Macabre Reads by Kris!
“Every life holds an epic tale, even if no one alive remembers it.” –Greg Melvilla, Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America's Cemeteries
October isn't the only month you can curl up with a ghoulish kind of read--these science and history reads are great for year-round macabre books!
Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America's Cemeteries by Greg Melville
The history of where the dead are placed follows American history through war and expansion, as well as the racial and financial divides which run all through the states. This short, but detailed view of selection of cemeteries across the United States will give a glimpse of how people have honored their loved ones—and might also leave you with a road trip idea!
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
Do you ever wonder what happens to your meat suit after you die? Are you interested in donating flesh-encased bones to science, and if so, what happens to the almost-free-skeleton? What’s the history of chopping up the dead and experimenting with the limits of human nature through the dead? Stiff has the answers in a detailed (and gross) hard look into what next great adventure your body could go on—even without you!
Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey
Come along on a journey through the United States as Dickey takes readers to some of the most haunted locations! Dickey not only paints the historical picture of the haunting and what the haunting embodies (pun noted), but he also walks among the living and asks what the haunting could mean to the people sharing the space. (It’s a fascinating read for those who love watching Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures!)
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: And Other Questions about Dead Bodies by Caitlin Doughty, illustrated by Dianne Ruz
Kids have a lot of questions about death and what better person to answer them than a mortician? Ok, there’s probably someone a little better (as Doughty herself says), but no one can capture her hilarious macabre sense of humor as well as curiosity matching that of a child’s. The questions range from silly to almost practical, and the explanations are scientific and wholesome—barring the breakdown about decomposition.
Six Feet Over: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach
Everyone is always curious to know what happens when we die. Do we see a light? Do we watch scene by scene of our lives before slipping away? In her abundant curiosity and humor, Roach (also author of Stiff) tackles these questions and more with the help of scientists with all their facts and conjectures, as well as mediums with their experiences.
A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America's Ghosts by Leanna Renee
From Lizzie Borden to Sarah Winchester to Marie Laveau, this wonderful read explores the supernatural stereotypes and historical roles that haunt campfires and ghost hunters throughout the US.
ABOUT THE BOOKSELLER
Kris studied for their MA in creative writing in Wales. Their favorite genres are horror, science, manga, and fantasy. Kris cannot DNF a book; they either force their way to the finish or it sits in their TBR pile for all eternity.