A Haunted History of Women, by Leanna Hieber and Andrea James

A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America's Ghosts by Leanna Renee Hieber 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, DNF.

Sigh. Another book that I thought would be interesting because I love ghost stories and history and a well told tale. Plus, spooky season is here, so yay!

But this book was anything but well told. It was dry, boring and highly judgemental. It felt like the driest of college course lectures on Women's Studies. Apparently the authors give ghost tours. Those must be just a ton of fun! Or not.

Did not finish.

Also absolutely stunned that Amazon has limited who can review this book to Verified Purchases "Amazon has noticed unusual reviewing activity on this product. Due to this activity, we have limited this product to verified purchase reviews." Apparently multiple poor reviews are unusual? So yeah, no Amazon review for this one.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Passport to the Paranormal, by Rich Newman

Passport to the Paranormal: Your Guide to Haunted Spots in America by Rich Newman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

This was a fast, fun read. I love reading about haunted places, and the history of a place. Why the place is supposed to be haunted is almost more interesting to me than the actual ghost story. Yes, I am a history nerd. It was interesting to read about what the author obviously considers the top haunted spots in each state.

The only thing I didn't like about the book was the description of the TV program the author was filming when he had some of his personal experiences. The idea of putting an unwitting person in a haunted location and filming them, without telling them, just doesn't sit well with me. Seems like typical shock TV and and makes me question the author's motives.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II, by Mari K. Elder

The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II by Mari K. Eder 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars, I enjoyed this book very much.

A very interesting history of some of the amazing but mostly unknown women who served their country in their own ways during WWII.

I'm a huge women's history fan, though I tend to stick with women of the old west. When I saw this title I thought I would branch out a bit, so to speak. And I am glad I did. These are some amazing women that no one has ever heard of, and we should know about them.

I found the writing to be well done and the stories interesting. I am glad they are finally being told.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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15 Minutes of Flame, by Christin Brecher

15 Minutes of Flame by Christin Brecher 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 3 in the series.

I somehow missed book 2, but that's okay, I was able to read this is a stand alone story.

This one was a Halloween story, so right up my avenue, since that's my favorite holiday. It was fittingly a bit creepy, but also a little kooky, with a touch of cheese, haha. My only concern is that Stella seems a bit harder in this book than she did in the first one. Did something big happen in book two that I missed? She was almost a b%$& at times.

I'd definitely like to see Stella go back the way she was in book 1. Also, my pet peeve with most cozies is that the main character rarely spends much time at their job, so I'd like to see more of Stella's candlemaking business.

That said, I loved the setting of Nantucket and island life, and I am looking forward to more.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided to me by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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The Trail of Terror, by Richard Estep

Trail of Terror: The Black Monk of Pontefract, Cripple Creek Jail, Firehouse Phantom, and Other True Hauntings by Richard Estep

My rating: 4 of 5 stars, I really liked it.

I'm fascinated with ghosts and things that go bump in the night. I know myself well enough to know that ghost hunting isn't for me, (The closest I've come is multiple visits to the Stanley Hotel, but never actually looking for ghosts.). Knowing that, I live a little vicariously through books and tv shows on the subject instead.

Richard Estep has a gift for story telling that almost makes the reader feel like they are on the investigation with him and his team, which frankly, is rare these days. Most recent books on the subject are either poorly written or dry as dust.

In this book, Estep tackles multiple locations in the U.S. and Great Britain. He doesn't skimp on details, each location gets its own chapter. I love the fact that he details his team's investigation in each spot, including the fact that a lot of the time, nothing happens. Each location was interesting, and I always love getting a bit of the history along with the ghost hunt.

I am looking forward to Richard's next book, whatever it may be.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Historically Dead, by Great Mckennan

Historically Dead by Greta Mckennan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 2 in the series.

I enjoyed this book more than the previous one. The characters are much more likeable here. The author combines history with modern day mystery, and some romance thrown in.

I'm still not a fan of Steve. I think he and Darla are kind of bland together. But the sisters, Ruth and Priscilla, more than made up for it. And the reappearance of Darla's thieving ex made things a bit more interesting as well.

This was an interesting and fun mystery and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

*I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*


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Ghosts of the Civil War, by Rich Newman

Ghosts of the Civil War: Exploring the Paranormal History of America's Deadliest War by Rich Newman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an interesting tour of haunted Civil War locations. It was well organized into categories based on the type of location (cemetery, battle, etc.). I liked that it covered some more unusual locations, rather than just the battle sites that most Civil War ghost books and shows cover.

My only minor complaint was that there was not a lot of detail about each site, since there were so many locations to cover. Other than that, it was an interesting read and it would be the perfect travel companion to bring along on a tour of Civil War locations.

*I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Spirits of the Cage. by Richard Estep and Vanessa Mitchell

Spirits of the Cage: True Accounts of Living in a Haunted Medieval Prison by Richard Estep

My rating: 4 of 5 stars, I really liked it.

