Despite owning a bookshelf filled with true ghost stories, this was my first encounter with Grave’s End by Elaine Mercado. It was a delightful surprise to read an honest, straightforward, clear-eyed account of living in a real haunted house. This book was a refreshing “palate cleanser” after the overcrowded, cloying mess from last week. The opening […]
haunted house
Review: The Amityville Horror – Curse or Con?
The first order of business before anyone can discuss this book like adults is to address the elephant in the room. (Or, in this case, the giant pig in the room.) This book was originally published in September of 1977 as “A True Story.” In case you haven’t heard, it most definitely is NOT a […]
Review: The Others – Sublime Supernatural Suspense
Now children, are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. “ The Others is one of those haunting movies people either love or hate. I’ve never met anyone who expressed a lukewarm opinion. I’m firmly in the LOVE camp. It’s one of my top 10 all-time favorite movies. I try to rewatch it every few years, usually […]
Review: Nightmare House
Nightmare House was a pleasant surprise. Pleasurable, one might even say charming, because it’s an old-fashioned gothic ghost story filled with many elements I know and love—family secrets, hidden rooms, eerie apparitions, and hints of occult influence—all delivered in a smooth, accessible narrative. Surprising because this is the first novel in The Haunted reading list […]
Review: Ghost Story – A Tale of Two Readings
The movie version of Ghost Story (1981) made a pleasantly chilling impact on my psyche when I was a pre-teen. I’m not sure of the exact year, but I discovered the movie via HBO on a heat-soaked summer evening during a sleepover with my best friend. We were looking for a scary movie, but not […]
Review: Hell House? Hell No
This feels like blasphemy. First, because I love Richard Matheson’s other work. Bid Time Return (and his screen adaptation, Somewhere In Time) will always hold a cherished place in my heart while What Dreams May Come is beloved in my household. Matheson’s Twilight Zone episodes are among my favorites, especially Night Call. After watching Will […]
Review: The Haunting of Hill House – A Fresh Look at an Old Friend
This is the haunted house story I thought I knew. Four strangers converge on a notorious and isolated estate in order to witness, investigate, and analyze purported supernatural phenomena. The house itself, built at odd angles and witness to generations of tragedy, is a brooding and enigmatic fifth character. Strange occurrences happen. Things go bump […]