The Satisfaction of a List

It’s Media Monday here on WeWoHa and so I thought I would share some media finds in the form of a list. I’m using the prompts over at The Daily Post to help inspire the posts here and “The Satisfaction of a List” jumped out at me. It’s sort of low-key and no pressure. On a Monday, no pressure is the best kind of pressure. So here goes.

A list. Easy enough, but how to relate it to our purpose here? How about a list of books I’m working my way through?

Here goes:

1. Haunted Connecticut: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Constitution State by Cheri Revai

I’ve had this one sitting in my bookshelf for a while and have just recently started to flip through its pages. The book takes common lore throughout Connecticut and breaks up the stories based on region. It’s a mixture of myths and legends, UFO sightings, and ghostly haunts. The stories are short and sweet and to the point, just the way I like ‘em. It makes it nice to just flip through and find a tale. No need to read from cover to cover, it’s a go as you please kind of style that I can dig. Recommended for you Nutmeggers out there.

2. Weird New England by Joseph A. Citro

So this is a part of the Weird U.S. phenomenon created by Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman. I had that big book o’ weird but have since misplaced it. Perhaps I lent it to someone and now it’s gone forever. That’s ok though, because my current focus is on New England and lo and behold we have an equally weird book to guide us through the…well…weirdness. Again, it’s a go-as-you-please type of style that I find so appealing. This one just has more pictures and is for a much larger region. I also like that they give a little credit to the people that took time to submit their local history to the author. It lets me know that someone who grew up with the phenomenon right in their backyard is giving the best dirt available to dish.

3. Old Ghosts of New England by C. J. Fusco

This is a recent addition to my collection and one, I have to admit, I haven’t much read yet. It seems to have a collection of haunted sites throughout the region. What I really like though, is that not only does it give the site and the history behind it, but it also tells you exactly how to find the place it just described. I mean, it gives you literal directions. It also gives you contact information in case you want to know more. Very helpful and I look forward to using this resource as I check out various sites over the summer.

4. Legends, Lore and Secrets of New England by Thomas D’Agotino and Arlene Nicholson

I had the pleasure of meeting the authors at Terror-Con (or it might’ve been Comic-Con) in Rhode Island last year. They were both a pleasure to speak with (if briefly) and had a collection of books. This wasn’t one of ‘em. I did get a different one though and will maybe talk about that another day. Legends and Lore is a bit more in depth than the books I’ve mentioned already on this list. So while you can pick or choose, the 10 minute read will likely be more like 15-20 depending on your pace. The details add depth, and in some cases, a real sense of tangible reality, to the legends that create intrigue for each site described.

5. Connecticut Curiosities by Susan Campbell and Bill Heald, Revised and updated by Ray Benedict

Another book that I only just recently purchased. This is isn’t just the haunted sites or your paranormal excursion. This is everything from bookstores to burgers with burnt cheese and from carousel museums to dinosaurs. It’s the wonderful side of WeWoHa and all the curious sites you’ll find all throughout the state. I appreciate the fact that nearly every town/region is represented, including my home town. (We have a trolley museum) So if you’re looking for sites of the non-haunted variety, this is the book for you. And just like in “Old Ghosts…” they give directions and contact information to help you plan your trip.

Well I hope this format worked for ya and that you got a little bit more information than you had before you came. I look forward to using more of the Daily Prompts because I feel like it will create a little bit of variety to the posts. Keep being Weird and Wonderful! And maybe even haunted?

-Red