February ScaredyKIT: Creepy Nonfiction

In researching this one, it seems many (most?) of the books that make various lists are true crime/murder stories. I’m adding in a couple I remember reading when I was a teenager, so I can’t vouch that they would still creep me out as an adult, but I’m adding them in, anyway!

Because I don’t use the tag “creepy” (or similar), I’m using online lists more than my own recommendations for the suggestions here (except for the ones from memory). I’m also trying to take books that are common to more than one list (this seems to work better for the true crime/murder books).

Suggestions:
Helter Skelter / Vincent Bugliosi
The Wicked Boy / Kate Summerscale
The Stranger Beside Me / Ann Rule
Hell’s Princess / Harold Schechter
The Road to Jonestown / Jeff Guinn
The Good Nurse / Charles Graeber
The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner… / Sarah Weinman

And trying to add in a few that aren’t true crime/murder:
The Amityville Horror / Jay Anson
Ghostland / Colin Dickey
A Slow Death: 83 Days of Radiation Sickness / NHK TV Crew
Asleep: The Forgotten Epidemic… / Molly Caldwell Crosby
Never Home Alone: From Microbes to Millipedes… / Rob Dunn
The World of Lore: Dreadful Places / Aaron Mahnke

Ok, I’m seeing a problem here in that I want to add them all to my tbr!

Don’t forget to post to the wiki: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2021_ScaredyKIT#February:_Creepy_Nonfict...

A few reccs:
Some people might find I Contain Multitudes creepy, all about microbes- I quite enjoyed it. One of the few books that spooked me hearing noises late at night was I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara about the Golden State Killer.

Some good creepy non-fiction I've read for my Halloween reads in years past

Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
The Poisoners Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum
The Anatomy Murders: Being the True and Spectacular History of Edinburgh's Notorious Burke and Hare and of the Man of Science Who Abetted Them in the Commission of Their Most Heinous Crimes by Lisa Rosner

Lots of goodies! Will troll by TBR

I have a creepy academic book hanging around from when I was a PhD student occasionally writing about horror, and I think I'm finally going to get around to reading it for this challenge. It's Skin Shows: Gothic Horror and the Technology of Monsters by Jack Halberstam.

>3 luvamystery65: The Poisoners Handbook sounds good - thanks for mentioning that one!

In the stacks I have Making the Monster: The Science Behind Mary Shelley's Frankenstein by Kathryn Harkup.

I'll be reading The Murder of Dr. Chapman: The Legendary Trials of Lucretia Chapman and Her Lover by Linda Wolfe.

>6 Crazymamie: The Poisoners Handbook is a wild ride Mamie. I absolutely LOVED it.

I am thinking of reading Grave's End by Elaine Mercado, a non-fiction story about a family who moves into a haunted house.

Turns out I do have one of my suggestions on my tbr! It was one mentioned in at least one of the lists I looked at. I've placed a hold on it at my library, but it may not come for me before the end of February.
Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places / Colin Dickey

Debating about some of the others, but I also have two that I'd like to reread:
Helter Skelter / Vincent Bugliosi
The Stranger Beside Me / Ann Rule.

I read them both in high school, and I would like reread them at some point.

I have a copy of The Poison Squad by Deborah Blum. I loved The Poisoner's Handbook by her so I'll read this and save Evil Has a Name by Paul Holes for real-life monsters month.

It's an icy Sunday morning and I'm the only one up, so I sat down and read my selection for this month: Literary Witches: A Celebration of Magical Women Writers by Taisia Kitaiskaia. You can read my full review on the work page, but I found this creepy (in an enchanting way) because it reimagines 30 women writers as witches in both art and prose-poems. I really loved it. I also have a deck of fortune-telling cards based on the book, which includes not only the witches but also their materials, such as a ghost, a teacup, or a spider, which can be used like a Tarot deck.

>12 sturlington: I have Literary Witches on my shelf. I never thought of it as "creepy" non-fiction, but some of these ladies wrote some really creepy stories and/or characters. I'm going to dip in and out of it this month.

Well... so I got the audio (sadly, an abridged version) of Helter Skelter and had intended to start tonight.

I usually listen to an audio book for about 20-30 minutes before bed - while I scoop the cats' litter and feed them.

Just the anticipation of listening to "Helter Skelter" had me going "nope, not before bed"! LOL!

I'm sure the same will happen with The Stranger Beside Me (also an abridged audio - boooo... why do they bother to abridge them!? I hate that!)

Even so, the abridged means I'll get to both of them this month (I think.. hopefully even without listening before bed!), and they are both rereads (but from 30+ years ago... likely I'll end up rereading the actual book again. I wanted to do the audios because I don't reread often, and when I do, I aim for a different format (if it's available at the library).)

