Whether or not you believe in ghosts and hauntings, it cannot be denied that all things supernatural reign supreme during the month of October. When it comes to scary stories, I find that reading about disembodied spirits chills me to the bone. Yes, vampires want to suck your blood and zombies, well, some of them want to eat your brains — scary stuff, indeed. But the point is that we know what vampires and zombies are going to do, and it’s usually unpleasant. Apparitions, on the other hand, are nebulous in form (spooky), can be benign or malevolent (unpredictable), and, oh yeah, they come from dead people. Creepy-deepy.
For those who like a good ghost story, the library has plenty of eerie reads to discomfort all ages of ghost lovers. Please note that the list below is a sample of adult fiction and nonfiction titles related to phantasms and haunted places, so if you’re looking for stories to satisfy younger fans of ghostly reading, be sure to check out the library’s online catalog located at www.fvrl.org. By the way, did you know that Vancouver has its own haunted history? Be sure to check out Jeff Davis’ “Vancouver USA Ghosts” for a local per-specter-ive.
Happy hauntings!
• “Ghost Box: Voices from Spirits, ETs, Shadow People & Other Astral Beings,” by Chris Moon.
• “Ghostly: A Collection of Ghost Stories,” edited by Audrey Niffenegger.
• “Ghosts: A Haunted History,” by Lisa Morton.
• “Haunted America FAQ: All That’s Left to Know about the Most Haunted Houses, Cemeteries, Battlefields, and More,” by Dave Thompson.
