Ghost Books

Fantastic, hair raising tales of hauntings of a legendary of boom town that is frozen in time in the Virginia mountains of Nevada! Historical references are enlightening and muster intrigue surrounding the wild west days of the mining boom. A must read for those that enjoy chills down their spine!

I have always had an interest in the ghosts and things that go bump in the night. This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I must say, was worth it's weight in gold! Every time I tell people about it and let them read some of it, they want to borrow my copy.

Comstock Phantoms is an amazing look at the history of the Virginia City area. This is no ordinary "I have a ghost story" book. This book has what all those other ghost books lack....historical reference! From the Blue Lady of the Old Washoe club, to the basic graveyard haunts, this author backs up the stories of the area with historical facts. He even takes the time to document his sources.

This book is not only entertaining, the historic sections bring to life the haunted areas, and makes it that much easier to beleive that the ghosts are real, and not just some made up tales to raise the hairs on your neck.

In addition, the ghost hunts the author goes on are wonderfully written and enertaining; closing the loop on the histrical past to the present. His descriptions take you right into the present day buildings and cemetaries.

Does he find a ghost? I'll let you buy it and find out.

5 stars!

I found myself thoroughly engrossed in this book and the writer's style, though I don't usually read that much history. It was engaging and entertaining and I've recommended it to several friends, who enjoyed it as well (come on, guys, write reviews!). I hope all of you out there who have even a tiny interest in paranormal experiences pick up this book and give it a read. It's great!

Brian Bruns has written a very entertaining book on the Comstock Ghosts and Hauntings. He has wrapped his own ghost hunting experiences into a book that is spooky as well as historical. It has been a pleasure to pass on my copy (and buy another for myself and also another for my daughter) to my daughter-in-law who also could not put it down.

On visiting Virginia City and the the Comstock area, you can put the buildings and locations together with their ghostly inhabitants thanks to Mr. Bruns. Mr Bruns writing style is refreshing and lively. His experiences are both humorous and well told making you feel like he is in the room talking to you instead of the reader just reading a book. I am still taking photos to see if the Blue Lady will make an appearance on film!

If you are planning a trip to this area or even if you are a Nevadan, this is a book worth reading and keeping as a guide to some of the events and places of our historical past that are evidently still making an impression on our present day.

I am eagerly awaiting Brian's next endeavors!!!!!

This is an easy reading book with well written descriptions of the hauntings in Virginia City and it's surrounds. The author's humor keeps the stories lively and his sprinkling of facts about the mine, city and state were both enlighting and fascinating. I'm re-reading it already.

Enoch's Ghost is in my mind best referred to as the fifth book in the Dragons in Our Midst series. It picks up right where Tears of a Dragon left off, following Ashley, Walter, Karen, and Thigocia on their journey to find Makaidos. Readers should definitely be up to speed on the events in both Eye of the Oracle (Oracles of Fire) and the Dragons in Our Midst series.

Like me, some readers may be put off by the title, but there is no ghost in the book. I don't want to give anything away, so I won't say what it refers to, but it isn't anything ghostly at all.

How's the book line up with the rest of Bryan Davis' brilliant dragon books? Perfectly. I really can't say more than that. Great characters, a breathtaking story, and an ending that will leave you waiting for the next one.

What happened after Walter, Ashley, and Karen took off on the back of Thigocia? This book is an excellent sequel to the Dragons in our Midst series! If you wonder what happens next, READ THIS BOOK!!

This is a great book full of wonder and excitement. Journey with two teenagers whose search for a lost kid leads them on an incredible thrill ride. Evil is out to stop them in dragon form. Can they survive the dragons fire? Buy this book and find the answers.

I loved this book. Every moment of it was great. It was suspenseful, the plot was elaborate, and I did not want to put it down. I loved the new characters and settings. It's perfect for all ages. The spirituality in this book is wonderful, I enjoyed the combination of fantasy and Scripture. A very exciting read, recommended to everyone!