When I had decided on them, I hadn't realized the library only had the abridged versions of each. I won't have time to read them with the other books I have lined up for this month.

Anyway, I am laughing at myself a bit here.

>14 LibraryCin: I hate when that happens! At least they are rereads and you can look at it as a refresher.

I decided to shelf The Poison Squad for now. If I have time, I'll definitely read it. I am currently listening to Dust and Shadow by Lyndsay Faye. Holmes and Watson investigate the Ripper murders. It reminded me that I wanted to read The Five by Hallie Rubenhold. The book concentrates on the lives of the five women killed by Jack the Ripper.

>13 luvamystery65: It was the only thing on my shelves to fit this month's theme! But I do think some of the art and prose is creepy. See if you agree -- it's definitely a good book for dipping in and out of!

Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places / Colin Dickey
3.5 stars

This isn’t just a book of ghost stories. The author digs deeper into the history of these haunted places and the some of people who supposedly haunt them. Not only that, he looks at supernatural history, in general. For instance, in the mid-19th century, Spiritualism became popular; current day, we see the fascination via ghost hunters and reality tv. Also current day (though he doesn’t go into detail on this, as it is in the epilogue), he talks a bit about technology – smart homes/devices, and social media.

Of course, there are plenty of ghost stories included, as well. Some of the places he looks at include homes, hotels (he stayed in one with a group of people where they all had infrared cameras), brothels, prisons, insane asylums, and more.

I found this quite interesting. There was a section on haunted towns/cities, as well, and I particularly liked the part on New Orleans, because I’ve been there. I had heard of some of the other stories/places he talked about.

Helter Skelter / Vincent Bugliosi
(abridged audio)
3.5 stars

In 1969, Charles Manson and a few of his “family” committed multiple murders two nights in a row. Vincent Bugliosi was the DA who got them convicted and sentenced to death. This book looked at the murders, the investigation, and the trials.

I listened to the audio, and unfortunately, this ended up being an abridged version of the book. As I ask in all my reviews of abridged audios – why? Why not record the entire book? Anyway, I read this when I was in high school (a few decades ago!), and it wasn’t as creepy as I remember. I can’t say for sure if the abridged version was the reason for that, but in part, I’m certain not seeing the photos was part of that. Charles Manson was a creepy creepy looking man. Since this was abridged, I still want to reread the entire thing. Overall, it appeared that the abridgement was done fairly well, though I’d much rather read the entire book.

The Stranger Beside Me / Ann Rule
(abridged audio)
4 stars

It’s hard to say how many women Ted Bundy murdered in the 1970s. Former Seattle policewoman Ann Rule was a friend of Bundy’s and it took her a long time to believe that he had actually done the things he was convicted of and put to death for. This book outlines the murders, as well as Ann’s friendship with Ted, and her realization that he did do those things.

Unfortunately, this was another abridged audio. Again, I feel like it was done well, in that I didn’t notice things that might have been missing. I just wish it had been the entire book! Like “Helter Skelter”, I did read this one back in high school, but given that that was 30+ years ago, I didn’t remember much of it. I actually hadn’t remembered the author’s friendship with Bundy at all (though the murders in Florida – the last ones he did – had stuck with me all this time, as well as other details about him). What I listened to was very good, though I’m not sure I’m a fan of Ann Rule reading her own books. Like with “Helter Skelter”, because this was an abridged version, I would still like to reread the entire book.

March's thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/329755

I have completed my read of Grave's End by Elaine Mercado. If you are in the market for a good, true haunted house story then I suggest you pass on this one. It was a stinker!

Finished Skin Shows: Gothic Horror and the Technology of Monsters by Judith Halberstam. Full review written!

I read Wicked Bugs by Amy Stewart. It was OK - the information was a bit shallow, but if you don't know anything about bugs it is an OK overview.

I'm about halfway through The Five by Hallie Rubenhold. It's more sad than, creepy as Rubenfold goes into great detail about the lives the 5 victims likely lived and what lead them to Whitechapel.

My husband has an extensive true crime collection. I chose Scene of the Crime by Tim Wride. This is a coffee table book of gruesome crime scene photographs.

I finished Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven, about extreme religious fundamentalists who are willing to commit atrocious acts under misguided beliefs. The book was definitely scary and disturbing but fascinating as well.

I finished The Murder of Dr. Chapman. It's an interesting look at two infamous trials, that of the wife of Dr. Chapman and her new, lying, cheating husband who helped himself to everything Dr. Chapman owned once he was dead.