I admit to being fascinated by ghosts. I watch all the shows, read all the books, etc. I always take everything with a dose of healthy skepticism, and just want to be entertained and a little spooked.

I have read all of Mr. Estep's books on the paranormal. He's a local guy, living along the Colorado Front Range like me, which adds to the draw. It was in fact, his book on local hauntings in Longmont, CO that first caught my attention.

I'd heard of The Cage and seen it appear in a few of the ghost shows and wondered about the woman who had tried to make it her home, but TV only has so much time, so details were few. When I saw this book available on NetGalley, I jumped at it so I could learn more about the site and the people involved.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book gives the owner's history and viewpoint as she explains how she came to own The Cage and her experiences there. Meanwhile, Mr. Estep gives the viewpoint of his paranormal team as they investigate The Cage for a week.

I got goosebumps reading of all their experiences and consider it a story well told by the authors as a result.

*I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Frontier Grit: The Unlikely True Stories of Daring Pioneer Women, by Marianne Monson

Frontier Grit: The Unlikely True Stories of Daring Pioneer Women by Marianne Monson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

I live in the West, so stories about life on the Frontier fascinate me, especially stories about the women who braved long, hard, travels. The women in this book were all new to me, and I enjoyed learning about them and in fact may see if I can find out even more about a few of them.

What I did NOT enjoy was the author chiming in at the end of each chapter and blathering at me about why each woman was important and what she felt I should take away with me. It totally read like a high school essay, with the student trying to explain to the teacher why their essay was so good it deserved an A. After the first one, I just skipped them and moved on.

The author's style is a bit dry and academic at times, rather than that of a true storyteller, but for the most part I learned a lot about these women and enjoyed reading about them.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from the publisher, via NetGalley.

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America's Most Haunted Hotels, by Jamie Davis Whitmer

America's Most Haunted Hotels: Checking in with Uninvited Guests by Jamie Davis Whitmer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

I love ghost stories, and I used to live in Estes Park, CO, home of the Stanley Hotel, which is widely known for its hauntings (and one of the hotels in this book). Because of that, when I found this book, I jumped at the chance to read it.

I do tend to be a wee bit skeptical about ghost hunters. Especially when they have something happen to them every place they go, but this book didn't disappoint. Jamie Davis Whitmer flat out tells her readers that hauntings aren't like a light switch, you can't turn them on when you want to. She admits it when nothing happens.

She can be a bit heavy on the "feelings" side, but not enough to make me do much more than roll my eyes. And I'm not a huge "flashlight as communication device" fan, since I've seen how easy it is to fake. For the most part, though, Jamie and her husband Bob are pretty straight forward.

One of the things I love about ghost stories is learning some of the history about the haunted location. The author gives a brief history of each hotel, especially as it relates to the alleged hauntings, separating what people can be verified through research and what is unsubstantiated tale.

I definitely recommend this book if you want a little something a little spooky with a bit of a history lesson, rather than something that will scare your pants off.

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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In Search of the Paranormal: The Hammer House Murder, Ghosts of the Clink, and Other Disturbing Investigations, by Richard Estep

In Search of the Paranormal: The Hammer House Murder, Ghosts of the Clink, and Other Disturbing Investigations by Richard Estep
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"When other kids my age were running around kicking a soccer ball, I was far more likely to be found curled up with a spine-tingling book about ghosts and haunted houses..." -Richard Estep, In Search of the Paranormal, Ch. 2.

This description could be me. Unlike the author, while I am still fascinated with the paranormal, ghosts and hauntings, especially, I don't particularly want to meet one! So when I saw this book was available on NetGalley, I requested it and was pleasantly surprised to be given a copy.

I totally enjoyed this book. It helps a little that Mr. Estep is "local," as in, he lives, works and investigates paranormal happenings here along the Colorado Front Range, so I was actually familiar with many of the places in this book. I'm always interested in reading about the history of the front range, and really all of the west. And I can relate to the expat Brit, since I've been married to one for nearly 25 years ;) Some of the English locations are places that I've been or at least heard of, as well.

All in all, I found the cases well recounted, with Mr. Estep being completely honest that in a lot of cases, they just don't get much of anything. There's no padding or embellishing the actual "ghost hunt" to make things more exciting. The investigations are as scientific as you can get when you're looking at something defined as "events or phenomena such as telekinesis or clairvoyance that are beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding." -Oxford Dictionaries, emphasis mine. When something does happen, an explanation is looked for, rather than automatically assigning something to paranormal activity.

For me, an amateur history buff, a lot of the appeal comes from the local history, tales and lore given about each location. If you're interested in ghost hunting or the paranormal, as well as a bit of history, pick up this book for yourself.

*I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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Gateway to Freedom, by Eric Foner

Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad by Eric Foner
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

What should have been a cool book about a subject that interested me was too full of New York and not enough of the Underground Railroad :( It also came off very dry and academic feeling. I get it's non-fiction and history, but there's absolutely no reason it needs to be so dry.

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