In the last month or so I’ve been busy jotting down titles of books that people have recommended. I’ve got several books already on my “to read” shelf, but these are the latest books to arrive on my doorstep. I haven’t been able to read as heavily as I would prefer lately, so trying to figure out the next few books to read will be a tough decision! Have you read any of these? Do you have other recommendations?
This is what I’m currently reading. I very much enjoy Michelle’s books. She’s smart and informed on many topics. I think this is kind of her follow-up book to herThe Ghost Hunter’s Survival Guide, which I’ve recommended to many people, including a few homeowners who have contact me for help or advice. If you have a chance to listen to one of her interviews on aJim Haroldpodcast, you should. I could listen to Michelle Belanger all day!
.
When I went to see Chip Coffey this fall in St. Louis, I sat by a lovely woman who asked the exact same question that I wanted to ask. There were a few other interesting synchronicities between us that evening as well. Her question was if Chip recommended any books for people who were interested in learning about and developing their intuitive or psychic abilities. Without hesitating, he mentioned a few books by Echo Bodine, and after she wrote the information down, I promptly stole her pen and did the same. I’m pretty sure this was one of the books he mentioned.
This book was recommended by someone in the blog world. I will probably wait until next fall to read this one.
.
I’ve been interested in the early spiritualism movement for a while now, but this will be my first book that specifically covers the spiritualist community of Lily Dale.
.
I honestly don’t remember what led me to this purchase, but there aren’t many books on the topic of the Ouija, so I ordered it. The only other book on the topic that I’ve read to date isOuija Gone Wildby Rosemary Ellen Guiley.
.
After seeing and reviewingThe Conjuring, and after reading the first two books ofAndrea Perron’s trilogythat tells the real life story, I wanted to see what some of the other “Warren files” were about.
.
This one will be another treat for next fall, but I’m excited already.
.
You might also like:
Vintage: A Ghost Story (for the gay teen in your life) (Big Séance)
Messenger Between Worlds: True Stories from a Psychic Medium (Big Séance)
Haunted Summer Reading Part One (Big Séance)
Remote Viewing and an Unstructured Trip through my Mind (Big Séance)
Before my review below, an honest discussion about Andrea’s trilogy and The Conjuring movie.
Since the first part of July of this year, a lot of my blogs and reading have had to do with either the House of Darkness House of Light trilogy by Andrea Perron orThe Conjuringmovie. Even though the movie is based on the investigation case files of Ed and Lorraine Warren, Andrea, the eldest real life Perron daughter, tells the story of the very real events in her books. Though I have not seen or read the actual case files, after reading Andrea’s first two volumes, I’m fairly confident in saying the movie is VERY loosely based on the events from that farmhouse outside of Harrisville, Rhode Island during the 1970s. I didn’t have knowledge of just how loosely it was based when I wrote the review of the movie. At the time, I was very excited about researching the back story and seeing an advanced screening of the film. I’d read that Lorraine Warren was pleased with the final product (she also makes a very brief appearance that many people, including myself, missed). Also, in aYouTube videoAndrea reviews the film and states “I expected something entirely different. I expected Hollywood to do what Hollywood does, and yet in some ways this is a very quiet and studious film. You would never know that from the trailers, but that’s their job… to entice an audience. It’s also about the love of a family. It’s also about people who came to help, who felt that this was the most significant and compelling, and dark and disturbing story that they had ever heard in the course of a fifty year career.” She also mentioned that the film “truly captured what we endured.”
I really did love The Conjuring and I think it’s truly a new classic, but after reading volume one and two, they don’t seem to be connected. You know how it is when you get sucked into reading a novel AFTER you watched the movie it inspired? Do you allow yourself to visualize the setting and the actors in the situations you saw in the film? I usually try to shake the temptation, because as soon as I allow myself to watch the movie in my head while reading, something ends up being slightly or majorly different. Once that happens I’m hopelessly confused till the very last page. Well… let’s just say I didn’t have this problem with House of Darkness House of Light.
