Halloween is often traced back to Celtic traditions, but the celebration is marked today by people from an array of faith backgrounds with costume parties, pumpkin carving, and trick-or-treating. This year, readers and Halloween revelers alike can get into the spooky spirit with seven new books publishing ahead of October 31. Check out a collection of ghost stories set in historical locations across the U.S., guides to witchcraft and magick, a minister’s rumination on the existence of angels, and more.
Haunted World War II: Soldier Spirits, Ghost Planes & Strange Synchronicities
Swayne, a journalist and research writer, explores places said to be haunted by the spirits of dead soldiers killed during World War II, including in Iwo Jima, Japan, Dieppe, France, and Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. The book also sheds light on stories of supernatural warfare; including magician Aleister Crowley’s supposed psychic campaign to capture a high-ranking Nazi official.
High Magick: A Guide to the Spiritual Practices That Saved My Life on Death Row
In this follow-up to his 2012 memoir Life After Death, Echols, who was wrongfully convicted of murder and imprisoned on Death Row for almost 20 years, delves further into his reliance on magick, which he defines as “the practice of reshaping reality through our intention and will.”
More Ghost Chronicles: Stories from the Realm of the Unknown, the Unexplained, and the Unbelievable
Wood, a psychic and medium, and Kolek, an environmental scientist, follow up on the original Ghost Chronicles book with investigations of paranormal activity in areas ranging from Portsmouth, N.H. to Gettysburg, Penn. and beyond.
The Ghost Photographer: A Hollywood Executive's True Story of Discovering the Real World of Make-Believe
Rieger, president, chief data strategist and head of media at 20th Century Fox, describes personal encounters with ghosts and her discovery of love as a “superpower” in this memoir on grief.
The Witchcraft Handbook: Unleash Your Magickal Powers to Create the Life You Want
Star, a journalist, provides an introduction to witchcraft that includes spells and other magick practices for love, security, protection, and self-empowerment that are geared toward the “modern witch,” according to the publisher.
This Season of Angels: Angelic Assignments During This Prophetic Season
Stone, an evangelical Christian minister, draws on scripture as well as personal experiences to argue that angels exist as messengers and protectors sent from God.
Trail of Terror: The Black Monk of Pontefract, Cripple Creek Jail, Firehouse Phantom, and Other True Hauntings
Estep, who co-founded Boulder County Paranormal Research Society (BCPRS), shares his detailed research on stories behind sinister locations in the U.S. as well as England, including Colorado’s Cripple Creek Jail and the Black Monk House of West Yorkshire.
