The Wonderful World of the Weird by Janie DeVos

                                                     

     Recently, one of our WordWranglers suggested that as part of a new feature to our blog site that we do regular book reviews.  We all jumped on board.  Undoubtedly, a plethora of wonderful romance novels, cozy mysteries, and even an interesting biography or two might be offered up as suggested future reading, however, most of those suggestions will not be coming from me.  So…here it comes, folks, a full and honest disclosure: Although I am a historical fiction writer, with a good dose of romance thrown in, what I curl up with after tucking myself in bed at night is a super-duper dose of true tales of paranormal horror, and the wonderfully weird world of the unexplained.  

I’ve read plenty of Dean Koontz and Stephen King, mind you, beginning with King’s Salem’s Lot, (which caused me to sleep with the lights on when I was working for a radio station and living alone in Vero Beach, FL in my 20’s), but non-fiction horror stories of those things that seem to cross over from, well, another realm or dimension, dare I say, such as ghosts, cryptids, UFOs, etc. get my undivided attention. Without a doubt, I love the unexplained, and the more bizarre, the better.  Simply put, I want to know what’s out there, why it’s there, and what it wants.  

To my way of thinking, (which, I’ll admit, may seem to be a bit off to some, but, hey, I’m a writer and allowed to be eccentric.  As a matter of fact, it’s almost required), there’s nothing better than to dive into a book on Bigfoot while a storm rages outside, and unexplained creaking noises are heard within the locked doors of my house.  Oh, how I love the thrills and the chills!  Oddly enough, the thing that scares me more than werewolves and praying mantis-looking aliens are the maniacal crazies in movies like “Halloween”, or “Scream”.  Axe-wielding, chainsaw-toting human beings are the ones I can’t read about or watch, so horrific true crime books are never on my nightstand and you’ll never find me tuned in as some poor babysitter receives her umpteenth call from some escaped lunatic who finally informs her he’s calling from inside the house!  As her terrified eyeballs roll upwards at the sound of dreaded footsteps coming for her, I pull my Snoopy blanket up to my chin, quickly grab the TV remote and turn on QVC, or a repeat of "The Golden Girls", leaving the babysitter’s fate unknown.  

Speaking of Halloween (not the movie but the so-called holiday), it’s just around the corner, so for those of you who share the thrill of the unknown, or perhaps just occasionally, like during that ghosts and goblins time of year, here are a few fun reads for you. 

Passing Strange, by Joseph Citro.  This is a compilation of true stories of some of the weirdest goings-on in none other than creepy New England, which, to my mind, is the rightful birthplace for all things weird.  (Can you say, “Salem witch trials"?)  Citro's book covers everything from exhuming the body of a supposed vampire to a grim reaper peering in the window at terrified children during a sleepover.  Ahhh, good stuff, that.  His writing is crisp and, at times, a bit tongue-in-cheek, which breaks up the tension in even the darkest tales, like a much-needed sigh after holding one's breath. 

Also, anything by Nick Redfern, who has written a variety of books spanning the spectrum from monsters to aliens.  His research is excellent, his arguments are persuasive, and his eyewitnesses are credible, which makes some of his most over-the-top stories hard to deny.  

If you’re into unexplained disappearances then pick up David Paulides’ Missing 411 books.  In them, Paulides covers “cluster areas” which have seen an overabundance of bizarre disappearances.  I didn’t find all of the stories so “unexplained”, after all, people sometimes choose to “go missing”, or get lost in vast wildernesses where trying to find them is like trying to find a needle in a haystack, but most of the disappearances he covers are pretty darn weird, making you want to take fifteen people with you wherever you go…tethered together, carrying a cell phone, walkie-talkie and flair gun.  You know, just in case.  

Whether all of these stories are as true as they claim to be, one thing’s for sure; they’re really entertaining and will keep you up long after your bedtime…with an extra light or two burning brightly…and a crucifix tucked safely under your pillow.  You know, just in case.

 Happy horror reading, everyone!