Volume Two (Warning: a few spoilers below)
At around 500 pages each, volume one and two aren’t for light and quick reading. Volume one had my intense attention for most of the book. I really enjoyed how detailed Andrea was. I don’t think there’s any chance of her leaving out any of the details. After a blogger and Big Séance reader commented onmy review of volume one, mentioning how the book jumps back and forth in time, making it very confusing, I had to agree. Though it didn’t bother me as much in the first book, I frequently got lost in the timeline of the story in volume two. Not only that, but you have to try to keep track of the five siblings, the order of their ages, and how old they are at that particular moment. Was this chapter before or after a particular event I just read about? Had the Warrens been there yet? In my opinion, even though I think Andrea is a fantastic writer, and I very much enjoyed the books, the back and forth in time thing is the biggest flaw in these two volumes. With that being said, perhaps an explanation for this style has to do with these events lasting a whole decade. It may have been impossible to get points and information across in a simple chronological style. The reader might also want to be aware that Andrea writes in a very flowery and poetic style, which might not be something everyone resonates with.
By the time I got midway through volume two, it had my serious attention, just as volume one had. It was the moment the Warren’s arrived on the scene (their involvement is only hinted at in volume one). They made several appearances in the book, but the infamous séance chapter, which I can only assume was the direct inspiration for the exorcism portion of the film, was so very powerful. Dramatic and intense, after being carried away with real life and reading short chunks at a time for a week or two, it brought my focus back to the book. This was the height of the supposed “oppression” (making its way to “possession”) of Carolyn Perron (the mother). Before the séance was over, Roger Perron (the father), who incidentally is painted horribly in the books, ended it all and threw all non-family members out of the house.
Speaking of being painted horribly, what I didn’t know and was surprised to find out, was that the Warrens aren’t portrayed at all to be the saviors that they are in the movie. In fact, the family seems to end their relationship with the Warrens on bad terms. For the most part, they’re blamed for making everything worse. Prior to their first visit, Carolyn took quite a few notes on her early haunting experiences at the house. She did lots of research on the history of the farmhouse and the residents that appear to be haunting them. Apparently the Warrens either lost these documents or just never returned them. Possibly the biggest strike against them was the fact that they apparently broke their confidentiality agreement with the Perrons, discussing details of the fascinating haunted Harrisville farmhouse in the talks they gave around the country. For a while the Perron family’s privacy was continually violated by curious travelers dropping by to catch some kind of paranormal activity first hand. Ironically, the popularity of the movie caused the same thing to happen for the current residents. I sincerely hope that problem is old news by now.
In the remainder of volume two there are some very heartfelt moments, some incredible stories involving the sisters, and a big life-changing realization by Carolyn. The paranormal activity (which isn’t always negative) apparently got milder as the family learned to give respect and practice “live and let ‘live'”. In the end, Roger and Carolyn split up, though it’s unclear to me whether this happened before or after they move out of the farmhouse for Georgia, leaving a decade of haunting experiences behind. I’m only guessing this will be cleared up in the last volume.
Volume three has not been released yet, but I imagine you’ll hear from me at some point after it arrives and after my bookmark has the chance to make its way through the pages.
My previous House of Darkness House of Light posts (most recent first):
The Conjuring, a film that hasnow grossed over 125 million dollars, has been ranked by Box Office Mojo as #6 for top grossing horror films of all time. Last month I had the opportunity to see an advanced screening of the film and was researching the story to write my review. In my research, I quickly became fascinated with learning about the very real family behind the true story. This led me to Volume One of Andrea Perron’s trilogy, House of Darkness House of Light: The True Story.
