In this monthly segment, I will provide a list of books I think anyone interested in folklore, ghost stories, the unusual & the paranormal would enjoy. Most of these can be found on Amazon.com (often at discounted rates) or at your local library. Each list of books will be arranged by topic and will be accompanied by a short description highlighting some themes and commonalities. Enjoy!
- Bielski, Ursula. Chicago Haunts: Ghostlore of the Windy City. Thunder Bay Press, 2009 (reprint).
- Brooks, Rachel. Chicago Ghosts. Schiffer Publishing, 2007.
- Crowe, Richard T. Chicago Street Guide to the Supernatural. Carolando Press, 2000.
- Facchini, Rocco and Daniel Facchini. Muldoon, a True Chicago Ghost Story. Lake Claremont Press, 2003.
- Kaczmarek, Dale. Windy City Ghosts. Ghost Research Society, 2006.
- Marcus, Scott. Voices from the Chicago Grave. Thunder Bay Press, 2008.
With several dozen documented hauntings, including one of the most (in)famous in the world, Chicago has to be in the running for the most haunted city in the United States. Ursula Bielski was certainly not the first to write about these stories, but she touched off a flurry of books about the city’s ghostlore. For many years, most of the literature that came out about the subject were retreads of what she had already written. Richard Crowe and Dale Kaczmarek are notable exceptions. Crowe was the original haunted Chicago tour guide, and Kaczmarek was the original Chicago ghost hunter, so the two have been able to collect stories that were not previously well known. Anyone who wants to start exploring the paranormal in Chicago needs to start with these books. There is no substitution for being well informed.
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Interested in the ghostly legends and lore of Illinois? Check out Michael Kleen’s book Paranormal Illinois. Paranormal Illinois presents in-depth and original research on some of Illinois’ most unusual tales, including the phantom lady of Kennedy Hill Road, the headless horseman of Lakey’s Creek, and the ghost of Ange Milner. Chapters on Archer Avenue, Manteno State Hospital, Ashmore Estates, Airtight Bridge, Devil’s Gate, and other infamous places present information and interviews never before seen in print. Fun, informative, and greatly entertaining, this painstakingly researched book leaves no ghost unturned.
