily story being told to me by a well worded, intelligent person sitting across a table while we both had tea.

I have always been drawn to Celtic information, however it has always had an ancient unreal mystery about it...Pam has brought it to a form that is so real, clear and exciting. It is great to now know how it was from a womans point of view who was actually there...

The voices that prompted Pams personal journey to investigate the celtic ancient cultures was so easily explained and understood in her brief comparison of linear physics and string theory physics. (the most fluid expanation that I have ever been exposed to).... Enjoy!!

The story is woven around many threads. One being Pam's experience in 1982 of hearing the scream of a woman, who she discovered lived in the 5th century! For some, this sounds very weird; however, for those of us who have had, what I call, 'mystical experiences' (and usually unexplainable by our current reality's limited mind processes), it is a fascinating adventure.

It has taken Pam 25 years to complete the story. In the book, she will share with you the 'why' of that. She has come to know that her passions for traveling and 'intuiting history' of a place meld well into the telling of stories of the ancestors.

Another thread was the story of Anaias, the woman of the 5th century. I learned much about my own life by reading of her life. Some of my 'mystical experiences' began to make more sense.

I call this book a 'sleeper' as it is Pam's first book, which I believe will/has opened the door to many more for her. She has the ability to seamlessly weave the reader into her own and Anaias's story. I can hardly wait for the next one, which she is already working on!

May the Flame of Inspiration . . . the 'greenfire'. . . that IS your deepest spirit . . . once again ignite in you!

Fantastic! I pick up a book and scan through it to see if I want to "get involved". Not only did I purchase and read this one, but I bought the next two in the series and read them also. Cyn Mobley writes mysteries in refreshingly entertaining style while departing deep affection and knowledge of the retired greyhound. In Greyhound Dancing, pack behavior and territorial lines are explored through the eyes of greyhounds. Tweeter, the grey queen, is introduced to a new pack and must establish herself and enforce rules of behavior. It is a greyt read. I am sure you will enjoy this book completely.

LOVE this book! Tweeter's adventures are just GREYT!!!!!!! You will not be disappointed by the book or Cyn's wonderful way of writing!!! My 13 yr old son LOVES them too!!!!

Are you all nuts? It sells for far less than that new on the website dogbooks.org.
A hundred BUCKS???
Cyn Mobley

I am an indian and am yet to see a more simple and dedicated book to Shri Hanuman ji than this one. The much revered Hanuman is often regarded by cynics and youngsters as 'monkey god' and the grace,humility and courage associated with Him is not really understood in contemporary times. Philip has done a great and commendable job of getting to the core of Hanuman worship and does so with great humility and respect, not an ounce of the classic western upper lip attitude or assumptions. The book seems a tad too long but definitely commendable reading - for devotees and cynics alike.

An excellent source of knowledge on Sri Hanuman! The writing style of the text is somewhat scholarly, but, it is well worth plugging through. I heartily recommend it to all Hanuman Bhakts and people interested in the mighty Hanuman!

This is THE book on Hanuman. Comprehensive and well-researched, and a labor of love. It will provide help and guidance to many people. I didn't know there were so many aspects to Hanuman.

The book is truly a dream come true for many children. I myself found the book to be soothing to a rejected child who is always to slow and never wins. This just goes to show that good sportsmanship and willingness makes the grade. I know that someday when I children that I will read this book to them rather they are the fastest most athletic kid in the class or the slowest and last picked kid in the class

I cannot believe this is not an award winning book. I have read many children's books lately, and to me this ranks right up there with the Caldecotts and other award winners. The illustrations are wonderful, depicting the animals realistically yet with very expressive almost human faces. The story has some nice humorous twists to it, and I found it very entertaining. There is even an educational aspect to it, as it includes an index of sorts to the animals depicted and a little information about them. I think any child would be delighted with this book, and might even be inspired to further reading about animals.

Helen Ward's illustrations are fabulous and she has retold this classic charmingly and engagingly. I am more and more impressed by Australian illustrators and writers. This is a must have.

This book, as does the first book in the trilogy, The Pomelo Tree, contains all the above elements. The Pomelo Tree introduced American anthropologist Carl Brecht, researching a book on shamanism, as well as a London witch coven in Nepal in the 1970's to conduct some dark ceremonies. The coven leaders consider an eight-year-old boy to be the incarnation of the Demon Ravana and carry him off for use in their ceremonies. This book describes Brecht's pursuit of the kidnappers and his adventures along the way. These adventures provide the reader with colorful and vivid descriptions of the place and its people along with an intimate, firsthand account of the cultural practices of the region. This book is ideal for the reader who likes to learn about foreign times and places while enjoying a good story.

This second in the trilogy picks up where The Pomelo Tree leaves off. I thought I knew what the harvest was all about when it began, but obviously I was wrong. The harvest has another sinister, and quite gripping, meaning. The story is so well written that I found myself weeping and mourning with the families, as if they were my own. I was glad I had the third novel, The Shamans, in hand when this book ended. I couldn't stand the suspense.

The encroaching future events built into The Pomelo Tree continues in The Harvest. Nick Cibrario has woven the history of the area with the mystique of the area's culture so creatively that the reader is caught in his web. I feel like I'm seeing, and experiencing, the events as they progress. Well written! I can't wait for his next contribution to this amazing story!

Wow- this book is fantastic. I have a lot of ghost books- and this one is definitely one of my favorites.

Included are TONS OF PICTURES of EVERY haunted inn listed!
It seems these days that it is hard to find a good ghost book with photos included!
The pictures are black and white- and there are MANY of them!!

Also included are the websites of the inns.

The ghost stories in this book are fascinating. The Pink Lady ghost of the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC was excellent!

(www.groveparkinn.com).

Sheila Turnage actually stayed at the inn- in the Pink Lady's room~~~and had a few strange experiences herself.

I really enjoyed this book- HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!

It is obvious the author put a lot of time and effort into this book. The ghost stories are well-researched and there are photographs of each haunted location. Ms. Turnage also provides a lot of additional useful information such as telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and rates. I can't wait to visit some of the haunted inns and plan to do so within the next few months. I am particularly interested in the St. James Hotel in Selma, Ala., said to be haunted by Jesse James, a lady named Lucinda, and a phantom dog.

If you like to travel and are interested in the subject of ghosts/spirits, you will enjoy this book highly. This book not only gives you a short history/story behind the various Haunted Inns, but also gives contact information to inquire further and/or make reservations - including webpage addresses when available. Shelia Turnage has put a lot of work and research into this book. She does a great job getting directly to the point describing the hauntings.

The book's introduction is a quick overview on "Things To Know Before You Go", which is informative especially for first time ghost/paranormal researchers.