The author, who is the eldest Perron daughter, writes in a beautiful style that leaves no detail behind. After all, volume one alone is 504 pages. As I’ve mentioned before, she puts you in that house with the characters. Roger and Carolyn Perron, along with their five daughters, moved to the infamous farmhouse (built in 1736) in Harrisville, Rhode Island in 1971. They remained there for nearly ten years. For decades, the world knew very little about the incredible events that happened in that farmhouse. What little we knew was probably due to the fact that the famous Ed and Lorraine Warren, pioneers in the field of paranormal investigation, came to the aid of the family and documented their experiences. This was all before the famous Amityville case that involved the Warrens as well.
Forty years later, the family’s story is finally told.
The book begins with the Perron family in their former suburban home, before they even knew the farmhouse existed. But fate seems to take over and leads them there, like it or not. They experienced paranormal activity in the farmhouse from day one, and even though it is hard for the reader to believe, the family’s acceptance of their reality – the fact that they share their home with others – is a slow and gradual process.
As a reader, I felt I had the opportunity to get to know each of the seven members of the Perron family. Mrs. Perron (Carolyn) seems to have experienced the worst of the activity, having been directly attacked by a jealous ghost named Bathsheba, the nastiest and most complicated spirit (with quite a history) in the farmhouse. Mr. Perron (Roger), a hard worker who spent much of the time traveling to provide for his family, for the majority of the book is in complete denial about the activity in the house. This causes a lot of friction in the family, and it frustrated me to no end. One of my favorite moments involved an incredibly brave and blunt Nancy, the second daughter, who finally had enough and told her father what was what. Everyone else knew and accepted it. It was time for him to wake up. That seemed to be the beginning of his awakening, and also the moment that I tried to silently cheer in the middle of the night while the rest of the world was asleep. Roger Perron’s family was indeed learning to survive in an incredibly haunted house.
Another character that I felt like I got to know and related to was Cindy, the 4th daughter in line. Growing up in the house, she experienced hundreds of visits from the spirit of a little girl. She was always crying for her mother. As she grew older, the little girl didn’t. Cindy cared for her, giving her space whenever she came around, and even letting her play with her toys.
We occasionally get bounced around in time when it is necessary, and the Warrens never make an official appearance, but I have no doubt that by the third volume (not yet released) we’ll know it all.
Author, Andrea Perron
It is important to note that Andrea Perron began writing the trilogy in 2007 and this volume was released in 2011, well before the movie. It also must be noted that the movie is based on the case files of Ed and Lorraine Warren and not Andrea’s books.
Earlier this month, while researching for areview I was writing before seeing an advanced screening of the new and exciting film, The Conjuring, I learned of the very real family behind the true story. The Perron family moved to the infamous farmhouse (built in 1736) in Harrisville, Rhode Island in 1971. It didn’t take long to find a wealth of information online about Andrea Perron, the eldest of the five Perron daughters. For decades, the world knew very little about the incredible events that happened in that farmhouse. What little we knew was probably due to the fact that the famous Ed and Lorraine Warren, pioneers in the field of paranormal investigation, came to the aid of the family and documented their experiences. This was all before the famous Amityville case that involved the Warrens as well. In 2007 Andrea Perron began writing what is now a trilogy and titledHouse of Darkness House of Light. The movie is based on the Warrens’ case files, but I can only assume that if we’re looking for an accurate account of the events that happened during the span of a decade, this is where we’re going to find it.
Author, Andrea Perron
I have to tell you, each of the first two volumes, released in 2011 and 2013 (the third volume hasn’t been released yet), are quite intimidating, as they are around 500 pages each. But you quickly find that it’s because Andrea’s beautiful style of writing leaves no detail behind. She puts you in that house with the characters.
This is not a review. In fact, I’m only 66 pages into the first book. One thing is for sure, though… I’m sucked in already, and I foresee several blog posts about these books in our future.
To be continued…
I know several of you have already been reading the books. What are your thoughts? No spoilers, please.