As evil forces seek to merge heaven and earth, the former dragons and their allies seek to stop them. Events build to a climax in three different worlds, with an unexpected, heartrending conclusion. My personal favorite of all Davis' books.

Fluke tells the tale of an abandoned dog named Fluke that has past life memories of being a man, a man that was evidently murdered. Fluke then goes on an odyssey to find his home, his family, and his killer. Getting there alternates between funny and frightening. Herbert shows genuine skill as a fantasist here and I wish it was a talent that he tried explore more often, as this is his best novel.

This book is a delightful and wondrous tale told by a writer who is best known by his forays into the Horror Genre.Author James Hebert abandons his usual ghosts and scares and takes the reader on a marvellous journey through the eyes of a dog , Fluke who was once a man in a previous life. In this book we see Fluke trying desperately to regain his life as a man as he goes on a journey to find his Human Family.Read this book and then give it to your children to read as it is a enchanting story for young and old.

This is a surprise. With Herbert, you usually got a gore-fest, and when I started reading this book about a man who finds himself in a dog's body, I imagined there would be lurid descriptions of dogs ripping apart other living things, probably humans. Far from it. This book is as cleverly written and as skilfully told as anything by Richard Matheson or Jonathan Aycliffe, and I do not make such comparisons lightly. `Fluke' describes the dog's (told in the first person-or should that be in the first dog?) quest to discover his previous humanness. It is a journey both of discovery and self-awareness. Herbert vividly describes what it (probably) feels like to be a dog, capturing the world of smells and canine desires; and the lingering sense of his previous humanity that propels him to discover who he was before he became a dog. The ending is moving without being sentimental. An unusual and satisfying book and one that I can fully recommend.

This book is as beautiful, moving, riveting, and profound as its film version, and explains further the concept of reincarnation. A man returns to life on Earth as a dog...trying desperately to adjust to his new life, he is constantly beset by confusing flashbacks to his former life as a man. Why is he one of the few who remember? And should he go back home to find his human family? These questions and more are answered in "Fluke."

I've read this book many times and still find it fascinating; it's written simply but beautifully, in language anyone can appreciate fully. The author obviously has a vivid mind and understands how the world looks through a dog's eyes; or perhaps he has been a dog in past lives. I know that I have. I highly recommend this lovely, exciting adventure.

It was a dog's life for Fluke the puppy until the images that had been haunting his canine mind came into sharp focus - he wasn't supposed to be a dog, he was actually a MAN! How had he ended up in this furry body? What of his wife, his child? What of HIM? Soon, though, the truth came - he the man had died, and had been reincartnated as a dog. And the visions hinted that he had been murdered! This begins a quest as Fluke sets out to his old town, determined to deliver out justice to whoever murdered him...An excellent book and a personal favorite of mine. But the best part of all was Fluke. He remained at all times a dog, even though he had human intelligence and memories, rather than some bizarre mix of human and animal that all too many books have. Fluke's friend Rumbo is also an enjoyable character, even if he did have a passion for crime. One of the best, well-written and beautiful stories I have ever read.

I first bought this for myself, then ended up buying some for friends and family and we all love this book. Yes, it's not a big book, but the stories in it will make your hair stand on end and one of the photos - I get goosebumps just thinking of it! This is well worth it!

I bought Hitchcock's other book, Net Crimes & Misdemeanors and found out she'd written this one as well. I finally got a copy a couple of weeks ago. It's a complete departure from her Internet crimes book, but a fun read. I love ghost stories and this one has some that will make your hair stand on end and sleep with the lights on. A definite must-read any time of the year!!

My parents sent me this book for Christmas (signed by the author!). They know I love good "ghost stories" and The Ghosts of Okinawa lives up to that. I found the "tall tales" entertaining, noting the similarities to ghost sightings here in the USA, and the local ghost stories were sometimes quite chilling. I especially liked the information on the cultural aspects of how Okinawans feel about ghosts, the dead, and the supernatural. A very interesting read and the photo with the ghost in it still gives me chills!

This may be a small book, but the stories in it are well-written and some gave me the goosebumps!

