Book picks similar to
Big Book of Illinois Ghost Stories by Troy Taylor


nonfiction
short-stories-collection
history-illinois-chicago
bought-but-haven-t-read-yet

Beyond The Fray: Paramalgamation


Shannon LeGro - 2020
    Michael Hopf; comes a collection of unexplained, nearly impossible to classify encounters with the strange, terrifying, and life-changing. Run-ins with goblins, creatures, and human-looking copies that don’t fit into a neat little box like Bigfoot or ghosts. This is a collection of some of the strangest and scariest stories ever told by the people who experienced them. Sit back, relax and we suggest you keep a light on.

In Stone


Kristel Smart - 2013
    There was nothing to distinguish it from any other quaint, older home nestled within the rural Vermont landscape. For Liz, Charlie, Donna and Willa it was a dream come true; exactly what they needed. Each of them had escaped hardship longing for the comforts of loved ones, hearth and home. The spacious house, the location and the timing all seemed so perfect. But none of them could imagine the horrors that awaited them as the house revealed its secrets.

The Haunting of Edward House


Amy Cross - 2021
    

Supposedly Haunted: True Life Experiences of a Paranormal Investigator


E.E. Bensen - 2016
    He discusses what brought him into the paranormal research field, describes real life supernatural events witnessed firsthand during his numerous investigations, and also provides an opinion of what all of it might be. Experiencing paranormal phenomena has a way of changing one's perspective. Locations include Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Preston Castle, The Washoe Club, The Stanley Hotel, Old Tooele Hospital (Asylum 49), Farrar Elementary School, and more!

Echoes of a Haunting: A House in the Country


Clara M. Miller - 1999
    Do not expect the "usual" tale filled with blood running down the walls, demons jumping out of closets, heads pivoting while spewing pea soup or seances with levitating mediums. Instead, the horror that lived in the House in the Country began slowly and quietly. It gradually built in intensity until living there became unbearable.The author's family, normal by any criteria, began to earn an unfair reputation as "devil worshipers" and "kooks". Despite efforts by various psychics and clergymen to ease the pressure, the house eventually won. When emotional and psychic shocks turned to physical threats, it became impossible to stay. The book attempts, in diary form, to trace the trajectory of the "haunting".

Haunted Ohio V: 200 Years of Ghosts (Buckeye Haunts)


Chris Woodyard - 2003
    You ll meet the ghosts of the Indian martyrs of Gnadenhutten, a spectral soldier from the siege of Ft. Meigs, the phantom Phoebe, keeping an eye on the canal boats at Roscoe Village, the African American ghosts of Prospect Place, a stop on the Underground Railroad, and many other tales that reflect the history as well as the ghostly lore of the Buckeye State. You'll also meet a real-life Hatchet Man, possibly Ohio s first serial killer, the sad ghost of a wife slaughtered by her husband at what is now a Victorian tea room, and the spirit of a mad murderess in a remote farmhouse. Stories from the following counties:Adams, Ashtabula, Athens, Belmont, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Coshocton, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Darke, Erie, Fairfield, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Guernsey, Hamilton, Hardin, Henry, Highland, Jefferosn, Lake, Lawrence, Logan, Lorain, Lucas, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Morgan, Muskingum, Paulding, Pickaway, Pike, Portage, Putnam, Richland, Ross, Shelby, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas, Union, Van Wert, Warren, Wood

Ouija Board Nightmares: Terrifying True Tales


John Harker - 2015
    Most of the time, those who dabble with the Ouija experience nothing out of the ordinary. But many times that's not the case. And many times that extraordinary experience isn't just strange but downright awful. Ouija Board Nightmares takes a look at some of those terrifying experiences, which range from nightmarish manifestations to actual physical assaults. The author’s intention is to inform and engage, but primarily to warn. While the Ouija board may be marketed as a harmless game, it is indeed neither. If the accounts in this book don't convince you of that, then nothing will.

The Rochdale Poltergeist: A True Story


Jenny Ashford - 2015
    Until I did. And then I was thinking, ‘Oh God, do I really want to continue with this?’” - Steve Mera BSc., Director of the Scientific Establishment of Parapsychology Steve Mera had been investigating paranormal phenomena for many years, and had never seen anything that shook him to his very foundations. All that changed in 1996, when he was called in with his team to look into the bizarre occurrences taking place at a small bungalow in Rochdale, Manchester, England. Flying objects, disembodied voices, phantom smells and sounds, and strangest of all, copious falls of water seemingly coming from nowhere plagued the Gardner family for nearly a year. What Steve experienced during the investigation was enough to make him question his entire career path, and remains one of only a handful of cases that he is completely unable to rationally explain. This account, written by horror author Jenny Ashford from interviews conducted with Steve about the case, is a bone-chilling foray into the paranormal that will make even the most ardent skeptic sleep with the lights on.

