While this indicates a 2018 reading date, I read it every year since then.

I checked this out from the library without really looking at the cover because I needed to read about something fall-related to take my mind off the heat. Halloween is in my top three fall-related things. I set this down and got a good look at the cover, and was delighted. From the first photos and introduction, I was so excited. I could practically hear Michael Jackson's "Thriller" in my head. I turned the page and laughed--zombies were dancing. Second chapter, I was thinking of different songs from the "Nightmare Before Christmas" soundtrack, to which references abound in this book in any case. This book is jam-packed with so much information about Halloween and how Americans, mostly, celebrate it. Lots of attention was paid to zombies, who I find boring, but I kept reading. This book had some of the most compassionate and sensitive portrayals of Wiccans, witches and magickal folk that I've seen in a secular book, which I deeply appreciated. I got tons of ideas for Halloween decorations, which I always enjoy. The section on Halloween-themed tattoos was so interesting, and I think it's fantastic that Halloween carolers exist. There's even a section on whether your house might be haunted. When I first moved into this apartment, I lay awake and afraid as things went bump in the night. I've lived here four years, and hardly anyone stays the night because the bumps in the night creep them out. I've gotten used to them, and I warn people, but few stay. So, I looked over the checklist and compared it to here. In all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. ( )