I read this book about 2 years ago and I must say, it's awesome! I love reading books, books that are thrilling, books I can soak into... etc. This book, I could not put down, because I love to read ghost stories, and plus it was thrilling when I was reading it because I lived in Okinawa at the time.
I'm not exactly what you call brave, if I were ever to encounter any ghosts from the stories, but I like to read about them. There are so many other ghost stories about Okinawa, not in this book that are amazing. You can actually believe these stories, because when the war came upon Okinawa, Naha was hit first and the military base closest to Naha is Camp Kinser. There was once a human skull discovered there by my friend's brother, and people say the base is built over a graveyard, which is most likely of the victims who died in the war. The book is very convincing.
It's great if you can actually see the location of where the ghost stories are based.
All in all, you must read this book, it's great! And check out other scary stories and also "The Girl with the White Flag." Also based in Okinawa!

I remember this book from when I was in kindergarten and always being scared, but loving it all the way through. It was filled with all the creepy images and stories that I could ever want, and when Daddy would read it to me in the fall it just put me in the immediate Halloween spirit. Witches, monsters, magic, ghosts, and everything else that any little kid would want in a scary book fill these 32 pages.

This story deserves a 5 out of 5, for its nostalgia, ability to invoke a spooky feeling, and overall fantasy and storyline.

My sister and I used to read this book together all the time as kids. About 2 years ago we started to think about it again, but our copy was long gone by then. We have been trying for 2 years to remember the title, and have been searching online relentlesly. I can't believe it, but today I finally found it!!!!! I bought a copy from another site, and I can't wait until it comes. And the thing is, I have not seen my sister in almost 2 years, and she is coming in to visit tomorrow! Hopefully it will arrive while she is still here, so we can get together with our children and read it once again! I highly recommend this book. If you share it with your children I guarantee they will someday share it with THEIR children!

I read this book in Kindergarden and have never forgot it through all these years. I hope to own a copy soon. The only book I remember from back then.

I read this book when I was in elementary school. I am now 25 years old, and I still remember this book. Over the years, I have found myself thinking of this book now and then and wishing I had a copy of it in my possession.

This book was a special friend of mine. It was there for me on rainy days, sunny days and very sad days. I can recall once being very sad about something, and remembering that I had checked the book out from the school library (I often did), and I lay down on my bead and curled up with this book. I can remember my sadness vanishing instantly as I was pulled into the spooky, yet delightful magical world of Grandpa's Ghost Stories. The tears that first fell on the pages of the book were certainly the last ones of the day for me.

Because of this book, I have always LOVED rain storms and thunder and lightening storms, they actually make me feel cozy.

No other books in the world have ever had this kind of effect on me, with the possible exception of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark trilogy.

It is very tragic that this book is no longer in print, and I anxiously await the day that it is available again at a reasonable price.

I highly recommend this book to absolutely anyone, but especially to anyone who enjoys a good, spooky tale. This is a treasure. Do yourself a BIG favor and discover it for yourself and for your children.

I believe I speak for everyone on this list, when I say this book is one of the best, if not the best children's books of all time. For me, and many others (at least on this review board) this book was a life changing experience. I find my experience with the book is quite similar to most of the others on this page. I found the book in my elementary school library, and loved it. I checked it out every time I could get the chance, and read it over and over. I highly recommend this book, for all ages. The stories are wonderful, the illustrations are fantastic... A true classic!

Lots of great stories and information in this one if you like haunting and things of that sort

Love his books. I grew up in the area he writes about and I learned so much I didn't know. Would recommend his books.

Troy Taylor is the author of more than 30 books on ghosts and hauntings and knows his subject matter. This remains the definitve exploration of haunted places in Illinois. Combining a love of history with an interest in the paranormal, Taylor gives us a book that is well-researched and completely entertaining. I can recommend any of his books but "Haunted Illinois" is a great place to start. After that you've got 30 or so more that are equally as good!