I’m not exactly sure why I find books by mediums so fascinating. Actually, that’s not true. I admire mediums… and as someone who is obsessed with learning about spirit communication and the afterlife, I’m envious of their ability to reach out to the Other Side, often helping souls, both living and deceased, at the same time. Sometimes when I read a string of books that are so serious or about paranormal research or something heavy, I just end up needing to put whatever I’m reading down. I end up breaking my rule, which is to never start a new book when there’s one that still needs to be finished. And it’s like a breath of fresh air. Messenger Between Worlds: True Stories from a Psychic Medium by Kristy Robinettwas my most recent breath of fresh air.
About five months ago I discussed Kristy Robinett here on the blog after hearing her interview on a podcast. I found that just listening to her was a comforting experience. She is so very genuine, she has a beautiful personality, and she has some fascinating stories. Her book was teased in the interview at that time, but I had to wait months since it was released only a few weeks ago. It was well worth the wait.
From the back of the book:
At the age of three, Kristy Robinett predicted her grandmother’s death. When she was eight, the spirit of her deceased grandfather helped her escape from a would-be kidnapper. This captivating, powerful memoir is filled with unforgettable scenes: spot-on predictions, countless spirit visits at home and school, menacing paranormal activity, and Kristy’s first meeting with two spirit guides who became her constant allies. Born into a strict religious family, Kristy believed she was cursed and hid her psychic abilities for many years. Over time, she learned to use her talent to do good in the world, and now she has decided to share her incredible story. Follow Kristy’s emotional journey through a difficult childhood, stormy marriages, conflict with faith, job loss, and illness—and the hard-won lessons that opened her heart to true love and acceptance of her unique gift.
My emotions took a few turns while following Kristy’s journey, and I think most readers can relate to many of the struggles. Throughout the first half of the book, I found myself frustrated that not only was she often not treated kindly, but not accepted for who she was and the reluctant gift that she was given. I think that’s why for a long time she couldn’t find herself. But it’s easy to cheer her on. Haven’t we all had those “what am I SUPPOSED TO BE when I grow up” moments? I’m 35 and I’m still having them. I think we all want to land on the right track. Some of us don’t know we’re on the wrong track, and some of us know but we’re not entirely sure what train to hop and where it’s going… and how to pay for the ticket… and what will be waiting for us when we get to that mysterious destination, anyway? Well I found myself smiling and truly happy for her as she took a giant risk and bravely jumped onto the right track for the rest of her journey… and because she’s so young, there’s a lot of track left, with plenty of stories yet to tell. Okay, enough trains. But seriously, I look forward to reading about the next part of the journey.
Yes, the book is about the medium author herself, but if you’re wanting the stories of spirit communication in her readings, of helping to solve cold cases, of the conversations with spirit guides, don’t worry. If you’re looking for validation from the various messages she gets, it’s here. Those beautiful moments, the heartfelt stories, the changed lives… those gems can be found throughout as well.
I truly loved it! Thanks for being brave enough to share you life with us, Kristy!
If you haven’t heard or seen Kristy Robinett, I wanted to give you the chance to see and hear her below. The first is video of a recent radio show appearance that I enjoyed. Below that is Kristy’s appearance from this last October on the Ricki Lake Show. Kristy has several other videos online. For more info, visit KristyRobinett.com.
Recently I shared a list of books for summer reading. From that list, Running with the Bulls was the one that I was the most excited to jump into… and as soon as it landed on my doorstep, that is just what I did.
The book did not disappoint, but it wasn’t really what I was expecting it to be either. Two weeks after 9/11, Joseph R. Lani, now a retired NYPD detective sergeant, was assigned to help command the Staten Island landfill where all of the debris from ground zero was taken. Detectives and federal agents sifted through every pile of rubble, searching for human remains, personal items, the black boxes from the planes, and anything relevant to the investigation. It was a giant crime scene. It was also where Mr. Lani suffered a heart attack due to stress, forcing him to retire. According the author, the combination of some powerful post 9/ll experiences and his heart attack resulted in him developing mediumistic abilities.