The Devil’s Coming To Get Me: The Haunting of Malvern Manor


Richard Estep - 2018
    In the late 1800s it was a hotel catering to travelers and businessmen; then it was converted into a rest home for the sick and infirm; and finally, it became a privately-owned care facility, providing a home for the physically and mentally challenged of six counties. It was often the last refuge for those suffering from alcoholism, drug addiction, and severe behavioral disorders. Long after the building closed its doors for the final time, many people claim that some of those residents never left. Now a magnet for paranormal investigators, it is said that the abandoned rooms and hallways of Malvern Manor are haunted by the restless spirits of those who once called it home. Does the spirit of a young hanging victim still linger upstairs, calling out for somebody to play with her? How can Rose, the haunted doll, move around inside her glass case without human intervention? Who is the aggressive shadow man that likes to attack visitors in the nursing wing? And what is the truth behind the malevolent entity that lurks on the second floor? Join author Richard Estep (TV’s “Haunted Case Files”) as he and his fellow paranormal investigators take up residence at Malvern Manor and embark on a search for answers.

Four Months of Terror: The True Story of a Family's Haunting (True Hauntings Book 1)


Rebecca Patrick-Howard - 2014
    Their excitement of living in a piece of history fades, however, as they slowly became convinced of something malevolent in the walls of their rental property. From the ghostly footsteps at night to the splatters of blood they woke to on their sheets each morning, it was evident that they weren't in the house alone... Although they only lived in the house for four months, for a child it was a time of chilling terror that she would never forget. In this short tale, Rebecca calls upon her child's memory to recollect the experiences of her time in the haunted house that still trouble her today. **One of the top true ghost stories and hauntings in the Occult and Ghosts & Haunted Houses categories, FOUR MONTHS OF TERROR was updated in 2015 to include new anecdotal evidence of the house, as communicated by another former resident.

The House


P.M. Prior - 2016
    Their home. Her sanctuary. When Prue Bridgewater first glimpses the abandoned old house, it's love at first sight. Her husband Ray is not so sure. The property has been neglected for decades, and Ray can’t help wondering why. But with Prue on the brink of a nervous breakdown, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her sane, even if it means he has to live there. Once ensconced in their new home, Prue begins fixing up the place while Ray is away at work. But after a series of disturbing discoveries, she fears she's losing her mind. She hears things and sees people who couldn’t possibly be there, and she can’t shake the feeling she’s being watched. As Prue’s hold on reality begins to disintegrate, along with her marriage, she struggles to tell truth from delusion. But things go from bad to worse, and soon not just her sanity, but her survival hinges upon the long-buried secrets of THE HOUSE. This is a novella of approximately 27,287 words

True Stories of the Paranormal: The Complete Collection


Cindy Parmiter - 2017
    Also included are stories of ghost animals, haunted houses, vengeful spirits, guardian angels and much, much more. Many of the stories you are about to read will warm your heart, while others will leave you in a cold sweat. Sit back and relax. Make sure you are locked in safe and sound as you settle in for a scary read. Oh, and if you hear a strange noise in the hallway, don't worry, it's probably just the house settling. Well, maybe not.

Haunted By The Things You Love


John Zaffis - 2014
    They are shocked when the haunted objects create a paranormal nightmare. For decades, John Zaffis, star of Haunted Collector on SyFy, has helped victims of terrifying spirit invasions that began with dolls, toys, clothing, games, art, antiques, furniture, jewelry, and musical instruments. His Museum of the Paranormal houses the strangest collection of haunted items on the planet. In these pages, John Zaffis and Rosemary Ellen Guiley, the two biggest names in paranormal expertise, examine John’s most frightening cases of haunted objects. These stories will make you think twice about every single item you own.

Haunted Charleston: Stories from the College of Charleston, The Citadel and the Holy City (Haunted America)


Ed Macy - 2004
    Combing through the oft-forgotten enclaves of the Holy City, Macy and Buxton bring readers face to face with a group of orphans who haunt a College of Charleston dorm, a Citadel cadet who haunts a local hotel and the specter of William Drayton at Drayton Hall Plantation, to name just a few. Based on historic events and specific details that are often lost in most ghost stories, this collection of haunting tales sparks curiosity about what figure might still be lurking in the alleyways of Charleston's storied streets.

Real Ghost And Paranormal Stories From India


Shalu Sharma - 2014