I've read a lot of these true haunted and ghost story books, and this is one of the very best. It's not only a collection of documented ghost sightings and legends, but it also acts as a social history of Illinois. In fact, you can learn much about Illinois' history from reading this book. The author is a great researcher and a good writer. I can't imagine someone not liking this book. The only complaint is the tiny print. I understand that the book is crammed with info, but the small print does make it difficult to read.

Being from the Central Illinois area I found this book to be very truthful about the many places and stories of the area. Somethings I did not even know I have since checked on and have since found the stories to be reliable, (as far as the teller is concerned). Be aware though that the book is full of typo's! All in all, this book is a wonderful mix of real true to life history and paranormal happenings. I would not hesitate to recomend this book to anyone.

IN a short summary this book was addicting. It's not everyday that you read a book and are pulled to feel for a character(s).

*SPOILER*

It wasn't until the end of the book that I remembered the young girl in the beggining of the book. But it wasn't much of a surprise though.

I enjoyed the little stories and background to some of the ghosts in the book. Possibly my favorite parts was the sections were they were at the amusment park and the plantation.

Sidney, you really touch into my fears with Varton. Clowns have always scared me and for some reason I could perfectly see his face and disfigured body.

I can not wait till book 2 to come out......

A couple of weeks ago I sat down and did a search for the "scariest" book out there. I was sure that I would find a ton of things I didn't want to read, but the one book that kept coming up over and over as everyone's favorite scary read was:
Haunted Lily, The Nightmare Ball by: Sidney Fox
I thought, wow, what a unique name and promptly looked it up. The cover art was intriguing and I thought "could it possibly be?"
So I asked our library to purchase it. When I explained that it was supposed to be scary our librarian asked me to read it and tell her if it held up to the hype because she is always getting requests for spooky good books.
Well, I just finished it! It was remarkable, tantalizing, vivid, a "Final Destination" movie put to words! Plus there's a good looking Brit I wouldn't mind meeting.
The first night I began to read it I was up really late in my room unable to put it down and I ran out of water. I decided that I didn't need a refill THAT bad!
I have to admit.......... This was the first book that actually got me creeped out since I was 9 under the covers with a flashlight reading true ghost stories!
I highly recommend this intriguing book!
Bravo! Sidney Fox!! Can't wait for the encore!

Please let me know what you think! I am dying to know what everyone else thinks! Get your local library to purchase it so we can support new artists! And check back because the cover of Haunted Lily says there is another book due out soon!
~MEOwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Why this book has not been made into a movie baffles me. Reading this book was like watching a film. The book mentions the author is a screenwriter and it shows in the story development. I was always surprised to where the story went. It was like Alice in Wonderland. I was "curiouser and curiouser."
Looking forward to more from the same author...

[...]
Had a load of rave reviews, so being always on the look out for new authors and "something a bit different"

I was not let down, great spooky read that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.. You really get to care about the all the people in the book, and not just the main ones they are all pretty well fleshed out.

Get it and read for yourself

Haunted Lily was hard to put down, the book gives an intimate look into the mind of a woman haunted for a life time. With the perfect combination of suspense, love, ghosts, and inspiration; Haunted Lily should be on everyone's wish list this year, as it is sure to be a hit!

The end of the first book left me not wanting the book to end, I found my self feeling that there was more to the story, and I can not wait until the next book comes out!
This book is highly recommended to anyone who likes a good scary ghost story. It is written so beautifully that it is easy to see why Sidney Fox is a repeat author, and hopefully will continue to write for years to come! She is sure to become one of my favorite authors very quickly! I would like to see this book be turned into a movie at some point also!

I will be sitting on Pins and Needles waiting for the next installment of her book, Haunted Lily!

Kristy Hinkle
Haunting Existence Radio

This book is very unique in the fact you expect it to be about a haunted house but actually the main subject is the struggle of growing up different. I got this book because I love haunted house stories but I have to admit I got more than I bargained for. The author did a good job bringing her awkwardness and pain to life especially when he was almost discovered with his sister's bridal dress on in the attic by his father! I don't believe in the gay issues but I felt very sorry for Jimmmy as a boy who was so confused and noone to turn to and I really believe considering the fact he did have sexual feelings for a couple of females and the desire to change that he could have if he had gotta the help he needed. All and all it was a very well told memoir and her personality really came thru in the story.