You’d think that this book would focus on the landfill and the author’s experiences around the time of 9/11, but the great majority of the book is really a memoir of his career leading up to his current experiences as a medium. Honestly, I would normally be the last person to get into a book about the NYPD or crime, etc., but I found myself really interested in his next career move, the move to the next precinct, the promotions, the embarrassing stories, and the amazing (and some terrifying) stories of bravery! It gives you a secret peek into the mind of the heroes that protect us every day, and I developed a renewed appreciation for these men and women.
At 199 pages, Running with the Bulls is an easy read with short chapters (Since I am a fan of breaking up my reading throughout the day, I LOVE short chapters.) and 39 photos throughout the book. And actually, this brings me to the only frustration I had with this book. Several of the photos supposedly contain supernatural elements, and some of them I either just don’t see or am skeptical of what he claims is there… but looking at an actual photo as opposed to a black and white reprint in a book could be a whole different experience, I’m sure. Weird pictures aside, I really loved the book, and I think Joseph R. Lani would be a fun person to hang out with and learn from!
The author can be contacted by visiting his website attheghostcop.com.
I do not have any of these books yet, but I eagerly wait for them to land on my doorstep. The chances of me actually getting through all of these this summer are slim, but as I mentioned in my last post, my “to be read” shelf is getting low. I would like to use this post to also ask for recommendations of books that are similar to the ones below, perhaps a few on spirit communication specifically.
Anyway, enjoy the list. Perhaps we can do an Oprah style book club together, huh? Ha! We’ll see.
All book descriptions are from each book’s Amazon page, which can be found by clicking on the cover photos below.
We Don’t Die: A Skeptic’s Discovery of Life After Death
I first heard about this book by Sandra Champlain while reading one of the latest newsletters from The Association TransCommunication (ATransC). As someone who is learning to deal with and understand my skeptic side, I felt this should definitely be on my list.
If You Realized That You Could Never Die, How Would You Live Your Life? Every second, 4 human beings are born and every 1.8 seconds, one dies. As natural as death is, dying is the most common fear that we all share. With every loss comes the most painful emotion called grief, which can cause break ups of relationships, depression and even suicide. Over 100 million suffer from grief daily, although it is a subject not often spoken of, until now. The fear of dying led Sandra Champlain on a 15 year journey to find evidence of the afterlife. Courageously, she now shares her personal story from skeptic to believer, along with proof that our deceased loved ones can still see, hear and communicate with us. Sandra also shares new information on the how our brains function during the grieving process and provides tools that ease pain and saves lives. It is now your time to find out who you REALLY are and discover for yourself that “We Don’t Die”. Discover… * Amazing Evidence That You Will Survive Physical Death * Your Deceased Loved Ones Are Still With You * The Purpose Of Your Life And Why You Are Here * How To Ease The Pain Caused By Grief * ‘Remote Viewing’ And Experience Who You Really Are * How To Create A Powerful Life and Produce Extraordinary Results
Running with the Bulls: The Road to Fresh Kills – A Journey into the Paranormal
This book by Joseph Lani is one that I quickly took note of when it was mentioned in a podcast interview of Mark Phillips, who is the creator and executive producer of the Biography Channel’s My Ghost Story. I’m really excited about it, in fact, it’ll probably be the first book from this list that I read!
Joseph Lani grew up on the south shore of Staten Island (NY), where a happy childhood was shattered by a tragedy that tears his family apart forever.
After trying to start a new life in Florida, Lani returned to New York and soon found himself a member of New York’s Finest. Then his life and the lives of so many others were changed forever on September 11, 2001.
After the initial horrors ended, Lani was assigned to the command center at the Fresh Kills Landfill, whose mission was to sift through the debris of the entire World Trade Center. Under the stress of the job, Lani suffers a massive heart attack and subsequent near death experience. He miraculously recovers to a new life fully enveloped in the spirit world.
In this fast-paced memoir in which we get to ”run with the bulls,” Joseph Lani recounts his many harrowing and humorous experiences on the job. Lani entertains his readers with an insider’s account of a very real world most of us only think we know from television.
