This Halloween, book-lovers can mark the occasion from home with six new titles slated to publish in October. Check out haunted places around the U.S., an illustrated history of witchcraft, a scholarly study of monsters, and more.
A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience
History professor and Salem expert Baker points to a range of factors that led to the Salem witch trials of the 1690’s, including a new charter and government, a frontier war, and religious and political conflicts. According to Baker, the trials marked the end of faith in the collective conscience and the beginning of skepticism toward moral governance.
A Season with the Witch: The Magic and Mayhem of Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts
In 2015, Ocker moved his family to the popular tourist destination of downtown Salem for the entire month of October to see firsthand where the witch trials took place over 400 years ago. In addition to visiting the town’s historical sites and macabre attractions, the Edgar Award-winning travel writer interviewed civic leaders, citizens, entrepreneurs, visitors, Wiccans, self-described psychics, and critics to create a detailed picture of area during Halloween, when it attracts over 250,000 people annually.
Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places
Dickey traveled the U.S., from abandoned homes in California to Indian burial grounds in West Virginia, in an effort to uncover American history buried in some of the most famous haunted places. He underlines both facts and farces about each location, connecting the ghost stories to lesser-known historical events and proving that our dark past is what really haunts many places.
America’s Most Haunted Hotels
Whitmer explores nine hotels known for being haunted, including Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana and Georgia’s Kehoe House. Along with the history of each hotel, the book features the legends, photos, and accounts of paranormal activity that goes with each.
The Occult, Witchcraft and Magic: An Illustrated History
Magic and occult practices have been around since beginning of time— from Paleolithic cave rituals, to the Bible, in modern-day Wiccan practices, as well as in nonspiritual performances that feature sleight of hand tricks. Dell profiles key figures and includes over 400 illustrations as he explores the best-known representations of magic and the occult from around the world, from ancient times to today.
Haunted: On Ghosts, Witches, Vampires, Zombies and Other Monsters of Supernatural Worlds
English literature professor Braudy draws on literary and historical research to chart 400 years of monsters, making a case that fear has been shaped into images of four types of beasts: monsters from nature (King Kong), the created monster (Frankenstein), the monster within (Mr. Hyde), and the monster from the past (Dracula). Braudy also looks at how scientific progress has influenced fears by examining cultural shifts from the Protestant Reformation to horror films.
