This time of year we’re steeped in the myth and magic of All Hallow’s Eve, but where did this holiday and all its traditions come from? And what about Halloween’s scary cast of characters: vampires, werewolves, ghosts, zombies and witches? Are there really any such things? These Kindle books should give you all the information you need to make up your own mind.
The Book of Hallowe’en (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at 99 cents) – From Amazon:
Originally published in 1919, THE BOOK OF HALLOWE’EN is considered to be a classic text regarding the exploration into the history of the much hallowed holiday known as Hallowe’en.
One of today’s most celebrated holidays is explored in its entirety throughout the pages of this classic book. From the sources of Hallowe’en to the more hallowtide belief and customs to Hallowe’en in America, THE BOOK OF HALLOWE’EN leaves no stone unturned in exploring the rich history of this wonderful holiday.
Adding to this wonderful book, we’ve also included a small section at the end with features a collection of vintage Halloween postcards. Please note that these post cards are in color which is not supported by the [monochrome] Kindle reader at this time. However, the book itself is an excellent read!
The Dead Travel Fast: Stalking Vampires from Nosferatu to Count Chocula (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $9.99) – From Amazon:
The undead are everywhere. They’re not just in movies and books, but in commercials, fetish clubs, and even in your breakfast cereal. Bloodsuckers have become some of the most recognizable bad guys in the modern world, and Eric Nuzum wanted to find out why. He was willing to do whatever it took —even drinking his own blood—in his quest to understand the vampire phenomenon. And he found the answer in Goth clubs, darkened parks, haunted houses, and . . . chain restaurants.
In The Dead Travel Fast, Nuzum delivers a far-reaching look at vampires in pop culture from Bram to Bela to Buffy, and at what vampires and vampirism have come to mean to us today. And the blood? Let’s just say it doesn’t go with eggs.
On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $9.94) – From Amazon:
Hailed as “a feast” (Washington Post) and “a modern-day bestiary” (The New Yorker), Stephen Asma’s On Monsters is a wide-ranging cultural and conceptual history of monsters–how they have evolved over time, what functions they have served for us, and what shapes they are likely to take in the future. Beginning at the time of Alexander the Great, the monsters come fast and furious–Behemoth and Leviathan, Gog and Magog, Satan and his demons, Grendel and Frankenstein, circus freaks and headless children, right up to the serial killers and terrorists of today and the post-human cyborgs of tomorrow. Monsters embody our deepest anxieties and vulnerabilities, Asma argues, but they also symbolize the mysterious and incoherent territory beyond the safe enclosures of rational thought. Exploring sources as diverse as philosophical treatises, scientific notebooks, and novels, Asma unravels traditional monster stories for the clues they offer about the inner logic of an era’s fears and fascinations. In doing so, he illuminates the many ways monsters have become repositories for those human qualities that must be repudiated, externalized, and defeated.
Haunted Savannah: The Official Guidebook to Haunted History Tour (4/5 stars, currently priced at $9.99) – From Amazon:
Savannah has been named the “Most Haunted City” by investigators from the Travel, History and Discovery channels. Her history is filled with plagues, wars, duels, and murders …no wonder every site in Savannah has a haunted past!
For over one year author James Caskey pored over the files at Georgia Historical Society researching the history of over 45 Savannah locations. The result is a collection of strange but rich historical accounts, which form the foundation for stories of actual experiences and sightings in these haunted houses and sites.
Haunted Savannah, not your typical collection of true ghost stories, brings you chilling tales, as experienced and told by witnesses, and -the print version- contains authentic ghost photos documenting the existence of energy from another dimension.
The most trusted ghost guide in print. Tens of thousands of copies sold. Now in its eight edition, also in ebook format!Haunted Savannah, is the most up to date book on the subject of haunted history and true ghost stories on sale today!
And for a more tongue-in-cheek take…
How To Survive A Horror Movie (4/5 stars, currently priced at $8.97) – From Amazon:
Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.
From ghosts, vampires, and zombies to serial killers, cannibalistic hillbillies, and haunted Japanese videocassettes, How to Survive a Horror Movie shows how to defeat every obstacle found in scary films. Readers will discover:
• How to Perform an Exorcism
• What to Do If You Did Something Last Summer
• How to Persuade the Skeptical Local Sheriff
• How to Vanquish a Murderous Doll
• How to Survive an Alien Invasion
• How to Tell If You’ve Been Dead Since the Beginning of the Movie
and much, much more. Complete with useful instructions, insane illustrations, and a list of 100 important films to study, How to Survive a Horror Movie is essential reading for prom queens, jocks, teenage babysitters, and anyone employed by a summer camp.