Messenger Between Worlds: True Stories from a Psychic Medium
I mentioned this book by medium Kristy Robinett in a previous blog. I’m just waiting for it to be released on July 8, 2013.
Since the age of three, spirits have come to me in the dead of night, telling me of their woes. Kristy Robinett shares the dramatic, touching, and terrifying moments from her extraordinary life as a psychic medium.
This captivating, powerful memoir is filled with unforgettable scenes: spot-on predictions, countless spirit visits at home and school, menacing paranormal activity, rescue from abduction thanks to her loving grandfather in spirit, and Kristy’s first meeting with two spirit guides who become her constant allies. Follow her emotional journey though a difficult childhood, stormy marriages, conflict with faith, job loss, and illness—and the hard-won lessons that opened her heart to true love and acceptance of her unique gift.
The Djinn Connection: The Hidden Links Between Djinn, Shadow People, ETs, Nephilim, Archons, Reptilians and Other Entities
I have to be honest about this one. I’m not super excited about this book. The “djinn” is a popular topic with paranormal folks now days, and frankly I don’t get it. As of right now, I put the djinn in the same boat asblack eyed kids, fairies, and other mythical creatures that I think sometimes make us in the paranormal world seem crazy, or not serious. But maybe that’s because I haven’t come across a black eyed kid. Maybe I wouldn’t understand the djinn because I never had the opportunity to interview one in an EVP session. So before I criticize it I figure I need to do more homework on it. Plus I think Rosemary Ellen Guiley is spectacular!
Could a single entity be responsible for a multitude of our paranormal experiences throughout history? Drawing upon her decades of extensive research in all facets of the paranormal, Rosemary Ellen Guiley makes a compelling case that our interactions with spirits, extraterrestrials, shadow figures, ancient aliens, demi-gods and human-creature hybrids all involve the mysterious Djinn. The Djinn are little-known in the West beyond folk tales of genies in lamps and bottles, but they are real and active in our world. They are a race of powerful, masterful shape-shifters who exist in a dimension parallel to ours. Humans have had millennia of intense engagements with the Djinn, who disguise themselves in the forms of many different entities in order to keep themselves and their true motives hidden. Some of their motives are not in our best interests. The Djinn are not the only beings interacting with humans, but their giant shadow falls across every part of our paranormal and entity contact experiences, including bedroom invasions, alien abductions, and genetics manipulators from other worlds. The Djinn are significant force in the destiny of human beings. In The Djinn Connection, Guiley explains what we need to know and how we should respond.
The Uninvited: The True Story of the Union Screaming House
Don’t get this one confused with about 852 other books and movies with the same title, this supposed true story is by Steven LaChance. If I remember correctly, this book about the haunting of a home not far from me simply popped up as a recommendation on Amazon. It has some interesting reviews on the Amazon page.
What kind of evil lives at the Union Screaming House?
In this true and terrifying firsthand account, Steven LaChance reveals how he and his three children were driven from their Union, Missouri, home by demonic attackers.
LaChance chronicles how the house’s relentless supernatural predators infest those around them. He consults paranormal investigators, psychics, and priests, but the demonic attacks—screams, growls, putrid odors, invisible shoves, bites, and other physical violations—only grow worse. The entities clearly demonstrate their wrath and power: killing family pets, sexually assaulting individuals, even causing two people to be institutionalized.
The demons’ next target is the current homeowner, Helen. When the entities take possession and urge Helen toward murder and madness, LaChance must engage in a hair-raising battle for her soul.
Selected as one of the Best Books of 2008 by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Since the first part of July of this year, a lot of my blogs and reading have had to do with either the House of Darkness House of Light trilogy by Andrea Perron or
At around 500 pages each, volume one and two aren’t for light and quick reading. Volume one had my intense attention for most of the book. I really enjoyed how detailed Andrea was. I don’t think there’s any chance of her leaving out any of the details. After a blogger and Big Séance reader commented on