A fascinating story woven with the backdrop of a transgender young man haunted both by his phsyical identity and the physical haunting of a house in main line Philadelphia. It is a very poignant, at times sad and then humorous book. I deeply admire the struggle of the author and the way in which she wrote this moving story. The call to be real and to "find ourselves" is one in which we all struggle to achieve on varying levels.

This book picked up steam after a chapter or two and never ceased to be less than enthralling. Boylan's story of growing up transgendered and in a haunted house is a tale that probably no one else can tell, and she does a remarkable job. Even better than She's Not There, in I'm Looking Through You Boylan recounts a rich childhood and adolescence filled with love, doubt, pain, joy, and how both the living and the dead have an impact on our lives. A surprisingly addictive read, and highly recommended.

At first glance I'm Looking Through You: Growing Up Haunted: A Memoir seems to be about growing up in a haunted house, but it's much more than that. Author Jennifer Finney Boylan uses the near-translucent spirits inhabiting her family home as a metaphor for her dissociated youth. She spent her first 40 years as James Boylan, the boy's and man's body a bad fit for her soul.

The Boylan family moved to the aptly named "Coffin House" on Philadelphia's Main Line, and at once young James began to observe ghostly shapes drifting through the rooms. Through the teen years and in later visits as a young adult, alienated by feelings that "James" was meant to be "Jenny," the author continued to experience the ghosts. In more recent years, after transgender surgery turned James into Jenny at last, she visited the house with a "ghostbusting" team and came to a better understanding of the strange presence and what it was foreshadowing to the boy, near-translucent himself.

This memoir follows the theme of author Boylan's earlier book She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders, expanding on her life with a full cast of eccentric extended family members and friends. Boylan's humor has a dark cast; she deflects her serious moods with lightning-quick turnarounds, yet the reader never doubts her seriousness. The book is full of music and cultural references that at times are the only tethers holding Jenny/James in the real world.

Parent and partner, professor, friend, musician, daughter, sister -- some of Boylan's relationships have thrived and some suffered. Her books leave me believing that, as she states, she's "solid" at last. I'm Looking Through You: Growing Up Haunted: A Memoir is not your everyday memoir but it will make you think -- about ghosts, but especially about the human experience.

Linda Bulger, 2008

I didn't know jack (or jill) about Jennifer Finney Boylan when I picked up this book. I was only interested because it was described as a "growing up in a haunted house" memoir, and I can't get enough of the paranormal.

Imagine my surprise when a few pages in I discover that Jenny was formerly Jimmy.

At first I was annoyed at what I perceived as falst advertising. But in no time I found myself captivated by Jenny's unique voice and perspective. She captures perfectly the goofiness of teenagers in the '70s, with all cultural references intact. The section on Jimmy's first job as a bank teller had me laughing out loud because it reminded me so much of my first job.

By the end of the book, I loved both Jimmy and Jenny, and the whole haunted angle was almost a moot point.

I'm looking forward to reading more by this talented writer.

I read this book when I was about 8 years old (I always read at a higher level) and this book had such an impact on me that I still remember it. The Locker was so horrifing and the characters were so real, I couldn't put it down and I read it multiple times. I'm now 23 years old and I'm ordering this book so I can enjoy the thrills again and again. A must have for any library.

i just finished reading this book, and just had 2 tell someone how good it was. it was a bit slow, but the ending was so good. u never see it coming! richie tankersly cusick is my favorite author, ive bought almost all her books, and im making it my goal 2 read them all by the end of the year. her books r so good, i recommend them to older ages though, maybe 12 at the least because it can be bloody @ sometimes. very very good book :)

oh my god, i'm 12 years old and this was one of my favorite books RTC wrote and it was GRADE A+ TYLER WAS SOOOO SWEET hahaha i wasn't really surprised at the ending though sorta... i did a book report on this book and got an A+ defenate reading book, read this book, you won't be mad

The Locker was great! It is the only one of her books that I've read that was written in first person. It makes you more invovled in the book and more involved with the characters. Cusick creates excellent, believeable characters.

This book is in one word amazing! I have always found richie the best author out there and this book explains to me again why. She is the only person who knows how to scare you like hell. She makes it seems so real that you feel like, you yourself are the main character and you are living the situation yourself and that is frightening. Especially the bit in the kitchen of Suellens house was so frightening I felt chills go down my spine, I was there I was in that kitchen and I felt the fear the main character felt. Richie has this incredible way of describing things, describing it so real that sometimes you've got to stop reading. This book was amazing!

Lovable book! Easy to read but makes you think of your own life, silly little things and big questions of meanings. Just loved it, and will read it thousand times more.

This is a beautiful book about overcoming the differences between us and learning to live together. The book is set in Moominvalley. The Moomintrolls are away when their very different friends come to visit. Moominmama and Moominpapa figure mainly as inspiration for the other characters as they learn to get along with each other.

I fear that this is sounding preachy. The genius of Ms. Jansson is that she never preaches. Read the book, you'll see what I mean - it's lovely!

Tove Jansson was a Swedish-speaking Finnish writer and illustrator who wrote many childrens books including the famous Moomin series. Here, the setting is Moominvalley which is basically the natural beauty and pristineness of Finland, populated by Moomins (who look like little hippos which stand upright and are fluffy) and a host of other weird and wonderful creatures. The action is mainly centred around the family with Moominpappa, Moominmamma and Moomintroll the kid. They set a tone for the whole series as Tove infused them and their whole universe with experiences of her own family which seem to have been a very bohemian, artistic, tolerant and warm lot. This makes the books great reading for kids from an early age as they invoke a wonderful sense of fun and silliness as well as acceptance and openmindedness.

One thing I remember from reading these as a kid is that the plot didn't really matter. In some books, it's hard to say exactly what happens. Rather, it is the atmosphere that I found the most important. In this book, the Moomins have gone away leading the other characters to miss them. Combined with the autumn feel in Moominvalley, the book has a melancholy feel and focuses on the side characters and their strengths and insecurities.

A great series overall, filled with imagination, surrealism, fun and warmth.

Well, this piece of Moomin anthology is a more serious one. I read it first when I was 10 in my home Poland, and did not like it much. It is not so full of joy, energy and adventures as the "Summer" or "Valley". Since that time though, I have read it at least 10 more times, love it, and highly recommend to all maturer Moomin-lovers.
It is a bit melancholic, played not in a G-major notation, rather e-minor, maybe even with a flat... November mists, wet forests, grey seas, you will remember it forever!

"November" is both intensely passionate and cold: it focuses on the empty spaces of the Moominfamily, and those who wanted the Moomins to fill the emptiness of their own souls.

The Moominfamily represents happiness, everything that is good about childhood, summers, or functional families: generous, nonjudgmental, forgiving, carefree. Their absence inspires horrific nostalgia (especially if you have read the previous books)-- and indeed the author follows the emotions of the characters as they struggle with their own emotions, personalities, and less-than-perfect relationships with each other. It sounds grueling, but the souls of these characters are described absolutely empathically, touching the heart of the reader like dream music. The story is about greyness, but the experience of reading it was one of the most colourful, memorable and healing experiences of childhood.

The plot idea of people becoming free from their dependence on happiness is utter genius-- it shows great hope for humanity that we finally have somebody expressing this idea more succinctly than our ancient texts. It's also extremely comforting when we're dealing with our own grieving or nostalgia, or with the tough issues of gaining inner freedom.

Tove's treatment in "November" of the concepts of emotion, memory, longing, love, freedom, purpose, relationships, joy, and death are brilliant, haunting, tender... a nourishing story when we find ourselves at an Ending and our inner landscape surprises us with its breadth.